Over the past few days, it has come out that Andy Gray was acting much like Ron Franklin when he thought microphones were off (even though they were really on, just not on over the air). From saying that he thought lineswoman Sian Massey would miss an offsides call during a match (turns out there was a close one which Massey got right) and wondering why there were female lineswomen in soccer to asking Charlotte Jackson "if she can tuck that down there," Andy Gray got canned. His partner, Richard Keys, who asked a colleague if "he would smash it" in reference to a woman.
The evidence is overwhelming. Gray deserved to be fired and Richard Keys should be off television. All though if you ask me, Andy Gray should have been sacked a long time ago for sheer idiocy. I mean, any guy who suggests that Lionel Messi would struggle in Stoke City deserves to be fired for sheer idiocy, so justice has indeed been served to Mr. Gray, even if it was over something irrelevant to being an awful announcer who had no business being one of Britain's lead commentators for soccer. Or any commentator for soccer.
You know ESPN is not going to pick up Andy Gray. They just fired Ron Franklin for the exact same thing. You know they are not going to turn around and pick up Gray on the rebound now. Who knows where Gray will end up now, although for now and until the dust settles from this cacophony of sexist remarks, it will be good to have Andy Gray away from commentating on soccer. It is, after all, it is where he belongs.
For an excellent reading on what this means for the culture of football, check out this excellent post from Graham MacAree of SB Nation Soccer and We Ain't Got No History.
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