Apparently, the bigger the idiot you are, the better your chances of becoming a sportscaster

[marmar]

via Yahoo!:



Clippers announcers meet with Haddadi before game
Nov 29, 4:04 pm EST


LOS ANGELES (AP)—Clippers play-by-play man Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith met with Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi(notes) before Sunday’s game at Staples Center, where they expressed regret for an incident that earned the TV broadcasters a one-game suspension.

It was the first meeting between the teams since Lawler’s and Smith’s off-the-cuff remarks about the Iranian-born center during the final minutes of the Clippers’ 106-91 loss at Memphis on Nov. 18. One offended viewer sent an e-mail to the Fox Sports Prime Ticket network.

“It went really well,” Lawler told the Associated Press, about an hour before tipoff. “It was really good to get a chance to shake his hand and look him in the eye. We reached out to him, he reached back, and I feel real good about it.”

Before Lawler and Smith spoke with Haddadi in the Grizzlies’ dressing room, they had a conversation with his agent and three representatives of the Alliance of Iranian Americans in another room that coach Mike Dunleavy uses for his postgame press conferences.

.....(snip).....

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended a viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.” .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-clippers-announcers&prov=ap&type=lgns

[47of74]

1. Certainly explains Rush and his aborted sportscasting career

[lpbk2713]

6. Yup. OxyRush couldn't even make the cut.

ESPN tried him out on maybe two broadcasts.
Then his true nature oozed out and that was that.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Even Keith Olbermann?

--d!

[marmar]

4. There are rare exceptions.......

..... and he got out.

[Berry Cool]

11. Yeah, and now he's back in again.

Workin' BOTH sides of the street! :rofl:

And his favorite epithet for Rush, aside from "Orly Taitz Limbaugh," is "failed ESPN sportscaster Rush Limbaugh." 'Cause he KNOWS how the envy, it BURNS.

[muntrv]

3. If I'm correct, former rep. JD Hayworth (R-AZ) was a sportscaster.

[AlinPA]

5. So was Palin and Reagan.

[muntrv]

7. Ahhh what gems!!!!

:eyes: :eyes:

[treestar]

8. My favorite example from when I was watching a baseball game

"The Phillies want to win games, they'll have to get more runs in."

:rofl:

[imdjh]

9. I can't believe anyone could listen to this babble long enough to pick it out.

Seriously, I can take about 30 seconds of these chattering assholes before they start to sound like a male version of The View.

[katanalori]

10. Yep, usually TRUE

Sarah Palin was a sportscaster, before she quit being one.