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Sports on the air

In protest of talk radio

In the eyes of sports talk radio, Manhattanville College basketball player Toni Smith made a big mistake last week -- she exercised her First Amendment right to protest.

She turned her back on the American flag during the national anthem to protest what she believes is the government's failure to address inequities at home while pursuing a war abroad that may kill thousands.

On Monday, sports talk radio, which enjoys the First Amendment as much as anyone, took turns hammering Jones on local and national shows heard in this market. President Harry Truman said, "There is no more fundamental axiom of American freedom than the familiar statement: In a free country we punish men for crimes they commit but never for the opinions they have."

But Fox Sports' Tony Bruno suggested Smith's scholarship be taken away and that any federal aid she receives be revoked. Thankfully, co-host Andrew Siciliano was a voice of reason, asking Bruno why, if someone receives help from the government, they have to blindly support the government.

An excellent question that only produced more "she should be punished" blather.

WDAE's Chris Thomas dismissed Smith entirely, hinting strongly that her youth made her ignorant of what she was doing.

WQYK's SportChix lambasted Smith, saying that maybe someone should deliver a few cheap shots to her on the court as well as making some other ridiculously childish digs. Then again, did anyone actually expect a thought-provoking response from a group that can do no better than sexual double entendres and cooing over Jon Gruden?

And WDAE's Steve Duemig, naturally, was aghast: How dare Smith turn her back on the flag when it represents all the soldiers who died to give her that right?

Huh? Let's get this straight. Americans died to ensure personal freedoms, but if you dare to take advantage of them, shame on you?

That was the message, loud and clear, Monday.

In the testosterone-filled world of sports talk radio, history has shown us we should expect nothing more than knee-jerk, screaming voices calling for Smith to be stripped of her scholarship, beaten up, ridiculed and thrown out of the country. It wasn't as bad as Duemig devoting an entire show last week to war talk. History teachers, don't let your students listen to sports talk radio ... please!

I'm not a fan of Jim Rome, but where everyone else failed Monday, he put it best. You may not agree with what Smith did, and you may even find it reprehensible, disgusting, insulting and infuriating, but it is her right and one of the primary principles this country is founded on, and she shouldn't be punished for it.

FALL OF ROME: Rome's popular show (from noon-3 on WDAE) will be pre-empted starting Monday (until 11 p.m.) in favor of Devil Rays coverage. Thomas already has scolded listeners -- clones -- ready to call and complain, and I agree: Get over it.

ONE SHINING MOMENT: Chances are, the NCAA men's basketball championships will not be shown on MTV, though reports this week about CBS's contingency plans in case of war set off a round of jokes involving what that would be like.

Justin Timberlake coaching a team. Christina Aguilera doing the national anthem. Thirty-foot rims that count for 5-point baskets a la Rock-n-Jock basketball. Sway as a halftime analyst. Puck and Carson Daly doing play-by-play.

And on and on.

Naturally, if the games were on MTV, it would be a full CBS production without any of the shenanigans folks are musing about. You probably wouldn't even be able to tell you were watching MTV. But you knew that, right?

Truth is, it would take a crazy set of circumstances for MTV to end up with the tournament, so don't count on it. TNT is a more likely option.

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