UPDATE: I always liked Big Joe. When I was a student at UCLA (early 90s) I met him couple of times on campus when he used to do his show from KMPC (710?). But that was a long time ago back when we didn't have the internets and were stuck with talk radio. Yet from what I heard in recent years Joe's observations on UCLA sports such Lavin, Dorrell, Neuheisel, Howland etc had been pretty much on point. This was just disappointing, and frankly just classless and disgusting. This whole conversation (even if it was meant as a joke) looks more pathetic given the latest news on PC and BO. Joe ought to apologize to those kids. It would be the decent thing to do. GO BRUINS. -N
Adam Rose, blogging in the L.A. Times, posted this exchange that he caught on the radio (on the Bruin flagship station I might add):Money: Bad news.
McDonnell: No.
Petros: Pat Cowan and Ben Olson both carted off.
McDonnell: Well, it's good news about Pat Cowan. What happened to Ben Olson?
Money: Carted off ...
McDonnell: Brittle Ben got hurt again.
Money: ... heard a pop in his foot.
Petros: It's good news that a kid got carted off the field at practice?
McDonnell: It is. He never has to play at UCLA again. Kevin Craft will be starting quarterback.
In the exchange (which I did not hear), Joe McDonnell appears to be reveling in the fact that Pat Cowan is injured. McDonnell is entitled to his opinion of Cowan's abilities, but it seems quite beneath him -- beneath anybody for that matter -- to be glad an athlete, particularly a college athlete, is injured.
Not sure what's happened to Joe. I'll readily admit I've been a listener of his for many years. Somewhere along the line he went from breaking the big stories to covering pro wrestling. I still hear his show sometimes, but can't offer countenance for his remarks about Cowan.