The Vatican Hitsquad Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 I heard the audio clip of this on Stern this morning, and then just found the story online. What's worse than it being a tired, mean gag (the old Toyota=Toy Yoda trick... get it?!?!? HA HAHAHAaaa ... eh) was that it was executed so lamely. Siragusa is your everyday idiot, but even he totally stumbled though a bad joke. Previous pranksters of this Nigerian Prince-type bait and switch have been sued successfully for more than the supposed prize, I am surprised FOX fell into this without a lawyer telling them to think twice about humiliating a well known fan on tv. 'F them, 'F FOX hard. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/spo...er/15448166.htm "Fox's joke on fan just plain mean His joy was real; prize should be too SCOTT FOWLER T. ORTEGA GAINES/Observer File Photo Panther fans 'Catman' Greg Good and Jordon Ballard of Charlotte demonstrate the Panther growl. Post a Comment The Carolina Panthers' most famous fan just got run over by Fox Sports. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't fair. Fox Sports did a bad thing to a good man on national TV Aug. 24, and I'm furious about it. The good man's name is actually Greg Good. But if you know him at all, you know him as "Catman." He sits in a front-row end zone seat at every Panthers home game wearing an electric blue wig and a black-and-blue cape. With just under two minutes to go in the Panthers-Miami Dolphins exhibition, Good was under the impression Fox Sports was about to give him a new car. The network's announcing team had promoted the free car giveaway on air at the end of the third quarter. Instead, sideline reporter Tony Siragusa handed Good a toy car. Good, believing the toy was a symbol for the real thing, said on-camera to Siragusa: "Thank you! Thank you very, very, very much -- it's a blessing and a prayer answered!" But Fox Sports was playing a joke. And it wasn't funny. It was badly planned, poorly executed and outright mean. Siragusa walked away shortly after the interview, leaving Good bewildered and upset. "I thought I had won a real car," Good said. Fox officials debated this issue among themselves Tuesday after I brought it to their attention. Ultimately, all they have offered Good is an apology. That's lame. To make things right, Fox Sports should buy Good a car of his choice. The money would never be missed for a network that pays the NFL billions of dollars to telecast games. Fans are the NFL's lifeblood, and Fox just humiliated one on national TV for no good reason. Good, 49, lives in Winston-Salem. He's a college graduate with three children who works with troubled kids for a mental health agency. He drives a 1991 Chevrolet Astro van with 130,000 miles on it. After reviewing the tape Tuesday, I believe Fox Sports tried to trick viewers into staying with the meaningless exhibition with its fake "car giveaway." Said Fox Sports spokesman Tim Buckman on Tuesday night: "As far as we know, Mr. Good hasn't contacted anyone at Fox Sports about this. We would welcome an opportunity to speak to him and offer an apology for any misunderstanding." Misunderstanding? Who wouldn't have misunderstood? Let's go to the tape and listen to on-air comments from the announcing team of Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Siragusa while remembering that producer Bob Stenner had ultimate control of this telecast. With 2 minutes, 37 seconds left in the third quarter, Johnston made the first mention of the car giveaway. Said Johnston: "Now all you fans out there, you might be thinking, well, the starting units are out, we might change the channel. ... We're going to do something special to try and keep you here tonight. We're giving a car away tonight." With 1:56 left in the fourth quarter, the giveaway comes up again. Stockton: "Someone's going to get a car tonight, Daryl." Johnston: "Hopefully, Tony has assembled all the criteria, and he's got a worthy selection down there." Siragusa: "I'm looking. I'm looking." After a Miami kickoff return, the camera flashed back to Siragusa on the sideline. He was standing close to Good. Siragusa introduced Good, asked him to scream for the Panthers and then said: "The car is coming in right now. Here it comes. Beautiful. It's white. It's a Porsche." Then Siragusa handed a small toy car to Good. Good thought it was a symbol of what he would get later, which is why he looked so happy, he says now. On-air, Siragusa asked: "Do you have a car?" "I need a car so bad," Good said. Siragusa also said that Good, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 340 pounds, would need "oil" or "butter" to fit into the car. A few seconds later, Stockton returned to the game by saying: "So our lucky fan is going to drive off with a new car. First-and-10 at the 28." Good is a huge fan. He was part of an exhibit on superfans a few years ago at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He bought Panthers permanent seat licenses on the first day they were available. He has his own bobblehead, which he financed himself. "It's a limited edition," he said, chuckling. "There are 1,000 of them, and I've still got 600 of them bobbling around the house." Good still believed he was getting a free car from Fox Sports that night and most of the next day, when he first contacted me in an exultant e-mail. We are acquaintances. I met him in 1996, when Panthers wide receiver Mark Carrier befriended Good and handed him the football after Carrier scored a touchdown. After e-mailing Good for details, I never heard back. Curious, I called him Monday. Good teaches anger management to the troubled kids he works with, and he said he was going to try not to hold a grudge against Fox Sports. But he believes he was made a fool of on national TV. I know some would say he does that every Sunday by wearing his Catman getup. But this was different. Fox Sports did something bad to Good. Something unnecessary and shameless. And an apology isn't nearly enough." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 That's messed up. I'm not a lawyer but I bet a pretty good case could be mase about this. Good didn't get a car...he got a toy. Fox should pony up and buy this man a vehicle, agreed. And then the general council of Fox should sit with the producer and find out that the heck he was thinking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 That's pretty frakin low. Fox should pony up a car. Even if it costs them $100K for a Porsche. Tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 wow...lame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 mmmmm.....butter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LooGie Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 I actually saw them do this, and at first I was pissed, but it did seem like fatboy was actually going to give him a car, the first little car was just a little fun. NOPE. After he handed him the toy car, he said, "do you need a new car?" so it appeared like he was actually going to get it. then Slobagusa waddled his fat ass away. I was pretty shocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonKnight Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 What else would you expect from Fox? Quality? Ethics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 What else would you expect from Fox? Quality? Ethics? At least Siragusa didn't have a wardrobe malfanction during the segment. That would be gross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Someone will step up and get the guy a car. No doubt about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chester Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 He gets a car Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Scorp Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 I actually saw it live and thought they were going to get into trouble for this. Nice to see FOX pony up and do the right thing. Somebody's head is on the chopping block at Fox this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 He gets a car Link Aw, but it's a Ford. Too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 From a Porsche to a Ford... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeeman Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 He gets a car Link Wait - he's black? Now it all makes sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Wait - he's black? Now it all makes sense... That's just wrong, man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeeman Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 That's just wrong, man... Oh, sorry for any 'misunderstanding' I may have just caused.... I really dislike Fox, for the simple reason I can't walk out of the room with my young boys watching NFL due to the inappropriate commercials. But I don't have much choice in watching the NFC games - don't want to pay for the NFL Ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 I actually saw it live and thought they were going to get into trouble for this. Nice to see FOX pony up and do the right thing. Somebody's head is on the chopping block at Fox this week! Hopefully, Siragusa loses his job for agreeing to be part of this -- and the guy who suggested it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 :shakeshead: Although you must admit that his giddyup got him a free truck Had he been a normal looking fan fatgusa might have never picked him, being as he stood out and was near the action fatgusa picked him out real easy I presume, sick joke but the guy is pretty fortunate for dressing like a weirdo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwolf68 Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The part in this story that caught my eye was this man was actually praying for a car. Dude needs to go grab a priority clue in my view. Anyone with the most crappiest of credit can go obtain a car. The man is obviously not destitute or he wouldn't be hanging out at over-priced practice NFL games. But there he is...praying for a car. I for one, don't think he said a single prayer about a car. He thought he got a car, then decided to pass God all the credit for the freebie by saying he had prayed for it. Now that the car deal is a sham I wonder how that prayer is going now? People kill me. Re Fox: typical of their lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.OG Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The part in this story that caught my eye was this man was actually praying for a car. Dude needs to go grab a priority clue in my view. Anyone with the most crappiest of credit can go obtain a car. The man is obviously not destitute or he wouldn't be hanging out at over-priced practice NFL games. But there he is...praying for a car. I for one, don't think he said a single prayer about a car. He thought he got a car, then decided to pass God all the credit for the freebie by saying he had prayed for it. Now that the car deal is a sham I wonder how that prayer is going now? People kill me. Re Fox: typical of their lot. Uh oh somebody is getting bit in the ass by kharmaaaaaa.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billay Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 FoxSports to give the guy a car after all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFB Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 so this guy can afford permanent season tickets and to finance his own bobblehead, but he can't afford a new car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonkis Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 so this guy can afford permanent season tickets and to finance his own bobblehead, but he can't afford a new car? Where does it say he can't afford a car? That's not even the point of this story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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