Recently in England, heralded Sky Sports soccer announcers Andy Gray and Richard Keys were sacked for making sexist remarks, directed at FA Association referee Siam Massey. (See video above) The two were recorded off-air saying, in effect, that the world had gone mad to allow a female referee into the game and that Ms. Massey did not know the offsides rule, which stipulates a player cannot be ahead of the last defender for the opposing team or, if no opponents are behind the ball, past the ball.
There has been a lot of debate raging about whether Gray and Keys should have been fired. Some argue that Gray, 55, and Keys, 53, have been long-time announcers and that the presences of a referee who was a woman was a new thing to them and their comments, though inexcusably offensive, have been apologized for and should be forgiven. Some have argued that Gray was actually a victim of sexism himself in this situation.
All in all, I must say I support the firing of both announcers. While I do sympathize with older generations being overcome by changes in the new, advancing worlds, such remarks are inexcusable and blatantly demeaning to women. As a huge fan of Gray and his longtime colleague Martin Tyler's announcing, I was appalled to hear such sexist remarks coming from his mouth. There is absolutely no truth to his comments (of course a woman is just as capable of understanding the offside rule as a man!) and thus his termination from Sky Sports is a warranted consequence. The situation reminds me of another situation in England where two civil partners, both men, were denied a 1-bed room in a hotel because the Christian proprietors were not comfortable with the idea of two gay men sharing a bed. Just like that was overturned in the courts and the hotel proprietors were rightfully punished, so too should Mr. Gray and Mr. Keys be punished. They have tarnished the footballing world and worsened the view of men's soccer being sexist.
There has been a lot of debate raging about whether Gray and Keys should have been fired. Some argue that Gray, 55, and Keys, 53, have been long-time announcers and that the presences of a referee who was a woman was a new thing to them and their comments, though inexcusably offensive, have been apologized for and should be forgiven. Some have argued that Gray was actually a victim of sexism himself in this situation.
All in all, I must say I support the firing of both announcers. While I do sympathize with older generations being overcome by changes in the new, advancing worlds, such remarks are inexcusable and blatantly demeaning to women. As a huge fan of Gray and his longtime colleague Martin Tyler's announcing, I was appalled to hear such sexist remarks coming from his mouth. There is absolutely no truth to his comments (of course a woman is just as capable of understanding the offside rule as a man!) and thus his termination from Sky Sports is a warranted consequence. The situation reminds me of another situation in England where two civil partners, both men, were denied a 1-bed room in a hotel because the Christian proprietors were not comfortable with the idea of two gay men sharing a bed. Just like that was overturned in the courts and the hotel proprietors were rightfully punished, so too should Mr. Gray and Mr. Keys be punished. They have tarnished the footballing world and worsened the view of men's soccer being sexist.
