<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Boston Celtics radio analyst Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell should have been relieved of his duties after he made outrageous sexist remarks about NBA referee Violet Palmer during a broadcast. Instead, Maxwell was allowed to apologize on the air for his comments, and then it was back to business as usual. Boys will be boys, you know. Such is the world of the current or ex-pro athlete. Whether it's bending or breaking laws, then walking away clean or violating social norms that embarrass themselves and the league, people in Maxwell's circle get to play by different rules. Who knew that when you reach a certain stature in life, as Maxwell has, you're entitled to be judged differently than every other American? What a difference twenty years makes. Then, former LA Dodgers executive Al Campanis and former NFL TV analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder were both fired for making racist remarks about African-Americans during separate interviews. Unfortunately for them, they didn't play for the famous Celtics, like Maxwell did. And they weren't the Most Valuable Player of the 1981 NBA Finals, like Maxwell. During a game between the Celtics and Houston Rockets last week, Maxwell voiced his displeasure with a call Palmer made, which as an analyst is part of the job description. But Maxwell hollered over the airwaves that Palmer should "Go back to the kitchen." Maxwell also directed Palmer to "Go in there and make me some bacon and eggs, would you?" After the strides they've made professionally over the years, women across America should be outraged. That's why Maxwell should have been dealt the same hand as Campanis and Snyder. Anyone who thinks like Maxwell shouldn't be allowed to have a public forum to voice their opinions. Maxwell's bosses, obviously fond of him, also apparently, didn't edit his apology before it went over the airwaves. "Violet Palmer, as a woman of color and a woman, she worked extremely hard to get in this position," Maxwell said on the air. "And if I said anything insensitive or sexist in any way, then I apologize because she has worked extremely hard to get where she is now."</div> Source
At some point during our lifetimes, we're not going to have the luxury of communicating with one another because we're going to be too afraid of somehow offending some one or something.
Its a damn shame that people are so worried about being politically correct and not offending anyone, that they can't appreciate good humor when they hear it.
What happens if it was a racial remark made in "good humor"? It totally depends on the context and who you're friendly with. In this case it wasn't racial, but it was sexist. You just don't just go up there and put some woman minority professional and humilate her and make misogynistic remarks. You can say some unpolitically correct stuff if it's the truth and you're not trying to be offensive or vile, but this guy was trying to be that way because he was mad and wanted to cause a bitter reaction.
Haha, I like how you somehow know what his original intent was when I can be almost totally sure that you weren't listening to the broadcast. You've probably never even heard one broadcast that he's participated in. He was not 'mad' when he said it, not even a little bit. He was simply doing a character at the time. A character based on Tommy Heinsohn (Celtics TV), who openly hates all officials and spends most of his time on-air criticizing them. He's the one that actually says the stuff like that and means it, but he's like 80 years old so nobody ever seems to call him on it. All Maxwell was doing (and he's done it a million times before) was poking fun at Heinsohn's antics, not speaking his own thoughts. I can guarantee that any woman familiar with him and his broadcasting style was not offended by what he said. And considering Violet Plamer and Maxwell are familiar with each other, she probably wasn't offended, either. There's a reason he didn't recieve any disciplinary action whatsoever from the team and the station.
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">What happens if it was a racial remark made in "good humor"? It totally depends on the context and who you're friendly with. In this case it wasn't racial, but it was sexist. You just don't just go up there and put some woman minority professional and humilate her and make misogynistic remarks. You can say some unpolitically correct stuff if it's the truth and you're not trying to be offensive or vile, but this guy was trying to be that way because he was mad and wanted to cause a bitter reaction.</div> So if an offensive remark was said to a white man it'd be fine? Just face it, there are so many double standards out there where white males aren't allowed to make a joke out of women or minorities, but it's completely fine the other way around. People out there have to grow a thicker skin and quit whining about every little perceived injustice. Its pathetic.
<div class="quote_poster">44Thrilla Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Haha, I like how you somehow know what his original intent was when I can be almost totally sure that you weren't listening to the broadcast. You've probably never even heard one broadcast that he's participated in. He was not 'mad' when he said it, not even a little bit. He was simply doing a character at the time. A character based on Tommy Heinsohn (Celtics TV), who openly hates all officials and spends most of his time on-air criticizing them. He's the one that actually says the stuff like that and means it, but he's like 80 years old so nobody ever seems to call him on it. All Maxwell was doing (and he's done it a million times before) was poking fun at Heinsohn's antics, not speaking his own thoughts. I can guarantee that any woman familiar with him and his broadcasting style was not offended by what he said. And considering Violet Plamer and Maxwell are familiar with each other, she probably wasn't offended, either. There's a reason he didn't recieve any disciplinary action whatsoever from the team and the station.</div> From the outside in, it sure doesn't seem like that. And of course the media is going to go after that. The always do and that's why I don't like them much either. The point is the commentators on air shouldn't be saying stuff like that period. Shock value is all it is and I can imagine some people would be sensitive to it.
<div class="quote_poster">XSV Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">So if an offensive remark was said to a white man it'd be fine? Just face it, there are so many double standards out there where white males aren't allowed to make a joke out of women or minorities, but it's completely fine the other way around. People out there have to grow a thicker skin and quit whining about every little perceived injustice. Its pathetic.</div> Hello? Did I say that? There's double standards that exist, but don't think for a second it's cool to have it the other way around. We'll see how thick your skin grows when you perceive injustice and you start causing injustice to others in retaliation. The point is people would be bickering less and getting less upset at each other if they just keep their mouths shut about stuff that's going to get a bunch of people upset in the first place. And we're not talking about only a handful of touchy people who get upset about virtually anything. Maybe this broadcast was taken out of context, but it could be easily taken the wrong way by a bunch of people. And maybe this was for Boston fans only, so it's none of non-Boston fans' business, but if he's on TV. They gotta expect some fallout. And no I'm not a liberal.
It was just bad attempt at humor. But it goes to show, out of any context, don't let the media find a way to get you. Because they always try to find a way to make a story and twist it in their favor. That's all I'm saying. That's why I don't like the media either, but i admit I'm quick to jump on guys who shouldn't even be saying this in the first place. Should there be more consequences? Nah. Just leave it.
<div class="quote_poster">44Thrilla Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Haha, I like how you somehow know what his original intent was when I can be almost totally sure that you weren't listening to the broadcast. You've probably never even heard one broadcast that he's participated in. He was not 'mad' when he said it, not even a little bit. He was simply doing a character at the time. A character based on Tommy Heinsohn (Celtics TV), who openly hates all officials and spends most of his time on-air criticizing them. He's the one that actually says the stuff like that and means it, but he's like 80 years old so nobody ever seems to call him on it. All Maxwell was doing (and he's done it a million times before) was poking fun at Heinsohn's antics, not speaking his own thoughts. I can guarantee that any woman familiar with him and his broadcasting style was not offended by what he said. And considering Violet Plamer and Maxwell are familiar with each other, she probably wasn't offended, either. There's a reason he didn't recieve any disciplinary action whatsoever from the team and the station.</div> When I first heard the report, I figured it was Heinsohn who made those comments.
Yeah, Heinsohn and Bob Cousy both say some questionable things fairly often. The other night, Tommy said something about Yao hurting his chopsticks finger, and earlier this year Cousy explained how Carlos Arroyo's technical foul was a result of his latino rage.
I guess they get a pass for being old and ignorant. Same was true for Harry Caray, I remember he was announcing a game and commented on the Cubs shortstop for losing a ball in the sun. "Aw, how could he (Jorge Orta) lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."
