NO KIDDING: Globe slaps writer over comments on Nets star wife

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

NO KIDDING: Globe slaps writer over comments on Nets star wife

by Jim Baker
Wednesday, May 7, 2003









The Boston Globe yesterday suspended veteran sports columnist Bob Ryan for one
month for saying in a TV interview that the wife of New Jersey Nets star Jason
Kidd - an alleged victim of domestic abuse - needed a ``smack.''



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After a late-afternoon closed-door meeting, Globe editor Marty Baron issued a
statement, saying: ``Bob Ryan's comments were a clear and egregious violation
of the standards of the Boston Globe. Bob has been told in no uncertain terms
that his remarks were offensive and unacceptable.''

The remark about Joumana Kidd, a frequent courtside presence at Nets-Celtics
playoff games last season and again this week during the NBA's Eastern
Conference Semifinals, came on Sunday night's ``Sports Final,'' hosted by Bob
Lobel on WBZ-TV.

Ryan did not return Herald calls.

But in a statement released by the Globe, he acknowledged making ``an
inappropriate and offensive remark concerning Joumana Kidd.

``During a discussion with host Bob Lobel on the subject of fan sportsmanship,
I hyperbolically stated that Mrs. Kidd, who had claimed fan harassment in the
FleetCenter during last year's playoff series between Boston and New Jersey,
should be `smacked' for her general behavior.

``It was, of course, atrocious judgment on my part. I wish to state clearly
that I am aware of the very real problem of violence against women in our
society, and that in no way is it a joking matter. I apologize to Mrs. Kidd,
and to all women, for my remark,'' the statement said.

``I further realize that I violated the standards of both the Boston Globe and
that of WBZ-TV. I hereby apologize to Globe readers and WBZ viewers,'' it
concluded.

Ryan also was banned by the Globe from making any other media appearances
during his suspension.

When Ryan made the comment, Lobel immediately interrupted him, giving the
columnist a chance to retract it.

``You just don't want to smack her, you don't mean to say that. No, do you,
really? Tell me you don't?'' Lobel said.

``Why should I say anything different than I said all last playoffs last
year,'' Ryan said.

The Globe's disciplinary action and Ryan's apology followed Nets coach Byron
Scott's declaration that Ryan should be fired.

``Bob should be out of a job. That's ridiculous. That's uncalled for,'' said
an irate Scott, who pointed out Ryan works in the opposing city. ``Where's he
from? Then it's not surprising. . . . It shouldn't have been said, period.

``Tell him to come here. Just tell him to come right in here and he can say
that in front of me and Jason and some of our players, that he would like to
slap her around a little bit. He'll see how well he'll be received.''

At practice yesterday for tonight's Nets-Celtics Game 2, Kidd stopped short of
calling for Ryan's dismissal but said he owed Joumana an apology, which she
received.

``More or less he needs to apologize to Joumana,'' said Kidd. ``To take
somebody's livelihood away for comments. . . . You know, everybody makes
mistakes.''

The ``smack'' comment and Ryan's original rationalization that Mrs. Kidd is an
``exhibitionist'' who uses little son T.J. as a ``prop'' drew a torrent of
criticism on Hub radio stations and from women's groups, among others.

Lt. Det. Margot Hill, commander of the Boston Police domestic violence unit,
wrote a letter to the Globe citing more than 4,300 calls to respond to such
abuse and considered asking Ryan to join her officers for a night of
responding to the calls.

``I'd like him to stand in the doorway of a home where the victim is
frightened she may be killed, or fears her children may be harmed or taken
from her if she reports the truth behind the attacks and see what (Ryan) says
to her at that moment,'' Hill wrote.

Her letter to the Globe went on to condemn ``the Neanderthal attitudes
expressed so revealingly by your sportswriter (Ryan).''

Kidd noted that his wife took the high road in the incident.

``Bob doesn't know myself nor my family on a personal level,'' said Kidd, who
was asked for his wife's reaction. ``She felt sorry if she offended him in any
way. She took the high road and that's all you can do at this point: take the
high road and let him be who he is and move on.''

Jason Kidd, then with the Phoenix Suns, was charged with assaulting Joumana
Kidd was in early 2001. On a police 911 tape, she said ``there's just a bad
history here'' and said she had been attacked by her husband before. The
charges were dropped when he agreed to pay a fine and attend counseling.

FleetCenter fans last year taunted Kidd during games, calling him `wife
beater.''

In a Monday night apology expressed to a New York Post writer during the
Celtics' Game 1 loss to the Nets, a shaken Ryan said repeatedly that he
regretted not taking back the remark immediately - as Lobel twice gave him an
opportunity to do.

``Driving home (from the show), I'm thinking that was bad, that was a
mistake,'' Ryan said. ``I'd like to have that back. I know the times, I know
the problem. It's like saying, `I'm going to kill you.' You don't really mean
it. I regret it. It was a stupid choice of words. Stupid guy-talk. But I stand
by the other points.''

Lobel, reacting to Ryan's suspension and one-month radio-TV ban, said: ``It's
totally their (the Globe's) issue. I suspected something would happen and I
obviously regret the incident happened. I won't defend him and I won't indict
him. I just hope we can all move on.''

Lobel said he talked with Ryan after his Post interview. ``He knew he really
screwed up and wished he'd paid more attention,'' Lobel said. ``He knew the
line that shouldn't be crossed and crossed it himself.''

Asked whether the show's agenda called for the Kidds to be discussed, Lobel
said he told Ryan only that he planned to raise ``what happened last year
(when FleetCenter fans chanted `wife beater' at Kidd).'' He indicated the
subject may be raised on this Sunday's show, but now Ryan cannot be part of
that.

In addition to writing for the Globe, Ryan (who calls himself ``The
Commissioner'') appears on at least two ESPN shows, ``The Sports Reporters''
and ``Around the Horn'' with a highly opinionated, rapid-fire approach.

Mark Shapiro, ESPN's executive vice-president of programming and production,
indicated the cable network will take no action against Ryan and released this
statement: ``He made a terrible mistake and should be embarrassed by what he
said. Anyone that knows Bob knows this is out of character. He has apologized
and when he is ready to return to TV we will have him back on his regular
assignments.''

Yet under terms of his suspension, Ryan won't be able to appear on ESPN's
shows for a month.

Before the suspension, the Globe incurred broad radio criticism, particularly
from WEEI's Glenn Ordway, who accused the newspaper of trying to ``hide'' the
story by failing to mention it in Tuesday's editions despite large space
devoted to a media column. ``I can't understand why the Globe can put the
shutter down as if it didn't happen,'' he said, noting it was ``all over New
York radio.''

Sean McDonough, on sports-radio rival WWZN (which has regularly carried Ryan
inside a Globe format), argued WEEI ``offends someone nearly every day. . . .
but Bob knows he said something stupid. We all do some stupid things. Good
luck.''

The Celtics, who Ryan covered Monday, may also need some luck in the wake of
the incident.

Rodney Rogers, a former Celtic who signed with New Jersey in the offseason,
said Nets players were ticked off by the comments and that Kidd will take it
personally.

``The way he's going to take it personal is by beating them,'' Rogers said.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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