I don’t know how it was for you when you were a kid, but in our home if you said you were sorry but didn’t sound as if you meant it, then you’d really be sorry.
With that ancient end in mind, the new-age public apology — the non-apology apology, the contingency apology based on “ifs” and “buts” — had another big week.
Locally, former Rutgers women’s basketball star and current Liberty star Cappy Pondexter seized the Japanese earthquake to Tweet some brutally hurtful, semi-literate thoughts on Japan and its people.
“What if God was tired of the way they treated there [sic] own people in there [sic] own country! Idk [I don’t know] guys he makes no mistakes.”
Later: “u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”
Pondexter was one year removed from Rutgers when the Don Imus show racial trash-talk tempest swept the country. Soon after, RU’s women’s program was nationally celebrated for its presumed dignity in matters of social sensitivity.
Pondexter contributed her thoughts, condemning Imus and crew as racist, misogynistic and just plain hateful.
Pondexter, this week, in what was widely identified as “an apology” for her take on the Japanese disaster, Tweeted this:
“I wanna apologize to anyone I may [sic] hurt or offended during this tragic time. I didnt [sic] realize that my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were people that know me would tell u 1st hand im [sic] a very spiritual person and believe that everything, even disasters happen 4 a reason and that god will [sic] shouldn’t be questioned.
“But this is a very sensitive subject at a very tragic time and I shouldnt even have given a reason for the choice of words I used.”
The Liberty then released a statement: “We have spoken with Cappie and the content of that conversation will remain internal. She made a mistake and quickly apologized for that mistake. We will have no further comment.”
That was an apology?
Let’s see, first she only “apologized” to “anyone I may hurt or offended.” She didn’t apologize for tweeting offensive thoughts, but only to those folks who “may” have taken offense.
Then she blamed others for misinterpreting what she tweeted. Finally, she hid behind God, who needs no introductions and makes no apologies. And given that she’s a “very spiritual person” don’t take it up with her, take it up with God.
That’s an apology? That’s as offensive as her original tweets.
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, having been caught and suspended for recruiting violations, is another who reportedly “apologized” last week. To OSU fans, he said:
“I sincerely apologize for what we’ve been through.”
I’d have been docked another week if I hit my father with that one.
Comic Gilbert Gottfried lost his gig as the voice of the Aflac duck after he chose the Japan quake to Tweet “jokes.”
Gottfried issued this “apology”: “I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended at my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan.”
Yep, these are the modern apologies. I’m sorry — I’m sorry that you’ve got a problem with me. I’m sorry if you were offended, and not that I was offensive. And, lastly, as Coach Tressel might add, I’m sorry this happened to us.
Getting duped by Cablevision . . . again!
Should’ve known better. After finally finding something nice to write about Cablevision, I discovered I was duped.
Cablevision was praised in this space, Sunday, for its free presentation of subscription network TV Japan in view of the earthquake. The info was provided in a “Message From Cablevision” release.
I later learned despite the self-aggrandizing word-heroics, Cablevision was doing nothing special. TV Japan had waived payment from all cable systems and Verizon’s FiOS. It was not a case of Cablevision waiving payment from subscribers; providing TV Japan didn’t cost Dolan-vision a dime. Figures.
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Give MSG’s Ranger team Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti credit: It’s difficult to see a dirtier hit than the blind-sider Sean Avery laid on the Isles’ Michael Haley, Tuesday, and avoid saying so. Not even after Al Trautwig reported that Haley’s eyes were spinning as he was helped off, could Rosen or Micheletti manage the D-word.
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Odd, that MSG+ would carry Dan Patrick‘s syndicated/simulcasted radio show opposite MSG’s aggressively promoted “Boomer and Carton,” a one-hour overlap, weekdays 9-10 a.m.
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Islander TV analyst Butch Goring, Tuesday in the the Garden, on Isles’ defenseman Travis Hamonic: “He’s a very young 20-year-old, and very mature for his age.” Got that?
No need waiting ‘4’ CBS to switch
First day of the NCAA’s on four networks? Fine. Make your own salad/buzzer beater. Instead of waiting for CBS to switch games, it was left to us to switch channels.
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The longest-running current NCAA Tournament broadcast team? CBS’s Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel, 14 years. Spanarkel, yesterday, spoke his usual understated but sensible previews and overviews down the stretch of Kentucky-Princeton.
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A TNT graphic during Temple-Penn State yesterday noted that “Philadelphia” Fran Dunphy is a graduate of LaSalle, has his Masters from Villanova, coached Penn, and now coaches Temple. The only Big 5 thing left for him, said Dan Bonner, is “to become the AD at St. Joe’s.”
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Yes, yes, we know: Mike Francesa last week knowingly, expertly and condescendingly declared that there was no way Pittsburgh will be a No. 1 seed. And yesterday, from the CBS studio, Charles Barkley, declaring the Big East “overrated,” guaranteed that Clemson would beat West Virginia.
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No matter that UNC-Asheville’s colors are blue and white, the team wore its street-cred black uniforms for its national TV play-in, then again yesterday, against Pittsburgh. Wednesday, Vermont, school colors green and gold — Vermont’s the “Green Mountain State” — lost in the NIT, wearing its black uniforms.
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It has come to this: Sunday, after Tiger Woods shot 66 but finished eight behind winner Nick Watney, NBC’s Roger Maltbie told Woods: “Thank you for playing well today. That always makes these things more fun and easier to do.” Ugh.
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Linda McMahon for Senator: Perfect together: Snooki, Monday, on WWE “Raw.”