T.J. Simers bites back at readers critical of his Westminster dog show coverage
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Our colleague, sports columnist T.J. Simers, had never been to a dog show before he went to Madison Square Garden last week to cover Westminster, the grandaddy of them all.
Simers has a longstanding reputation for offending (it’s sort of his thing). And, rather naturally, he heard from many dog fanciers who took offense at his coverage of Westminster.
Particularly irksome to many readers was Simers’ use of the word ‘ugly’ to describe Westminster’s canine competitors, including his referral to Hound group winner Tiger Woods as ‘a malnourished mangy mutt, also known as a Scottish deerhound.’
As reader Bill Todman Jr. commented, ‘The funny aspect of your Westminster Dog Show ‘coverage’ was you commenting on which animals were ugly. Talk about irony
-- you have to be one of those who looks in the mirror and sees Brad Pitt looking back. And since you haven’t ever ‘kissed a dog,’ I know a 100-pound Rottweiler who would very much like to meet you in person.’
Simers’ response? ‘Looking like Brad Pitt, I get this all the time.’
Another big offender? Simers’ assertion that ‘No kid in America is safe as the Brussels griffon, the nasty little snapper, takes the next spot’ as the winner of the Toy group. (He’d be referring to little Lincoln, pictured here.)
Simers’ most recent column addresses some reader complaints. An excerpt (with Simers’ responses italicized):
Anne Catterson: ‘The Brussels Griffon, Lincoln, has never snapped at anyone. I resent the implication in your article. I know this because the handler, Paul Catterson, is my son. It’s true, Brussels Griffons are not fond of small children . . . ‘ I’m surprised to hear the little snappers aren’t fond of the way small children taste. Kim Cloen: ‘I think the biggest issue I have is that you called the Brussels ‘a nasty little snapper.’ Unless you saw this dog try and bite someone, you just opened yourself up to a new can of worms. Can we say slander suit?’ I’m guessing your dog can’t. Elizabeth Brinkley: ‘You are pointing a finger but there are four pointing back at you. I and several other people from e-mail lists are going to be reporting you to your editor.’ Careful sticking those fingers out; there might be a Brussels near by.
Times Readers’ Representative Jamie Gold also addressed the complaints in a recent installment of the Readers’ Representative Journal.
‘The point here is that he wasn’t sent to provide coverage of the dog show, which readers sometimes fail to understand,’ Deputy Sports Editor Mike James told Gold. ‘He’s a humor columnist, and that involves poking fun at every aspect of sports. That’s what he did here. Unfortunately, some people don’t appreciate TJ’s humor; that’s always been the case.’
--Lindsay Barnett
Related:
Scottish deerhound ‘Tiger Woods’ wins Westminster’s Hound group
Brussels griffon ‘Lincoln’ wins Westminster’s Toy group