Lakers GM said that Adam Morrison had a little bit of cracker in him and they didn't do shit to that guy...
It didn't actually happen. But can you imagine? They wouldn't do shit. I bet every team in the nba has some one employed in a top position who has said or done something that could be considered racist. There's a total double standard, if some one said racial things about a white player it would go without punishment.
Ah, right on. Damn. I totally agree that there's a double standard that makes it ok. I mean, I know it comes down to playing styles more, but Europeans get lumped together, even when they're not even from Europe. And whie it's often a criticism more of their game or style, versus a personality issue that has a weird addition to it, I think that there'd probably be a stink if someone said all native Africans are more athlete than ball player. I can see people being upset, but then if you say all euros are floppers, it's just ok, to lump them all into one category.
How does this fit into the notion of "double standard?" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_group My thinking is that it's why you can say stuff about white people or euros and there's no big deal. There's a reason for protected groups. More at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_class
I guess I'm not really following what you mean. Is there something at the link that says that whites or euros would not be a protected class, and thus it isn't a double standard?
they should probably only hire executives who can pass a polygraph "have you ever said or typed anything that could be construed as remotely racist to anyone ever?" "no" "hmm, ok great...have you ever thought anything that could be construed as remotely racist?" "well, i once thought about huge black cocks plunging in and out of my gaping sphi-" "RACIST! SEND IN THE NEXT APPLICANT"
Well, yeah. There's a reason there are protected classes and that they don't make laws to assure white people aren't discouraged from voting. Our greatest thinkers figured out that blacks, women, the disabled, etc., deserve special protection against the ills society can bring. Things not so obvious like making bathrooms accessible to the handicapped.
That's where protected classes/groups come in. The courts have ruled that white people aren't harmed by discrimination in the same way the protected groups are. So affirmative action is legal. The point is that white people aren't harmed by the kinds of examples you and others have been throwing out there. White guys can't jump. So take away the team from the owner who said that? No, because the white guys who can't jump aren't protected class persons. They're not harmed. Clearly "Deng has a bit of african in him" was derogatory and "Tom Brady has a bit of Irishman in him" is not.
There is a double standard of sorts. The term "double standard" doesn't literally denote something negative, though most people assume it is always bad. The question is whether there's a good reason to have two (or more) different standards. The idea behind protected classes (in law or in more informal thought space) is that some groups have been much more targeted over time by discrimination or attacks, so further attacks are disproportionately more damaging to those groups than they are to groups who have never had to worry about lacking in power. In that context, I would say that it's never right to use derogatory language towards any group, but I can fully understand some forms of attacks, and who they're directed towards, being treated more seriously than others. Double standard? Sure. Terrible idea? I'd say probably not.
There is a more insidious form of discrimination at work here. Why should Deng be favored over Morrison just because he is a better basketball player?
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/235021/Luol-Deng-Forgives-Danny-Ferry-For-Racial-Comments Luol Deng met the media on Friday and said he wants to move on from the unfortunate situation of Danny Ferry's racial remarks directed toward him during free agency. "I think one of the hardest things to do as a human being and something that we should do more often is forgive," Deng said. "I do forgive Danny. It's not something I want to hold onto for the rest of my career or for the rest of my life. "When it first happened, I didn't think I was involved in it at all when the first letter came out," Deng said. "The next day, I had phone calls and emails and text messages. I kind of tried to sit back and see what was really going on. I didn't want to jump into anything. I believe that he's really sorry for what he said. Whether it came from him or whatever it came from, I think the main focus really should be how we move forward, what are we going to do about it instead of just pointing fingers and trying to go after each other and be mad at each other." Ferry said Deng, who is from Sudan, had "some African in him" while reading a scouting report with team personnel during a teleconference in the summer. Deng and Ferry have since spoken to each other about the comments. "Everything happens for a reason and we can turn a situation of something so negative and something bad … and really turn it into something positive," Deng said. "… We could turn this positive where people could benefit from it."
As far as Ferry goes, he's just basically broadcasted to the world that he's a jerk. Could end up losing his job over it. Something about this Adam Silver era, heads are rolling from high places in the league.
