The Yankees lifted their boycott of NBC's Jim Gray for
Game Four of the World Series, and Gray conducted pregame
interviews with manager Joe Torre and 2B Chuck Knoblauch
(NBC, 10/27). In Toronto, Rutsey & Elliott report that NBC
"even made a last-minute change and allowed Gray to present"
the World Series trophy to the team in the clubhouse.
Hannah Storm had presented the trophy in recent years
(TORONTO SUN, 10/28). During the post-game celebration,
Gray conducted interviews with Yankees Owner George
Steinbrenner, Torre, SS Derek Jeter and Ps Mariano Rivera,
Roger Clemens and David Cone without incident (NBC, 10/28).
In Minneapolis, Patrick Reusse reports that according to a
team official and an NBC employee, the network told the
Yankees yesterday "that it would not cover the traditional
World Series' victory ceremony in the clubhouse, if the
players continued to refuse to give interviews" to Gray
(Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/28). NBC Sports Chair Dick
Ebersol said that he spoke with Steinbrenner and MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig about lifting the ban, but he said,
"There were no threats." Torre said Gray's on-air apology
Tuesday night "had nothing to do" with his team speaking
with the NBC reporter. Torre: "We have a certain
responsibility to NBC and we're just living up to it" (USA
TODAY, 10/28). Torre said Selig spoke to him Tuesday after
Yankees LF Chad Curtis snubbed Gray (N.Y. TIMES, 10/28).
Ebersol: "Bud went back into the stadium to deal with it and
I saw George outside his hotel in Manhattan. He made it
abundantly clear that he didn't want it to happen again and
gave everybody his word. So I went to sleep feeling OK."
More Ebersol: "Jim Gray made an unequivocal apology to the
fans for something that wasn't just his responsibility, it
was ours. We probably shouldn't have had an interview that
close to the ceremony. ... He probably should have dived out
of it after those questions. The only thing you can say is
you're wrong, and move on" (NEWSDAY, 10/28). In Chicago,
John Jackson writes that "finally, it seems, the furor over"
Gray's interview "may be subsiding" (SUN-TIMES, 10/28).
ADVERTISER PRESSURE? Asked if any advertisers put
pressure on NBC to have Gray apologize on-air, a network
spokesperson said, "This was not a business issue. It was
not as if any of their advertising was ever in jeopardy"
(N.Y. POST, 10/28). But in DC, Leonard Shapiro writes that
experience "would indicate there almost certainly had to be
considerable pressure on Gray from a variety of sources to
perform his act of contrition." Gray, on NBC's support:
"People at NBC have been beyond belief. Dick Ebersol has
been unbelievable with his support personally, privately and
publicly. You could not ask and receive any more."
Shapiro: "Gray is taking all of the heat for this, and that
is really too bad. Wasn't he wearing an earpiece connecting
him to his producers and directors in the truck?"
(WASHINGTON POST, 10/28). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reports
that "despite a request by the NBC production truck to cut
[Sunday's] interview short, Gray continued. According to
people with knowledge of the situation, Gray said he didn't
hear the request" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/28). Selig, on Gray's
interview of Rose: "I suppose one can quarrel a little bit
with the timing, but journalists do have responsibilities
and they ought to be allowed to exercise them and not be
pilloried for it" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/28).
A NEW TOUCH OF GRAY? Gray, asked by reporters yesterday
if he would change his interview approach to become like
fellow sideline reporter Ahmad Rashad. Gray, "betraying the
anger he was trying to hide," said, "Ahmad's a friend of
mine. I have tremendous respect for him" (Newark STAR-
LEDGER, 10/28). In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers profiles Gray
and writes, "In a career that has been mostly highs, Gray
has hit a low." Turner Sports Exec Producer Mike Pearl:
"After the Series is over, things will smooth over, and
everybody will move on" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/28).
WHERE'S THE SUPPORT OF HIS BRETHREN? Author Kevin Baker
writes an op-ed in the WALL STREET JOURNAL and wonders why
more reporters or media figures didn't come to Gray's
"defense." Baker: "For American journalists to abandon one
of their own is simply shameful" (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
10/28). Gray was the subject of yesterday's "Talk Back
Live" on CNN. The Sporting News Editor Jim Rawlings, asked
whether he would have continued to use Gray during the World
Series: "I'd put him out there and tell him to do his job
just like he'd do under any circumstances. He provides good
insight during the games and you hope that the baseball
players will see that they're not behaving very responsibly
and that he can conduct an interview and do his job"
("TalkBack Live," CNN, 10/27). FSN's Jim Rome, on Curtis'
snub of Gray: "Doing Gray the way he did him on national TV
was garbage. In fact, it was worse than what Gray did to
Rose" ("Last Word," FSN, 10/27). "Inside Edition" and
"Entertainment Tonight" both led with reports on the Yankees
players' boycott of Gray (THE DAILY).
