<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Andrew, When I first read your comments to the Sydney Morning Herald, I didn?t quite know how to react. I wanted to wait and see if anyone else was going to object or have a discussion about your remarks. I was surprised not to see this issue as one of the main topics on ESPN ? I guess they would rather talk about other items that are more pressing. I have to say that there are aspects that I agree with and aspects that I take not only offense to, but that are just plain incorrect. You applied sweeping generalizations in your attempts to demonize an entire group of people ? or the ?80%? you are referencing in your article ? into one big negative mass you simply refer to as ?American Culture.? An interesting aspect of the discussion, which was discussed on The Starting Five blog, was that many people began attacking you personally. People began expounding on areas that were otherwise unrelated and impertinent to any of your comments. They began criticizing your game, the fact that you haven?t made the playoffs, your team?s record ? all of these irrelevant arguments that had absolutely nothing to do with your point. In addition, people began writing articles saying that you had no right to say what you said, which I also disagree with. You have the freedom to voice your opinion, view, feeling or belief. That?s the whole free speech thing that is enjoyed in this country. And at the same time, I have the right to object. One part of your comments that I found fascinating was when you said, ?The American attitude is ?We?re the best.?? Now, when I read that, I thought maybe you were alluding to the audacity of a country to wrongfully and unjustly invade another country. The utter nerve of a country to start a war that has not only failed to bring peace, but has had an overall aftermath that has proven to be more detrimental, disadvantageous and overall unfavorable. I thought about the impudence of a country to feel that their way of democracy is the best and only way a country should be governed, and therefore decided to force their belief system on an entire nation at the hand of a gun. But, I don?t think that?s where you were going.</div> http://slamonline.com/online/2007/07/an-op...o-andrew-bogut/
Etan Thomas touched upon every point I had in mind and presented it in a very professional article. Good read. Thanks for posting that up MrJ.
Very well written, but all he really did prove was that Bogut took it a little too far and was over generalizing and stereotyping Americans. And that Bogut was also being a bit hypocritcal. But the core and essence of what Bogut said is true.
Etan Thomas just sonned Andrew Bogut, while Bogut did make some sense in his statements, Thomas just brought everything to the table and layed it out. EDIT one person that commented put it best imo <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he has a problem with the hip hop culture more than the “American” culture.I’m betting he has no problem with a guy from his “European club” spend obscene amounts of money on material things but he doesn’t like seeing A.I or Bassy or one of these guys spending money.He has an obvious superiority complex and double standard.He aslo made the generalisation that all the guys from the “ghettos” are uneducated,how would he feel if I made the common generalisaton saying that Australia is a colony made up of English and Irish convicts?BTW Luol Deng is English </div> I agree
Good statement from Etan Thomas, and I highly doubt Bogut will say anything relevant in retaliation. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he has a problem with the hip hop culture more than the “American” culture.I’m betting he has no problem with a guy from his “European club” spend obscene amounts of money on material things but he doesn’t like seeing A.I or Bassy or one of these guys spending money.He has an obvious superiority complex and double standard.He aslo made the generalisation that all the guys from the “ghettos” are uneducated,how would he feel if I made the common generalisaton saying that Australia is a colony made up of English and Irish convicts?BTW Luol Deng is English</div> I agree with this as well.
Bogut is probably pissing himself. He has been severely out witted and Etan Thomas just proved Bogut completely wrong. It is also cool how Etan is a writer for SLAM.
<div class="quote_poster">Mamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Not surprised by this, Etan Thomas writes poetry. He's a great writer, but a jackass.</div> What makes him a jackass?
<div class="quote_poster">MrJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">What makes him a jackass?</div> His whole attitude sucks, especially when it comes to PT and Haywood. I recall at a Wizard game I was at, he blew the fans off as well while Juan Dixon stayed for 10-15 minutes after to sign autographs.
i dont think we can say that he has proved bogut "wrong" because all bogut is doing is expressing his opinion. The way bogut handled his comments was stupid and quite ignorant, and while i do have similar veiws on the american culture, I do not choose to express and argue it by generalizing and stereotyping only sub-cultures of the mass culture. Hip-Hop is not responsible for any over consuming and greed, only a handful of artists in that medium are responsible for that. America is a diverse country, and what we see through the media is usually the negative side of the american culture. There are alot of bad people in America, but there are alot of good people as well, just like any country, so to accuse the culture as something that is only about money and greed is ignorant to all the people within the USA that are against these values. Boguts argument does have some good points and I think we can all agree that large parts of american culture shouldnt be as popular as they have become, but bogut has gone off on a tangent and not thought about his choice of words, which leads me to think that he doesnt really mean what he says. Another thing that ive have been certain of even before bogut played an NBA game is that he isnt very smart, just plain and simple, not much to him so i wouldnt get to worked up about what he is saying.
<div class="quote_poster">Mamba Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">His whole attitude sucks, especially when it comes to PT and Haywood. I recall at a Wizard game I was at, he blew the fans off as well while Juan Dixon stayed for 10-15 minutes after to sign autographs.</div> I have a Juan Dixon Jeresy, a Toronto one. He was awesome. On the Etan note, I guess he is just pissed at time about not playing. But I have to agree with Mamba, his attitude on the court and some off, is crap.
Jackass personality aside, great reply from Etan. Really though, I don't know about you guys but when Bogut released that statement I'm already expecting an official retort from someone, somewhere in the NBA. Be it an immature retaliation (I can see AI leading the way on this) or a cleverly written statement like this one (I must say I'm surprised Etan writes this way). Anyways, great reply from Etan (though very much expected) but I still give credit to Bogut for having the balls to say the things he did, even though he generalized a bit.
Etan I bet wrote down first, an angry letter to get it all out then re wrote it in a professional way so no one gets offended.
<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Bogut is probably pissing himself. He has been severely out witted and Etan Thomas just proved Bogut completely wrong. It is also cool how Etan is a writer for SLAM.</div> Completely wrong? I don't think so. Did you read the entire letter? He said that he agreed on some points Bogut was saying. After reading JBB posts, I'd also say there are more people in this forum who agree with Bogut's general points that not. The issue here that Etan addresses (and rightfully so) is the fact that Bogut's comments were sweeping generalisations. What he said maybe true to some extent, but to put an entire American culture (that means EVERY person who was brought up in that culture) in the same boat is much too extreme. As a non-american, I agree that America, as a whole, is the most cocky country on Earth (though one could argue that title goes to France HAHAHA). But I don't believe that every American is cocky; of course not.
bogut was right - there is "American Culture", yeah some people aren't into it, but there is a main culture of materialism and we are the best. for etan to read race in his statement about "other countries, Europeans", was just plain stupid. this p.c. garbage has gotten way out of hand.
