Apparently this week, ESPN analyst and podcaster Peter Pascarelli really screwed up. He screwed up so badly that he immediately released an expansive, contrition-filled, Tiger Woods-style apology. He screwed up so badly that he’s reportedly been removed from his podcast.
His screw up? He made a crack about Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.
The offending quote – all traces of which have been thoroughly scrubbed from ESPN – essentially made light of the Brewers’ recent decision to erect a statue in honor Selig, and suggested that the pigeons of Wisconsin will have a new place to relieve themselves. Think what you will of Selig, but that’s kind of funny. It’s also incredibly innocuous.
But apparently not to ESPN. Pascarelli sprinted to record a “special edition” podcast the next day, profusely apologizing for his terrible judgment. And now, he’s unlikely to return to the podcast.
So what’s this really all about? Access! ESPN has it, and doesn’t want to lose it. Maybe this was a directive from the Commissioner’s office (unlikely), but it is more likely simply to have been an internal overreaction at ESPN – “Oh God, someone said something bad about Selig! Fix it or they’ll cut us off!”
I get it, I suppose, but this seems a bit over the top, no? Just to be safe, I want to reiterate how excellent I think Bud Selig is. You think ESPN can hook me up with an interview now?