ESPN apologizes for Musburger comments
Katherine Webb drew lots of attention from ESPN Monday night. (AP Photo)
Late in the first quarter of the game — a 42-14 Alabama blowout — ESPN’s cameras began to focus on Katherine Webb, the 2012 Miss Alabama USA, who was sitting with McCarron’s mother.
“You quarterbacks,” Musburger said to color man Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State QB, “you get all the good-looking women. What a beautiful woman.”
“Wow!” analyst Kirk Herbstreit chimed in.
“If you’re a youngster in Alabama, start getting the football out and throw it around the backyard with Pop,” Musburger added.
ESPN’s Mike Soltys apologized on Twitter.
“We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test,” Soltys tweeted. “However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
All the attention ESPN gave her has made Webb an Internet sensation.
As of early Wednesday morning, she had more than 213,000 followers on Twitter — including LeBron James — up from several hundred before the game.
All of the attention doesn’t seem to bother the 23-year-old Webb.
“It’s been actually kind of fun,” she told The Associated Press.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
181 comments Add your comment
Roll tide!
January 9th, 2013
11:32 am
Agree Coach B……espn sucks
Hillbilly D
January 9th, 2013
11:56 am
When is ESPN going to apologize for subjecting us to an endless diet of Yankees/Red Sox games?
Karen
January 9th, 2013
12:21 pm
@ C from Marietta…You’re funny, but I’d bet my paycheck you won’t put an address on your comments.
mac
January 9th, 2013
12:27 pm
I have been a fan of Mr. Musbuger since I was in high school in the 1970’s. IMO he did nothing wrong. Possibly a poor choice of words but delivering a compliment to a beautiful woman should not be a crime (and BTW she is beautiful). I seriously doubt Miss Webb or her boyfriend had any issues with the statement.
Cliff Fiscal
January 9th, 2013
12:33 pm
Alot of people want to blame what others say or what others do, but not many want to look at themselves.
Michael
January 9th, 2013
12:49 pm
This is a big deal over nothing! She is beautiful! What’s Brent suppose to say. People need to get a grip.
Neil
January 9th, 2013
12:50 pm
ESPN decided to put her on the air. If shes on the damn screen of course the announcers are going to talk about her and calling her beautiful is a good thing… just plain stupid.
Michael
January 9th, 2013
12:51 pm
Ms. Webb already gave a statement and said he said nothing wrong.
Rob Parker: ESPN Affirmative-Action Hire
January 9th, 2013
2:06 pm
Brother,
This recipe for Cornballs is delicious !!
Cheerleader2012
January 9th, 2013
2:07 pm
By the way. Isn’t this how Pamela Anderson got her break? Some camera guy found her attrative and put her on the jumbo screen?
Curious George
January 9th, 2013
2:21 pm
Isn’t ESPN: The Magazine a publication that gives an annual “Skins” issue of (attractive) pro athletes and their spouses posing nude?
Winder
January 9th, 2013
2:37 pm
The camera man is the one at fault. They left the camera on her for a long time. Brent’s comments were innocent enough.
senior falcon
January 9th, 2013
3:02 pm
I found Musberger’s constant “herbie’ this and “herbie” that comments much more offensive than calling a beautiful woman “beautiful”.
senior falcon
January 9th, 2013
3:08 pm
M-U-S-B-U-R-G-E-R
gunter
January 9th, 2013
3:38 pm
ESPN is such a joke…………….they get spun up about this but yet hire the murderer Ray Lewis!
Cliff Fiscal
January 9th, 2013
3:42 pm
Winder – The camera man is the one at fault. They left the camera on her for a long time. Brent’s comments were innocent enough.
So many are at fault: (1) Notre Dame for playing such a poor and uninteresting game; (2) the camera man for lingering on the beautiful Ms. Webb; (3) Musburger and Herbstreet for their commentary; (4) Ms. Webb’s parents for their part in creating such a beautiful woman; (5) McCarron for dating her and allowing her to attend the game; (6) the makers of the Barbie dolls which give girls their first unrealistic look at the perfect body; and (7) of course Ms. Webb for perpetuating all the bad stereotypes for woman, i.e. looking glamorous, winning beauty contests, etc. This really requires a complete federal investigation and all must be held accountable.
Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet
January 9th, 2013
5:00 pm
[...] ESPN has issued an apology for Musburger’s comments on Alabama quarterback McCarron’s girlfriend that Maya wrote about yesterday. [...]
florida dawg
January 9th, 2013
6:15 pm
Musberger did nothing wrong….he merely stated a fact.
The girl said this morning on the Today Show that she was flattered and that’s exactly what I thought she would say.
A good southern girl and certainly understands that what he said was a sincere compliment.
Really, what else could have been said….Bama was all over the score board….game out of hand…so he did what any normal guy of any age would do….what a beautiful young lady in the stands. An welcomed added attraction to a game that was loosing viewers….Musberger said a million viewers from going to bed.
And….ESPN should get a life….is ESPN run by a bunch of women?
sigh
January 9th, 2013
7:48 pm
Calling a woman beautiful is NOT the problem. Suggesting that you “get” women for throwing a football is the problem. Women are not commodities traded for football prowess. This young woman chooses to date the quarterback for her own reasons. He didn’t earn her on the field. That entitlement and assumption of ownership was what caused the pushback, not a simple compliment.
Dianne
January 9th, 2013
7:55 pm
My relatives always say that I am wasting my time here at web, but I know I am getting know-how all the time by reading thes pleasant content.
Katherine Webb on Musburger’s remarks, ESPN apology, Dockett’s tweet – Los Angeles Times | Sports Extra
January 9th, 2013
8:00 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Pemo
January 9th, 2013
8:24 pm
He shud have spent more time talking about what an ugly game he had to cover.
AJ
January 9th, 2013
9:15 pm
People who whine about “political correctness” are basically saying “I can’t be bothered not to talk and act like an oppressive jerk, so I’m going to paint anyone who expects me not to as just being petty and annoying.” As Travis Waldron wrote: “It’s a culture that views women as nothing more than chattel, a commodity to be won by the best player even if she isn’t a willing participant. It fosters a sense of entitlement to women and their bodies that only ingrains the rape and violence culture deeper into the game.”
Tdawg
January 9th, 2013
9:17 pm
What’s with all these loon’s getting on Musburgers case for stating the obvious?
Now I am remiss to ask this question. You say that Miss Web is 23. How old is AJ?
Tdawg
January 9th, 2013
9:23 pm
sigh. It’s called humor. You do know what humor is don’t you? Pretty sure even the poor dumb folk in Alabama can access the notion that you can’t just send your son to the back yard, toss the football around and expect him to bring home Miss Alabama?
R Barrett
January 9th, 2013
9:41 pm
While men may find Musberger’s comments amusing, women find it offensive. Just the way God made us I guess. An old man, old enough to be this young girl’s GRAND daddy, salivating over her is disgusting. To Musberger–say these things in the locker room with guys, not on national TV. Just sickening the way these old Viagra filled geezers oogle young girls. Just disgusting !!! These young girls do NOT want any part of your old a$$.
Taco
January 9th, 2013
10:50 pm
Damn she she is smoking! AJ can’t hold that. Com’on Man!!!!! Wow you are the man and to the winner goes the spoils. ND should apologize and they should been playing in some other bowl with a more reasonable opponent. a BAMA versus A&M rematch would have been fun.
Taco
January 9th, 2013
10:51 pm
R Barrett? Is that Robin or Rachel.Pass the pills and fill up the bath tub out in the yard. When the time is right.
Pam Ward....Says.....
January 9th, 2013
11:42 pm
Damn Ladies do you see the Butchers Salami stuffed in Tony G’s football pants? Maybe you girls should grab some pom poms and have mom teach you how to cheer in the backyard so you can get some football players HUNG like that man. Damn he is Handsome and look at his WALLET. Girls you should really work hard the rest of your life to aspire to be a pin cushion for a man like that.
SEC Reporter
January 10th, 2013
12:20 am
WHY????????! What did he say that is offensive?! You carnival freaks who have appointed yourselves as sensitivity cops can drop dead! You are ruining this nation!
“Everybody Knows” « alternativeadventist
January 15th, 2013
6:30 pm
[...] ESPN apologized. [...]