ESPN: This Weekend.

[Playmaker0017]

Okay, I have to ask:

Who watched ESPN this weekend and caught those guys talking about how the draft is "evidence" that the owners are racist?!

What a crock! They said that the fact that owner's and GM's were drafting overseas players, who were "white", that proves the racism inherent in the system. They said that the owner's should be drafting our young "black" kids instead.

Now, hold the train... you mean it is OKAY to draft a "black" player simply because he is "black", but it isn't okay the other way around? That is moronic. Even further ignorance is the concept that an owner would draft a less skilled player simply because he is "white".

This is how stupid our country has become! We buy into this nonsense.

I just love it! Not only is it stupid, but it is biologically incorrect. Science has proven that there is no genetic difference between people of different skin color. Thus, the idea of race is incorrect! If we were to use the current definition, then there should be different races for people with earlobes and those without. Or people have a part in their hair to the right and those to the left... and GASP! for those without one!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I am sick of this nonsense. Last year, ESPN had the nerve to say that MJ and Tiger Woods would never be "great" atheletes because they didn't give enough to the black community. What in gods name does this have to do with athletic ability? This year, we get Johnny Cockring saying that he needs to force the NFL into hiring black coaches and Jesse Jackson suing universities for their choices. Sorry fellas, but hiring someone based on their skin color - EITHER WAY - is racism.

I'm sorry, I had to rant a little bit. America is really losing their minds.

Play.

[codyatl]

well said. I couldn't agree more. Who was it that said this from espn? I didn't catch it.

[Playmaker0017]

CodyAtl,

I think last year, when they slagged MJ and Woods, it was those morons over on "The Sports Reporters" or whatever. But, this year I am not sure. I overheard it all while I was cooking.

As long as we let the media boil everything down to skin color, this country will remain divided. As long as we focus on "different cultures" we are not going to be indivisible.

Just my two cents. What do I know?

Play.

[Guest]

People have a increasing problem with players coming

from overseas to play.It's about the fact that some

people don't want to see these forgien players come

over here to play in the NBA.

I know alot of american whites that don't think too

highly of it.What's the problem with Tony Parker

and Dirk coming over here and being stars?

[Guest]

In fact,did you hear [censored] Vitile at the draft?He was

commenting on players coming from overseas and

he sounded the same way.

[JaHawk10]

I think it's great having so many international players in the L. [censored], Dirk is probably my 2nd favorite NBA player behind JT. Some people are just naive to the new times...

[Playmaker0017]

HotLanta,

I don't have a problem with people DISLIKING the talent pool becoming less American. It isn't fair, but I don't mind that concept.

I even understand it. It is hard to get excited about guys you know NOTHING about and never saw play. It is hard to get excited about guys with "odd" last names. It does cause the draft to be slightly less exciting than in the past.

BUT --- the best player should be chosen.

The problem arises when people say the only reason these kids are being chosen is because of the fact that they are white and the owner's are racist. That is just stupidity and can cause rifts in the American public... especially in the uneducated.

Play.

[Guest]

I think it's funny too that these foreign players are assumed to be white, probably largely based on current players like Dirk and Peja, going back to guys like Vlade and what's his name from the Nets....but so many of them aren't too. It's sorta ironic...Diaw, Pietrus, etc...

Vitale's an idiot. Can't stand him.

[TheDude]

who were those guys play who were saying that? i hate that... when you blame everything on race, it trivializes it.. so when you do find an instance where race IS becoming a factor and SHOULD be analyzed or scrutinized, it isn't as big a deal as it should be because it's something that's scrutinized so often that some people become desensitized to it..

the boy who cried wolf..

[Playmaker0017]

Weasel,

Vitale's opinion ranks right up there with drinking used toilet water. It isn't pleasent and it doesn't sound good.

Phi slamma jamma ramma damma ding dong, BABY!

Idiot.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Doc,

I wish I could tell you the names or program of the idiots that were spewing forth the nonsense.

I just overheard it on the TV, while I was cooking. It was Sunday, so it could have been whoever was on "The Sports Reporters", again... or it could have been a sitdown conversation with people. Who knows.

The simple fact that ESPN allowed this train of thought to prevail is pathetic and shows a poor judge airtime usage.

Play.

[cyman3]

right on!!!

i have absolutely no problem with any race coming in and playing in the NBA (granted, they can play). Its all about skill. but i do have to admit, like DIESEL said- it is a FAD.

If Nowitski/Paker/Ming/gang turned out to be not so good, not as many Euros would have been drafted...

same as drafting High school players... its no different.

but if u got GAME- u should be in the NBA..

[Guest]

yep, this is the same fad that we saw two years ago with the HS players. It'l settle down and become less about potential in two years or so...

[RLHawk]

You can bet Vitale's argument is college focused. He jumps on anything that keeps kids from college. He does not know squat about the NBA. He is a good college evaluator/commentator, but does not like anything hurting the college game.

He hates high school drafted kids (becasue they don't help college game)

He hates 1-2 year wonders (becasue they don't help the college game long)

He hates euro players (becasue they don't help the college game)

Everything that can hurt the college game can hurt his career. He is against it all.

[BlackHawkDown]

......And Hawksquawk isnt

[Traceman]

you are laying out there against ESPN without being able to put a face, name or context to what you overheard. I do not doubt one bit that you overheard a discussion on ESPN where someone said that the drafting of "white" kids from Europe indicated that the owners were racist. The question is why does ESPN get blamed for those comments when YOU said that you don't know who made them? That is preposterous! That is like saying that the Atlanta Journal Consitution is responsible for printing outlandish statements made by others on their editorial page!

As for the comments you attribute to ESPN regarding Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, I don't remember ESPN saying ANYTHING about whether or not Woods or Jordan would ever be considered "great" athletes because they didn't give enough to the black community. I DO remember that SEVERAL people in a discussion on ESPN (I think it was on Outside the Lines) said that they did not believe that Woods and Jordan did enough for the black community and that because of that, they would never be as loved, well received or highly regarded in the black community as Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe and other great black athletes who did do a lot in the black community. Regardless as to whether that is true or not, ESPN did NOT say it, the guests in the discussion did!

I guess my point is that people say outlandish things every day but that doesn't mean that ESPN did anything wrong by reporting those statements or even by providing those individuals with a forum in which to make those statements.

[Playmaker0017]

Trace,

My point is that they are responsible for the forums they provide and the content that is released from these forums. I don't care if it is Stuart Scott, Steve Berman or Bill Bob The Tractor Farmer -- they should be more responsible.

Would ESPN not be held accountable if one of their guests stripped naked and played with him/herself on camera and they aired it? Of course they would. It is their programming.

As for editorial freedom - sure, they SHOULD and DO have it. But, this constant badgering and harping on race that the media does -- it causes and entrenches the racism in this country. It creates dividing lines.

Focus on skin color - whether it is in complete innocence - say in regards to 'Do black people like "The Hulk" more than white people?' - or complete and utter racism - say in a case where the color of one's skin disqualifies them from a job ... it causes segregation and racial barriers.

As for the Tiger Woods and MJ comments, it was during The Sports Reporters. Although ESPN was not the mouthpiece for the ignorance, they created a forum to discuss "BLACK ATHELETES" as it was during BLACK HISTORY MONTH.

I can't understand defending a mega-corporation like ESPN like that.

But, I will retract the statement that ESPN said it and restate it as: ESPN had a program air wherein people discussed that the draft proved that the owners are racist.

Does this appease you?

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Trace,

I reread my initial post ... and in it I never levelled my allegations or disgust directly at ESPN.

I said that there were these guys discussing a topic.

My point was not that it was ESPN, nor was my point that these guys are morons... my point is that people make a racial case out of anything.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

BlackHawk,

I sincerely hope you were kidding.

Play.

[TheDude]

what are you talking about blackhawk?

trace, i don't think really espn as a corporation is really who i consider in fault here(nor is the person who said it-it's their own opinion, so there is no real FAULT)..however a company's face is only of what it's features are.. we don't judge espn by what their financial portfolio is or how many charities they give to, we judge them by what they show because that's the nature of their business...

heck, i don't even fault those who said those things because again, they have their own opinion..

however my personal opinion is by using the race card in ridiculous instances such as picking overseas players is racist, it's reducing the impact or leverage by which a valid claim is made.. so when the Legions of the Dumb out there in our population see a racist claim, they don't analyze the particular instance, but rather will disregard it as another frivelous racist claim(as we are doing now, but rightfully)..

did i just confuse myself...i think that sounds about right.