When you get paid for your opinions, it's like dancing on a volcano. Self-censorship often means self-preservation. This goes, that doesn't. Careful now. Fortunately in print, we get a do over. No one will ever see what I cut out of this column, nor should they. It didn't work so out it goes. Now stick a microphone in front of someone and ask them 'what say' and the stakes change immeasurably, particularly in this day and age of omnipresent media self-empowerment. What you say is irrevocable when the camera, any camera, is rolling.
I don't know Andy Gray but I know his voice. I have been hearing it for years on English Premier League broadcasts. But I won't be hearing it anymore because Gray is now officially unemployed. As one half of Sky Sports' top EPL broadcasting team, Gray was pulling down close to US$3 million annually to spout and spew his knowledgeable opinions. Last weekend, while preparing for a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton, Gray did a bit too much spewing. Upon hearing that a female linesman would be used in the refereeing crew, he could hardly contain his disdain.
Although he and his broadcast partner, Richard Keys, were not on air, they were still speaking into a microphone. 'Well somebody better get down there and explain offside to her' said Keys. 'Yeah, I know. A female linesman,' replied Gray. 'Can you believe that? That's exactly what I was saying. Women don't know the offside rule. Why do we call them linesmen?' To which Keys replied: 'The game's gone mad.'
So what do you think? Personally, I've heard much worse talk around sports - too many times to count. It's ridiculous and it's pathetic, but it was off the record. Unfortunately for Gray and Keys, though, one of their colleagues managed to get their recorded remarks plastered all over the media. Sky Sports was so furious it suspended the pair for all of one game, but when more recordings of their boorish and sexist behaviour started to emerge a day later, Gray was fired and Keys resigned. Just like that, the golden voices of English football for nearly 20 years were gone.
Many footy fans in Asia will be familiar with Keys through his work over the years on ESPN's First Edition with John Dykes. Temporarily contrite, Keys initially dismissed their rant as 'lads mag banter' before personally apologising to the female official and anyone else who may have been offended. 'Prehistoric banter isn't acceptable in the modern world,' he said. 'I accept that. We failed to change when the world has changed.'
But the fact that Keys and Gray had kept their jobs this long shows the world has changed a lot less than he thinks. Two things you can't be in the broadcast booth these days: sexist and racist. Violate either and you will get stuck clearly in the media crosshairs, which is where both Keys and Gray have spent the past week.