Dungy calls provocative 'MNF' intro racially offensive
If ABC hoped to generate a little bit more buzz for Monday Night Football and Desperate Housewives, its steamy intro to the Dallas-Philadelphia game sure did the trick.
Two days after the network aired the segment featuring Eagles star receiver Terrell Owens and actress Nicollette Sheridan, coaches and players were still talking about it.
Reaction ranged from amusement to anger. Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy found it racially offensive.
"To me that's the first thing I thought of as an African-American," Dungy said Wednesday.
"I think it's stereotypical in looking at the players, and on the heels of the Kobe Bryant incident I think it's very insensitive. I don't think that they would have had Bill Parcells or Andy Reid or one of the owners involved in that," he added, a reference to the coaches in the game.
ABC's intro showed Sheridan wearing only a towel and provocatively asking Owens to skip the game for her as the two stood alone in a locker room. She drops the towel and jumps into Owens' arms. Owens is black and Sheridan is white.
"If that's what we have to do to get ratings, I'd rather not get them," Dungy said. "I realize that ratings pays us in this league, but if that's what we have to do, I'm willing to take a pay cut."
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb wasn't quite as vocal, saying he didn't find the segment offensive and believed people were overreacting. (Owens wasn't at practice Wednesday, excused for what the team said were personal reasons.)
"Some people do different things," McNabb said. "Not saying that my wife would allow me to do that, but it's just something that was done, and you move on."
Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, had a different view, questioning ABC's judgment in airing the scene.
"I wonder if Walt Disney would be proud," he said.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. The FCC will review complaints and decide whether or not to open an investigation that could result in a fine against the network.
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