If you’re Jim Spanarkel right now you really wish you had last night back. Not only were things awkward when Spanarkel got stuck in an elevator this week but he’s put himself in quite a bit of hot water due to comments he made on the air with Allie LaForce. According to Awful Announcing
The CBS analyst and former Duke and NBA player, who was calling Thursday’s West Virginia — Bucknell game with Verne Lundquist, had a rather odd response to a post-halftime segment from colleague Allie LaForce: LaForce, serving as the broadcast’s reporter, relayed comments from Bucknell coach Nathan Davis on West Virginia’s offensive rebounding and how the Bison would have to work to negate it in the second half. Then Lundquist asked Spanarkel “And how do you feel about that?” Spanarkel replied “I agree with Allie, I always agree with Allie, though,” and Lundquist chimed in with “I know you do!”
Spanarkel then continued with “Eight offensive rebounds…well, I’ve learned not to argue with pretty women. Like the people in my house, I don’t get in trouble with the people that are in my house either, so eight offensive rebounds, Allie, when you think about it, is really a problem, from the standpoint of Bucknell.” [West Virginia promptly gets another offensive rebound and scores.] Lundquist then goes “That’s a very good philosophy of life, by the way,” and Spanarkel goes “Yeah, isn’t it?”
What’s interesting about this comment is that there’s NO WAY Jim meant any harm by it. In fact anyone who’s heard him before knows he was more than likely trying to compliment LaForce. However as soon as that comment was made, the tweets came roaring on social media. While I’m not defending what the guy said, I will say that the social media world is one that’s extremely sensitive and rarely if ever looks at context. Tell him what he said was wrong but don’t make him out to be a chauvinist pig. That’s taking it too far.
See for yourself.
