For the life of me I can't understand how a Sox fan could criticize Hawk.

He's so good and such a legend I just don't get it. Must be something about being a Sox fan even after winning the WS.

Hawk to me is beyond criticism. His eruption over that s***ty ump's call was LEGENDARY!

Hawk should be off limits in regard to criticism. It's in bad taste IMO.

+1

 

Nicely put, greg. Couldn't agree more.

I was with a group of about 10 Sox fans when the Humber perfect game happened and all we could talk about during that last inning was how not having Hawk on the call was really sucking the life out of it.

 

Watching that link to Buehrle's last inning posted earlier in this thread really shows me why I love Hawk. Hearing Hawk's call makes me as nostalgic as the moment itself...

 

When I was a kid, I was convinced that there was no team for me except the one that Ken Griffey Jr. played on. The White Sox sounded lame. However, my dad continued watching the games and...they seemed so fun. The guy on TV would go off when the Sox hit home runs and, well, the Sox hit a lot of those too I imagine that Hawk is awesome for bringing in the casual fan in like that. He makes you complicit in his fandom. The love for the Sox is infectious, at least as long as you don't have some long held loyalty for another team.

I' m Tucker McElroy, lead singer and driver of the winnebago... He is the Hawk!!!

 

Those who criticize are gonna" look really funny trying to eat corn on the cob with no f--- teeth".

Given the opportunity, would any of you detractors be willing to step away from the computer and discuss the Hawk's shortcomings face to face?

 

Love him or hate him he's a tough old bird. And he HATES to lose.

 

To me that symbolizes what these Sox are all about.

http://www.heavethehawk.com/

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/...-harrelson-rant

 

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf talked to television announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson in the wake of his on-air outburst against umpire Mark Wegner.

 

"I talked to Bud Selig yesterday," Harrelson told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine on Friday morning. "We had a talk. Actually, Bud talked and I listened. If it was a prize fight, they would have stopped it in the first round.

 

"I also talked to Jerry, and I listened to him as well. That's all I really have to say."

 

Harrelson is an employee of Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN.

 

Wegner ejected White Sox rookie pitcher Jose Quintana in the fourth inning of the White Sox's 4-3 victory Wednesday over the Tampa Bay Rays for throwing a pitch behind Ben Zobrist. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski was hit in the shoulder by the Rays' Alex Cobb in the third inning but no warnings were made. The quick ejection, which was followed by manager Robin Ventura getting tossed for protesting, set Harrelson off on a rant on the air.

 

"What are you doing? He threw him out of the ballgame, you've got to be bleepin' me!" Harrelson said after the ejection. "What in the hell are you doing? What are you doing Wegner? You got to be kidding me. That is so bad that is absolutely brutal. That is unbelievable.

 

"I'll tell you what, they have got to start making guys be accountable. That is totally absurd. Here's an umpire in the American League that knows nothing about the game of baseball. They have got to do something about this. They have got some guys in this league that have no business umpiring. They have no business umpiring because they don't know what the game of baseball is about."

 

The White Sox, who have won eight straight games to take over first place in the American League Central, open a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Oh boy...sounds like that will be the last of his rants...

Oh boy...sounds like that will be the last of his rants...

What are they going to do if he goes on another, fire him?

What are they going to do if he goes on another, fire him?

They could probably refuse to license the ability of Comcast to disseminate the game if he is calling it.

 

 

They could probably refuse to license the ability of Comcast to disseminate the game if he is calling it.

Can't tell if serious...will respond as though it was.

 

Yeah, that's right, MLB is going to take a team's games entirely off the air because of a broadcaster disagreement.

Can't tell if serious...will respond as though it was.

 

Yeah, that's right, MLB is going to take a team's games entirely off the air because of a broadcaster disagreement.

I'm responding from a legal standpoint, which is what I thought you were looking for.

 

In a realistic standpoint, Bud would put pressure on his pal Jerry to make him shut the hell up or be fired.

 

That is basically what happened here.

 

If for whatever reason Hawk continued to do this, and Jerry refused to muzzle him, yes, I imagine Major League Baseball could license the games to another station which would not crack down on the League's umpires in the middle of broadcasts.

I'm responding from a legal standpoint, which is what I thought you were looking for.

 

In a realistic standpoint, Bud would put pressure on his pal Jerry to make him shut the hell up or be fired.

 

That is basically what happened here.

 

If for whatever reason Hawk continued to do this, and Jerry refused to muzzle him, yes, I imagine Major League Baseball could license the games to another station which would not crack down on the League's umpires in the middle of broadcasts.

I'm pretty sure the contract with Comcast runs through something like 2019, and the White Sox happen to be part owners of that network. There's just no realistic way that could go down.

 

They can put pressure on him, but there's nothing they can do other than giving him a good talking to, unless they're willing to fire him or have the right to fine him for on-air comments that aren't offensive but bother the league.

I'm pretty sure the contract with Comcast runs through something like 2019, and the White Sox happen to be part owners of that network. There's just no realistic way that could go down.

 

They can put pressure on him, but there's nothing they can do other than giving him a good talking to, unless they're willing to fire him or have the right to fine him for on-air comments that aren't offensive but bother the league.

Just because they have a contract doesn't mean Comcast can employ someone that is ripping the League or its umpires...I am sure there are some rights the League can exercise legally.

Edited June 1, 201213 yr by iamshack

It will never come out if Wegner got a call,but I bet he did...from the supervisor of umps,probably.

 

It is no big deal, as JR has Hawk's back. Hawk gave Selig some respect by indicating that he slapped him down,and not saying a peep....fine.

 

I am sure that JR just told Hawk to not mess with the momentum of the team.

 

Hawk made his point,and I bet that all umps will take note on the handling of warnings.

I predict that not many more pitchers get the heave ho without a warning the rest of the season.

 

I was listening to Vin Scully last nite in that Brewers game and he reference some pitcher from the way-back machine who was called ''high-pockets''...and compared Kameron Loe of the Brewers to him.....I thought of Hawk....yes,even the golden throated Vin Scully refers back to players of yesteryear.

 

Both of them are good at what they do....spin a yarn around a game.

Just because they have a contract doesn't mean Comcast can employ someone that is ripping the League or its umpires...I am sure there are some rights the League can exercise legally.

 

I am pretty sure MLB could do whatever the hell it wanted to with the anti-trust exemption in their back pocket.

What are they going to do if he goes on another, fire him?

 

If that was possible, I hope he goes on another rant soon.

If Hawk is an employee of the White Sox, I believe Selig can actually fire him under the MLB Constitution.

 

MLB Constitution

 

Sec. 3. In the case of conduct by Major League Clubs, owners, officers, employees

or players that is deemed by the Commissioner not to be in the best interests of

Baseball, punitive action by the Commissioner for each offense may include any one or

more of the following:

(a) a reprimand; (b) deprivation of a Major League Club of representation in

Major League Meetings; © suspension or removal of any owner, officer or

employee of a Major League Club; (d) temporary or permanent ineligibility of a

player; (e) a fine, not to exceed $2,000,000 in the case of a Major League Club,

not to exceed $500,000 in the case of an owner, officer or employee, and in an

amount consistent with the then-current Basic Agreement with the Major League

Baseball Players Association, in the case of a player; (f) loss of the benefit of any

or all of the Major League Rules, including but not limited to the denial or transfer

of player selection rights provided by Major League Rules 4 and 5; and (g) such

other actions as the Commissioner may deem appropriate.

If Hawk loses his mind again on a play like that, he should just take off the headphones and walk out, and let Stone handle it on his own.

Edited June 1, 201213 yr by flavum

If Hawk is an employee of the White Sox, I believe Selig can actually fire him under the MLB Constitution.

 

MLB Constitution

Punitive action against Harrelson is the one thing they could practically do, but seriously, are they going to want the spectre of MLB stepping in and firing a broadcaster for ranting about the umps?

If that was possible, I hope he goes on another rant soon.

Are you bleepin' me?!?

Punitive action against Harrelson is the one thing they could practically do, but seriously, are they going to want the spectre of MLB stepping in and firing a broadcaster for ranting about the umps?

 

The NBA does it all of the time.

Punitive action against Harrelson is the one thing they could practically do, but seriously, are they going to want the spectre of MLB stepping in and firing a broadcaster for ranting about the umps?

No. Which is why Bud talked to Jerry and then they both talked to him and told him to avoid the crazy rants in the future.

 

Do you think they want all these news websites playing video of a broadcaster for an MLB team screaming that their umpires are incompetent?

No. Which is why Bud talked to Jerry and then they both talked to him and told him to avoid the crazy rants in the future.

 

Do you think they want all these news websites playing video of a broadcaster for an MLB team screaming that their umpires are incompetent?

If they don't want that, then they could have established/standard rules involving warnings being issued to both teams prior to umpires ejecting players.

 

I know we don't hear if they discipline or talk to umpires, that's private, but if they don't want a Hawkrant, then don't give him reason to. Otherwise, you better be prepared to fine or fire him.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/...-harrelson-rant

 

If you had to speak to the worst MLB commissioner ever, what Hawkisms would you use?

 

If they don't want that, then they could have established/standard rules involving warnings being issued to both teams prior to umpires ejecting players.

 

I know we don't hear if they discipline or talk to umpires, that's private, but if they don't want a Hawkrant, then don't give him reason to. Otherwise, you better be prepared to fine or fire him.

You won't get any disagreement from me regarding the call. But umpires are going to make bad calls; they're human. A little griping by a broadcaster is fine...the broadcasters are human too. But that doesn't mean MLB has to deal with broadcasters using this particular forum to let the entire viewing audience know their personal opinions on the competency of the umpires.

 

The point is, there are legal actions Selig could take here.