He better not lose his job. What he said was not that blasphemous, just phrased wrong. I've heard many people say that you need a couple guys in every class that "grew up without a mailbox" or some other analogy for a street-tough kind of player that will bring a killer instinct to the locker room.
Either that or you need a coach like Harbaugh or equivalent who oozes toughness.
He's lucky if he has a job. Think about what his job is. Think about the nature of his company's business. They represent over 70 schools, not just Notre Dame.
Bogs made reference to raising his kids. Apples and oranges. Pinkett isn't an 8 year old nor a 18 year old being schooled in life and learning about accountability for one's actions. He's a 48 year old man, not just a college graduate but an ND graduate, a former NFL player, a veteran sports commentator, experienced at both giving interviews and being interviewed. And knowledgeable about the consequences of one's words.
The radio host didn't bushwhack him with a trick question nor edit the clip to make him look bad. The radio host actually gave him an opportunity to modify his answer but Pinkett didn't.
This actually is between Pickett and his employer. He urinated on THEIR brand, their marketing expertise, not ND's brand. ND doesn't recruit criminals. The world knows it and Pinkett actually confirmed it. BUT then he implied ND had to throw out their standards and their integrity within a couple of days to weeks of 4 ND players being suspended for infractions, including criminal conduct. A couple of weeks ago I read some stupid posts here about Rees "The Cop Beater". Contrast Tommy The Tough Guy with the Piano Playing Golson?? Apparently Tommy The Taxi should be starting as he's the only QB with a record.
I understand Pickett was addressing tough guys but he's a professional and when given the opportunity to rephrase his comment, he dug his own hole deeper. Pickett didn't take his foot out of his mouth when given the chance. He added the other foot compounding his statement. The radio host didn't put him there. Allen did.
Pickett could have simply said, "ND needs more guys like Zorich. Unleashed fury whistle to whistle". He could have mentioned Crable, Stonebreaker (a guy that ran afoul of ResLife at least twice), Faine, or ND teammates of Pickett's, such as, Wally Kleine, All-American Dave Duerson, or a guy named Mike Golic. He could have mentioned that ND needed more guys like Aaron Lynch. Instead he cited OSU.
Personally, Pinkett can have Maurice Clarett and the Tattooed Pants Sellers. I'll take guys like Irish Chocolate.
I'll bet his management is more concerned about his OSU comments and his implication that everybody does it. Might be, but again Pickett isn't Finnebaum, Reilly, nor Wilbon. He's not a sports journalist or even a wannabe shock jock. He represents a BRAND that represents more than 70 other brands. IMG sells schools that they will handle things flawlessly. There will be no messes, no embarrassments. Their man did the opposite. He hurt IMG's brand. It's their decision whether he's salvageable or whether they have to reinforce to the 70 brands they represent that they won't have a problem with the play by play announcer at their school causing as IMG said in their news release, "distractions".
If Pinkett really wanted to get into criminal activity, he should have had the stones to take on Monk Malloy and the termination of Vinnie Cerrato, the "retirement" of Lou Holtz, and the hiring of Davie, Willingham, Weis, Kevin White and Mike Wadsworth. Inept hiring was the problem with ND football for the past 2 decades not the lack of a rap sheet for a couple of players. Pickett would have lost his job for that but at least it would have been accurate.