This morning I wrote that ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson was suspended for a week for saying "F--- Jesus" at a celebrity roast early this month.Having talked to one source familiar with the situation and exchanged e-mails with another, I would like to clarify that I think that, to the extent that Jacobson used the F-word and the word "Jesus" together, it was about Touchdown Jesus, the mural depicting Jesus with his hands raised at Notre Dame Stadium. Jacobson was roasting former Notre Dame football player and current ESPN Radio host Mike Golic at the time.
Does that distinction matter? Some people seem to think so. I think Jacobson is getting a raw deal here regardless. Her comments weren't on the air, like those of Kelly Tilghman or Don Imus. She was speaking at a roast. Have you ever seen the Pamela Anderson roast? These things are designed to be offensive.
But, if you insist on being offended, you should only be offended if you're a Notre Dame fan and you consider Touchdown Jesus sacred. That's the one Dana Jacobson made a couple of raunchy comments about.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-23-2008 @ 2:05PM
Joel said...
Except that the reports indicate that she directed her comments toward both Touchdown jesus and actual Jesus distinctly. If the report is inaccurate, that's one thing. But if it's true that she said both, I'm not sure how you can explain it away.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:07PM
Kent Felty said...
Michael,
Your remarks ratify these incredible comments. Ask yourself if you would be so quick to defend a comment like this directed at any other faith or group. Be honest. Then, if you are honest with yourself, ask where the anger and animosity are coming from. Good luck on the journey.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:31PM
Joel said...
On the topic of roasts, how does the fact that they're designed to be offensive justify what's said? If that's the nature of those events, maybe high-profile talking heads who want to retain credibility with their audience shouldn't speak at them. Or if they do, they should keep their comments within the bounds of common decency.
People have a right to be offended that an anchor is capable of expressing herself in such a way. It's going to color their impressions of her. ESPN is right to take into account how her comments might affect their business. It's a good career move to think about what you say in public before you say it.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:31PM
Paul said...
It is absolutely inappropriate to talk about Touchdown Jesus like this. He loves Michigan just as much as he does Notre Dame. She should have reserved her profanity for Weiss then there would be no controversy or even disagreement.
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1-23-2008 @ 2:33PM
tdbrought said...
Her comments were dead on. Notre Dame has been brazenly trumpeting themselves as "Jesus' school" for decades. Jesus doesn't care about ND football. Even if you paint a 80ft tall picture of him watching the game, he ain't watching. Jesus had no clue where South Bend is (unless you're a Mormon). To try to say Dana is anti Christian for being anti Notre Dame is simply perpetuating this myth. The only thing more annoying than a Cowboys fan is a Notre Dame fan -- Dallas may dub themselves America's team, but Notre Dame worshippers seriously think they are "God's team."
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1-23-2008 @ 2:34PM
tdbrought said...
Seriously people -- do youselves a favor and NEVER watch an actual roast on Comedy Central. You'd be overcome with a case of the vapors in seconds when Patton Oswalt or David Cross opens his mouth.
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1-23-2008 @ 11:50PM
Dustin said...
I think your column is spot on. The entire point of a roast is to be offensive. The old Dean Martin roasts are racist, sexist, and bigoted, yet they are sold on tv as classics of American comedy. Dana Jacobson used the roast to do what comedy is designed to do-use humor to bring about debate about serious societal issues. Ms. Jacobson can't make her jokes about other faiths or schools because no other school has a gigantic mural of Jesus watching its football stadium. Notre Dame (and its fans) needs to take the bad with the good. If goldern domers are so sensitive to criticism of Touchdown Jesus, then maybe they shouldn't insinuate that Notre Dame has a divine right to dominate at football.
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1-23-2008 @ 3:46PM
jim said...
Saying F**k Jesus is not anti-Notre Dame, it is anti-Christian.
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1-23-2008 @ 3:32PM
will said...
Sure, we can degrade Jesus - but watch out if you say anything racial or disparage Mohammad! As a public figure she should show respect to All - The idead was to offend Mike Golic, not Jesus and people of the Christian faith...
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1-23-2008 @ 3:38PM
tdbrought said...
Racial comments are made at roasts all the time. Google "roast flavor flav" and watch the videos if you don't believe me. It's a roast. If someone isn't offended at a roast, than the speaker didn't do their job right. The whole point is to offend. If you don't want your sensibilities offended, don't read or watch a roast. You'll be a much happier person.
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1-23-2008 @ 3:50PM
depotrat said...
Sorry folks, you were going to a roast. EVERYTHING is fair game at a roast. As Eddie Murphy once said - "any of you folks that are easily offended - get the F*** out of here right now!!!"
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1-23-2008 @ 4:26PM
EskinSux said...
Really...Who Cares? Maybe she meant Field Goal Jesus...Or Safety Jesus...How about..."We can't even beat the service acadamies anymore" Jesus..
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1-23-2008 @ 4:29PM
tdbrought said...
Please delete #11. It is obviously spam, probably malicious.
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1-23-2008 @ 4:59PM
petejayhawk said...
I bet Jesus would've been offended if he'd actually ever existed.
Secular humanism FTW!
(bring it, AOL mouthbreathers...)
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1-23-2008 @ 6:13PM
cliff said...
This is America. Screw yourself if you don't believe in free speech. This is America and we don't all agree. That's the power of free speech. You may be offended while other people may think it's funny. I'm a Christian and I'm not offended by her comments. It's not for us to judge. Remember, "Judge not lest the be judged". If you don't believe in free speech please leave America today as you don't deserve the Bill of Rights protecting you and helping to provide some of the freedoms you are "crying" about regarding her poor choice of words.
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1-23-2008 @ 6:32PM
big weenie said...
Why dosent ESPN just move her to another show? Thats what the catholics did when all those priest's were molesting little boys, right? Hey lets just move them and who cares. Oh and dont sue us we do good work. Catholics have NOTHING to say, f ing hypocrits. Whats Jesus going to say, shes bad for calling me names but I forgive you perverts. Hang in there Dana!!!
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1-23-2008 @ 7:49PM
peter said...
Does anybody know who Jesus Christ is? He is GOD!
She cursed God. What a shame to curse Fully God/Fully Man -- Jesus. He'll forgive her. Because He is not only just, but He is also love.
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1-23-2008 @ 7:04PM
brent said...
Why even bother being offended? Seriously, are we so thin-skinned that we HAVE to take offense at ever slight? I am a Christian, and I say, so what? First, I do not believe that those comments reflect her true feelings, but even if they did, so what? How am I affected? Did it kill me or anyone I love? So maybe she hates Jesus. Okay. So what? I love Jesus. Guess, what, we can still co-exist, and even be friends. We live in a culture where too many are looking to be offended whereby we can then claim victim status. Well ya know what? Get over it. Live your life less by what others say and do, and more by your own convictions.
Oh, and btw, Notre Dame football does suck.
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1-23-2008 @ 7:37PM
Joel said...
"This is America. Screw yourself if you don't believe in free speech. This is America and we don't all agree. That's the power of free speech."
No the power of free speech is that you don't get put in jail for saying things that other people disagree with. THAT is the power of "free speech." Everybody in history has enjoyed the ability to say whatever they want. The constitution protects us from suffering legally for doing so.
"Free Speech" doesn't mean that anyone can go around and say whatever they want will full impunity. I'm still free to form an opinion of a person based on the things that they say, or to be offended when they say things in poor taste. And their employer is free to fire them if their comments reflect poorly on them.
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1-23-2008 @ 7:46PM
Madeleine said...
To those who believe that "Touchdown Jesus" is a purposeful billboard of Jesus "protecting" the Notre Dame Football team, the name of the mural is "The World of Life" Mural. It is a picture of many of the world's great scholars, thinkers, and teachers, the largest individual in the scene being Jesus. This mural is on the wall of the Hesburgh Library, which is one of the largest single standing university libraries in the world. The image on the side of the library was deemed "Touchdown Jesus" by individuals unfamiliar with the academic significance of this building. To the outside world it may represent football, but to those who are a part of the Univeristy it represents the our place of study.
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