Reggie Unhappy With ESPN Series
From the Times -
Reggie Jackson said yesterday that he was unhappy about the ESPN miniseries “The Bronx is Burning.” He said he was a significant part of the 1977 season for the Yankees but was not consulted about the script of the eight-episode series, which begins tomorrow night.
“They didn’t ask me; I feel betrayed,” Jackson said on the field at Yankee Stadium before the Old-Timers’ Day game that preceded the current team’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. The ESPN series is based on a book by Jonathan Mahler, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning,” and focuses on a turbulent year in which the Yankees won the World Series.
“And they didn’t have the decency to ask me a question,” Jackson said. “Portray me when you don’t know the story? Why would you do something like that and no one asked me? You’re doing a documentary? You’re doing a biography? What are you doing? Why wouldn’t you ask somebody that was there or in the middle of it? I’ve got a right to do it if I want to, just to set the record straight.”
Even after all these years, Reggie just can’t pass by that red light. Uh, excuse me, Mr. October, it’s based on a book. If you want to be upset with someone…why not go after the guy who wrote the book? Oh, that’s right, there’s less play there…you’re right. Never mind.
Reggie was a great hitter, but he still opens his mouth and says things that make it easy to dislike him. I remember once Kay mentioned on the air — and I don’t know if he didn’t realize how bad this made Reggie look or what — that Reggie was pissed off that Donnie got announced after he did at OTD, seeing as Reggie is a HoFer and Donnie is not. That order in the announcements has never happened again. But I guess it’s because of comments like that (and of course other things) why the fans love Donnie but merely appreciate Reggie.
And I hate to tell Reggie this, but his lack of participation in the series is obvious: 1) they didn’t want to pay him, and 2) they actually wanted to portray the truth, not his spin on the situation.
I don’t know that you can fault Reggie for this one.
Think about it this way: I make a movie about a year of Steve’s life, that is filled with controversy. It’s based on a book, so I don’t bother to ask Steve any questions, even though he’s a phone call away. When he’s upset that he think he’s portrayed incorrectly (to millions of people) I say, “Sorry dude, it’s based on a book.”
Reggie isn’t a fictional character. You would think with a lot of these guys alive they would have tried to verify some of the stuff and tweak the perspective to get it right. But of course, ESPN isn’t interested in telling the correct story, just the best selling story. Watch Baseball Tonight or Sportscenter once after watching a Yankee game all the way through, and you’ll find it hard to disagree with that (I think.)
Uh, it may be based on a book, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask to interview someone who could have been an enormous help. He turns out to be the hero of the story, but there are probably lots of little things he could have added. That doesn’t mean they’re slaves to his spin, bailey, just that they take account of his perspective.
It’s not a story about HIS life; it’s about the TEAM. And if you ever hear Reggie talk about his years with the Yankees, he conveniently forgets reality. The last person to talk to about Reggie Jackson is Reggie Jackson. He would have himself saving babies from a burning building. You would never get the truth that he was a total egomaniac. Better to get an account from people who saw him, because in that situation you get the truth.
bailey -
ESPN made him a focal point of the series (along with Stein and Martin – neither of whom could speak to what happened). You seem to assume that including Reggie’s opinion would have negated that of everyone else. All I’m saying, like j, is the guy is alive and willing – why not include him unless you aren’t aiming for accuracy?
they (ESPN) actually wanted to portray the truth, not his spin on the situation.
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Ironic, considering how many consider ESPN to be an extension of RSN.
Just read the article; they could talk to Fran Healy about Reggie, but they couldn’t talk to Reggie about Reggie?
Ironic, considering how many consider ESPN to be an extension of RSN.
See, that’s the thing. Reggie says he’s the straw that stirs the drink (he was), or that he didn’t come to NY to be a star, he bought his with him (which was true), people have a problem with that. Joe DiMaggio INSISTS on being called the greatest living ballplayer (Think Mantle, Mays, Williams, Aaron, etc may have something to say about that?) people have no problem with that.
People say that Reggie ran his mouth a bit, but the difference between Reggie, and someone like, say, Jim Leyritz, is that Reggie produced. Check the numbers. They’re there.
It wouldn’t hurt to ask Reggie. That they didn’t shows that producers are looking more for entertainment than accuracy.
And given the caliber of sportswriters nowadays, what makes you think they were any better in the 70′s?
And even if he wanted to be a consultant on the project, if he’s going to be the focal point of the book and movie, then he should have the right to be, no?
Like I said a while back, this has the potential to be very bad. And from what I’ve seen so far, it may be. Depending on my schedule, I may check it out.