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EMarshallBuckles
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 19th, 2007 |
| Location: | Rockville (Near Richmond), Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 675 |
| First Name: | Marshall | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Church,Episcopal Church,Baptist denomination,learning about RCC |
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Posted: Thu Jan 24th, 2008 09:16 pm |
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| I recently learned that Dana Jacobson, an ESPN sportscaster, had made some, well, let's just say, "anti-Notre Dame" and anti-Catholic remarks on an ESPN program. Apparently some Catholic groups have discussed this with ESPN. A non-Catholic pro family group, whose emails I receive, had become aware of this situation and were outraged to the point of calling for ESPN to fire Jacobson. I sent an email to ESPN to ask about the situation. I suggested that instead of firing Jacobson, they should ask her to go to Notre Dame, speak with the Priests, staff, etc. there and so forth. Anyway, they sent a press release back which said that Dana Jacobson has been disciplined (didn't say what that involved) and said that she has apologized to Notre Dame, to the Catholic organizations and others involved. At this point, I can only pray for her that she will truly change her attitude. I am glad that ESPN was approached by the Catholic and pro family groups and others.
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Michael Ewing
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| Joined: | Mon Dec 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Iowa USA |
| Posts: | 59 |
| First Name: | Mike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic, spiritually left the Church during late teens, dabbled ... |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 01:02 am |
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I am an avid ESPN watcher, and when I received the email from the AFA (which I assume is the same you received), I sent an email and also called ESPN and left a message on their voicemail.
What she said was so blasphemous, even if it was in jest, I think she needs to resign. This was WAY worse than what Don Imus said regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team.
I will also pray for her, that she is honest in her apology and that she can see the errors in what she did.
BTW, from what I've read elsewhere, her discipline is one week's suspension. Seems pretty weak to me.
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"Jesus said to him : I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6
"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up" - Gal 6:9
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setapart
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| Joined: | Sat Jan 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | Austin, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 266 |
| First Name: | Bill | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Born Catholic, Non-Denominational Charismatic, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 05:15 am |
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I recieved the same email. After reading the request to contact ESPN and have her fired, I paused at that point to realize that by reacting in such a strong way in this situation may not be the best approach. My thinking was more in line with having an attitude of Christian charity toward her and avoid responding with such a condemnation of her.
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But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Mal 4:2
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Michael Ewing
Member
| Joined: | Mon Dec 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Iowa USA |
| Posts: | 59 |
| First Name: | Mike | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic, spiritually left the Church during late teens, dabbled ... |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 06:43 am |
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You guys are both better men than me. I have tried to shake this off, and I guess I'm not really sure why this bothers me so much. It's just incredibly shocking, I guess. I'm impressed and touched by your compassion and willingness to forgive.
Did you guys get the second email comparing this situation with what happened to Isaiah Washington? If not, let me know, I'll copy/paste it here.
Mike
____________________
"Jesus said to him : I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6
"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up" - Gal 6:9
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setapart
Member
| Joined: | Sat Jan 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | Austin, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 266 |
| First Name: | Bill | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Born Catholic, Non-Denominational Charismatic, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 11:51 am |
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I do not think that your response was any inferior to mine - God has gifted us all with different personalities. Some folks need to be confronted - in this case it was ESPN for not acting on their own to correct the situation. A perfect example of this is the argument St. Paul had with Barnabus concerning St. Mark after he abondoned them on their 1st missionary journey. God used this situation to form 2 missionary teams and St. Paul later recognized the fruit in St. Mark's life. This example is repeated throughout Church history.
I may have deleted that other email, so I did not see it.
God Bless,
Bill
____________________
But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Mal 4:2
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1548 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 03:07 pm |
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I received the E-mail from AFA also and was outraged. Today I logged onto the Catholic League website and read that they are now satisfied with the details and the ESPN response. It's unfortunate that Dana Jacobson was drunk and chose her words so poorly. We said the same about Mel Gibson not long ago. But ESPN was slow to respond and I still have not seen a reference to the situation on their sports center show, although they are quick to report the Tiger Woods insult. I guess some non-catholics could say the same about the RCC being slow to respond or acknowledge the sex scandals of some priests. When any individual who represents an organization is guilty of scandal or bigotry, the organization needs to be swift in dealing with it openly.
I am considering joining the Catholic League. Although Bill Donohue's gruffness scares me a little (!) I think there is a need for rebuttals in today's media that will let everyone know its not okay to use the RCC as a whipping boy. There would be a huge outcry if Dana Jacobson's words had been directed toward the Jews, the Blacks, the Hispanics, or even the Muslims. She would be run out of town if those words had been used against homosexuals.
Is anyone here a member of the Catholic League, or have experience with it? What do the rank and file members do?
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 03:58 pm |
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I'm not defending what this person said but the third thing she said was understandable in light of the level of intoxication. The first reference was to Notre Dame, the second reference to the infamous "touchdown Jesus" mural, and then the third reference was a more generalized epithet. This is how intoxicated people escalate their fighting talk. There is never any excuse for anybody to allow themselves to get this intoxicated in public where they will do bad things. Or even in private for that matter. In vino veritas, as they say.
It is true that if this were a slur against anybody else there would have been dire consequences.
But we are to be salt and light and turn the other cheek. We are just not to laugh at such things or engage in them or show we approve of them.
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Annie
Ora et labora
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 04:02 pm |
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In answer to the Catholic League question, members write letters and speak out about anti-Catholicism. It takes a cool head.
Mr. Donohue is very amusing in interviews and must be very thick-skinned and hard-headed to be doing what he is doing. Probably has callouses on his head from the brick walls! (ow).
A recent interview with Raymond Arroyo had me laughing hard.
Sometimes Mr. Donohue missteps in the heat of the moment maybe but don't we wll. I think he generally lets things cool down a bit before forming a response.
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Annie
Ora et labora
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1548 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 04:36 pm |
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Annie wrote: It is true that if this were a slur against anybody else there would have been dire consequences.
But we are to be salt and light and turn the other cheek. We are just not to laugh at such things or engage in them or show we approve of them.
I agree with you Annie that we should be salt and light, that we should be witnesses to the world of love and charity. I don't advocate squabbles or even being overly sensitive to what seems like anti-catholicism. I guess my perspective on this right now, is that I wouldn't understand racism as I do now if it hadn't been made a big deal of by African Americans who wouldn't accept the status quo. Rosa Parks is near the top of my list of heroes. I wouldn't understand the plight of Jews and anti-semitism if it hadn't been brought to my attention again and again by Jewish people willing to speak out and demand civil and social rights. I'm not Jewish or black, and wouldn't have gone out of my way to understand the situations they were in had it not been put right in my face. It's obvious to me that a great many people do not understand catholicism, in the same way I didn't understand racism. I'm not sure I'll ever understand exactly what it would be like to be black and discriminated against, but at least I recognize there has been a whole lot of it going on, and the only reason I understand that is because good people spoke out, defended and marched, and brought it to our attention. Sooo, I think the world needs a wake up call. We don't need to be black to respect black people, or be Jewish to respect Jews. People should respect Christianity and Catholics likewise. It's because of the Catholic League that I first became aware of the Da Vinci Code controversy, and then the Miller Life ads/billboards in San Francisco, and other controversies. So it seems Bill Donohue and friends are making these people own up to their misdeeds. I think it's a good thing. 
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EMarshallBuckles
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 19th, 2007 |
| Location: | Rockville (Near Richmond), Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 675 |
| First Name: | Marshall | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Church,Episcopal Church,Baptist denomination,learning about RCC |
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Posted: Fri Jan 25th, 2008 05:12 pm |
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| Regarding Dana Jacobson, I had not realized, as alleged above, that she may have been intoxicated when she made her remarks. Of course, that does not excuse her, however, I wonder if she may need some alcohol abuse therapy of some sort. I am also mindful of Father Joseph Mary's sermon, on EWTN's Daily Mass earlier today (today, Friday 25, is the observance of the conversion of St. Paul) during which he reminded us that St. Paul stood, holding the cloaks of others at the stoning of St. Stephen. He reminded us that St. Stephen's prayer, quoting that of Jesus, to not hold those stoning him accountable for their sins, made the conversion of St. Paul possible even though Paul, then known as Saul, was actively persecuting Christians in a manner far beyond any slurs, Ms. Robinson made against us. I pray that Ms. Jacobson will turn from her sins and turn to Jesus Christ becoming like St. Paul instead of like Saul.
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 12:56 pm |
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It's important to realize that this incident occurred in the context of a "roast." The format of a roast is that everybody gets drunk and says rude and insulting things about the subject of the roast. This of course is not anything a religious person should be involved in. I was once required to attend a roast in grad school where I received the coveted "Horse's Ass Award." I was so honored I took the plaque to California with me when I moved and threw it in the dumpster. I figured if I threw it in the Mississippi River somebody would see it and rescue it and it would come back to haunt somebody else.
Tangentially, it is also important to realize when getting information from organizations with an agenda that you may not be getting the whole story. In this case, the most important parts of the context were left out (the context of the roast and the escalation of the original remarks about the mural). This does not excuse it but in the context, this was not a deliberate anti-Catholic slur in the same sense of a paper which might be published that somebody thought out beforehand or of a movie like the Golden Compass. Often, an organization with an agenda will send out an alert that lacks context, intending for you to have a knee-jerk reaction. This is also something a religious person should never do. Be aware of the whole story always and do not react. In fact, it is better to act than to react. I ignore stories such as this and concentrate on trying to put out brush fires before they get going. This is much more effective.
Sorry to post late, I had to think this through some more and revisit my own roast experience.
Only roasting in Purgatory from now on I hope,
Annie
____________________
Annie
Ora et labora
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1548 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 05:20 pm |
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I agree the AFA is agenda driven, and lacks context in it's reporting, and sometimes it seems they lack proportion in details. And I usually delete their E-mails, although I get them through our church's prayer chain.
I have never attended a roast, although a few retirement dinners I've been to came close! I still think anyone, especially someone in broadcasting, should be held accountable for their public and semi-public comments. It's a part of their profession IMO.
Annie, do you think any dumpster-diver has found the "Horse's Ass Award" yet? 
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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 06:53 pm |
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First of all, let me state plainly that I have no familiarity at all with whatever statements Ms. Jacobsen might have made, so please take my comments as generalizations rather than a comment on this specific incident.
I had the opportunity to spend many years in broadcasting. I hosted live programs, conducted news interviews, moderated political debates and roundtable discussions, played records, did live remote broadcasts, hosted a few telethons, and even played and sang a few times. And I stuck my foot in my mouth more than once.
It's happened here, too, where a comment I made (and I know it's happened to others) was taken in an offensive manner when the intent was to be humorous, or two people might have used different definitions of a word, or for whatever other reason a statement was taken to mean something totally different from the original intent.
Unless a comment is blatant, it is important to place it in the context of a broadcaster's career. Don Imus and Howard Stern were judged harshly not so much because of what they said, but because what they said came in the context of a long career of outrageous statements. They are both loose cannons. I don't like or watch/listen to either of them because, IMHO, they are offensive jerks -- especially Stern. On the other hand, he's making millions and I'm barely getting my bills paid. But their major offense is that they finally offended enough people that sponsors started canceling ads, and that is the one unforgivable sin in the broadcasting business.
I have a feeling that Ms. Jacobsen's comments were not intended to be disrespectful to the Catholic Church as a whole. Again, I have no idea what she said, nor do I particularly want to know, but in an America where freedom of speech is a cherished right, she has the right to her opinion, and her offense would be in making her opinion public. More likely, she thought it would be something funny and it dropped like a lead balloon.
But at any rate, she deserves the benefit of the doubt for a first offense. I remember a few years ago when someone (I don't remember who) forgot her mic on when she went to the bathroom and said some pretty personal things and made some rather offensive noises. Many of my fellow broadcasters got caught saying some pretty bad things when they thought the mic was off. It is the nature of live broadcasting. It's also one of the reasons virtually every live program today is actually on tape delay, so unintended profanity can be bleeped. But sometimes seven seconds isn't enough to catch poor judgment.
She has apologized. She is humbled, and she will be more careful in the future. That's good enough for me.
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Intercessor
Member
| Joined: | Tue Sep 25th, 2007 |
| Location: | Southcentral, Kentucky USA |
| Posts: | 1446 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 07:10 pm |
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CajunRick wrote:
She has apologized. She is humbled, and she will be more careful in the future. That's good enough for me.
I agree with this sentiment, Rick. Those of us who stand in need of much mercy do well to extend a little to others, especially when they have apologized and been humbled.
BTW--I don't know the situation/quote either. I'm just responding to the general principle Rick stated.
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Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Jan 29th, 2008 02:31 pm |
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Credo Catholic wrote: Annie, do you think any dumpster-diver has found the "Horse's Ass Award" yet?
I think it went where all really good plaques go to die, the landfill in Benicia or wherever.
Disturbingly, after all these years, this roast is still held and people still get nailed. grr...:X Presumably somebody made a new plaque. Maybe it is even the Annie Memorial HA Award!
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Annie
Ora et labora
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