Sports

SAPP MISSES POINT ON BIGOTED COMMENT

AFTER insulting more than half the country’s population with a bigoted, misogynistic comment – trashing Keyshawn Johnson as “a bitch” – NFL Network/Showtime/CBS employee Warren Sapp has issued an apology . . . but only to Keyshawn Johnson.

Yep, on second thought, Sapp, two weeks ago, would not have negatively compared Johnson with a woman when he called him a bitch on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.” Sapp was responding to a question about Johnson’s new cable TV show about interior design.

The segment was on tape, thus it could have been edited, but Showtime apparently was pleased with Sapp’s remark, highlighting it in a promotional press release.

On this past week’s installment, Sapp said, “A week ago I took a shot at an old teammate of mine and I really felt like I crossed the line. . . . I am so wrong for crossing that line with Key and I apologize to my man out there, and good luck on your show.”

Sapp was sorry for offending Johnson by comparing him to that low form of human life, women, and, worse, for degrading him by calling him a crude word usually applied to women. So sorry, Keyshawn.

Though the apology is shamefully misdirected and as ugly as Sapp’s original offense, no matter, end of story. Carry on, Warren Sapp.

Though some sports commentators have been fired for less – condemned to Wikipedia as a racist or a pea-brained bigot – Sapp, Thursday, worked the NFL Network’s Bengals-Steelers telecast having not suffered even a public scolding from the NFL or from Showtime, a CBS subsidiary.

Then again, that Sapp’s playing career was loaded with unsportsmanlike penalties, fines and suspensions helped make him attractive to TV.

By now, the NFL – all sports and their broadcast partners – should have a handbook of standards. A guide as to what derogatory comments can and cannot be spoken about gender, races, religions, ethnicities and sexuality – and spoken by whom – without fear of career threatening reprisals, without being fired and condemned to a legacy as a hateful bigot.

Clearly, the current standards are so inequitable – they seem based on who the speaker is and/or whom the target is – that those standards need to be spelled out. That way, one man’s “just-havin’-some-fun” doesn’t become another man’s downfall.

*

You don’t have to like Mike Francesa to appreciate him as perhaps the most fascinating person in local media. It’s not so much a case of him rarely being right, it’s more a matter of him always being certain.

Yes, it was another Francesa Fantastic week. Highlights:

Among the nation’s baseball experts, Francesa may have been the last to know that Nick Swisher is Steve Swisher‘s kid.

Dustin Pedroia winning the AL MVP brought to mind Francesa’s dismissive characterization of Pedroia, last year, as “a nobody.” This past season, though, Francesa spoke of Pedroia as a great and hustling talent, as if he, Mike Francesa, had discovered him for us.

Francesa’s tout, two weeks ago, that Mike Mussina would be back – no doubt about it! – proved invaluable. And Friday, Mr. Insider referred to coach Eric Mangini simply as “Eric.”

And as an expert on everything from politics to popular culture, Francesa’ all-knowing, total recall that James Taylor‘s “Fire and Rain” was released in 1972 was off, but only by two years. (It was 1970.)

There’s a story told about Bear Bryant that perfectly fits Francesa.

Bryant was known as a fellow who thought a lot of himself, as never wrong, extraordinarily confident in his every word and action. Out hunting with friends, one day, a line of ducks suddenly flew overhead. “See that third one from the end?” Bryant drawled as he raised his gun.

Bryant fired. Nothing. The line of ducks continued, all unharmed. Nodding toward the sky, Bryant said, “Thar flies a dead duck.”

*

Return To Enron (Swoboda) Field: With Citibank laying off tens of thousands, its stock in free-fall and a naming rights deal with the Mets for something like $20 million per for 20 years, CitiField has a better shot to open as Giuseppe Franco Field.

If only TV’s football experts were willing/able to debunk most stats as opposed to presenting nonsense as enlightenment, we would be genuinely enlightened. How “key” are third-down conversion percentages when the 10-0 Titans are 20th, at 37 percent?

While we’re on the subject, reader Avi Kleinman predicts that although the Giants ran for 207 yards vs. the Ravens, last week, we still will be told that the Baltimore defense hasn’t allowed a running back a 100-yard game in more than 30 games!

Versus, live today at 6 p.m., has the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup championship, Calgary at Montreal. . . . To those who took the bait left by Wayne Root‘s and other scamdicappers, as heard in ads on WFAN, and are now being harassed by calls from boiler room crews: Don’t complain to me. Try Mark Chernoff, he runs WFAN.

During Fox’s Eagles-Bengals, last Sunday, one of those tired shots appeared of a shirtless fan. “Anything to get on television,” said Tony Siragusa. As Upstate reader Taney Beaumont notes, “Pot, meet kettle.”

phil.mushnick@nypost.com