Fired Sportsnet analyst Gregg Zaun admits to ‘unacceptable behaviour' but believes punishment was excessive
'I was having some marital issues, which doesn't make it right, but there was a lot of flirting going on back and forth between me and female co-workers,' Zaun said on the 'Toronto Legends' podcast released Monday. 'I should have been classier. I never put my hands on anybody … I'm not that kind of guy.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
4 days ago
- National Post
What's a Blue Jays TV rally killer? Another Apple game on Friday to bounce Sportsnet coverage
The Blue Jays are the hottest ticket in town and it's not even close — now that the red-hot, first-place team is riding a sellout streak of 13 consecutive games at the Rogers Centre and is drawing massive ratings numbers for their corporate sister, Sportsnet. Article content Buck Martinez is back, adding another welcome and familiar touch to the game coverage and the pictures and production from the first-rate Sportsnet once again look spectacular. With the roof open for the first time in the last three games, the stunning drone shots on Thursday's exhilarating 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs once again put a punctuation on how special the dome looks with a full house these days. Article content Article content So how does that momentum build? Article content Cue the latest disruption for the fan base — another Apple TV game on Friday when the Jays open a three-game weekend series against the Texas Rangers and interest, one that arrives when interest in the first-place team is arguably as high as it has been in a decade for a regular season game. Article content Article content The timing is never great for the Apple TV interruption, but for three of the four Jays appearances on the streaming service certainly could be seen as rally killers for Canadian TV audiences. Article content The first appearance came on the opening weekend of the season, essentially robbing Sportsnet of a potentially massive prime time Friday night audience. Article content Another Apple TV date came immediately after the Jays had finished up a sweep of the New York Yankees to seize first place in the American League East. Article content And now this. This is not a knock on the Apple TV production, it needs to be said. The slickly produced shows are designed to attract a younger audience and are not only mandated to do so but have paid for the rights in a national deal with Major League Baseball. Article content Article content As well, the Jays fan base is not the only one to endure the interruption of their regularly scheduled baseball programming — it's a league-wide thing. Article content Article content But with the Jays as hot as they are right now — and following the electrifying effort of starter Max Scherzer and the dramatic Vlad Guerrero Jr. home run for Thursday's win to take two of three from the Cubbies — it would have been a virtual lock that Sportsnet would have drawn well over a million viewers on Friday. Article content It has to be particularly frustrating for Sportsnet execs, given the undeniable buzz and momentum around the team right now, storylines that are well told on the broadcasts. The Apple TV crew will be all over the narrative of the Jays elevating from a last-place team to one with the best record in the American League and no doubt chronicle the recent Guerrero heroics. Article content
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
What's a Blue Jays TV rally killer? Another Apple game on Friday to bounce Sportsnet coverage
The Blue Jays are the hottest ticket in town and it's not even close — now that the red-hot, first-place team is riding a sellout streak of 13 consecutive games at the Rogers Centre and is drawing massive ratings numbers for their corporate sister, Sportsnet. Article content Buck Martinez is back, adding another welcome and familiar touch to the game coverage and the pictures and production from the first-rate Sportsnet once again look spectacular. With the roof open for the first time in the last three games, the stunning drone shots on Thursday's exhilarating 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs once again put a punctuation on how special the dome looks with a full house these days. Article content Cue the latest disruption for the fan base — another Apple TV game on Friday when the Jays open a three-game weekend series against the Texas Rangers and interest, one that arrives when interest in the first-place team is arguably as high as it has been in a decade for a regular season game. Article content Article content The timing is never great for the Apple TV interruption, but for three of the four Jays appearances on the streaming service certainly could be seen as rally killers for Canadian TV audiences. Article content The first appearance came on the opening weekend of the season, essentially robbing Sportsnet of a potentially massive prime time Friday night audience. Article content Another Apple TV date came immediately after the Jays had finished up a sweep of the New York Yankees to seize first place in the American League East. Article content And now this. This is not a knock on the Apple TV production, it needs to be said. The slickly produced shows are designed to attract a younger audience and are not only mandated to do so but have paid for the rights in a national deal with Major League Baseball. Article content Article content As well, the Jays fan base is not the only one to endure the interruption of their regularly scheduled baseball programming — it's a league-wide thing. Article content Article content But with the Jays as hot as they are right now — and following the electrifying effort of starter Max Scherzer and the dramatic Vlad Guerrero Jr. home run for Thursday's win to take two of three from the Cubbies — it would have been a virtual lock that Sportsnet would have drawn well over a million viewers on Friday. Article content It has to be particularly frustrating for Sportsnet execs, given the undeniable buzz and momentum around the team right now, storylines that are well told on the broadcasts. The Apple TV crew will be all over the narrative of the Jays elevating from a last-place team to one with the best record in the American League and no doubt chronicle the recent Guerrero heroics. Article content
National Post
7 days ago
- National Post
Gregg Zaun reveals details behind Sportsnet firing for ‘inappropriate behaviour'
During his tenure as an in-studio analyst on Rogers Sportsnet for the Toronto Blue Jays, Gregg Zaun never was afraid to call it like he saw it. Article content Now, eight years after his high-profile firing from the broadcaster, Zaun isn't afraid to admit his mistakes. Article content Article content Zaun, a former Blue Jays catcher during his playing days, opened up during a podcast appearance this week about his unceremonious departure, including about the allegations made against him and how greatly they have affected him personally and professionally. Article content 'I definitely made mistakes. I let celebrity get in my head,' Zaun said during Monday's episode of the Toronto Legends podcast. 'I was never as famous in Canada as a player as I was as a broadcaster. I mean, I couldn't walk down the street. Article content 'My life was turned upside down, ruined. My professional career, ruined,' he added. 'I can't get a job in television. There's not a lot of forgiveness for people that look like me in this world. And it's my fault. It's absolutely my fault.' Article content While Zaun said that he was 'shocked' by the allegations, he also held himself accountable for letting things get too far. Article content Article content 'There are certain topics of conversation that don't belong in the workplace. And it's funny, the biggest mistake that I've made is thinking that because a lot of the conversations and exchanges were initiated by females in the workplace that they were somehow OK. That I was somehow justified in participating in those conversations. The tomfoolery, the hijinks. These allegations, they were shocking to me,' Zaun said. Article content 'I was just having fun with willing participants. Yeah, the environment was inappropriate. It was my fault for letting it get as far as it did. I should have been classier and I definitely should be held to a higher level of accountability,' he added. Article content Article content Several anonymous Sportsnet employees previously told the Canadian Press that Zaun had made sexual comments 'with the clear intention of making us uncomfortable.' Article content During the podcast interview, Zaun said that the network pushed him to become a 'Manalyst,' which he described as the 'Don Cherry of baseball.' Article content 'Sportsnet created that 'Manalyst' guy. They wanted 'Don Cherry of baseball,' so I gave it to them,' Zaun said. Article content But Zaun says he's capable of more than that sort of role. Article content 'People misunderstand or underestimate my versatility. I can be whatever you want me to be. You want me to be the loud guy. You want me to cause a ruckus. You want me to polarize the fan base. I can do that,' Zaun said. Article content 'Do you want me to just be quiet and go put my head down and be a soldier, and accomplish a list of tasks that you want from me? I can do that too. It's just easier to blame my past transgressions, my past mistakes, as the reason why you don't want to have a conversation.' Article content
