Domi Considers Suing Ottawa Radio Host

[Risky]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=79333&hubName=nhl

Report: Domi could sue over radio joke

TSN.ca Staff with Ottawa Citizen files

4/7/2004

The first puck hasn't even been dropped and the Battle of Ontario is already looking uglier.

The Ottawa Citizen reported Wednesday that Tie Domi is considering taking legal action against an Ottawa radio host who insinuated on the air the Toronto Maple Leafs forward hits his wife.

Domi's agent Pat Morris told the paper that his client and his wife could sue radio host Don 'Dandyman' Romani of the Team 1200 AM for suggesting on three occasions that Domi strikes his wife.

"They were not impressed," Morris told the Citizen. "The comments of 'Dandyman', which have been rebuked, are classless, distasteful, hurtful and slanderous. The issue will be dealt with vigorously, but in a private manner."

Management at The Team 1200 AM quickly condemned Romani's comments yesterday, but added that the host was only joking. They also said they would reprimand Romani.

"I haven't spoken to him about it, but the appropriate measures will be taken," operations manager Chris Gordon told the paper. "It was a joke. Should he be joking about that topic? No, he should not, but it's quite obvious he was joking when you listen to the tape.

"It was an allusion to the fact that Tie Domi is a fighter."

The controversial comments came shortly after 4 pm et Tuesday when Romani and co-host Tim Kilpatrick were discussing a Toronto newspaper story on Domi's wife, Leanne. "One would suspect that she could take a good punch," Romani said.

Kilpatrick protested the suggestion and asked Romani to clarify his statement.

"I'll bet you his idea of aerobics is to bang her around a bit once a week," Romani said.

"No, come on, no, don't be talking like that," Kilpatrick replied.

"Well, lookit, you think a man that would go after Magnus Arvedson wouldn't go after a woman?" Romani asked. "Same thing."

Romani then suggested twice more that Domi's punch on Arvedson during a game last season was the "same thing" as striking a woman. After much urging from Kilpatrick, Romani relented.

Romani's comments also reportedly drew complaints from an Ottawa women's organization.

Boo-frickity-hoo, Tie. Maybe stop being such a coward puto on the ice and things like this won't be insinuated.

[Pepperkorn]

Is Arvedson gonna sue for being called a girly-man?

[Blackjack]

I think it's funnier that they basically called Magnus Arvedsson a woman.

[Devils731]

The radio host really should be more truthful though. Like calling Domi a classless, cheapshotting punk would be ok because its true.

-Scott

[devilsrule33]

I hope he gets sued. He is the biggest joke of a radio host ever. He is awful. Definetly the worst I have ever heard. He can't even put a sentence together.

[SueNJ97]

I don't like Domi but if he hasn't hit his wife no one has the right to say he did. There are NHL players who have actually assaulted their wives (Sean Burke, for example) and they may be fair game although I personally don't think domestic violence is a thing to joke about.

But let's face it...just because Tie is an a$$hole on the ice does not mean he beats his wife.

[NJayDevil]

Yeah and Nieder should sue Domi for being a complete a$$hole, but that didn't happen.

Take off your diaper Domi.

[ciyenne]

It's to do with class. If Domi were a classy guy, no one would say things about him. Even when Nieds whacked Worrell over the noggin', everyone was nice.

Although the host lacks class too.

A classless affair on the whole

[sheeps]

I dunno. It's not like Domi claimed he didn't hit Niedermayer - the two incidents, in this case, are mutually exclusive.

If Domi doesn't hit his wife, he doesn't hit his wife. It's not something to joke about. Notice a women's organization in Ottawa was apalled at the jokes. I am too.

Spousal abuse is not something you can humorously attribute to someone. Anyone.

[ciyenne]

I dunno. It's not like Domi claimed he didn't hit Niedermayer - the two incidents, in this case, are mutually exclusive.

If Domi doesn't hit his wife, he doesn't hit his wife. It's not something to joke about. Notice a women's organization in Ottawa was apalled at the jokes. I am too.

Spousal abuse is not something you can humorously attribute to someone. Anyone.

I agree. It is not a subject to be treated lightly and the host was tastless in alluding to it. But as to the Domi thing, the point I failed to make is that Domi is the kind of person that someone could contemplate making a joke about which, in a way, is due to the image he has cultivated for himself. Although the joke should never have been made, it would never have been made if Domi wasn't the person that he is. But that's only my opinion.

Is he going to sue me now?

[devilsrule33]

It isn't a matter of Domi being a baby. A radio host joked around about it and brought it up about him beating his wife while thousands of people are listening. You joke around about other things but not that.

Edited April 8, 2004 by devilsrule33

[Nieuwy25]

Domi's a jerk. But so was the talk show guy.

[Don]

I hope he gets sued. He is the biggest joke of a radio host ever. He is awful. Definetly the worst I have ever heard. He can't even put a sentence together.

As DR33 and I would be the experts on Dandy, I'm gonna have to concur wholeheartedly. He's an idiot who shouldn't be on the air in the first place.

He is to sports radio what Rush Limbaugh is to political radio. He says sh!t to get people riled up and they will call in all irate and it's great for ratings.

This may be an interesting one for Don Cherry. One loudmouth dissin' another loudmouth. (-:

[bingham]

It is't a matter of Domi being a baby. A radio host joked around about it and brought it up about him beating his wife while thousands of people are listening.

So that means I can tell people here that you beat your wife regardless if the statement is based on fact? And if I say "I was only kidding!" it's forgotten? Please.

That's crazy.

Edited April 7, 2004 by bingham

[RowdyFan42]

I'm not really offended by the comments, but it does show you how far someone can stick one's foot in one's mouth if they really go for it. The guy's partner did everything but get down on his knees and beg him to stop before he got himself into trouble, and still this Romani guy insisted on shooting his mouth off. If anything, he should be suspended for not having the good sense to shut up.

[Nieuwy25]

It is't a matter of Domi being a baby. A radio host joked around about it and brought it up about him beating his wife while thousands of people are listening.

So that means I can tell people here that you beat your wife regardless if the statement is based on fact? And if I say "I was only kidding!" it's forgotten? Please.

That's crazy.

I think you misread his post, bingham. He's saying it's *not* okay.

[peteyvegas]

I would pay to hear Domi's cross-examination on the stand.

[djstubbs]

Leafs' Domi could sue over radio joke

Leafs' Domi could sue over radio joke

Canadian Press

4/7/2004

TORONTO (CP) - Lawsuits might be flying before pucks in the Ottawa-Toronto NHL playoff series.

It all started Tuesday afternoon with banter by an Ottawa radio station host that turned into suggestions that Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi hits his wife. Don (Dandyman) Romani of The Team 1200 apologized Wednesday, calling his remarks a failed attempt at humour.

While the Dandyman was eating crow 400 kilometres away, Domi's agent Pat Morris was working up a head of steam. He called the comments "slanderous and line-crossing," while Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. called them "potentially actionable."

Domi declined to talk about the matter after practice Wednesday.

"I have no comment on it whatsoever," said Toronto's tough fourth-line forward. "It's a disturbing thing but I can't let those things bother me at this time."

Romani apologized on air Wednesday.

"I made reference to Tie Domi and a member of his family. It was intended to be humorous and in fun and it was neither. It was a mistake," Romani said.

"I want to apologize to Mr. Domi and his family and I'm very sorry for my comments, which were to say the least very distasteful.

Romani also said he planned to make donations to two shelters for abused women.

On Tuesday, Romani and co-host Tim (Buzz) Kilpatrick were discussing a Toronto Sun story on Domi's wife, Leanne.

"One would suspect that she could take a good punch," said Romani, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

When Kilpatrick objected to that, Romani said: "I'll bet you his idea of aerobics is to bang her around a bit once a week."

He made a third reference in the same vein.

The station said it will reprimand Romani, but wouldn't discuss specific punishments.

The real games begin Thursday night (CBC, 7 p.m. EDT).

But the insult game already is hot and heavy.

The animosity between fans of the regional rivals often exceeds that between the players on the ice, and the players are trying to ignore the insults.

"We've got a veteran group here," said Domi. "We've been pretty good at blocking things out and just focusing on what our task is.

"I'm not too well-liked (in Ottawa), obviously. But if I was well-liked, I wouldn't be doing my job. I don't let those things bother me. I don't let things distract me."

Morris said he would talk to Domi about possible legal action against the Ottawa radio host.

Ferguson said he didn't hear the remarks when they were delivered or any recording of them but, from what he'd been told, they were "low-class, offensive at best, and potentially actionable, obviously.

"We take it very seriously," he said. "But make no mistake, that's not going to distract us from our mission and our goal. We're here to win the Cup and that kind of stuff can be dealt with at the appropriate time."

He was asked if the ratcheted-up rhetoric had gone too far.

"Those types of comments say more about the speaker than the subject matter," he said. "We'll leave it at that.

"We're ready to play, I know that. I'm not sure where it all goes but this (series) will be tremendous for hockey. It's going to be a great series. We're looking forward to a tremendous start (Thursday night).

The verbal darts will continue to fly and the off-ice distractions will multiply, and Ferguson and his players know it.

"We've said it from the start: the club that can handle that best, remain disciplined and remain focused on the task at hand will be successful," said Ferguson. "We're confident it will be our club."

Domi was outspoken on another matter.

Senators forward Peter Bondra was quoted in Ottawa as saying of the series, "It's going to be a war, I guess."

With U.S. marines dying in Iraq, Domi finds the analogy inappropriate.

"I think using the word war is getting a little stupid, especially for this rivalry," said Domi. "I don't think it should be used.

"It's not appropriate. I think out of respect to the real war that is going on it shouldn't be used and media people should think about that, too.

"Those guys are fighting a real war. I think it's insulting and disrespectful to them. What we do is a game. It's a hard-fought game, a physical game and those are things we should talk about. That (war) word shouldn't be used in this series. It's not right. It's disrespectful. There's people losing their lives over there in a real war."

But Ottawa's Marian Hossa kept up the military theme.

"I'm sure it's going to be a long series and it's going to be a battle," said Hossa.

[Pepperkorn]

to share a message board with Stubbs is like living in a constant state of dejavu -- stubbs, I luv ya, but I'm really wondering if you're not a tad bit "special" as they say....

I KNOW I KNOW! it's not the same article... whaaaaaaaaaaaaatever. Color me edgy from the Wongs game then...

Edited April 8, 2004 by Pepperkorn

[DevilMinder]

Arhmmm ergxh aoghoo

[NJDevs4978]

On second thought I'll just merge the threads since it is a 'slightly' different article.