Clippers Announcers suspended for one game over mispronunciation of IRAN.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4676383

I suppose they were suspended last night? It's for one game only and I don't know if it's been mentioned on RBT already so just in case, sorry for the double post.

Actual comments made by the Pair according to the Los Angeles Times':

Smith: "Look who's in."

Lawler: "Hamed Haddadi. Where's he from?"

Smith: "He's the first Iranian to play in the NBA." (Smith pronounced Iranian as "Eye-ranian," a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: "There aren't any Iranian players in the NBA," repeating Smith's mispronunciation.

Smith: "He's the only one."

Lawler: "He's from Iran?"

Smith: "I guess so."

Lawler: "That Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "The real Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "Wow. Haddadi that's H-A-D-D-A-D-I."

Smith: "You're sure it's not Borat's older brother?"

Smith: "If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I'm going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part."

Lawler: "Here's Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball."

Smith: "Especially the post players.

Lawler: "I don't know about their guards."

Granted, the Borat comments were not needed and somewhat inappropriate but the caller complained about the pronunciation of Iran......

complaining about the pronunciation is being way to sensitive, but making it seem so amazing that he was from Iran was already a bit much. then to say he was Borat's older brother? that's a borderline racist joke, which shouldn't be coming from announcers.

I agree about the Borat thing. It was disrespectful for sure, but many announcers talk about players background and him being the first Iranian in the NBA is pretty cool. It's the manner in which it was said that made me uncomfortable.



But the complaint on the mispronunciation of Iran is just O_O. REACH.

Yes, thats bad. Its not like that was intentional at all, and a LOT of people mispronounce it. Can't believe someone actually complained about that.

The pronunciation thing is kinda stupid

but the remarks toward the end were racist and that prob played a part in thier suspension

Def. those remarks were uncalled for.


I don't think I ever knew how to pronounce Iran until the early 2000's. Even when I mispronounce it now, it's never meant to disrespect anyone.

Yes, they should have been suspended for the Borat comment, and the idiotic way they talked about where he's from.

I know how to pronounce it, but even I pronounce it wrong sometimes because the mispronunciation is more natural to me.

Borat is from Kazakhstan so this fails even more. They definitely deserved it.

^^^hahaha


I didn't know that. I stay away from that Borat guy because I find him offensive anyway. But the fact that the character isn't even from Iran is sketchy. It makes it more offensive and ignorant.

They should be fired. If they want to make jokes so badly, they pursue a career in stand-up comedy. The fact that they would say that on air leaves one to wonder what they say behond closed doors, and people like that should not be in a position where millions of people are subject to their ramblings.

If that was about Black people, it would have been another Don Imus type situation. I'm tired of American double standard.

J wrote:

If that was about Black people, it would have been another Don Imus type situation. I'm tired of American double standard.

Its interesting to think about now that you put it that way. I'm not really sure now, how bad this was compared to what I mus did.

homos and there complaining..*sigh

The Borat thing was messed up.....

Everyone misprounces anything from the middle east so i dont have a problem with that

But the Borat thing was a little unneccesary

yeah I heard about that.

I dont get why the viewer would complain about the pronunciation of Iran but not the Borat thing.

the borat thing was uncalled for... but you can't really blame someone for how they pronounce a word.

Their suspension was very well-deserved.

It is sad to think that we claim to live in a diverse, accepting society but yet these sort of comments are still being made - very unfortunate.

J, I also agree with what you said.
I kinda think they should have been fired as well...

Were they playing the Grizzlies and randomly for no reason at all being that he's not even in the rotation they talked about Hamed Haddaddi & his being from Iran? Other than this scenario I can't see why they would be talking about Iran in a basketball game in the 1st place. If what they said was insulting than yeah they should rightfully be suspended.

They were being blown out by the Grizzlies. They put Haddadi in and the announcers didn't recognize him so they were commenting on where he was from and his looks.

I think a public apology is more in order.

Neither Ralph Lawler or Michael Smith are bigoted, but their commentary was... they took a joke too far and are paying the price. The problem with live play is that there is back and forth chit chat, especially in a blowout (which is frequent in Clipperland)... They have to fill that time and entertain and inform. Obviously Lawler and Smith were trying to keep everything flowing during the drubbing. The Borat reference should have never been approached. Maybe in the boredom of the losing game they talked to each other as friends would in an uncensored environment.

Chick Hearn the greatest play-by-play announcer in Lakers/NBA history once offended plenty of people when Bo Outlaw of the Los Angeles Clippers dunked the ball and hung from the rim... to which Chick commented: "Look at Bo... hanging from the rim like a monkey." Watching the game with my friends I remember my friend saying... "Did Chick call Bo a monkey? Oh helllllll no." Stu Lantz Chick color commentator stuck by his side as did the Lakers organization and players from Shaq to Kobe to... Bo Outlaw of the Clippers.

Outlaw said he can see why some people would be offended, but understood what Chick was referencing was not done to be racist.

I don't think firing Lawler (31 years as a Clipper announcer) or Mike Smith is the answer. These two aren't Rush Limbaugh or Don Imus. They don't make their careers out of insulting players cultural/religious/political backgrounds. This was a one time incident... as stupid as it was. I think the suspension was fare and the public apology with a promise to lend aid to an Iranian cause or awareness would be just.

Get rid of them..

Nick C wrote:

I think a public apology is more in order.

Neither Ralph Lawler or Michael Smith are bigoted, but their commentary was... they took a joke too far and are paying the price. The problem with live play is that there is back and forth chit chat, especially in a blowout (which is frequent in Clipperland)... They have to fill that time and entertain and inform. Obviously Lawler and Smith were trying to keep everything flowing during the drubbing. The Borat reference should have never been approached. Maybe in the boredom of the losing game they talked to each other as friends would in an uncensored environment.

Chick Hearn the greatest play-by-play announcer in Lakers/NBA history once offended plenty of people when Bo Outlaw of the Los Angeles Clippers dunked the ball and hung from the rim... to which Chick commented: "Look at Bo... hanging from the rim like a monkey." Watching the game with my friends I remember my friend saying... "Did Chick call Bo a monkey? Oh helllllll no." Stu Lantz Chick color commentator stuck by his side as did the Lakers organization and players from Shaq to Kobe to... Bo Outlaw of the Clippers.

Outlaw said he can see why some people would be offended, but understood what Chick was referencing was not done to be racist.

I don't think firing Lawler (31 years as a Clipper announcer) or Mike Smith is the answer. These two aren't Rush Limbaugh or Don Imus. They don't make their careers out of insulting players cultural/religious/political backgrounds. This was a one time incident... as stupid as it was. I think the suspension was fare and the public apology with a promise to lend aid to an Iranian cause or awareness would be just.

I have to agree here. I've never seen these two make such comments before so I'm glad that it was just a suspension not termination.

I think comparing them or what they said to something Don Imus said, is a stretch. I understand the anger that the Borat comment caused, but these guys didn't say it to be racist, at least that's my belief. It was an act of ignorance that I hope neither of them would repeat.

@ Nick