It’s all too easy for sports commentators to get carried away and say something they shouldn’t in the excitement of the moment.
Whether it’s Ron Atkinson criticising Marcel Desailly with highly offensive racist language, or Andy Gray telling a lineswoman to get back in the kitchen, there’s just something about the thrill of sport that gets the blood flowing and the mouth moving. Unless your name is Phil Neville.
And it all proved a bit too much for the usually taciturn mayor of LA when the city’s team won ice hockey’s Stanley Cup last month.
Having shed his pinstriped suit of choice for a hockey jersey, Mayor Eric Garcetti stepped in front of the TV cameras and a full house at Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Kings had won the championship just three days before, to address the city.
“There are two rules in politics,” Garcetti told the 19,000 fans celebrating victory. “They say never ever be pictured with a drink in your hand. And never ever swear.
Then he added dramatically: “But this is a big fucking day! Way to go, guys.”
Within minutes, Garcetti’s remarks were trending on Twitter and appearing uncensored on YouTube, just as Fox Sports West was apologising for letting them get on the air. Frankly, we were hoping he’d say: “There are two rules in politics – you do not talk about fight club” before beating the shit out of Edward Norton.
“When you’re an elected official, people have a higher expectation for your speech, your conduct and context than they would if you’re an entertainer,” said Thomas Hollihan, an expert on political discourse at the University of Southern California. He clearly hasn’t met Boris Johnson.

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