I thought the exact same thing. Spiel was a very poor word choice if he wanted to come across as respectful.
spiel
spēl,SHpēl/
informal
noun
noun: spiel; plural noun: spiels
1.
a long or fast speech or story, typically one intended as a means of persuasion or as an excuse but regarded with skepticism or contempt by those who hear it.
"he delivers a breathless and effortless spiel in promotion of his new novel"