Monday, October 03, 2011

Bocephus Steps in It

Are you ready for some controversy? Apparently ESPN isn't:

The Hank Williams Jr. song that has opened Monday Night Football for 20 years will not be part of the opening of this week's Indianapolis-Tampa Bay game after Williams made controversial comments about President Barack Obama.

Williams compared Obama to Adolf Hitler on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" show Monday morning.

ESPN, in a statement, said: "While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast."

Let's be clear about a few things. First, this isn't a First Amendment issue at all. No one is denying Williams his right to speak. ESPN can pull him from the telecast for any reason it chooses, just as AFLAC was well within its rights to ashcan Gilbert Gottfried after he told stupid jokes in the wake of the earthquake and subsequent nuclear problem in Japan. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from the consequences of your speech.

Second, I'm really tired of comparing anyone to Hitler. Barack Obama merits great criticism for any number of things, but it's ridiculous to compare any American president to a genocidal monster. If it was unfair to compare Obama's predecessor to a genocidal monster, there's no intellectually coherent or consistent way to accept a similar comparison in Obama's case.

Finally, may I just say that most of the music that is associated with the NFL these days seems to be, well, a little incongruous anyway? I didn't see the value of having Kid Rock prancing around outside of Lambeau Field before the opening game of the season. Most of the music the networks use during telecasts is faceless and corporate. The game is the thing. I'd rather have the surging orchestral silliness of the old NFL Films scores any day. We don't need Hank Williams Jr. to tell us the game is on anyway.

3 comments:

Gino said...

i'm a hitler, he's a hitler, wouldnt you like to be a hitler too?


the NFL has marketed itself as a roman forum gladiator thing.
the musical acts (kid rock, et al) all play into the festive atmosphere of entertainment first. it works.

kid rock et al is as much a part of the 'game' as showboating on the field, taunting, end zone dancing, lambeau leaps, back flips and the rest of the circus.

for me, dump it all and play the game. you dont see tennis and baseball players doing these things after every score, do you?

my name is Amanda said...

I was thrilled the news about HWJ's faux pas, not because I care at all about what he thinks or says about Obama, but because I have LOATHED that song for its entire existence. It's not singing. IT'S YELLING. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Just the other night - for the first broadcast, the song seemed to be going on and on and sounding even more obnoxious than in years past, if that was possible, and I felt compelled to yell into the air To Make It Stop. And then I ranted to my husband that MNF doesn't need an intro song. Just start the game! Or air the natl anthem. Or - similar to what you said, play the local state song of whatever team is home. Orchestral-like. That would be a vast improvement.

(The word verification reads "muting.")

Mr. D said...

Hi Amanda,

Those would be good suggestions, too. And congratulations on that "husband" situation!