Dear Al,

You’ve covered baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, basketball, football, and the Tour de France for major television networks. You’ve analyzed Olympic gymnastics for NBC for years. You call yourself a “talker,” and maybe when it comes to sports that’s a good thing. When it comes to talking to the public, however, you have a long way to go.

You made a big mistake, Al.

I’m not talking about calling Simone Biles’ adoptive parents her grandparents. That was a minor faux pas. I’m talking about the way you responded to your audience afterward. The way you continue to respond to them.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone take such an online beating with so few people in their corner. Your Twitter is an abomination. Your Facebook page is in crisis. I’m not defending the more crass and violent comments, but viewers are understandably annoyed with you. How does a successful man your age have such a big chip on his shoulder? Maybe it’s time to take a break. 
 
It’s quite possible that things would be different right now if your apology had seemed even the least bit genuine. You must not know that it’s possible to humbly exhibit self-awareness and even be self-deprecating without being self-effacing. Well, we can’t change the past, but we can learn from it. Since I can’t delete your social media accounts for you, I’ve taken the liberty of rewriting your apology:

As a sports analyst, being detail-oriented often works in my favor. Names, points, stats, moves, plays -- it’s my job to get technical. But I don’t always see the big picture or say the right thing. I apologize to Simone Biles, her parents Nellie and Ron, and to all the families created by adoption that I inadvertently slighted.

FTFY,

Leah