J Rose
Boston-based opinion with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer

My colleagues Mitch, Colin and Scott have already weighed in with their opinions on the Don Imus/(artist formerly known as) ‘Pacman’ Jones situation, but I wanted to throw in my two cents on the whole rash of insensitive and/or racist remarks that have plagued national commentators recently.

My advice to the likes of Jemele ‘Hitler’ Hill, Don Imustbearacist, Kelly Lynch Tilghman, Dick ‘Slave 4 U’ Enberg, et al: Shut. The. F**k. Up!

I mean I know these people make a living speaking, writing, and commenting about athletes and their accomplishments, and they spend an inordinate amont of time on the air or in front of a computer screen spilling their thoughts about the sports they cover.

But ever since Al Campanis got shitcanned in 1987 for making disparaging remarks about black executives in baseball, and Jimmy The Greek Snyder followed suit with some truly ignorant comments regarding African-American athletes one year later, you would think these public figures would have learned a simple leasson from their forebearers mistakes:

never make a racially insensitive remark, however innocuous or accidental, when you are in the national spolight.

I know this can be difficult advice to follow, for many reasons. Announcers/analysts get tired; they are trying to fill time with so many words they lose track of what they are saying; they are attempting to be funny; they are truly racist, bigoted, or at the very least insensitive asses.

But those excuses don’t fly with me. If you are getting paid (handsomely) to cover sports and athletes, the least you can do is make sure you don’t say something that will offend an entire race of people, even if you believe what you’re saying to be true or think it might be mildly amusing to a certain segment of the viewing audience.

Here’s an idea: think about what you are about to say or write first. Is that so hard? I’ve written two blogs for two years and I have never written anything more inflamatory than “Yankees suck!”

Because the thing is that even if you don’t mean to be hurtful or insensitive, which I don’t believe Enberg or golf analyst Johhny Miller were, if you just think about it first you might realize that you are in fact saying or writing something that whole slew of peole might not approve of.

And that’s gonna bring the wrath of the blogging nation down on your unsuspecting head.

So if I can do it, I’m sure these high-priced opinion givers can follow suit.

Comparing Celtics fans to Hitler? Not funny. Calling African-American female basketball players nappy headed hoes? Sophomoric and antiquated. Joking about lynching, slavery and black people getting in trouble with the law, especially if you are white? Forbidden territory.

Get a clue, people. It’s 2008, not 1987 anymore.

Start talking like it.

Popularity: 4% [?]