The Whole Steven Cohen Business

By: Daryl | May 22nd, 2009

To be 100% honest… I’ve been avoiding blogging about this whole Steven Cohen business. Mostly because it’s all so very unpleasant.

Hopefully you’ve read about it on other blogs, where it’s been covered pretty well. But if not, here’s a quick summary with plenty of links that go into more detail.

OK then, from the top:

Steven Cohen is the host of the Los Angeles based radio show World Soccer Daily, and the TV show Fox Football Fone-In (which is basically just a radio show with cameras, really). Back in April, Cohen stated on his radio show that Liverpool fans who showed up without tickets were to blame for the Hillsborough Disaster, despite the Taylor Report finding no such thing.

EPL Talk were determined not to let him get away with that, and drew attention to his claims. Cue outrage. But that wasn’t the end of it.

The Liverpool Supporters Club New York (who were understandably offended) put pressure on Cohen’s sponsors, which – because soccer is still a relatively niche market in the US – actually worked. Fado’s Irish pubs, World Soccer Shop and Four Four Two magazine all pulled their sponsorship.

Less encouraging was the fact that Cohen received the inevitable death threats, which only served to make him a more sympathetic character and led to a couple of pro-Cohen articles being published in mainstream(ish) media.

<Quick bit of opinion> There’s a legitimate debate about free speech to be had here, and certainly death threats are over the line. But free speech works both ways. I’ve listened to WSD in the past, and the reason it’s been relatively successful is Cohen’s willingness to say controversial things. In many way, that’s how talk radio works. Just ask Rush Limbaugh.

But if you’re going to say something offensive enough that the group you’ve offended calls for a boycott of your business, then either be prepared for that boycott or do everyone a favour and think before you open your mouth.

</opinion>

After holding out for as long as he could, Cohen apologized earlier this week. Whether he’s really sorry, or just apologizing due to pressure from his sponsors is a matter of opinion. Last – but by no means least – Liverpool FC issued an official statement today condemning Cohen and his claims.

And that’s pretty much that.

Despite his apology, no one would be too surprised if Steven Cohen’s broadcasting career hit a rather large sticky patch in the near future. He’s offended a lot of people (not just Liverpool fans) and received a lot of negative publicity which has brought his reputation as a broadcaster into what could rightly be called disrepute. Whether his possible decline represents setback or evolution for soccer coverage in America is your call. But I’m not planning to revisit this whole business ever again if it can be at all avoided.

Click here to download the final Taylor Report on the Hillborough Disaster. Be warned, it’s in zip format.

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Category: World Football

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Aron

Well whether he should have been fired or not, I won't be watching anymore now that he is gone. He made that show. Wynalda? Are you kidding me? No thanks captain personality.
timj

i am saddened that americans call it free speech. to tell lies Cohen is a proven liar.Thats not free speech.as a previous poster said if i was to say 9/11 was a conspiracy of the US government,thats free speech, but hell i would be arrested
Rob

A lot of ignorance here. The minority sent death threats and the majority would condemn them for it. This despicable little man has made accusations of manslaughter against a group of people suffering a loss.

We look after the reputations of the people who unfortunately died.

It scares me that Americans watching this (Charles, for one) are forming opinions about people they've probably never experienced and have no good reason to form, based entirely on vile, hateful lies.
J

The death threats are inexcusable.

However, the response is not a question of "forcing a worldview" on others. There is a clear misstatement of facts (regardless of the motivation) by a person of influence and an attempt by an offended party to to redress that misstatement.

Fact, misstatement, correction. Simple formula, and one guaranteed by the first amendment. I believe it is exactly this process of dialog that the first amendment was created to protect. The libertarian hands off, say what you want, without consequences argument is an adolescent defense of a childish assertion. Unless of course you are completely willing to abandon the idea that one set of facts or one argument can actually be "better" or more convincing than another.

So in sum, credit to the LFC fans who organized and made themselves heard. Shame to those who issued death threats. And shame to those who use the Hillsborogh disaster as anything but a reason to mourn the loss of 96 people who did nothing more than go to a football match. If supporting you club involves dishonoring people who died in tragic circumstances then I urge you to reconsider the role football plays in your life.
Kevin

As a long time listener of the program, I get the impression that this boycott and protest goes a lot farther than just his recent comments. He has always been a relentless critic of Liverpool, particularly the hypocracy often shown by its supporters. Where the free speech argument is applicable is the fact that the "offended" turned into an organized group designed to destroy Mr. Cohen and his livelyhood. Like most boycotts, this one has gone beyond a disagreement and become a situation where one group is attempting to force their worldview on others and insulate themselves from future critisism.

Much more good could have come from education of the issue rather than a nasty and mean-spirited boycott.
Chris

Got to love Liverpool FC they condemn Cohen's comments but fail to condemn their fans for sending death threats to the man and his children.
Paulimus

Ira, comparing Cohen to David Duke is crass and the sign of a weak argument. Try again, or, better yet, please don't try at all.
ira

The free speech argument is ridiculous, if not delusional. There is no such thing as 'free speech', especially in the USA. Try go around saying you support the 9/11 hijackers and are glad they did what they did. Good luck keeping off government watch lists and being harassed by Homeland Security.

Like 9/11 people died at Hillsborough. Children died, so if you are stupid enough to make a statement that has been thoroughly disproved on a platform of influence, that platform should be taken away from you.

Cohen is no different than say David Duke. He lets his hatred speak before his brain. Spreading ignorance is never justified and those who can't see the irrationality of his 'argument' are just as foolish as him.
Andre

Cohen has always been knownfor being controversial. Let it be said, however, that he NEVER singularly blamed fans without tickets for causing the tragedy by themselves, he said that it could have contributed to already poor conditions.

And he never referred to these victims as the 'scum of the earth'. Yes, it is well documented that Cohen is no fan of Liverpool or its fanatics, but he has always made sure to differentiate between the hooligans and the regular people. Never once during all his diatribe on Hillsborough did he call these people anything other than victims.

Some people need to sit down and actually listen to what he said instead of taking what others say as the absolue truth.
Tommy Wong

Adding YNWA made your argument seem all the more cult-like.
Ryan

How dare Mr.Cohen blatantly attack the Liverpool Football Club and it's family. The way this man spoke about this tragic event was completley out of line. To call people in mourning "the scum of the earth" is absolutley dispicable. I realize that this is twenty years on from the tragedy, but as anyone who has lost a friend or family member knows, the pain never really goes away. There will always be a void. For a man to use his programme to call out a club, hell, a family for wanting to respect their colleagues by playing a game one day later is absolutley rediculous. If Mr.Cohen believes himself to be a professional, he should have done his homework. That is what reporters do, they research and report. Mr.Cohen should have read the Taylor Report before he spoke out with such vigor and vulgarity. I believe that on a professional level, one should keep their uttermost personal opinions to a minimum in regards to a matter like this. I am quite upset that once Mr.Cohen did take the incentive to apologise, he made a mockery of it. He read a written statement, crumpled it up, and continued on his tirade.
I am all for free speech, but for whatever you decide to say, there will be concequences and there will be a reaction. Someone cannot hide behind freedom of speech if they attack another group of people. Once you come out in the media with your views you are fully responsible for anything you say and should face the scrutiny.
Saying that, I do not agree with people threatening Mr.Cohen. He may have been out of line, but nothing someone says should earn them death threats.

Support from Canada. YNWA.
Adam

The sad part is that it is actually the most viable US football call in. I think Cohen is just too full of himself.
Greg

I used to download the podcast and listen religiously, but ever since Nick Geber was replaced by Cohen lap dog Kenny, the show lost its edge. The constant baiting of all things Liverpool, L.A. Galaxy and Beckham, and Kenny's inane tourette's like non-sequiters have made the show unlistenable for quite some time.
My recommendation is to simply not tune in to such a lame show!
Adam

I wish they'd all shut up. Cohen was dead wrong. So what? Many Liverpool fans who are acting against him are also demonstrating that they are racist, xenophobes, and the kind of morons who send death threats. Processing all I've read and heard about this case, I have slightly less regard for Cohen, and as much or more loss of regard for Liverpool supporters. They'd all be better off just shutting up.
Cerberus

What's the issue? He used his free speech to state something false, thoroughly discredited, and highly offensive to a group of people. That group of people expressed their freedom of speech back at them. Minus the issue of death threats, this is what free speech is about. Free speech never is about protecting someone from the free speech of others and obviously if there are Americans who believe that Liverpool is responsible for Hillsborough either partially or wholly, then there is some strong legitimacy to the Liverpool fans claims and little to Cohen's.

Whether or not one personally likes Cohen is beyond the point. He doesn't need to be protected from the social repercussions and free speech of others.
Peter Katsiris

I think much of the hate, with this issue aside, also stems from Cohen being a very passionate -- and sometimes cocky -- supporter of Chelsea FC. He might have been out of line, and I can say this since I am a supporter of club who also has a dark side in its disaster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K....

But being a listener of the podcast, I have to say there is a side of Cohen which many won't like -- especially those who are supporters of English clubs. Personally the EPL doesn't evoke the same passion as my beloved Olympiacos does, so Cohen's comments don't affect me too much. But with his personality being so raw, and in this case controversial, there is no surprise that he is easily going to attract more hate than most American-based football pundits -- with a minor exception being Tommy Smyth.
Kevin

Spot on, Ryan and Paul D. +1 pint.
Mike

I think, from what Cohen has said on the radio, most of the complaints and pressure have come from Liverpool fans across the pond. I think most people who aren't Liverpudlians can recognize the logic of his point, even if we disagree with the way he makes it. He isn't wrong to say that Liverpool fans should take a share of the blame, but its a shame that no one can even acknowledge that as a possibility.

FYI, he's been saying the same thing for years.
Charles

As if I needed a reason to hate liverpool even more than I already do.
Jake

Thank you, Paul D, for that quick summary of the First Amendment. The "Freedom of Speech" argument gets twisted in so many ways these days that it loses some of its affect. Of course Cohen can say anything he wants, but that doesn't mean he is free from the repercussions of private citizens. Good work.
Ed

Daryl, I'm with you on the "avoid it at all costs" stance, just made mention of it yesterday due to the club getting officially involved. I hope all parties will be able to move along without incident, particularly Cohen (as much as I disagree with him)...for many Liverpool supporters that includes ignoring Cohen at all costs, and that's their right. As others have mentioned, it's also Cohen's right to express his opinion. I think the matter in which it was expressed along with the timing made matters *much* worse.

Anyone else for getting back to matters on the pitch?
Ryan

I think people miss the mark on this discussion.

You can agree/disagree with his views, however they are his own, and I think people at least are seeing that.

However, you often have to back up your opinions with facts, if that is possible. In this case there is a lot of evidence to the contrary of what Cohen says. But, according to some, there is evidence to support his theory.

However, if Cohen's sponsors want to bail, that is on them. They have the right to be associtated with whatever sort of 'brand' WSD is portraying. At no point and time are the sponsors condeming his right to free speech, but rather they are wishing to not align their products with that message.

Just as Cohen has the right to free speech to say what he wants, everyone has the right to free speech to disagree and to show that disagreement (minus death threats as that is another story).
J. Clark

Tommy - agreed wholeheartedly. This matter is tiresome, and I'd rather listen to Cohen any day than the tapioca that gets served up by ESPN's "experts".
Colman O'Meara

Kenny Hassan ftw - Cohen's the shock jock who pulls in listeners - Hassan's actually worth listening to.
Paul D

Hi Chris,
Without getting into the issue of commercial vs public speech which operate very differently under the law, yes, the Constitution protects Cohen's right to offend. However, there is nothing illegal or unconstitutional at all about organized boycotts and counter--information efforts either. It's the old "if you don't like it, turn the radio off" argument. Well, they're turning the radio off and letting sponsors and friends know they're doing it. And if Cohen ends up spouting his nonsense in an empty room, so much the better.
Paul
Tommy Wong

This is ridiculous. Free speech is free speech. Liverpool fans get their knickers in a bunch constantly. I appericate Cohen's opinions as his own, and prefer him to that dope Nick Webster any day. Other people can't hang with differing opinions.
Chris

How is this different than any other sports talk radio program in the US? Jim Rome immediately comes to mind.

What he's saying is repugnant. But we do have a little thing called the Constitution here (as Daryl alluded to) and it is our *most* cherished freedom to be able state our opinions publicly, no matter how abhorrent those opinions are.
Daryl

Probably not, although today's official statement from Liverpool FC will give the issue a little more exposure in the UK.
richard

is this strictly an American issue? do people in the UK know who this guy is and what he has said? just wondering...