62 replies to this topic

[OctoberLady]

Quote

Hank Williams Jr. out on Monday Night Football

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP)—Are you ready for some football? Hank Williams Jr. isn’t anymore.
The country singer and ESPN each took credit for the decision Thursday morning to ax his classic intro to “Monday Night Football.”
The network had pulled the song from the game earlier this week after Williams made an analogy to Adolf Hitler while discussing President Barack Obama on Fox News on Monday morning.

“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision,” Williams said in a statement to The Associated Press. “By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.”

But ESPN’s statement said: “We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams Jr. We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue.”
Spokesman Kirt Webster said Williams made the decision Wednesday night, while the network said it informed Williams of the move Thursday morning.
Regardless of whose call it was, one of sports’ and entertainment’s most visible partnerships is over. The song had been a “Monday Night Football” staple since 1989 and survived the game’s switch of networks from ABC to cable a few years ago.
The song is based on Williams’ hit “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.” The lyrics were changed each week to reflect the night’s game.
ESPN will no longer have access to the music or words because Williams owns the publishing rights, the master recordings and the song. Williams, the son of country music icon Hank Williams, is known for his bombastic manner and easy opinions.
Williams’ statement on “Fox & Friends” comparing a golf game between Obama and Republican Rep. John Boehner to an outing featuring Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went viral after ESPN announced it would pull the intro late that afternoon.
“It’d be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu,” Williams said during the satellite interview.
Asked to clarify, Williams said, “They’re the enemy,” adding that by “they” he meant Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Anchor Gretchen Carlson later said to him, “You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, I think, the president.” Williams replied, “Well, that is true. But I’m telling you like it is.”
Williams issued a statement Monday night insisting his remarks were misunderstood, then apologized Tuesday.
Williams got plenty of support, even from some unlikely places.
Among his defenders were Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar of “The View,” who have a very different political viewpoint from the conservative Williams, but often are called out for their own comments.
“Those among us who are without sin, cast the first stone,” Goldberg said.

[Chi-town_Chief]

I think this whole thing is blown out of proportion.

Odd to see Whoopie defend him though lol

[RazorChief]

His freedom of speech wasn't effected in any way. He wasn't arrested, jailed or bothered by the government, which is what the First Amendment does. When he was campaigning for McCain and Palin, no problem. When he expressed his views--no problem. He can say whatever he wants and the government won't bother him. Personally, I always avoided the intro song just because I found it incredibly annoying. Notice that HE pulled he song from future use--not ESPN. ESPN only pulled it for the one time. What I hate is the once again "misunderstood" sort of apology and all that crap.

[Dom]

certainly a weird situation. I think ESPN is jumping the gun a bit too much though.

[AssKickingBoots]

RazorChief, on 06 October 2011 - 12:42 PM, said:

His freedom of speech wasn't effected in any way. He wasn't arrested, jailed or bothered by the government, which is what the First Amendment does. When he was campaigning for McCain and Palin, no problem. When he expressed his views--no problem. He can say whatever he wants and the government won't bother him. Personally, I always avoided the intro song just because I found it incredibly annoying. Notice that HE pulled he song from future use--not ESPN. ESPN only pulled it for the one time. What I hate is the once again "misunderstood" sort of apology and all that crap.

Bingo. It's like when Howard Stern started blaming all of the brown shirts in the Bush Administration... for Clear Channel pulling him.

Clear Channel was getting a large number of complaints about him, and to be quite honest I don't know how anyone could listen to his terrible show to begin with. Still, they chose that, if nothing else in the court of public opinion, they'd be better served pulling him. Maybe, at best, they pulled him to avoid possible future fines, but that was still their choice.

His free speech rights weren't violated. Nobody is required to supply him with a stump to speak from and a megaphone to speak with. That didn't stop him from endlessly bitching about censorship. The thing about freedom of speech is people have the right to bitch about you being lewd too.

[HG]

Its the high powered TV Jews. (And thats not meant to be offensive, its a fact) Im sure they really didnt care for the Hitler-Yahoo line

[HG]

Its the high powered TV Jews. (And thats not meant to be offensive, its a fact) Im sure they really didnt care for the Hitler-Yahoo line

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

AssKickingBoots, on 06 October 2011 - 04:46 PM, said:

Bingo. It's like when Howard Stern started blaming all of the brown shirts in the Bush Administration... for Clear Channel pulling him.

Clear Channel was getting a large number of complaints about him, and to be quite honest I don't know how anyone could listen to his terrible show to begin with. Still, they chose that, if nothing else in the court of public opinion, they'd be better served pulling him. Maybe, at best, they pulled him to avoid possible future fines, but that was still their choice.

His free speech rights weren't violated. Nobody is required to supply him with a stump to speak from and a megaphone to speak with. That didn't stop him from endlessly bitching about censorship. The thing about freedom of speech is people have the right to bitch about you being lewd too.

His rants on Clear Channel had to do with them not honoring their contract with him. Acting as if they didn't know his style of show prior to signing him.

He never claimed his first amendment rights had been infringed upon.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

I love Bocephus.

Most people probably wouldn't have known he said it if ESPN hadn't made a big deal out of it.

[HG]

DallasChief, on 06 October 2011 - 04:56 PM, said:

I love Bocephus.

Most people probably wouldn't have known he said it if ESPN hadn't made a big deal out of it.

I saw the interview when it happened. I actually laughed a bit and rolled my eyes. I didnt take it seriously.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

HG, on 06 October 2011 - 04:59 PM, said:

I saw the interview when it happened. I actually laughed a bit and rolled my eyes. I didnt take it seriously.

So, you're the one who watches Fox and Friends. I always wondered who that person was.

[HG]

DallasChief, on 06 October 2011 - 05:00 PM, said:

So, you're the one who watches Fox and Friends. I always wondered who that person was.

Dude, Hank was on. I cant shut off Hank!

[Chi-town_Chief]

DallasChief, on 06 October 2011 - 05:00 PM, said:

So, you're the one who watches Fox and Friends. I always wondered who that person was.

HG and the daily show.

One thing I found funny (and yes I saw this on the daily show) was that an hour or two before Hank was on the show they were talking about Rosanne Barr and some comment she made and the woman was like " why do we even listen to these celebrities about politics anyways."

Then an hour later " and here is Hank Williams Jr. to talk about the republican primaries.

[AssKickingBoots]

DallasChief, on 06 October 2011 - 04:53 PM, said:

His rants on Clear Channel had to do with them not honoring their contract with him. Acting as if they didn't know his style of show prior to signing him.

He never claimed his first amendment rights had been infringed upon.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I could have swore I remembered him even using the term "brownshirts" relating to the Bush Administration and censorship. I couldn't google it in 2 minutes, so I'm obviously mistaken.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

I don't recall him using the term brownshirts and I listened religiously back then.

Howard had a theory that the FCC started cracking down on him more after he began being critical of the war in Iraq. But, I don't think Bush probably ever gave Howard a second thought, let alone instructed the FCC to crack down on him.

[NOLA]

HG, on 06 October 2011 - 04:50 PM, said:

Its the high powered TV Jews. (And thats not meant to be offensive, its a fact) Im sure they really didnt care for the Hitler-Yahoo line

Wow. Just... wow.

[Chi-town_Chief]

NOLA, on 07 October 2011 - 09:46 AM, said:

Wow. Just... wow.

I was wondering if anyone was going to comment on that, or if we were just going to let it slide by

[NOLA]

Chi-town_Chief, on 07 October 2011 - 10:09 AM, said:

I was wondering if anyone was going to comment on that, or if we were just going to let it slide by

I'm just not sure what the inference is supposed to be... that non-Jewish people somehow find Hitler less offensive... that Jews really take that whole "attempted genocide thing" way too seriously... that non-Jewish TV execs see Hitler as a quirky misunderstood character around which they could build a sitcom...?

In any event, I'm pretty sure I disagree.

[The_Jonas]

NOLA, on 07 October 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

I'm just not sure what the inference is supposed to be... that non-Jewish people somehow find Hitler less offensive... that Jews really take that whole "attempted genocide thing" way too seriously... that non-Jewish TV execs see Hitler as a quirky misunderstood character around which they could build a sitcom...?

In any event, I'm pretty sure I disagree.

Yes NOLA, Jewish people do tend to react differently to hitler comments than the average person. I have no idea why you would disagree with that.

It's kinda like how black people are just SLIGHTLY more offended by the confederate flag than your average non-black American.

In the end I don't agree with him because generally I didn't see any outrage when celebrities were lining up to compare Bush to Hitler. Shouldn't all the Jewish execs been pissed about that too? I think the reaction had more to do with WHO he made the comparison too.

And the next person to tell me "it's an analogy' I'm going to punch in the face for not understand what analogies are. No SHIT it's an analogy, but last I checked Democrats did not kill nine million republicans. There's NO likeness to be made.

[Chi-town_Chief]