The whole tragedy of the fan, Shannon Stone, father of young son, who fell to his death last week, is sad enough, but when a major cable network, the owner of NBC, tries to muzzle it up, there should be outrage and indignation.
Am I missing something? Only Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News seems to have been as pissed off as I am. Maybe we should all try to figure out just what went down.
How dismayed and concerned were the suits at Comcast over Ray Fosse and Glenn Kuiper's on-air giggling of the picture of Mr. Stone's death plunge? Almost immediately after the chuckling duo's infamous act, both were ordered not to discuss the matter with anyone, including wire services, A's and Rangers beat writers, and almost every news outlet in town and beyond.
Even when the story went national, all Comcast did was issue some lame statement:
"We want to express our condolences to Shannon Stone's family. This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to everyone involved in this incident. Our coverage reflected our concern as soon as the severity of the situation became apparent."
Think Comcast thought it had a potential quagmire coming? And to make matters worse, not one, not a one Bay Area writer, take Comcast to task. How about a question? Any question. Nothing. Nada. And still, not a word from Fosse and Kuiper.
And not a word here locally from the Chron, the Merc, radio, TV. Not so much a peep, am I missing something here?
I mean, you'd think Lowell Cohn or Kawakami would be all over this, ditto Scott Ostler, but nothing there, folks. Wait a minute. Doesn't Cohn appear on Comcast? "Chronicle Live", I think. And ditto Kawakami too.
Susan Slusser, A's beat writer made mention of the Comcast activity, but
If I were a regular viewer of Comcast Sports Bay Area, I'd be a little outraged by now. Furthermore, seeing that Comcast' panel of local "Insiders" and writers haven't said diddly shit over the Fosse/Kuiper conundrum, I'd call that conflicto-of interest up the ying yang, but what the hell do I know, I'm just a local media blogger.
Thank God for Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News.
*Note: Slusser attempted to contact Comcast. Too bad her co-horts never tried.
*Follow me on Twitter
Thank God Rich Lieberman is keeping the video available for all to watch over and over, despite the family's requests. Exploitation rules.
ReplyDeleteYou can't spell Rich Lieberman without O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D, right?
ReplyDeleteRich, I called Comcast and e-mailed them numerous times.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't bother to check with ME before writing that. Excellent journalism on your part.
How do you think I got that statement issued in the first place? I wasn't turned down by Fosse and Kuiper, I was turned down by Comcast, as I think I made quite clear in the story I believe you must not have seen.
I honestly don't see what the commotion is about. Ok, the announcers weren't great. But, let's remember folks, the announcers didn't know the guy had died. They couldn't see anything behind that wall where the guy fell. I don't think the announcers really said anything bad, and even their chuckles weren't all that upsetting, again, noting that they didn't know the guy had died. I think this is making a mountain out of a molehill...
ReplyDelete--Bob Smith on Facebook
You know I wrote a blog about this, right? The morning after it happened? And wondered in it why Comcast wouldn't let me talk to the broadcasters?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/athletics/detail?entry_id=92799
ReplyDeleteI get ripped by Gate readers for writing it and from you for somehow NOT writing it.
Fantastic.
I enjoyed seeing Susan Slusser just bitch slap Rich in the comments above and on twitter.
ReplyDeleteThis is a non-story. How many times have media outlets like ESPN shown highlights of a fan falling out of his seat? Too many times to count. And sometimes they run it over and over again for the comedy effect. Admit that we all laugh when we see these highlights. No one, including Kuiper or Fosse, knew how serious this recent fan's fall was. It wasn't possible to know anything right away. Even watching the clip, it just looks like any other fan falling out of his seat.
ReplyDeleteAnd I find it interesting that Susan Slusser is sticking up for something she wrote. This is the same "reporter" who blogged that the A's were talking to Adam Dunn in the preseason which turned out to be a totally false rumor. So to cover up her error, she blamed it on her editors.
Susan can only report what Beane wants her to report. Beane wants her to stay in the dark..she finds a way to stay in the dark.
ReplyDeleteWhen you accept free(or even not free,but still the teams Dr..) medical care from the team you follow-you dont bite the hand that put the band-aid on.
You two should get a room.
ReplyDeleteNobody cares about your Fb Bob Smith. Is Slusser hot?
ReplyDeleteSusan is the best beat writer in the bay, lay off Rich.
ReplyDeleteso lets get this straight: the bay area media did not write about this story, because they all appear on Comcast; and since the fosse/kuiper thing was on comcast, comcast has dictated that no one can write about it; not because there is nothing to say about it, or that the A's announcers had no idea of the severity or ANY details surrounding the tragedy.
ReplyDeletethis is just sad. to say its a stretch is awarding you way too much credit. you should be embarrassed by yourself, its no wonder you are a joke.
Good Lord. Give it a rest. Two guys muff a call in real time (and remember, the victim was alert and talking when the paramedics took him away) and you see a vast media conspiracy?
ReplyDeleteYou're getting worse, Rich.
I didn't blame the Dunn thing on my editors. I received misinformation from a source who is usually reliable, as I explained fully at the time. As soon as I learned the information was incorrect, I made sure to correct it in every way possible. I no longer use said source.
ReplyDeleteI never, ever blamed an editor. That's absolutely false.
- Susan Slusser
And I have no idea what the free medical thing is. I've been sent to the ER twice, once by a Tampa Bay doctor and once by an A's doctor, but my medical insurance paid for it, and once I had a 103 degree fever during spring training that an A's doctor got a prescription for - that again, I paid for.
ReplyDeleteWhen traveling and away from Kaiser and extremely sick, I'm not sure what the other options might be in emergency situations, but I don't get "treated" by A's doctors. I have my own doctor.
What a strange, strange comment. And it sounds as if it comes from someone with an axe to grind. Nice to hide behind anonymity if you have an actual real gripe with me.
-Susan
Here's the Dunn thing. I screwed it up. I said so. I clearly didn't blame an editor.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/athletics/detail?entry_id=78100
-Susan Slusser
Nothing strange about questioning a reporter why she would ask for any medical help from the team DR.
ReplyDeleteYes,you should have gone to the E.R.-like any non A's employee would have done. Are you Susan ever going to from that point on ever question his decisions on players? Probably not-or you would give him the benefit of the doubt.
Look,one of your own-Radnich or even Mark Ibanez often talks of perks writers get "tradeouts" I think is the term. And when Ibanez says that all local writers are "bought and paid for"-'cepting Lowell,Kawamaki,Poole, who is he talking about?
And didnt you say you attended Eric Byrnes wedding? isnt that crossing the line also?-since Byrnes was an A's player at the time was he not?
How can I not question?
Byrnes was with Arizona at the time. His mom is a good friend. Getting sent to the ER when vomiting blood - yes, a real perk everyone would jump at. You're right, huge ethical transgressions.
ReplyDelete-Susan
I was thinking initially after seeing this that from the vague bits of personal knowledge, you must know me. Then I realized anyone who knows me knows that the member of the Byrnes family I am close to and socialize with is Eric's mom.
ReplyDeleteThen again, by casting aspersions with no fact checking - a 10-second search online would show Byrnes got married his third year in Arizona - I figured the obvious. But since Rich is sort of starting to grow on me in a weird way, I'm sure it's not.
As for medical help when traveling away from home half the year away from family and medical plan, if that's a major "perk" of the job - getting seen when vomiting blood or getting a prescription for strep throat, and yes, once in 13 years, a Band Aid for a blister - I am totally, totally guilty. Quite a perk. I am sure everyone will race to get a job in media with massive benefits like that.
Wouldn't you be implying that I cannot then be objective about the A's.....medical staff? I believe there are several former A's doctors and trainers who would not say that I was not in any way biased toward them.
- Susan
Somehow a double negative got in there. But you know what I mean.
ReplyDelete-Susan
Yeah,sure. You were that sick,so you avoided ER and the tests they do...for the A's Dr. diagnosis on only seeing you? That makes no sense. I vomit blood,I dont ask the team Dr.to give me a script based on his guessing. What dr. gives scripts anyways like that? A fishy story.
ReplyDeleteSusan,dont BS me.