Re: Bob Ryan/Joumana Kidd

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:22 PM 5/6/2003 -0400, ryan nelson wrote:
> i watched him say it live on sports final.  lobel was asking him about the 
> abuse kidd got from celtics fans and ryan went on a diatribe about how 
> joumanna is an attention grabber and showcasing their kid in order to get 
> the cameras on her.  While talking of his distaste for her, her need to 
> have the camera on her, and her complaints about the boos (she could have 
> sat in a box and not got any attention but she wanted to be at the center 
> of everything)Ryan did say he would like to smack her.  Obviously over the 
> line and lobel gave him a chance to retract it but he didn't.  I agree 
> with his points that she could watch the game without drawing attention to 
> herself and by drawing attention to herself she has no right to complain, 
> but i don't agree with the "smack her statement."  It was said as part of 
> a diatribe and I think he meant it figuratively.
Yeah, I suppose as one of the testosterone-impaired around here I should 
speak up. FWIW, I agree with what you say. It was a dumb thing to say, but 
I understand where he was coming from in saying it, out of last season's 
playoffs. I didn't thing the continuing calls of wife neater were 
appropriate and got real tired of listening to them, but I also think Kidd 
and wife went out of their way to be provocative about it so they could set 
themselves up as the victims and reap the PR benefit.

Still, a very dumb to say and he's too old a pro, too good with words and 
values their being used well too much to get away with a total pass on it. 
Suspension not firing seems appropriate in these PC days, although frankly 
I think a very public apology, maybe paired with a probation warning, 
should have been enough and would probably bother Ryan and his ego a lot 
more than losing the bucks for the suspension : )

Kim