Steve Lyons Fired by FOX

[B24]

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2567825

DETROIT Oct 14, 2006 (AP)— Fox baseball broadcaster Steve Lyons has been fired for making a racially insensitive comment directed at colleague Lou Piniella's Hispanic heritage on the air during Game 3 of the American League championship series.

In the second inning of Friday's game between Detroit and Oakland, Piniella talked about the success light-hitting A's infielder Marco Scutaro had in the first round of the playoffs. Piniella said that slugger Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez needed to contribute, comparing Scutaro's production to finding a "wallet on Friday" and hoping it happened again the next week.

Later, Piniella said the A's needed Thomas to get "en fuego" hot in Spanish because he was currently "frio" or cold. After Brennaman praised Piniella for being bilingual, Lyons spoke up.

Lyons said that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" butchering the conjugation for the word "to speak" and added, "I still can't find my wallet."

"I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now," Lyons continued.

Am I just racially insensitive or are these comments not that bad? At least not bad enough to get you fired.

I didn't watch the game, so maybe his comments sounded worse than they are written.

[HoosierCat]

Am I just racially insensitive or are these comments not that bad?

Well, if the answer is that you're racially insensitive, then so am I. Lyons got rooked.

[Stripes]

If FOX embraces annoying people like Joe Buck, this is understandable.

[rwalling]

What a moron! Glad Fox acted quickly.

[NYBengalfan]

Now all they need to do is fire Tim McCarver, its so blatantly obvious that he favors the National league.

I hate him. Then Joe Buck must go.