Marvelous Night For A Moon Dance: Moss’ Dance Makes Waves

ESPN Monday Relents, Airs Moss Footage

ESPN chose not to show video footage of Vikings WR Randy Moss pretending to moon the Lambeau Field crowd after scoring a touchdown in Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game against the Packers until Monday afternoon’s episodes of “PTI” and “Around the Horn.” Fox did not replay the act during game coverage, but did show it on its postgame show. NFL VP/PR Greg Aiello, on whether the league had a hand in Fox and ESPN not showing replays of the incident: “ESPN and Fox made their own decisions on that” (K.C. STAR, 1/11).

BACKTRACKING: ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro said of the decision not to replay the incident on the network’s postgame show, “We screwed up. There’s no question we should have showed it. ... This is a news story, and we erred on the side of being conservative. We don’t want to be gratuitous, but we have to give the viewers some context” (Teddy Greenstein, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/11). More Shapiro: “We got caught up in the reaction to this post-Janet Jackson conservative decision-making era. ... If you talk about it for 10 minutes on SportsCenter without showing it, you’re doing a disservice to your viewers because those that haven’t seen the game have no context otherwise” (USA TODAY, 1/11). In Dallas, Barry Horn reports ESPN “had a plan in place to offer replays once the NFL decided if it would mete out a consequence” to Moss. ESPN spokesperson Dave Nagle: “That would put the NFL’s actions in context. Until the NFL rules, we wanted to take a prudent approach rather than immediately display it” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/11). On Long Island, Steve Zipay notes ESPN’s Dan Patrick on his afternoon radio show yesterday indicated that he had “argued with producers that SportsCenter should have aired the tape” (NEWSDAY, 1/11).

HYPOCRISY? ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser, on ESPN and Fox: “For both those networks to say, ‘Oh no, we’re not going to show this,’ was ridiculous.” ESPN’s Michael Wilbon: “The hypocrisy is unbelievable. By the way, what do the NFL and its network partners show 60 times every game? Erectile dysfunction ads” (“PTI,” ESPN, 1/10). Syracuse Univ. Center for Popular Television Dir Robert Thompson: “I would believe the legitimacy of the broadcasters and the NFL saying they care about public interest if they quit taking advertisements for alcohol, if they quit taking advertisements for pharmaceutical companies that promote erectile-dysfunction products, and so many other things that aren’t appropriate” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/11). The WASHINGTON POST’s Wilbon: “I’m supposed to react seriously to the Fox network trying to claim the high ground? ... ESPN can promote ‘Tilt’ with clips of a semi-clothed woman straddling some dude — but these networks were too squeamish Sunday night to even show a replay of Moss’s mock-mooning? Please” (WASHINGTON POST, 1/11).

KNOCKING ESPN: In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein writes, “The network that takes pride in its hard-hitting news division went Pravda on us, banning the clip from its early shows. Janet Jackson’s obscured right breast wasn’t treated this harshly. Nor was Jake Plummer’s middle finger” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/11). NEWSDAY’s Zipay, on ESPN’s initial decision: “Imagine that, from the network that created ‘Playmakers’ and will repeatedly show illegal hits and fights in every sport to promote games?” (NEWSDAY, 1/11). In Philadelphia, Kevin Mulligan writes ESPN’s decision was “a shock, since anything usually goes at the new, less-improved ESPN” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/11).

Fox’ Brown Not Surprised By Moss Anymore

KNOCKING FOX: In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes Moss’ act was followed by “harsh words from” Fox studio host James Brown and analysts Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and Howie Long. But Brown during the pregame show said, “I don’t get upset at Randy Moss anymore. He is what he is. You know exactly what you have there.” After the game, Brown called Moss’ gesture “classless, ignorant and embarrassing.” Raissman: “Considering what Brown said about Moss on Fox’s pregame show, his postgame comments were not only strange, but out of character for a usually sincere voice” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/11). NEWSDAY’s Zipay: “[Fox] must really be running scared of the FCC. A week ago, Fox refused to run a Super Bowl ad that featured a fleeting glimpse of 84-year-old Mickey Rooney’s behind” (NEWSDAY, 1/11). In S.F., Gwen Knapp: “Isn’t this what they really wanted, even encouraged? They made Moss a star not because he is a great football player. ... The network put a spotlight on him for the same reason that it aired ‘Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire’” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/11). NBC’s Jay Leno: “A lot of people are very upset about this except for Fox because that’s the most tasteful thing they’ve done in years” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/10).

PASSING THE BUCK: Fox’ Joe Buck handled play-by-play for the game and following the incident said, “That's a disgusting act by Randy Moss, and it's unfortunate we had it on our air live” (Fox, 1/9). Vikings Owner Red McCombs, in a Sporting News Radio interview, said, “Buck missed it totally. In the first place, he’s supposed to be reporting a game. I didn’t know that he had become an analyst. I imagine there will be some others in his organization that will take a look at that. He was totally out of line.” But Fox Sports VP/Communications Dan Bell said, “We would respectfully disagree with Mr. McCombs assessment. Anybody who knows Joe Buck and the job he does knows he’s not one to instantly jump on a soap box every time one could be put in front of him. We stand behind him 100[%]” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/11). Buck said Monday that he “has never been more critical of an athlete, but that he didn’t regret it because Moss’ actions were inappropriate for children” (MIAMI HERALD, 1/11). Buck: “I’m paid to give my opinions and my opinion was [that] it was a disgusting act that I thought had no place in the game. ... I have to react to those situations and that’s the way I reacted” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/11). But L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said, “This is the same Joe Buck who takes a lot of money from [Anheuser-Busch] to do a commercial about a self-indulgent, self-serving athlete named Leon who reminds people of Randy Moss” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 1/10).

FINE MESS: Aiello said that the league “is reviewing the incident and will rule on it later this week” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/11). In N.Y., Darren Everson cited a league spokesperson as saying the incident “encroaches on NFL rules regarding obscene gestures or actions ‘in poor taste.’” The fine for first offenses under those guidelines is $5,000 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/11). FSN’s Jay Glazer cited league officials as saying that they do not “want to make a huge deal about this. We want to just move on from this.” Glazer: “If you fine a guy $75,000 it becomes a huge deal” (“I, Max,” FSN, 1/10). McCombs: “I don’t expect them to (fine Moss). I don’t see any reason why they would. I didn’t have a problem with what he did” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 1/11).

Dungy Offers Inside Information On Lambeau Traditions

PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE: Colts head coach Tony Dungy, on Packer fans at Lambeau Field: “One of their traditions is when they beat you they stand around the parking lot — all around the fence — and they moon the bus when you leave, and I’m sure Randy has seen it a lot. So that was just a nice ‘here you go’ back to the fans who mooned the busses, and I thought it was rather humorous” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 1/10). Vikings C Matt Birk: “Brett Favre used to do the throat slash. I think that’s worse than just a fake moon. But, you know, Randy’s Randy and Brett’s Brett, so Randy gets heat” (AP, 1/11). USC professor Thomas Boyd does not “buy the theory that Moss traumatized a generation of young football fans” but suggests there “has been a disconnect from football tradition and the hip-hop culture.” Boyd: “I don’t think a lot of kids will be scandalized by a guy who’s pretending to moon somebody. To me, it’s not a big deal. All you need to do is turn on MTV and watch Jackass. That will make this seem like a Sunday school prank” (Baltimore SUN, 1/11).

LOCAL COVERAGE: The PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS’ Mulligan reports KYW-CBS aired Moss’ act using a blur-out, while WCAU-NBC “replayed it like any other highlight.” Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia aired it in their “NFL playoff rundown, but did not dwell on it” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/11). In Chicago, Carol Slezak reports WBBM-CBS and WGN-WB did not air it during Sunday sportscasts, while WLS-ABC showed a blurred-out image. Only WMAQ-NBC and WFLD-Fox aired it Sunday. WBBM Exec Sports Producer Krista Ruch: “CBS is the network that aired the Janet Jackson (escapade), so we are supersensitive. We didn’t even give it a lot of thought. It just wasn’t worth getting into it” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/11).

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