Brent Musburger Is All Right With Me

Here we go.

Count me in on those who think the media is all out ridiculous in criticizing ESPN play by play announcer Brent Musburger for his nice and totally cool compliment on the looks of Katherine Webb, girlfriend of University of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, during the telecast of Monday night's national championship game between the Crimson Tide and Notre Dame. 

Heck, I'm a Notre Dame fan, and I could be thankful for a distraction from what was going on on the field. 

Here is what Brent Musburger – yes, he's 73 – said when the camera panned to the stands and took in a shot of both Ms. Webb, and McCarron's mother: 

Now when you are a quarterback at Alabama, you see that lovely lady there, she does go to Auburn, I want to admit that, but she's also Miss Alabama and that's AJ McCarron's girlfriend, OK? And right there on the right is Dee Bonner – that's A..J.'s mom.  

"Wow, I'm telling you, quarterbacks -- you get all the good-looking women. What a beautiful woman, Whoa! If you're a youngster at Alabama, start getting the football out and throw it around the back yard with pops."

If you click here to watch and listen to the clip from the broadcast.

Yeah, some people were getting all in tizzy about this. Talk about political correctness run amuck.

You know who wasn't upset – indeed she was flattered – by Musburger's comments? Well, that would be Katherine Webb.

Before I move on, please, allow me to state this – I love and adore the South – that is the Deep U.S. South.  I didn't even have a problem when I was driving through Alabama several years ago, and I lost radio contact for maybe an hour or so. Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama … all of it … I dig it.

Life moves more slowly than it does up here – and people, for the most part, are more cordial, respectful and friendly than they are here.

You know, it think it would be a very nice life for a while for me to sit back in an Airstream trailer on the Gulf of Mexico and do my writing and public relations work from there. I could mix it in with eating crawdads and wholesomely quaffing some good local brew. And I would have Southeastern Conference college football all around me. Oh, man, that would be the life.

Back to Ms. Webb. So she is on the Today show a couple days after the game, and host Matt Lauer, a superb journalist, and also oftentimes a twerp, throws this at her:

Now that you've heard what was said about you by Brent Musburger and the others on the air, how do you feel about it – I know you said you don't take offense to it, but they did go on and on about your appearance and how young guys in Alabama should toss the football around so they'd get to date a girl like you – with a little hindsight how do you feel about the comments?

Here is Ms. Webb's response:

You know I think, I think the media has been really unfair to him. I think that if he would have said something of, along the lines of, that we were hot or sexy or made any derogatory statements like that, I think that would have been a little bit different, but the fact that he said that we were beautiful and gorgeous, I don't see why any woman wouldn't be flattered by that.

Spoken like a true knock-out, smart, poised woman of the South.

Here is a link to the Today show segment in which Matt Lauer interviewed Ms. Webb.

How about Ms. Webb's father, Alan Webb – what did he think about Musburger's comments? He wasn't upset; he said, in an interview with Fox 5 in Atlanta - “"On one hand, you can look at it as being kind of like the dirty old man, but I'm used to this and I think if you really look into what that he was trying to say, he was trying to be complimentary, and I think they need to give Brent a break."

I can't be too concerned about all this. I mean, I grew up in household in Easton of tough and independent women. Really, my mother and my sister are tough and independent chicks, both. Crazy political correctness doesn't fly with either of them.

Plus, I adore women. And I am fully subscribed to the notion that women are meant to be adored.

As well, I find that women can be beautiful and attractive to me on so many levels, and in so many ways. Funny thing, I am no prize – please, look at the photo that accompanies this column – but I have had beautiful women around me for a long, long time.

I am never hesitant to compliment a woman on her beauty. I am hardwired to do this.

I also have some Brent Musburger in me. As evidence, consider three of my columns that ran in this space.

I don't apologize for any of my comments.

Here is a link to a column I wrote (dated July 25, 2011) which celebrated the life of U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bill Callahan – who gave the supreme sacrifice for his country in Iraq – and the philanthropic benefit held in his honor: a motorcycle rally that starts and ends at Buddy's Union Villa on Washington St./Rte. 138.

When the motorcycles and riders returned to the Union Villa, there were refreshments and a live band, and socializing and having fun and remembering and honoring a true American hero.

Refreshments included cold beer. I wrote, “If you wanted a cold beer, outdoor taps were set up in the parking lot – and drawing the drafts for people were Christine and Jenna, which is always a good thing (have you seen Christine and Jenna?).”

I don't apologize for writing that.

Here is a link to a column I wrote (dated December 9, 2011) titled, “Three Haute Mamas ,,,, Two of Whom Hail From Easton and Oliver Ames High School.” I started the column with this sentence – “They are haute … and hot. I mean, look at the photos.”

I don't apologize for this.

Then there is this column I wrote which was published here on September 20 of this past year – titled, “Reflecting On Differences and Making Distinctions in Easton … The not nice … the baffling … and he borderline hilarious in Easton.”

In the column I made mention of a party in New York City I was at in the mid 1990s at which a few people who grew up in Easton were present. One of those people was Chris Carnabucci, who was then living outside of New York City with is wife Paula.

Here is an excerpt from the column:

Along with myself, there were two other Easton people at the party — my sister (there with her husband), and Chris Carnabucci, who grew up near Parkview School. Chris, an artist and furniture designer, who lived just outside of New York City, was there with his beautiful wife, Paula (really, you should see Paula).

I make no apologies.

Then again, why should I? I adore women.

And I think that Brent Musburger is all right with the world, and vice versa.