Update: In the time since this post was written, Matt Vasgersian issued an on-air apology for what you will read below. He also visited some blogs like Biz of Baseball (though not ours…damn) and addressed critical commentary that had been made about his remarks. Kudos to Vasgersian for staying in front of this and recognizing the insensitivity of it. (Found via The Big Lead.)

Seriously, what’s this guy’s deal?

As pointed out today by Bugs and Cranks, first Matt Vasgersian dropped an f-bomb live during the first few weeks that the MLB Network was on the air. Then last night he completely fell off his rocker. How much? So much so that even Mitch Williams was left staring at Matt Vasgersian like he was some sort of imbecilic sideshow.

As you will see in the video below, Matt Vasgersian loses all sense of tact during a pretty serious scene at the Rockies-Padres game last night after Brad Hawpe got hit in the side of the neck with a baseball. Hawpe had to be taken off the field on a cart, and was then taken to the hospital with a possible concussion. Luckily, Hawpe appears to be doing okay.

But as this serious scene reaches its climax, and goes back to the studio for what should be some relatively serious, somber discussion, Matt Vasgersian decides to send it back out to the field because he “recognizes” someone. And apparently, Matt Vasgersian thinks all black guys look the same, because the guy he supposedly “recognizes” is Donovan McNabb. Yes…that Donovan McNabb.

Look at this picture and tell me if this guy looks anything like Donovan McNabb to you:

And even if he was the spitting image of Donovan McNabb – or hell, even Donovan McNabb himself – Vasgersian’s comments come mere moments after a player was laying motionless on the field. Luckily, Vasgersian’s studio co-hosts, Mitch Williams and and a bald guy whose name I’m not sure of, call call him out for being an idiot. Here is the almost incomprehensible exchange, with the video below.

Vasgersian: Is that Donovan McNabb? No.

Bald Guy (I think): Dude.

Vasgersian: No. I thought, hey–

Bald Guy (I think): Dude.

Vasgersian: I thought he was on the field as an EMT.

Mitch Williams: In Colorado?

Bald Guy: What’s wrong with you? Seriously? (chuckling)

Video: Matt Vasgersian Asks if EMT is Donovan McNabb on MLB Network

I love the MLB Network and I watch it pretty much every night, but Matt Vasgersian is proving himself to be a ticking time bomb who can hurt the credibility of the network at any second. I’m not one who takes things too seriously, and it’s not like someone died on the field, but as the bald guy put it aptly: what’s wrong with Matt Vasgersian? Seriously.

Update: The fine folks over at Cleveland Frowns have posted their own piece about this latest Matt Vasgersian incident in which they take posts like mine to task for unnecessarily calling out Vasgersian and for, in some respects, being hypocritical.

While I agree that it is slightly hypocritical to suggest even the slightest bit of racism on the part of Vasgersian, especially considering the homophobia that the sports blogosphere is littered with, I think that misses the bigger point; at least, the point I was trying to make. The MLB Network is the new kid on the block and is trying to carve out a respected niche as a nightly baseball resource for die-hard fans like myself. After his f-bomb and then this poorly-timed joke (or whatever it was), it just makes the network a bit harder to take seriously when Vasgersian is the studio host. I’m not saying I won’t watch MLBN or that anything he’s done is all that egregious, and certainly part of my purpose in posting was for the entertainment value and humor inherent in his gaffe, but absolving Vasgersian completely is also not appropriate.

One of the things I love about blogs is that we have a forum to keep the mainstream media honest, to take them to task and mock them when they screw up. Hell, if I screw up I certainly expect a commenter to jump on it and call me out. I think that give and take is good and healthy. I tend to think that for media members, who went largely unchecked for a long time, having that little fear in the back of their minds ultimately produces better quality and professionalism for us all to enjoy. I don’t think anyone was seriously accusing Matt Vasgersian of being racist – I know I wasn’t. It was just the sports blogosphere’s own way of saying, “Dude, seriously?” And if any embarrassment, or threat of future embarrassment, compels Vasgersian to exercise a little more tact next time, then we’re all better off.