– There was a suggestion made to Vickie Guerrero that a second funeral for Eddie be held next week so many WWE wrestlers could attend after returning from their European tour. At least as of now, there is no plan to do that as a service is planned for this week in Phoenix, AZ while a portion of the WWE staff is overseas. They will be adding RAW stars to the SmackDown! shows to equal the star power while some of the bigger names are at the funeral.
– As noted last night on WWE Monday Night RAW on a news-like ticker that appeared below, MSNBC’s Rita Crosby: Live & Direct program will feature a tribute to Eddie Guerrero tonight starting at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central.
– Yesterday on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” radio program on ESPN Radio, a segment in the show took place where the death of Eddie Guerrero was brought up. Soon after this took place, reports hit the internet that Cowherd made some disrespectful remarks about Guerrero and that his death wasn’t “newsworthy” to the public.
The following is a transcript was written by WrestleView.com in which the comments were made by Cowherd on his program yesterday that is currently archived over on ESPNradio.com:
“The Herd with Colin Cowherd”
November 14, 2005
Part of show this takes place: 02:04:24
Colin Cowherd: Okay. I’m going to ask you a question. Compus (sp?) and I got into this argument earlier today. I did not know this. He is a big wrestling fan. I have no idea about wrestling. The last wrestling match I watched was my high school. It was dark and the only people there were girlfriends and family. It was high school wrestling and all the girls were dating the wrestlers.
A professional wrestler died over the weekend, Eddie Guerrero. I don’t know anything about him. Apparently he is a big star. He was like 38 years old, died in his hotel room, nobody is quite sure why, blah blah blah, I don’t care why. But I made the argument that there are certain careers, if I was the sports editor of a large major newspaper, I don’t think I would put Eddie Guerrero’s death in the sports page.
Now…you could say, whoa, that is insensitive. First of all, it’s not sports, it is theater. They are decided before they play. Now somebody argues with me, what about Hulk Hogan? I wouldn’t put Hulk Hogan’s death in the sports section. He transcends sports. He is a cultural phenomenon.
(Another host interjects – I believe his name was Chad)
Except for his wonderful movie career (in a joking manner).
(Back to Cowherd)
Yes, it was quite promising (makes another joke).
(Other host interjects again)
But it is news, where do you put it?
(Back to Cowherd)
Not everything death is news. For instance…
(Other hosts again interjects)
But five million people watch it.
(Cowherd)
Lets say a cessna (plane) goes down carrying Martha Stewart, it’s news. If it goes down carrying Jim Lewis, it isn’t news. It isn’t making USA Today. We as a society decided that certain people’s deaths get in the paper and certain people’s deaths do not.
(Other hosts chimes in)
Just because you don’t know who Eddie Guerrero is doesn’t make him any less of a celebrity to other people. Now if a hockey player died, it would mean nothing to me. But that would obviously go in the sports page because he is a professional athlete of some sort. Eddie Guerrero is a big star. Five million people watch him.
(Cowherd)
He is not an athlete.
(Back to other host)
He is an athlete. He isn’t a sports figure.
(Cowherd)
Again, why would I put him in the sports page?
(Other host)
Where would you put him?
(Cowherd)
I wouldn’t put him anywhere in the newspaper.
(Other host)
You wouldn’t put him in the newspaper?
(Cowherd)
No. I would put The Rock in because he has done movies. He is bigger than sports.
(Other host)
What about a TV actor? What if a soap opera star died?
(Cowherd)
He goes into the Entertainment/Life section.
(Other host)
Then why doesn’t Eddie Guerrero go in? He is on TV. He is a TV star.
(Cowherd)
Oh…boy…that is wobbly. I’ve never even heard of him.
(Other host)
Again, what do we say all the time on this show? Don’t assume everyone thinks the way you do.
(Cowherd)
Everybody clearly does, but go ahead.
(Both hosts laugh)
(Other host continues)
I instantly knew this guy and I would love to read more about it. So if you are a newspaper, you have an audience.
(Cowherd asks someone else in studio if he heard of Eddie Guerrero)
I thought it was Eddie Guardado, I told you this morning, Eddie Guardado, Mariners closer.
(Other host)
Eddie Guerrero dying is far more signifcant than Eddie Guardado dying.
(Cowherd)
Here is the problem. Sports fans know him, but it’s not an athlete in sports. Entertainment people don’t…sports fans who watch wrestling don’t read the Entertainment section. So you are wasting space in the Entertainment section. I’m not…it’s nothing against him, but we decided as a society, certain people get in the newspaper when they die. Here is a prime example. When I was doing my little show in Portland, and if I had gotten hit by a bread truck, I wouldn’t make the USA Today. If I got hit by a bread truck today, and it’s entirely possible in my neighborhood because bread trucks drive way too fast, but if I was run over today, I might get a little blip. It would be like a line. The Herd, obnoxious, not a very nice guy, got run over by a bread truck. Now lets continue on to more important news. But I’d probably make it, there would be a line in USA Today. So, I could die the same way, I could die in the same city, but becuase you are more renoun, it affects where it’s going to be put. Now the Compus (sp?) was incredibly offended by this and I know what you are saying, Colin, it is wrestling. I know it’s wrestling. I don’t like wrestling. I don’t ever watch wrestling. I vaguely know the Hulk wrestled, there is a guy named Jimmy Superfly Snuka when I was a kid, I liked him a lot. First of all, he invented the sleeper hold, don’t let anyone tell you anything differently. I’m not into wrestling, but I’ll make an argument right here. Toughest man who ever lived. Including Mike Ditka. Jimmy Superfly Snuka. Don’t screw with me on that one. Alright Brian, you are the editor of a major newspaper, the New York whatever, where do you put the story?
(No response from a caller)
He is a wrestling fan and he can’t even figure out the radio business. (Another caller comes on named Tim). Alright Tim, where would you put the story?
(Caller)
Way back. Bury it some where.
(Cowherd)
Sports or non-sports?
(Caller)
Non.
(Cowherd)
See. I’m the same way. It’s not sports to me.
(Caller)
Yeah. Those guys are not athletes. 90% are probably juiced up and they just run around. Like you said it is theater. It’s not a sport.
(Other host in a sarcastic manner)
Because yeah, sports guys don’t juice. Baseball guys don’t do that.
(Cowherd laughs and adds)
God if that is the ruling, Sosa will never get on the sports page. George you are in The Herd, go ahead.
(Second caller)
Hey Colin, I actually work for a newspaper. I’m kinda in between on this one though.
(Cowherd)
So you work at a newspaper right?
(Caller)
Yeah.
(Cowherd)
Where did your newspaper put the death of Eddie Guerrero?
(Caller)
If there was space, it was put on or put some where else. Our obiutaries are paid obituaries. I don’t even think there is space for Eddie.
(Cowherd)
Lemme say this. Why can’t you do this? You know in the obituaries section where they have like Gert passed away, Palm Springs, 1984. And Hank passed away. Why couldn’t you put Eddie Guerrero’s picture in the obituaries with a big mask on. He would be like the wrestler, passed away doing steroids.
(Another caller, Cowherd asks him same question)
It depends. It ranks up there with Junkyard Dog’s death. I think it would go in the Entertainment section. You struck a cord with me though. Jimmy Superfly Snuka was not tougher than the British Bulldog or JYD. I mean you wanna go old school wrestling, we can do that.
(Cowherd laughs and adds)
When it comes to pro wrestling, I’m old school.
(Caller)
Here is the thing. Our generation, and you kinda move past my generation as you move into your 60’s (says jokingly), we grew up with wrestling. At some point, you passed out from a sleeper hold wrestling with a brother. Your brother put you in some hold you saw on TV. Somone has done a top rope move and then your parents came in to break it up. That is our generation. That is what we went through.
(Cowherd)
So you would put it in the Entertainment section?
(Caller)
Yeah, they are entertainers. It is a nitch entertainment business now. We all assumed it was fake and now we know that. But I agree with Chad, a lot more people watch this stuff than we give credit for. Plus, Chad is right, not everyone thinks like you. If we did, Monday Night Football would only last a quarter because you go to sleep.
(Another caller chimes in and says Guerrero’s death doesn’t belong in the newspaper at all since they don’t post results for pro wrestling matches or WrestleMania. They then move on to the next segment)
Now that a transcript is out of what is said, it may shed some light as to just what Cowherd said. It is incredibly obvious from the start that Cowherd doesn’t like pro wrestling and quite frankly doesn’t care about the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero. We are aware of a petition making the rounds asking for the firing of Cowherd from ESPN Radio.
There have also been reports stating that ESPN was overwhelmed with negative feedback about the comments, so much so that other people from different departments were brought in to handle the large of phone calls coming in about the situation. Cowherd’s show started 40 minutes ago on ESPN Radio and it remains to be seen if he will respond to the situation at hand.
You can submit feedback on ESPN’s website located at http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/story?page=herdmail
