I make neither secret of or apology for my years spent marching with the Band of the Fighting Irish. It was one of my favorite experiences during four of the best years of my life. I made life-long friends (including my wife) and got paid to attend New Years Day bowl games (including a National Championship), all while expressing a love of music. Classic win-win scenario for everyone involved.
As such, I’m not someone who normally gets bent out of shape by phrases such as “band fag” or the like. Thus I was similarly disinterested when I read about ESPN talking ballsack Jim Rome describing band members as “dorks”. I usually don’t give a crap what Rome says about anything to begin with, and I wasn’t about to start then.
But then I read that he’d apologized for what he’d said. And that’s what got me paying attention, because the apology pissed me off.
I wasn’t pissed because the apology was somehow inaccurate or insincere. As far as I know (or, from this perspective, care), it wasn’t either of those things. I’m sure he meant what he said and said what he meant. No, I got pissed because not only did he feel the need to apologize in the first place, but in his apology, he described what he did as “bullying”.
“Bullying”? Really? As far as I’m concerned, the only dorks out there are the people who felt “bullied” by what Jim Rome said. Jim Rome did not “bully” me. Jim Rome did not “bully” marching band people. He, as is his wont, said something stupid that any human with a modicum of intelligence and maturity should have laughed off the minute it stumbled past his fingers onto his Twitter account.
And yet, he somehow felt the need to apologize, lest he be become yet another example of public figures being excoriated for expressing a (stupid) opinion. In America today, no one is allowed to be stupid, and if for even one minute you are, you have to prostrate yourself in front of those you have so grievously wronged, even if they’re just as stupid for being angry at you as you were for saying whatever you said in the first place.
If any of my fellow marching band participants were ready to go to the mattresses to demand a retraction or apology from Jim Rome, you need to hit yourself in the head with a cast iron skillet. This is the same douche who thought calling QB Jim Everett “Chrissie” would make for good television.
There are enough examples of real bullying in society without the serially outraged inventing some. I certainly hope the need Rome apparently felt to apologize wasn’t generated by negative feedback. Better to just laugh at mopes like Rome than give them the impression their words matter.
Jim Kress says:
JIm Rome is an asshole. I refuse to watch any show with which he is associated.
Patty O' Furnature says:
In fact, the act of calling Jim Everett, “Chrissie” could be considered an act of bullying. Everett, did teach the pip squeak a lesson, however, it unfortunately have Rome publicity.
Rack me, I’m out.
Bob '82 says:
Mike
Jim Rome is an idiot, so your dismissal of his comments is right on. Hopefully others will feel the same.
The ND band is a treasure, and football weekends in South Bend wouldn’t be the same without them. Hearing them march across campus on their way to/from practice is one of my favorite ND memories.
I am. however, very disappointed in what Ken Dye has done to “improve” on things that can’t be improved:
1. Changing the ND Victory March from it’s traditional, grand rendition to the peppy little polka inspired ditty that we hear today. (Compare the current version from recordings from the 40’s through the 80’s. The difference is striking.)
2. Downsizing the Irish Guard. Much has already been said on this.
Everyone wants to make their mark on things, but Ken’s efforts are misguided at best.
SW says:
Jim Rome is no longer affiliated with ESPN (hasn’t been since 2011). His radio show is part of the CBS Sports network (not that I listen to him; I just know that he left ESPN).
SW ’73
Sax 78 says:
Gibert: I just wanted to say that I’m a nerd, and I’m here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds. I mean uh, all our lives we’ve been laughed at and made to feel inferior. And tonight, those bastards, they trashed our house. Why? Cause we’re smart? Cause we look different? Well, we’re not. I’m a nerd, and uh, I’m pretty proud of it.
Lewis: Hi, Gilbert. I’m a nerd too. I just found that out tonight. We have news for the beautiful people. There’s a lot more of us than there are of you. I know there’s alumni here tonight. When you went to Adams you might’ve been called a spazz, or a dork, or a geek. Any of you that have ever felt stepped on, left out, picked on, put down, whether you think you’re a nerd or not, why don’t you just come down here and join us. Okay? Come on.
Gilbert: Just join us cos uh, no-one’s gonna really be free until nerd persecution ends.
Kelley Garvey says:
I love Jim Rome, but him calling band members dorks…how is that bullying? Like is making fun of Jameis Winston a “dumbass” bullying, too?
Kelley Garvey says:
Just to clarify… I do love Rome’s show but I don’t agree with his comments which should be taken offensively and deemed ignorant… I just don’t see the bullying. Not like anyone got picked up and placed on a running water fountain when he said that.
Joe Blow says:
You dont take offense to band fag but you do take exception to anyone being called a retard, funny how that works, picking and choosing which slurs are offensive.
Mike says:
He has a child with a disability. Some people become sensitized only when it touches their own circle and there is no group in American society given more license to express their outrage and entitlement to differential treatment than the parents of children with disabilities. If you doubt me, publicly broach the subject of how much we spend on special education in this country and the middle class entitlements that go with it.
Scott says:
OK, Joe… So you think that calling someone a “retard” is no different than calling someone a “band fag”? Seriously? You do not see the difference? Just look at the origin of the word retard or watch the story of “Radio” and perhaps you might see why “retard” just might be offensive. I cannot believe there is somebody dumb enough to equate “band fag” with “retard”.
Eddie says:
You’re giving attention to someone best left unnoticed, and to an incident of which I (and I’m sure others) were previously unaware.
That said, “if the shoe fits….”
NDWahoo says:
I am also disturbed by his use of the term “bullying” moreso than him calling us band dorks. I am an admitted band dork, and had tons of fun being a band dork. I am comfortable in my identity.
Bullying, as defined, the term describes someone who is more powerful repeatedly and pervasively intimidating a less powerful person. 1) This was not repetitive (though it is part of a long pattern of annoying behavior towards others). 2) When he describes “bullying” band dorks, he seems to intimate that he is more powerful than band dorks. Which is of course not true. He has no real power, and all that needs to be done to render him completely powerless is to turn off his show, and cease to look at his twitter.
Rather than bullying, I would describe his repeated antics as the nattering of an idiot. My response would be like that of a horse who is mildly annoyed by a fly buzzing about it. Whip it with the tail to get it away, and then pay it no more attention.
radical says:
You can just remove the modifier, if you like.
Nd wahoo says:
Excuse me?
Chris Everrett says:
Mike, I too was shocked to see the apology. I agree, if a bunch of people really felt the need to complain about his previous band joke it is very sad. People are way to sensitive. He shouldn’t have apologized and the wussies that allegedly forced his apology make me sick. This country would never win a world war with the pansies that now populate it.
Chris Everrett says:
BTW, no offense intended to all you pansy Americans, especially those that are in fact gay. I did not intend the above to be a slur nor to bully anyone.
Scott says:
If anyone was offended by this remark, they are just thin-skinned little people with nothing better to do than to cause upheaval.
Minooka Irish says:
Just to clarify…we’re all dorks and nerds. We hang on the words and actions of 18-22 year old kids who play a game each week. That’s about as dorky as it gets. How about fantasy football? That’s the apex of.nerdom, but we spend hundreds of dollars on it each fall. On an aside…I would clean the spit valve of every brass instrument with my tongue if it meant traveling to every game.
Dan H. says:
I don’t think I’ve EVER listened/watched Jim Rome. Thanks for reinforcing my decision.
Jim Donathen says:
Mike – Great comment! I too have superb band memories – 1973 Sugar Bowl Game; cross country concert band tours, Collegiate Jazz Fest and our beloved crusty director. O’B must have spinning in his grave!
Jim D.
Trombonist, ’75 and ’78L
Marty says:
I went to two away games (both at Pittsburgh) one the band was there the other they were not.
They one where the band was present it was a game Pitt was favored big and the Irish won big and it was a great experience and the band got me fired up every time they played. The other game the band was not there and it was not inspiring at all. The band makes a difference for the team.
Scott says:
To me, this band is equivalent to the “sounding of the charge”. As much as USC’s band is annoying, their Trojan Charge makes every bit the difference with how USC plays.
I was proudly a band “dork” all through High School. That experience awarded me music scholarships to just about every school I wanted to attend. Since I chose engineering, my time was consumed studying. However, I did find time to play lead guitar in a rock band on the weekends. 😉 That was one of the best experiences of my life! Music is one of the best experiences of my life!
Terry says:
I actually met him once. In person, he’s a nice guy, dramatically different from his on-air persona. As I said right from the get-go, his schtick is basically Howard Stern on sports.
I used to listen to him. That stopped right around the time he went on to describe, in graphic detail, what happened to Ted Williams’ body when he was cryogenically frozen. I didn’t need to know that, and my then-3-year-old son, riding in the car with me, definitely didn’t need to know it.
Enjoy him if you like him, ignore him if you don’t.
Boomer80 says:
Jim Rome – yet another compelling reason not to pay for cable TV and ESPN.