September 22, 2000

11:03 PM

Reuters 09/22 6:34PM -- NBC, which in August bid for the exclusive right to host a presidential debate, said on Friday it would broadcast a baseball game instead of the first showdown between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush. "We have a contract with major-league baseball. You don't seriously think we have any interest in democracy, do you?,'' said NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin. "If we were offerred more than the value of the baseball contract, we would be televising it.''
posted by sudama (6 comments total)

I was kind of pissed @ NBC until I noticed YOU TOTALLY MADE UP THOSE QUOTES! Then I switched to thinking it's kind of a drag when there is no escape from this stuff. Does it have to be on every channel at the same time. I am planning to watch the debate, but when I was a kid I felt trapped by these events, not that a baseball game would have been much better.Does this qualify as satire?
posted by thirteen at 11:15 PM on September 22, 2000

You don't seriously think we have any interest in democracy, do you?

Yeah, I was giggling about that quote until I read the article and realized it wasn't there.....
posted by pnevares at 11:30 PM on September 22, 2000

i was considering ways to indicate the post was intended as satire, but then my finger slipped...
posted by sudama at 11:40 PM on September 22, 2000

...twice.

:-)
posted by baylink at 9:37 AM on September 23, 2000

Use the Randy Cohen trick. "You don't seriously think we have any interest in democracy, do you?" NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin did not say. "If we were offered more than the value of the baseball contract, we would be televising it," she did not add.

Though actually I think your made-up quotes are right on target.
posted by Snarl at 5:34 PM on September 23, 2000

He was quoting between the lines.
posted by dhartung at 12:16 AM on September 24, 2000