Late Thursday night, Tiki Barber (through an MSNBC spokesperson) denied uttering the “See You Next Tuesday” word during an Olympic Update segment last week. The two parties combined to give Neil Best and Newsday a few interesting “turns of phrase” regarding the issue….
To many ears, it sounded like an offensive word usually aimed at women. But MSNBC said Barber meant to say “You’re a total medal count,’’ meaning Wolfe was on that side of the ongoing debate.
“I would never disrespect a colleague and friend with that kind of language,’’ Barber said from Beijing through an MSNBC spokeswoman, who said Barber had no idea of a budding controversy until she informed him of it.
“It’s disappointing someone would intentionally misrepresent the hard work Jenna and I are doing.’’ Barber and Wolfe co-host “Olympic Wrap-up’’ from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
MSNBC said in a statement, “Tiki and Jenna were discussing total medal count versus gold medal counts and Tiki’s words were unclear.’’
Let me start by saying that NBC and I obviously aren’t exactly the best of friends at the moment. I feel the need to tell them and you that I would never bash a network or its personalities without cause, even in the current state of the “relationship” between NBC and myself. With that out of the way….
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME?! First of all, everyone knows he was trying to say “count”. I don’t think that was ever in question. Second, there’s not a chance in hell that Barber said the word “count”. I’m pretty sure there was no intent behind the word, and that it was a slip up, but he said “cunt” plain as day in that clip. I also don’t believe that he was directing the word to his co-host at all. If he had been, she should of kicked his ass and he should have been immediately fired.
As for as people “misrepresenting” the “hardwork” that you are doing in Beijing, Tiki. You and Jenna are doing a damn good job of that on your own. This interview was a classic no denial, denial and I hope everyone sees through that. “We don’t admit to saying it, and we don’t admit to not saying it.” It seriously wasn’t that big of a deal, but I echo Mike Florio’s statement when I say that for Tiki to now try and paint himself as a victim after the fact, comes off pretty ignominious. No one would have even cared if he had said it, and the original point of my story was to show how much of a disgrace that the show itself was to the Olympic Games. Hell, using the word cunt was much more pleasant than the homophobia that the two hosts gave off when joking about the European congratulatory kiss.
It’s a shame it had to come to this, but seriously….please show a little more class NBC. That show is, and has been, a disgrace throughout these past two weeks. The word cunt said on the airwaves should be the least of your worries.
Tiki Barber speaks unclearly, causes blogosphere stir (Newsday)
Maybe Tiki Should Stick To Big Words (Pro Football Talk)
MSNBC’s “Olympic Update” Continues To Disrespect The Beijing Games (Awful Announcing)
