Not everyone can be Piers Morgan. The bombastic CNN host disgraced himself in his native UK, smearing the brave troops fighting for his country and his freedom in Afghanistan, and got himself fired. For most, that would be a major career setback, maybe even the end of their media career. But not for Piers Morgan. No siree. He ended up moving across the pond to inflict himself on unsuspecting Americans. On America’s Got Talent, he joined one talented judge — comedian Howie Mandell — and an aging rock star’s wife to judge people who, unlike Morgan, can sing, dance and entertain people. Morgan has since been replaced on the show by Howard Stern. Anyone would have been an upgrade.
Morgan also picked up a nice gig at CNN, where he replaced Larry King. On that show, Morgan gets to lose debates on guns to Breitbart’s Ben Shapiro. That debate stung Morgan so badly that he now resorts to cheap shots on Twitter. He still doesn’t know the first thing about guns or gun laws in America.
What CNN sees in Morgan remains a mystery. Is it that he sounds like an Imperial officer in Star Wars? Is it his pompous, doughy visage? Is it that his show prep apparently consists of looking at himself in the mirror and falling madly in love?
Every time someone in America uses a gun in a manner that Morgan finds politically useful, he gets Twitter-happy.
He irresponsibly presents things as facts that are not, in fact, facts.
When the real facts emerge — the Navy Yard shooter used a shotgun, and did not own a hated AR-15 — Morgan morphs.
If Piers Morgan really understood gun control, he would know that where gun control is strongest in the US, gun crime tends to be highest. Like Chicago.
Piers Morgan’s stubborn ignorance isn’t limited to guns and the US Constitution. When he isn’t railing ignorantly against inanimate objects on Twitter, he tends to rail about English soccer. He’s a supporter of north London club Arsenal, and like many fans, believes that he knows more than those who actually manage the club. Last season, a young Arsenal player was going through a rough patch in his career. Aaron Ramsey had suffered a badly broken leg in 2010, halting what at that point was one of the most promising careers in Europe. His recovery was painfully slow. Arsenal fans, myself included, did not enjoy Ramsey’s unsure performances. Arsenal play a fast, slick game and Ramsey just seemed to slow things down. But Morgan used his media fame as one of Arsenal’s most famous fans to attack the 22-year-old player and his manager personally and directly.
Ramsey is a liability every game he plays. Don’t understand what Wenger sees in him. #Arsenal
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 9, 2013
“Wenger” is Arsenal’s long-serving manager Arsene Wenger, winner of a handful of trophies. All he has done is lead the Premiere League’s only unbeaten season and keep Arsenal in the top European competition longer than any other manager alive, while the club paid off a massively expensive new stadium. Le Professeur also transformed the game, bringing modern notions about player diet and training and new tactical innovations to England’s top flight. The Gunners are on a 10-game road winning streak and have gotten points from something like 21 of their last 22 matches, stretching back into last season.
As for Ramsey, all he has done is bang in half a dozen goals in as many games this season. He’s a midfield beast now. He’s a different player from last year, mainly because he worked hard and because his manager, Arsene Wenger, worked with him and kept faith in him. The manager knew better than a media blowhard who can’t tell an AR-15 from a baseball bat. Whodathunkit?
Which gets us to Eurosport and Piers Morgan. It’s not everyone who earns the title “fool” in more than one subject, in more than one country. But Piers Morgan has earned that title from Eurosport.
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