January 25, 2008

Protest outside ESPN draws few

Reporter Jackie Majerus filed this:

A Christian Defense Coalition protest outside ESPN Friday drew about 15 people.
The protestors said they were upset with the sports media giant's response to alleged remarks made off the air at an Atlantic City party January 11 by SportsCenter anchor Dana Jacobson.
Jessica Ross, 21, of Bristol, joined the demonstration.
She was offended, Ross said, when she heard reports that Jacobson – speaking at a rowdy roast for other ESPN personalities – said "F--- Notre Dame, f--- Touchdown Jesus and f--- Jesus."
Jacobson, a Michigan alum, was making comments about Notre Dame football, said ESPN Vice President Mike Soltys, not about any religious faith.
The roast was for Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, hosts of Mike & Mike in the Morning. Golic is a Notre Dame alum and "Touchdown Jesus" is a school icon, a mural painted in the end zone.
ESPN condemned the comments and suspended Jacobson for a week, but the Christian Defense Coalition, led by the Rev. Patrick Mahoney – a former pastor at Hillside Community Church in Forestville – wants her fired.
Speaking to television cameras in front of ESPN Friday, Mahoney said ESPN should "release the tape" of Jacobson's comments.
While Soltys said ESPN does have a copy of her remarks, the company will not make them public. He has repeatedly stated that the reports are "imprecise" but said that the company has condemned them and sees no reason to repeat them.
"There's a lot of inaccurate information," said Soltys, that is circulating on the internet.
"They haven't said exactly that she did not say that," said Ross, who said she attends Hillside Community Church. She said a week's suspension isn't much of a punishment.
Jacobson's comments, said Ross, were "against the Jesus that I serve."
Ross said she wants ESPN to take Jacobson's comments seriously.
"I'm not out to get her," said Ross.
Officials at Notre Dame took offense at Jacobson's remarks, but have said they accept how ESPN dealt with the incident.
Soltys, who is Catholic, said he found Jacobson's comments "wrong," but not bigoted or hate speech.
"They were about Notre Dame football," said Soltys.
Mahoney tried to compare the incident with one last year when actor Isaiah Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," used an anti-gay slur against a fellow cast member.
"He used the term 'faggot' and he was fired," said Mahoney, who said he wants similar "justice" from ESPN for Christians by firing Jacobson. "ABC owns ESPN."
In fact, ABC does not own ESPN. ESPN belongs to The Walt Disney Co., which also owns ABC.
At the time of his comments, Washington was rebuked and issued an apology. He was not fired, but months later, the network did not renew his contract.
"No one at ESPN was involved in any way, shape or form with the Isaiah Washington situation," said Soltys, and ABC isn't at all involved in this one.
Discipline is done on a case by case basis, said Soltys, with careful consideration given to the circumstances, the person involved and their track record.
"We act on it based on what we feel is the correct thing to do, not from interest that generates on the internet," said Soltys.
Mahoney said he wants ESPN to host a roundtable discussion on religious discrimination in the workplace. Christians find using the words "God damn something" as offensive as African Americans find the use of "the n-word," said Mahoney.
The punishment meted out by ESPN is "insulting and it shows that ESPN just doesn't get it," said Mahoney.
The group also wants to meet with Jacobson, said Mahoney, who insisted that they love and forgive her.
"They were ugly comments," said Josh Conrad of Bristol, who attends Hillside Community Church and was at the protest. "We've already forgiven her."
But Conrad said Jacobson should still be fired.
"Comments like this are a form of persecution," said Conrad. "ESPN has treated the incident with a lack of respect and a lack of awareness. It's been quietly brushed under the rug."
Conrad, 24, said he watches ESPN "all the time." and hasn't stopped since the Jacobson incident.
During the protest, several passing vehicles honked. One car had a window open, and from inside, someone shouted, "Get a life!"
Several Bristol police officers were at the scene, helping protestors, reporters and photographers – who had parked across the street – cross busy Route 229.
Sgt. Dave Boi of the Bristol Police Department said the road is especially dangerous in front of ESPN. He said there have been fatalities there in the past and police didn't want anyone to be hit walking across the road.

And she also filed this, later in the day:

Executives from ESPN sat down for a nearly two-hour meeting with leaders of the Christian Defense Coalition Friday afternoon and both sides emerged from the session anticipating future talks.
ESPN Vice President Mike Soltys said he and Steve Anderson, an executive vice president who oversees the commentators, met at the Clarion hotel with the Rev. Patrick Mahoney and two others from the group after Mahoney led a protest outside ESPN.
"We had a good dialog about sensitivity toward language," said Soltys, especially with respect to Christianity.
Mahoney said his group asked Soltys and Anderson to pass along a request to speak with Dana Jacobson, whose alleged comments at a rowdy roast in Atlantic City inflamed Mahoney's group.
Jacobson's off-air remarks weren't published, and ESPN isn't releasing them. The company said they were inappropriate but were about Notre Dame football, not religion.
Jacobson was suspended for a week, but Mahoney's group wants her fired.
"Obviously she said something offensive," said Mahoney, because ESPN suspended her.
Anderson told Mahoney he would deliver the request to Jacobson when she returns to work on Monday.
"I want her to see that we accept her apology," said Mahoney. "I want to hear from her, what she said and the context in which she said it."
He said he wants to "hear her heart."
"We promised that we would not embarrass her," said Mahoney. "It would be great to just talk face to face."
Mahoney said his group offered to set up a meeting of "faith leaders who are struggling with this" and ESPN representatives.
"They're very open to that," Mahoney said.
"We told them that we're open to dialog, that we've been discussing this with faith leaders that have called us and we've reached out to some of them on our own," said Soltys, adding that the dialog this week has been "positive."
The two sides "pledged to continue to talk to each other," Soltys said.
Mahoney said the meeting with ESPN was the "first step."
"Nothing's off the table," said Mahoney. "We're not calling for a boycott. We're not calling for massive demonstrations right now."


*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I drove by. Very lame.

Anonymous said...

What is sad here is that this qualifies as news. Why hasn't the press covered the gang related fight that occurred at Eastern High School? Isn't that more news worthy than and a person who had to much to drink, made a fool out of herself and said or did not say stupid things related to college football teams?

Steve Collins said...

What gang fight at Eastern?

Anonymous said...

Do some investigating Steve!

Steve Collins said...

Gang fights are not my beat. But I'm curious.

Anonymous said...

All parents of Eastern High School students received a recorded call earlier this week about an "event" that occurred at school. Come to find out it was a fight between a couple of students that were tied to two local gangs.

You might want to call the school to find out more.

Anonymous said...

The fight happened on 1/23/08.

Anonymous said...

It was a stupid fist fight a couple boys had over a girl. It had nothing to do with gangs. Let's not start a verbal riot or scare anyone over a couple stupid boys acting like boys.

Anonymous said...

Was it boys or girls? Who won the Jets or the Sharks?

Anyone who thinks that a fight at the HS is news needs to get a life.

Anonymous said...

Steve, I get why this dumb act qualifies as news. ESPN is the biggest company in town. Protests of any sort in Bristol are rare, and there aren't many at ESPN, either.
If the Press hadn't covered it, people would be screaming about a coverup.
Because they did, they're criticized for blowing something small out of proportion.
You can't win, Steve.

Anonymous said...

Do you have a crystal ball, Steve? I bet you love it when anonymous people make veiled references to big doings and then vaguely sneer, "Do some investigating."

Anonymous said...

I didn't know the Press had anyone covering gangs, or anything of the sort.

Steve Collins said...

We have a cop reporter whose beat would include gang violence. Thankfully, there hasn't been much of that since the mid-1990s. I hope that continues to be the case!

Anonymous said...

How come when a 13year old girl gets assulted in downtown the rev says nothing ?

Anonymous said...

"It was a stupid fist fight a couple boys had over a girl. It had nothing to do with gangs. Let's not start a verbal riot or scare anyone over a couple stupid boys acting like boys."

Really? Then why an increase in police and hall monitors. Students having to follow new rules, etc.

Anonymous said...

Anti-Christian behavior seems to be quite popular in Bristol .

Maybe someone should contact Osama and let him know he'd be protected here by the sports fans of E.S.P.N. :-(

Anonymous said...

In the Bristol Press on Friday January 25th the Bristol Press quoted The Christian Defense Coalition Director Rev. Patrick Mahoney as saying “F--- Mohammed” in an apparent attempt to draw attention to his crusade to have Dana Jacobson Fired from ESPN for an off air remark she made. I personally find Mr. Mahony’s statement “F--- Mohammed” as printed in the press disrespectful, offensive an unbecoming of a Reverend. Shouldn’t the people who attack others for what they say hold themselves to the same standard? Mr. Mohney was probably not thinking straight when he made this totally disrespectful comment to the Press and I don’t think we should demand that he fired. However Mr. Mahoney you do owe a public apology for your disrespectful statement.

Anonymous said...

"Anti-Christian behavior seems to be quite popular in Bristol .

Maybe someone should contact Osama and let him know he'd be protected here by the sports fans of E.S.P.N. :-("

For a minute there, I thought you were talking about the protesters, since they were screaming for her to be fired (eye for an eye) and not acting like the forgiving, Christlike souls they claim to be.
But then you showed your real self, and it wasn't pretty.

Anonymous said...

What the heck is a woman doing in a sports arena anyways ???? She should never have been hired in the first place --


f...in' equality rears it's ugly head yet again .

Anonymous said...

F-Rev. Baloney! I think he should apologize for sucking up valuable time, newsprint, cop resources and air.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. What would Jesus do?

I'll take a wild guess and say that Jesus would forgive this person who has apoligized. It's too bad Mr. Mahony was not paying attention in his "Rev. Training class" to learn from Jesus' teachings.

This whole thing is being way over blown, over covered, over hyped, etc.

Let is go already.

Anonymous said...

I think Rev. Baloney should apologize, too.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad ESPN had the sense to meet in the boring old Clarion and not to let Rev. Baloney get inside the Worldwide Leader and have those kind of bragging rights.

Anonymous said...

NEWS FLASH...

Christian Defense Coalition led Mr. Mahony Holds Overblown Protest --- Nobody Cares!!!

Anonymous said...

I think Rev. Mahony is 100% correct in his opinion about this anchor-woman. Everyone and anyone (including her most likely) are disgusted by these remarks by her. It's too bad because she did a very nice job hosting the Rose Bowl this year.

Seeing she's an employee of ESPN and she has a job to complete I think it's appropriate to let her finish her contractual duties with the network. I do not think her contraat will be re-newed. I htink the suspension is fine.

I also think "Rev" Mahony's actions are a bit too much. It's as if he believes he is more holy than anyone else (as do all those people at that church). He must think all the Catholic Priests (whom the insults you may say were mostly directed towards seeing ND is a Catholic University) are inept because they have not staged a protest. Maybe they are just not little blow-hards? I also think it was disgusting and totally inappropriate for this "Rev" Mahony to demand a "referendum from our city leaders on abortion seeing Roe vs Wade was a Supreme Court decision and is the law of the USA.

You won't see me joining that congregation any time soon.

Anonymous said...

Obviously Jacobson needs alcohol counciling. That is the real issue.

Anonymous said...

What ever happened to doing the good Christian thing like turning the other check. I'm sure if we take a look at Mr. Maloney's life we could find something worthy of critizing.

Anonymous said...

Even though I have nothing to do with this Hillside (non-denominational) Christian Church, I'm glad the holy-er than thou extremists like this blow-hard Malony and his little lackey Kris Keating are there to defend my faith. I thank them so much.

Anonymous said...

Hey ....... E.S.P.N. !!!

Release the f...n tape of the sick b...hs' remarks ....

You won't because you defended her and would lose the support of the idiots defending her in here .

Anonymous said...

How is this Maloney, he wants Jacobson to know he accepts her apology. Who is he to speak for Jesus. She does not have to apologize to him or anyone else, she'll have to save her sorries for her day of reconing. Becareful Mahoney, one day you will also have tro answer for what you are doing.

Jesus forgives, maybe you should take a lesson.

Anonymous said...

I can see his outrage and the double standard which Malony is articulating. But I really think the lady was drunk and deserves a break (especially for that reason). I think she should admit she's a drunk and she should then get counciling.

I really have doubts though about a guy (mahony) who wastes our city's leader's time on an issue that neither they nor the leadership in Hartford have any say on what-so-ever (abortion).

It sounds like this Minister and this church are a bunch of grand-standers. Perhaps this is their way of trying to grow their congregation? I heard they were flying to communist China and smuggling bibles into that country (something one can be jailed for). This to me is risky and abnormal behavior.

Anonymous said...

It's almost as bad as the congregational church in Bristol which has its confirmation class tour the AIDS hostel in Plainville as part of its confirmation education.

Anonymous said...

Wow...someone insulted an invisible person. These people need to get a life. There is no jeebus.