Watchdog

Johnny Miller should go on air and apologize for his unprofessional remarks about Rocco Mediate. Miller should also be suspended without pay just as Kelly Tilghman was back in January. I am the President of the Order Sons of Italy in America Commission for Social Justice and if you were answering phones or receiving emails in our office this week he has deeply offended the Italian American community. Mr. Ebersol and NBC Sports needs to step up to the plate and take appropriate disciplinary action against Miller immediately. A single email apology is not going to resolve the offensive remarks made by Miller.The Italian community and specifically the Order Sons of Italy in America now want parity on these stereotypical remarks made by Johnny Miller.

Mr. Baratta: Thank you for reading and for the comment. I read your remarks on your Web site and think you make some fair points and raise some valid concerns regarding this matter. But I do believe Mr. Miller was invoking the name "Rocco" as sounding like an "everyman" sort of name more than an Italian name. If Mediate's name had been "Rocky" he likely would have said exactly the same thing. If his name had been Giancarlo, he surely would not have.

Since when is invoking blue-collar work insulting? Had he said plumbing, would that have been OK? They make more then I do. Finally, I think there is a huge difference with invoking honest blue-collar work to an Italian then invoking lynching to someone who is black.

Dear Neil,

Does this mean that we can expect Mr. Miller to join the other racists at WFAN soon?

Mark (TurnOff) Chernoff has, in addition to Manhasset Fats and the Prince of New Canaan in the afternoon, responsible for the Sean Taylor fiasco and, more recently, the statement "I'd love to dunk that Dominican," demonstrated a propensity for hiring bigots like Baldie and Boring in The Morning.

To add insult to injury, Screech Roberts and Joe from Saddle River continually indulge in the worst kind of misogynistic nonsense for three full hours every day

Neil, when can we expect apologies -- or ANY modicum of respect -- from Mark TurnOff and the FAN?

This is the Don Imus effect. Now every organization for every group wants to get another person fired or apologize on the air for comments that they deem un acceptable. In truth this is all show business. The "heads" of these organizations get 15 minutes of fame and the media will fan the flames by interviewing them about a silly topic like this. Meanwhile the people that these groups are supposed to protect won't go after the true problems that exist for these people on a day to day basis. Maybe next week we can have an Irish group go after the Celtics for having a Leperchaun as its mascot. After all thats demeaning to all the Irish living in America. They aren't under 4 feet and smoke a pipe. Oh oh! I hope the little people of America aren't offended by that. This is getting real silly and the media that picks and chooses which personalities are allowed to say something, are giving these groups way to much time. Free speech is now dead in America. Long live corporate speech

Mr Baratta.

You should be the one removed. And YOU should apologize to Johnny Miller for your outrageous remarks, shame on YOU !!!

I am not a fan of Miller but to blame him for something he simply did not do is beyond belief.

It is people like YOU that are ruining this country, whether you be black, yellow, purple, white, Jewish, Italian, Spanish, or American.

Your organization needs to step up to the plate and remove YOU.Shameful !!

Mr Baratta.

You are a disgrace and your organization should step up to the plate and remove YOU.

I heard Miller's comments when they happened and could not believe what I was hearing. They were colossally inappropriate and extremly offensive to Italians. Honestly, I believe Miller's repeated comments were on par with both Imus' "nappy-headed hoes" disaster and Fuzzy's fried chicken crack, but where are the protests?

Reverse the roles for a second, imagine he said the exact same thing about Tiger, that he looks like the guy that cleans Rocco's pool, and you can bet Rev. Sharpton would have organized a protest before Johnny got down from the broadcast tower.

Miller should be fired.

Sorry, but personally I can't think of anyone named Rocco who isn't Italian. Why is it that when Italians complain everyone tells them to get over it? Mr. Baratta has every right to express his feelings about Mr. Miller's comment. I don't think Mr. Miller is anti Italian any more than Kelly Tilghman is a racist. I think what angers Italians is that when they are at the end of someone's stereotypical views they carry no weight as opposed to other groups. Everyone deserves respect and equal standing. Perhaps Mr. Miller, a seasoned broadcasting veteran, should have used the term "working class" instead of saying "guys named Rocco."
In this way he would have offended people of all persuasions.

Neil

This is a tough one and I guess I go back to the Kelly Tilghman incident. I don't think she meant to evoke the memories she did with the word she used, but she was suspended. I am pretty sure Miller didn't either, but if the standard has been set, why wouldn't he be suspended? I didn't agree with the Tilghman suspension, but I can understand why an Italian-American would see a double standard here with Miller. There is a nicer way to say what Miller was trying to convey, he could have simply said he looks like a guy who is hacking around a Par-3 and he would have been fine. Why he chose to compare him to Tiger's pool cleaner and then add the insult to his name is odd to say the least and I hope Johnny Miller thinks about that whatever happens to him.

Y-A-W-N...
C'mon....just WHAT IS IN A NAME?

Geez....
Who'da thought that a guy named "Tiger" would get their name on the trophy or be considered the greatest golfer of all time?

And I apologize for insulting every B-movie actor who made his living dropping a Giambi-string for a movie.

It happens I own a pool service and am of Italian descent.
I find the pompous Miller's apology to be lacking, yet
I'll bet he continues to denigrate anyone who is not a waspy,
Mormon douchebag.

I hope he can pull his head out of his a**.

Johnny Miller has knowledge of the game of golf, I'll give him that. When he played, he was good but he didn't win every time. His problem is that instead of announcing, he gives personal comments. This time he got called out on it. ABOUT TIME. Fire him, no. But someone should tell him that he is an announcer, and that his personal opinion means nothing to those of us who have our own opinion. Tiger is not the only golfer out there and be he the greatest, there are many others that we enjoy watching and don't appreciate having someone like Miller cut them down.

Blah blah blah, who gives a crap?

Most of the time, people just have WAY too much pride in their ethnicity. I heard what Miller said and I thought, "That was an odd thing to say." And then I thought, "Whatever, he is a sportscaster and former player, its okay that he is pretty dumb." Has anyone asked Rocco what he thinks about the comments? If he doesn't care, neither should any Italian American.

Sometimes people say stupid things. We should all be focusing on the true intention of what he said, not necessarily the words. As long as people get so upset about things like this, I don't think we will ever be able to move forward as a society.

So if Rocco's name was Sean Patrick O'Flannery would Miller saying he would drink a lot if he won and more if he lost be considered a slur on the Irish? Honestly I am Scottish-German (though I am neither a Plastic Paddy or really into my heritage) but I do remember stories that my great-grandmother of German descent would be discriminated against during WWI. I also think the post-Imus media we live in is getting way too uptight but I understand both sides. I didn't watch the Open so I didn't hear Miller's words straight from the horses mouth so I cannot drawn any conclusion of if this apology was genuine, the comments were insensitive (I didn't really know that bargain of the Italian stereotype), and what should be done with Johnny Miller who has a rap-sheet for speaking his mind.

puleazzze, mr baratta, get your nose out of your plate of pasta and chill. for gosh sakes, johnny was only using rocco as an example of an 'everyday' kind of guy who isn't part of the exclusive country club scene. it had nothing to do with his ethnicity.
Its all of you politically correct nazis running around trying to control what we should say, think and act that is taking away strand by strand the fabrics of our freedom protected under our flag

I agree with Patrick. All things being equal it is fair to say that we have gone overboard in the sensitivity department. When Tiger Woods was asked about Ms. Tilghman's comments he said that it didn't bother him. She was still suspended however. I think that is what bothers Italian-Americans. Had he reversed his commentts on Monday, Mr. Miller would be now shopping his resume.

Johnny Miller is a foul mouthed person....assumes he knows everything. Watch him...most of his observations will be about money!!!!!! Is he jeolous?

If he had made a similar remark about Tiger.....'looking like whatever', what will be the situation now?? Agreed, Rocco looks terrible ....but better than the likes of John Daly or Mark Calc or Tim Herron!!!

Come on...When, for God's sake, is the pendulum going to swing back so that the people who make innocuous comments like this are left alone and the fools who take offense and pout about such nonsense are instead lampooned for their grandstanding?

Or are we doomed forever to choke on political correctness?

Kenneth Smith -

Way to go, I agree with your comments. You hit the nail on the head. People are offended way to easily. The Order Sons of Italy need to re-evaluate their President, and the priorities of their organization. Go after someone who is really opressing Italian Americans, and get some thicker skin.

Fire him suspend him.....oh well.. had it been Tiger looks more like a caddy...rather than number 1 in the world..you get the picture

The fact is that as someone wrote earlier, when it's about Italians, we should get over it. Blatant or subtle prejudice or any form of discrimination or stereotyping or slurs against Italians is acceptable in America. That is the problem. It is not that we are over-sensitive but that we're tired of being seen as though it is ok to be laughed and made fun of. Furthermore, what bothers many Italians is that for most of us who came to America during the 1950s through the early 1970s, we have been ignored as a group and lumped together with the Italians who came in the early 1900s. Thus, we were automatically labled "white" and are considered advantaged and not part of the "diversity" plan, even though many of us had no education coming here and our children were first to go to college. Affirmative action turned it's back on us. Finally, the truth remains that most people identify Italians with a negative stereotype more so than any other racial or ethnic group. Should we, as a group, get over that?

What about the woman announcer from the golf channel that made a comment that tiger was running away from the field that maybe the other golfers should lynch him that was good enough for a suspension but miller can make a comment that no one with the name rocco should have their name on the touphy why because he is italian and that would tarish the great game of golf