AP By now you’ve heard that Hank Williams Jr. was dumped from the Monday Night Football intro after comparing President Obama to Hitler (always a savvy move). This is just a guess, but I’ll bet ESPN is doing cartwheels right now. The irony is that Williams’ act was getting old even before this intelligence malfunction, and like Andy Rooney he should have ridden off into the sunset, or wherever boozy, coke-addled cowboys go when they retire. Now ESPN can do it quickly and with no second-guessing from fans. Although, Williams’ ban may not be permanent. Anyway, get ready for your new MNF intro by ABBA.
Yet, it may be permanent (ESPN says it’s “evaluating.”). The anti-Hank Jr. chorus was getting louder, especially when he tried to sing the MNF opening in Spanish last week. Excerpts from Twitter last Monday:
ElectricalPanda JohnG
Did Hank Williams Jr just sing “el Monday Night Party” and “mis amigos en Monday night”? Thats how hispanic people want their month honored
CalJW Calum
I wish I could put into words how much I dislike Hank Williams Jr during the MNF intro.
ShushLady Carrie Bennett
Ok, time to retire Hank Williams Jr as the MNF theme singer #thatwashorrible
FlawdaGator Lionel Forbes
I wonder how many cans of Skoal they had to comp Hank Williams Jr to sing the intro to Monday night Football in Spanish?
mjpuczko Matt Puczko
How angry was hank williams jr that he had to sing to them goddamn illegals?
Those were last week, mind you, before the Hitler thing. And in the category of tweets Fox wishes they could have back, from earlier today:
foxandfriends fox & friends
hank williams jr joins us next to talk politics, football and music …
In that order.
And my favorite from today:
rainnwilson RainnWilson
Here’s how the right wing fixes this: Gov Christie eats Hank Williams, Jr.
People and institutions who have to be a little less than thrilled with Hank Jr.’s appearance on Fox & Friends:
The University of Alabama. Hank was wearing a Crimson Tide cap when he made his remarks.
Herman Cain campaign. Yep, he endorsed Cain.
The Dixie Chicks. Sure Hank is off MNF, but no one is burning his CDs, like they did in the red states when the Dixie Chicks trashed George W. Bush.
Math enthusiasts. Hank called Obama and Biden “The Three Stooges.” How hard is it to count to three, exactly?
Jews. His comments actually show less of an understanding of Hitler than they do of Obama.
Jon Stewart. May have happened too late in the day to make it on tonight’s Daily Show. It’s a nice, slow-pitch softball for Letterman, however.
Fun fact: On November 20, 2008, Williams announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2012 as a Republican party candidate from Tennessee, challenging incumbent Republican Senator Bob Corker.
UPDATE: Via the New York Times, here’s Williams’ statement:
“My analogy was extreme – but it was to make a point,” the statement said. “I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me – how ludicrous that pairing was. They’re polar opposites and it made no sense. They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President.”
Are you ready for some half-baked apology?
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- trbowman - Oct 4, 2011 at 1:56 AM
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HWJR is my hero.
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- purnellmeagrejr - Oct 4, 2011 at 10:50 AM
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And your favorite song is “My heroes have always been douchebags.”
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- skids003 - Oct 4, 2011 at 7:49 AM
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Where he messed up is that he forgot it’s not PC to criticize this President in any shape, form, or fashion, or the liberal media will try to demonize you. Freedom of Speech only pertains to liberals.
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- purnellmeagrejr - Oct 4, 2011 at 10:51 AM
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He has freedom of speech – he just blew his job, though.
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- spiffy53 - Oct 4, 2011 at 8:59 PM
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yes skidsinurunderwear, it’s only this president that your statement applies to.
signed,
the dixie chicks
you idiot
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- skids003 - Oct 5, 2011 at 10:53 AM
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Sorry I hurt your feelings, spiffer. Go play with yourself with your dixie chick albums. You people just can’t accept it when it’s turned on you.
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- purnellmeagrejr - Oct 4, 2011 at 10:52 AM
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Good piece, Chandler – I’ll have to start looking at PFT now that HBT is winding down.
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- harbourimages - Oct 4, 2011 at 11:55 AM
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I don’t care why they dumped this tired old has-been. I’m just glad they did it and we don’t have to listen to his horrid screaming any longer. Next up on FOX: The Hank Williams, Jr. Show. He’s sure their kind of bigot….
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- metalhead65 - Oct 4, 2011 at 1:28 PM
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if he or someone else had said the same thing while bush was in office he would be hailed by the left wing tree huggers as some kind of hero.I am sure he is really upset that he won’t be getting anymore money off a song he wrote 25 years ago from espn. it may have been old but it was a tradition. god only knows what horrible no talent rapper will replace him.
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- spiffy53 - Oct 4, 2011 at 9:03 PM
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yes meathead, he won’t need any more income even when he chokes another woman and has to pay his legal fees to get out of it. 25 years is long enough. time to move on. and that includes you.
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- skids003 - Oct 5, 2011 at 10:55 AM
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And your chickies were hailed as heroes by your left wing media. So go cry to your other tree hugging buddies.
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- kingtrukr - Oct 4, 2011 at 3:45 PM
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When did insulting Hitler become a bad thing?
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- khard1250 - Oct 4, 2011 at 4:40 PM
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The funny thing about this is no one is posting his actual comment.
“The two ideologically opposed politicians meeting on the golf course was a mistake, Williams noted. “That would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu,” he said.
Only thing he compared was disparity of political/religious views.
