FOX Fires Steve Lyons For Insensitive Comments

Fox baseball analyst Steve Lyons has been fired for making racially insensitive comments directed at his colleague on the air during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

The smart alec broadcaster has been replaced for the remainder of the Championship Series by Jose Mota. "Jose Mota" sounds like an Hispanic name to me -- that would be a delightful example of poetic justice.

Lou Piniella made a remark about finding a wallet, then said a couple of words in Spanish during the broadcast.

Lyons said that Piniella was "hablaing (sic) Espanol" and added, "I still can't find my wallet."

"I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now."

Some might argue that Lyons' comments were innocuous, but when fans tune in to watch a baseball game they want the analyst to provide color commentary and not utter controversial remarks about people of color.

Lyons is a professional who makes a living using words and he should be careful what he says to his audience of millions. I don't expect Shakespearean eloquence from an ex-jock, but I do expect a modicum of civility.

Here is Lyons' apology as quoted by the Associated Press:

"If I offended anybody, I'm truly sorry, but my comment about Lou taking my wallet was a joke and in no way racially motivated."

I doubt the sincerity of Lyons' apology, considering this is not the first time he has got in trouble for making controversial comments. In 2004 Lyons landed in hot water for making a questionable joke about a Jewish baseball player.

Good riddance to Steve Lyons, but there's a person in the news who has been in trouble for uttering racial slurs, and he also needs to go. I'm referring, of course, to Sen. George Allen of Virginia. The voters need to kick Mr. Macaca to the curb.