In Defense of Rob Dibble?

 

(Rob Dibble strikes a pose alongside Bob Carpenter. Photo by Nationals Enquirer staff.)

*ducks*

Not really.

(please stop throwing things!)

But while we're sitting around waiting for the Bryce Harper press release (Solis and Ray are official, A.J. Cole probably coming in a matter of minutes since that *cough* *cough* "snag" has been worked out), we thought we'd chime in late on The Great Rob Dibble Scandal of 2010, where even Dibble's apologies may or may not have gone far enough.

Look, what Rob Dibble said last Wednesday night was, among other things, mean-spirited and just plain dumb, but you have to wonder how much the reaction -- mostly outrage -- had to do with Rob Dibble being the person making the ill-fated jokes about those silly women chatting about shopping at a baseball game.

On Sunday, Jim Riggleman was asked by reporters whether Jason Marquis would make his next start for the Nationals. Here are a couple of published versions of how he answered the question:

"Well, I'm a woman. I can change my mind," Riggleman joked. "I'm not going to get locked into anything. I anticipate he'll be starting." 
(via Nats Insider, 8/16/2010) 

"When the dust settles, we'll probably run Jason out there again," Manager Jim Riggleman said. ..Riggleman added later, "I'm a woman. I can change my mind. I'm not going to be locked into anything, but as I sit here right now I'm anticipating he'll make his next start."
(via Nationals Journal, 8/15/2010)

Oh you silly, indecisive, women! But while we didn't read/hear a single peep about Riggleman's comments around NatsTown (very possible we just mised it), we'd venture a guess that if Dibble had been sitting in Riggleman's seat making that crack, there would be rioting in the streets. Or on the internet, whatever.

Again -- what Dibble said was insensitive and dumb. We're really not here to defend him, despite the title of the post. But you have to wonder what the reaction would have been if MASN's Ray Knight had said those things last Wednesday night rather than Dibble? Or former MASN Nats color guys Don Sutton or Tom Paciorek?

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Comments

[Tom Bridge]

There's no question that the remarker is often as much related to our discussions as the remarks themselves. That's part of the context that gives us the whole picture of what we're hearing and seeing in any given event. That Dibble is a controversial figure definitely colored those remarks last Wednesday.

I was in the room Sunday when Jim said what he said. What he did, making himself the butt of a joke (yes, even a casually sexist one) is a bit different than the attack that Dibble made, and so I'm not sure they're the same story, or even close. He even immediately apologized to the only woman in the room, Debbi Taylor from MASN.

I think it's not exactly what Dibble said, but his tone and persistence, that made this the issue that it was. That's part and parcel of who he is, and yes, we can say that this would've been different if Ray Knight said it, but I'm pretty sure that Ray Knight has a mental filter that would've said to him, before he opened his mouth, "That's probably a bad idea, Ray."

Dibble has no such filter.

[AB]

I didn't know what Dibble said. When I heard his on-air apology, I read his blog then Googled his comments. Everyone who talks for a living eventually puts their foot (sometimes feet) in their mouths. It's the nature of that line of work. Being a woman, I was not at all offended by what he said. I've been to plenty of games where I've been annoyed by other women talking and annoyed by men talking incessantly. I've been to games where rowdy people who have been drinking and cursing have ruined my time at the ballpark (can you say Opening Day game anyone). Dibble said something stupid; at some point in time he'll say something stupid again. That's just human nature. There are some things that need genuine outrage and demands justice; this however, is not one of these times.

[Tom B in Ashburn]

The man apologized. Twice. That's all I need to know. I watch every Nats game I can, and I like the guy. Love him or hate him, he's not boring. So Rob's a little controversial. Big deal. He's had a few incidents this year (the blowup with Ray and now this). Are we so thin-skinned as a society that we'd support dumping someone as colorful as Dibble? Folks need to start realizing that we have a genuine character on our hands, and appreciating him as such.

[MHiFi]

What gets me is the delicious irony: Dibble disses the women in question because they're not paying attention to the game in front of them. Yet, the only reason Dibble noticed them is...he wasn't paying attention to the game in front of him.

Also not to be lost in all of this is, as a color commentator, Dibble is gawd-awful. Any controversy that gets him out of there is good enough for me.

Any surprise that the decision to hire him was made by an Angelos?

[MVMike]

> Dibble disses the women in question
> because they're not paying attention to
> the game in front of them. Yet, the only
> reason Dibble noticed them is...he wasn't
> paying attention to the game in front of
> him.

What would make it even better is if the ladies were discussing the Cincinnati Reds of the 1990s.

Oh, and this from his Wikipedia entry: "During his career Dibble often was known for his temper. After a game in April 1991, he threw a baseball 400 feet into the center-field bleachers seats at Cincinnati, and struck a pregnant woman."

So, gals, count yourself lucky!

[Nationelle]

Any time you want to determine if comments about women cross the line into being offensive, just imagine how they would sound if they or similar comments were made about members of a minority group. If Dibble had said, "Look at those black people yacking it up during the game--I bet they're talking about bling or are here to film a rap video," few persons would be defending him. If Dibble had simply criticized PEOPLE who gab during ballgames, no one would care. But he had to slam women generally and presume they could not possibly be discussing sports merely because they're female.

I'm a female season ticket holder who knows more about baseball than my husband does (at the last game we attended he spent more time playing with his Droid than looking at the field). Next time I go to the ballpark, I may wear a shirt that says, "Hey, Dibble, YOU go shopping--for a new job!"

[Steve Strasburg]

Dibble is a fat, undeducated, disgusting, hypocitical slob that thinks he knows it all. Only problem is that he's too stupid to be so stubborn. He's the only person in history to applaud the Pitch Track machine when it confirms a pitch he likes as a strike, and essentially say "well, it was close enough" when the Pitch Track proves a pitch he likes is a ball.

He has fired a baseball into the stands and hit fans. He was caught attempting to throw a baseball into the back of a baserunner as he ran down the first base line. He's on his 3rd or 4th marriage. The guy's a jerk and a bully.

http://natstown.mlblogs.com/rob%20dibble.jpg

[natsfan1a]

I'm another female fan who was not offended by Dibble's comments. I'd also note that it is possible to express disagreement or even disapproval without resorting to ad hominem attacks.