S.F. 49ers diversity training video mocks lesbians

[UpInArms]

http://www.sf49ers.com/newsroom/DisplayNews.asp?newsid=2420

A video meant to prepare San Francisco 49ers players for dealing with the media features off-color humor — including a soft porn lesbian wedding; racial jokes; and nudity — and has outraged team ownership and angered the mayor.

A scene taped in a strip club shows a topless lesbian mock wedding officiated by team's public relations director Kirk Reynolds, impersonating San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Reynolds said he made the in-house video to coach players on handling media questions in diverse San Francisco, and never meant it for public consumption, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

"Did I push it too far? I did," Reynolds said. "The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room — though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine frankly."

Team owners Denise and John York issued a statement today apologizing for the video.

...more...

[pinniped]

1. I was viewing some of this earlier.

Link to video. Requires QuickTime.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/01/MNdisclaimer01.DTL

[Catma]

3. WTF?!?!

This can't be real. I just can't believe that this is real. Anyone walking on two feet has to have more sense then this

[Hobarticus]

12. You mean, any PR man who still has his job should have more sense...

Think he needs to consider a new line of work.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Someone(s) need to be fired!

The PR person needs to be fired immediately!

[PunkPop]

14. At my company they'd call this Fraud, Waste and Abuse

Abusing his position to tell idiotic jokes and cavort with topless women.

Wasting the team's money on a completely unnecessary "training" tape, all of who's points could be summarized in one 10 min. speech.

Fraudently presenting this as some kind of useful "tool" when it's just the work of an overgrown child.

Don't know if they'll fire him, but they should. If I were Kevin Reynolds I'd be getting my resume in order.

[no_to_war_economy]

16. watch it for yourself

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/01/MNdisclaimer01.DTL

[illumn8d]

27. It offensive alright...

It's intellectually offensive that the jackass didn't destroy the tape after camp. It's even more offensive ownership knew about it 5 months ago and did nothing.

[TheFarseer]

4. Do they have the right to mock anyone?

Win a game then we'll talk.

[Drifter]

9. We're Number One ...

in the draft. Ugh.

Cheers
Drifter

[neuvocat]

5. The more I hear about this, the less it makes sense.

Sad.

[sleipnir]

6. Why not place an order for the video here?

http://www.shop49ers.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?stillHaveQuestion=yes&subdisplay=contact&display=store&cp=1320930

Hell, what better way to complain than through a snarky order request for the fucking racist, sexist, homophobic video?

It's sure a lot of fun to come up with a witty request...won't you please join me?

[Voltaire99]

7. Yes more cause to oppose public funding of pro sports

These organizations are sewers of right wing hatred.

[KurtNYC]

23. At least the timing will help Bruno and Silver oppose the Jets

stadium giveaway. Bloomberg and Pataki want to give the the Jets $2 billion in public assets so that a team worth $300 million can play in Manhattan rather than 2 miles away in Jersey.

We always knew the City and State were supposed to contribute $600 million to the project, but the price tag for taxpayers has soared as new costs come to light:

The City will sacrifice $450 million in tax revenue by allowing the Jets to count their Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS) as part of their so-called $800 million contribution.

The Jets struck a deal with the MTA to pay just $250 million for rail yards that the MTA's own appraisal estimates to be worth $923 million. The missing $700 million is coming directly from straphangers' pockets, even while the MTA raises fares and the subway system falls apart.

http://www.nowestsidestadium.org/

[Ruffhowse]

8. Freaking Incredible!!!! I can't believe an organization as professional

as the 49's hired such an obvious loser as this Reynolds guy. What a crass, cheap, amateurish production. And his performance in it is just HORRIBLE. This is the best effort from the public relations director of an elite NFL team? No wonder the public is getting fed up with pro sports if they're being represented by no talent hacks like this guy. What an incredibly inappropriate video.

[LizW]

10. Clueless moron. n/t

[meganmonkey]

11. A disclaimer to view it? Guess I shouldn't watch this at work!

:o

[loro mi dicevano]

13. Honestly, it seems like it was supposed to be funny and just wasn't.

I didn't find it horribly offensive - just a little annoying, and really not particularly funny.

[Javaman]

15. Love this quote, "Did I push it too far?"

What an asshole. If he had to ask that question, he knew perfectly well, he fucked up.

[Sabriel]

17. Typical: grievous insult followed by half-assed apology

Do they take a class on that, or what?

[quiet.american]

25. Amen. n/t

[Endangered Specie]

18. Reason not to watch Football #206

[pie]

19. Good point

[warrior1]

20. Another reason to hate the 49ers

Says this Cowboy fan.

[mondo joe]

21. Didn't reflect the corporate values or his own????

Hard to see how he could produce a video that doesn't reflect either his or the corporate values.

I guess if challenged to I could produce a video that didn't reflect my values. I could produce a corporate video that didn't reflect the corporate values.

But why would I ever produce something that didn't reflect either?

[lies and propaganda]

22. They take down Asians and Gavin Newsom as well......

But the only football team they beat last year was the Arizona Cardinals.

It was supposedly a tape to show the football players how to deal with the press in such a "diverse" city that we are about to mock the fuck out of.

Proud member of the Raider Nation!

[cally]

24. The video breaks every rule they are supposedly trying to

teach. Try to teach the team to embrace diversity while mocking Chinese and lesbians. Try to teach the team that everything they say and do will be covered by the media while producing an offensive video. This guy needs to be fired and all the 49ers organization needs to attend training on accepting diversity.

[lolly]

26. Reynolds--Keep Your Day Job!

Ooops, too late. I hear he's already quit.

Jeez, that's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

Does the camera hate this guy or what? Why would he want to make a video showcasing all his annoying verbal tics and repetitive, distracting gestures? I'm thinking of a new drinking game to go with the video--every time Reynolds flings his arms out in that "I don't know what to do with my hands" gesture, everyone takes a shot! Nobody would be conscious by the time we got to the "locker room" scene.