| | NEW YORK -- A day after NBC sports reporter Jim Gray was
snubbed on live TV, the network threw him right back into the thick
of things with the New York Yankees -- and everyone talked this
time.
After team owner George Steinbrenner and commissioner Bud Selig
intervened, Gray interviewed Yankees manager Joe Torre and second
baseman Chuck Knoblauch with no problems before Game 4 of the World
Series on Wednesday.
The network even changed its plans and scheduled Gray to present
New York with the World Series trophy if the team completed a sweep
of the Atlanta Braves. Hannah Storm had presented the trophy in
previous years.
At Game 3 Tuesday night, some members of the Yankees wouldn't
talk to Gray because of a contentious live interview he had with
Pete Rose on Sunday night regarding accusations Rose gambled on
baseball.
After Chad Curtis hit his game-winning homer, he refused to talk
to Gray, who shouted after him as he walked away: "Don't you want
to talk about your home run?" Curtis did not turn around.
NBC and the Yankees worked out their differences after
Steinbrenner and Selig stepped in.
"We talked about it late last night and they both jumped into
it," NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said. "George walked into
the situation and took control. ... He made it abundantly clear
that nothing like that would happen again."
Ebersol, who admitted the Rose interview might have gone on too
long, especially considering the circumstances, called Gray "the
best reporter in the business, maybe ever."
Gray, who apologized to fans for the Rose interview on the air before
Game 3, was unavailable for comment before Wednesday night's game.
While fans shouted insults at him, Gray was escorted by security
men as he left the stadium for the NBC trailer before the game.
Torre, who had criticized Gray's interview of Rose, confirmed
there wouldn't be any more problems.
"We have a certain obligation to NBC that we will fulfill," he
said. "I just wish Chad would have said it was his choice."
Before Game 4, Curtis said Gray shouldn't take his actions
personally.
"I hope it didn't come across that way," Curtis said. "It
seemed to me that he stepped out of bounds on the interview with
Pete. It was something that needed to be done. ... I don't think
we'll do it again because my personal feeling is we've made our
point."
NBC World Series analyst Joe Morgan, who played with Rose with
the Cincinnati Reds, refrained from putting blame on either side.
"All this stuff is taking away from the World Series and none
of this is good for the game," Morgan said. "All the players are
individuals. I heard they took a vote, but I don't believe it."
| |
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