Incorrect Political Correctness

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Dodgers would not be firing Steve Lyons for his remarks during a Fox broadcast of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between Oakland and Detroit. Fox fired Lyons shortly after the game. Last season, Lyons provided color commentary alongside play-by-play announcer Charley Steiner on the 40 or so games that Vin Scully did not call.

I really don’t have much of an opinion about Lyons as an on-air personality. If Vin Scully isn’t calling the game, I don’t really care who the announce team is as I simply don’t pay as much attention to what they say. So it wasn’t Lyons’ name that drew me to this story. What piqued my interest was the circumstances surrounding the decision by Fox to fire Lyons and the Dodgers decision to keep him on board.

Lyons called Game 3 of the ALCS with Thom Brennaman and Lou Piniella. During the game, Piniella made an analogy between having unusual success at the plate and finding a wallet on Friday. I don’t quite understand Piniella’s analogy but that’s not really relevant. He followed up that statement by saying that the Oakland A's Frank Thomas needed to get “en fuego” and was currently “frio.” Brennaman responded by saying the “The bilingual Lou Pinella.” Then Lyons chimed in with what would prove to be very fateful words for him: “Lou is habla-ing some Español there, and I'm still looking for my wallet. I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit close to him now.” Fox felt these comments were inappropriate and insensitive and decided to fire Lyons.

Sure it was a dumb joke but the only party that is in wrong in this case is Fox. Fox apparently felt that Lyons’ comment might upset the Latino community and be interpreted as suggesting that Spanish-speaking people are larcenous. However, in my mind, by firing Lyons and asserting that the comment was inappropriate, it is Fox that is being culturally insensitive.

Before this story developed, I had no idea that Lou Piniella was “Hispanic,” as the media is now reporting. Well after a little research it turns out Piniella isn’t “Hispanic.” He and his parents were born in Tampa, Florida and his family is originally from Spain. Last time I checked, Spain is in Europe, not Latin America. By firing Lyons, Fox is drawing a connection between the Latino community and thievery that wasn’t there when Lyons made his comment. Piniella laughed at Lyons' silly joke during the broadcast and defended him after Lyons was fired.

Fortunately, Dodgers management had decided not to make the same mistake and will allow Lyons to continue to call team games. They are requiring that Lyons take some diversity training which doesn’t seem necessary but at least they are not overreacting like Fox has.