From the AP:
ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose apologized Tuesday for negative remarks about the area around the New Jersey Devils' new Prudential Center arena.
In a video segment posted on ESPN.com last week, Melrose described the recently opened arena as a "beautiful new building" but added, "Don't go outside if you have a wallet or anything else, because the area around the arena is just horrible."
Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker and Municipal Council President Mildred Crump took exception to the remarks and called for Melrose to apologize.
And he did:
"I was trying to be funny and I'm sorry it didn't come through that way," (Melrose) said by phone from St. Louis. "No excuse. When I talk I don't want to offend anybody. I love hockey and I want Newark to be a success. I certainly never wanted to hurt the feelings of the people of Newark or the people of New Jersey. There was no malice on my part."
Now that isn't even the best part:
"All of us make mistakes, but it's a shame when it's at the expense of 300,000 people," Booker said, referring to Newark's population.
Yeah, because the population of the mainly African American city really cares about what an idiot white Canuck with a mullet has to say.
Melrose went on to say that he wants to go to Newark and tour the city and have lunch with the mayor.
I like Booker, he is trying to reinvigorate his city and improve its image. Melrose, however, is a fool. As the movie quote (sorta) goes, all a man has in this world is his word and his balls, and he shouldn't break them for anyone. Melrose made a crack and should stand by it. Granted he never actually went to Newark before saying it, but if he opened his mouth he should stand by his comments and back them up with the astoundingly high crime statistics.
But he didn't, he rolled over and apologized. How great would it be if when he goes for that lunch for Booker he got mugged??!?!? Ha!
4 comments:
One ignoramus, Melrose, says one stupid thing; another ignoramus, "Scotty Hockey", compounds the stupidity with his own ignorant remarks. Appalling. Newark's crime rates are not "astoundingly high", and especially not in the area of the Arena. And the city is not "mainly African American" but only 54% black, as self-identified in the last census. Like other major American cities, Newark has bad neighborhoods with high crime rates but large areas with low crime rates. As for standing by ignorant comments, that makes as much sense as anything else the "Scotty Hockey" person said: that is, none. As for Melrose being mugged in the Arena area while joining Mayor Booker for lunch, that is about as likely as that "Scotty Hockey" will make sense someday.
C'mon, I make plenty of sense when I am not overtired and ranting abot an idiot who went back on his word. And I stand by all I said. It offended Mr. Gay Pride - your name for yourself, not mine - who happens to be a resident of the fine city of Newark. So you have something riding on saying how wonderful the place is, despite the fact that it has a higher percentage of crime rate in nearly every measured category. But whatever, you believe in being PC, I don't. You are allowed your opinion, and I am allowed mine. I am an ignoramus, and you are a self-rightous pompous ass who only contributes to the conversation when it offends his own sensitivities. Thanks! and welcome to the blog! I appreciate your readership!
National crime rates are meaningless, for averaging in rural areas of Iowa and Montana, as well as Fifth Avenue, with the South Bronx and other bad areas. Before I moved from West 46th Street in Manhattan to Vailsburg, in Newark, I did online research that showed that the crime rate in the two areas was practically identical. But I had a lot more trouble with crime in Midtown West (e.g., prostitutes carrying on in cars at 3pm as schools let out) than in Newark. We don't even have window gates in Vailsburg, but no building on West 46th Street would dare go without bars on the windows.
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As for "hav[ing] something riding on saying how wonderful [Newark] is", you have it backwards. I wasn't born in Newark and thus don't feel forced to defend it. I moved here because it's wonderful. If it weren't, I could live many other places. But I bought a house here (cheap!) and set down roots alongside my 70-foot oak trees because Newark has a future of great promise, not just a past (aside from an unfortunate 35-year stretch) of distinction.
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To date, Bon Jovi and the Devils (I'll get to a game sometime, which will be my first hockey game ever, maybe Devils vs. Rangers -- hey, let's meet in the Prudential Center and I'll bet you a quarter (25 cents, that is, about what a hockey game means to me) that the Devils win) have drawn something like 150,000 people to the new Arena, and there hasn't been a single serious incident reported. Not one.
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People who don't know Newark should check out my fotoblog. A picture is worth 1,000 words, and I've put up over 1,700 pictures there), http://newarkusa.blogspot.com.
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I am not a pompous ass, but am astoundingly modest considering how brilliant I am.
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When you make your first trip to the Prudential Center, I trust you will give your first-hand impressions honestly and admit that the New Newark looks damned good.
I mean what I am about to say not an an attack, but just an attempt to clarify my understanding. I.Craig, you said: "(25 cents, that is, about what a hockey game means to me)."
Now, that's fine if you don't like hockey--whatever floats your boat. What I don't understand is if you really don't care about hockey, why are you reading a blog that is mostly about hockey? Do you do searches for blogs that mention Newark or somthing like that?
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