Like Bob Griese, A.J. Allmendinger should have been suspended

In a blog entry earlier this week (scroll down), I reported on ESPN/ABC football announcer Bob Griese’s comment last Saturday on Juan Pablo Montoya being "out having a taco" when another announcer asked why he was missing from a list of NASCAR’s top five Chase for the Championship drivers.

Griese apologized for the remark as the football game was going off the air and reportedly apologized again later.

ESPN, the employer, responded by suspending Griese from working football games this weekend. According to the Associated Press, the network has spoken to the former quarterback and "he understands the comment was inappropriate."

Good for ESPN.

Thursday, NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger was stopped near his home in Mooresville, N.C., and, following a roadside breath test, was charged with drunken driving.

NASCAR responded by putting Allmendinger on probation.

I suggest that if one person, Bob Griese, can be suspended a week for poor judgment in his use of words, A.J. Allmendinger should have been suspended a week for poor judgment in getting behind the wheel of his car after consuming enough alcohol to result in a criminal charge.

Probation doesn’t cut it, in this instance.

Comments

[allenparkpete]

Ah...a PC blog by Norris. Let me take the opposite viewpoint. Why should he be suspended? Yes, he was pulled over but what was the difference between him and Michael Waltrip a few days earlier.... .02? a few more swigs of beer? And Waltrip caused an accident. That dovetails with his single car accident 2.5 years ago where he took off and walked home in his socks and notified the police 12 hours later. Other than the ubiquitous apology that follows, Waltrip went back to being his usual glib self. What about Brian France and his accident....driving his SUV right into his condo? Now we can't have Mr. France suspended of course (and he was bombed) but Mike Helton should at least sit on him, right! It's funny that this suspension deal should be handed out to a sport that has direct roots to running illegal alcohol back in the day or that many of the sponsors are alcohol marketers and producers. We can promote it....we just can't drink it! But the fans in the stands can. Hell...I have. What Allmendinger should do and I hope it happens is appear on Raceday, apologize and then move on.