By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag.com
May 29, 2013
For the last couple of days I have been digging around to find out what is really going on at the University of Michigan regarding the apology that Frank Beckmann issued after getting social media heat for his latest Tea Party inspired buffoonery.
You probably know by now, but the radio voice of Michigan football also serves as a lowest common denominator, homeless man’s version of Sean Hannity on the WJR airwaves in the morning. And please don’t read that as any sort of compliment towards Hannity.
And you probably also are aware that this moron one-upped Fuzzy Zoeller and Sergio Garcia by penning an atrocious column blaming “Political Correctness” on the issue of fried chicken and African-Americans.
In that column, Beckmann basically wrote that black people in America should be proud of the fried chicken stereotype and not run from it or be offended. Treat it like a badge of honor.
And that this whole mess of other golfer’s thinking Tiger Woods enjoys fried food is President Obama’s fault.
We are still awaiting official word from this dumbass if watermelons are to be considered a heroic fruit and if so, will Gallagher and Gallagher II be forced to stop crushing them with sledgehammers.
Anyway, tonight the Free Press broke the story that the University of Michigan has condemned Beckmann for writing the asinine column and had a hand in writing the apology.
This is what the Freep didn’t tell you though and what will probably be coming out in the next few days according to DetroitSportsRag.com sources:
- When contacted by the University of Michigan, Beckmann first claimed that he doesn’t really write the columns published under his name in the Detroit News.
Beckmann told the university that an intern basically writes the first draft and the WJR blowhard either slightly edits it or just signs off on the damn thing. Beckmann told the people at Michigan that he barely even read the column before it went to print. - Upon learning about the controversy, Michigan head football coach was livid at this potential distraction and also was concerned that it could lead to negative recruiting in the homes of young African-American recruits. And it isn’t like this is an isolated incident as Beckmann spews his conservative nonsense five days a week on the “Great Voice of the Great Lakes.” Have you seen a lot of black faces at Tea Party rallies?
- Hoke wanted Michigan to get rid of Beckmann. Now.
- Michigan was concerned that taking any punitive measure against Beckmann for his opinions could lead to contractual issues.
- U of M’s Director of Collegiate Athletics David Brandon stepped in and his staff helped write the “Beckmann apology.”
- Beckmann did not like some of the wording in the apology and softened it up. It would appear he paid more attention to the apology than the actual editorial that got him in trouble.
- Beckmann’s broadcast partner Jim Brandstatter is extremely pissed off at the wingnut over this latest distraction.
This is all we know right now and this story is still developing. It would not appear that the furor is over and if Hoke is still irate this is getting press, things could get even uglier for Beckmann.
I mean, can you blame Hoke for thinking that someone like Urban Meyer might use this against him in a recruiting battle? “Hey kid, did you know the voice of the School up North’s football program is a racist, climate change denier who also hates everything about the Fab Five and regularly blabs about it?”
One last thing. I attempted to get a response to my story from Denise Ilitch who is on the Board of Regents at the University of Michigan.
Of course, Denise is Mike’s daughter and at one time had an executive position at Olympia Entertainment. When she was working with the Red Wings and Tigers, she was not very happy with Gregg Henson’s opinions on the Tigers who were in the midst of a 119-loss season.
At the time, Henson was the program director at AM1270 (WXYT) and a host on the airwaves. AM1270 was the flagship station of the Wings and Tigers.
According to my sources, Denise went to Henson’s boss (Rich Homberg) and demanded that he be removed from the station as his comments were detrimental to the broadcast partners.
Because of Denise’s protestations, Henson was moved from AM1270 to 97.1. At the time, 97.1 was a talk station and not a sports station.
So, while Denise Ilitch refused to address my questions about this subject, she might have tipped her hand a little.
When I posted on her Facebook page that she should, ‘Pull a Gregg Henson on Frank Beckmann’ she responded by “liking” my post.
Keep in mind this is also the same Denise Ilitch who considered running for Governor of Michigan in 2010. As a Democrat. Who probably isn’t a big fan of Beckmann’s politics.
Stay tuned ……