Ron Artest let his new teammate Yao Ming know that he was "still ghetto".
I’m still suburb. Whatever that means. As if geography is destiny and free will doesn’t exist. Martin Luther King spoke of a day when people would be judged by the content of their character. Maybe we’re not there yet. But if we are, what do Artest’s comments justifying physical confrontations on the basis of "respect" say?
This week West Virginia quarterback Pat White, who has been
drafted more than once by major league baseball teams, said he wouldn’t
be going out for the team at WVU after his football career was over.
"In my knowledge of West Virginia baseball, there’s not been many
players of my race on his team. He’s (Coach Greg Van Zant) not too high
on it." He went on to add that the team’s players disliked the coach,
the team wasn’t very good, and that perhaps he would play baseball if
the team had a different coach.
One small problem. White acknowledged he hadn’t spoken directly to Van
Zant. It was a hit and run accusation coming from a Heisman trophy
candidate who is very popular in the state of West Virginia. Van Zant
is now in the position of defending himself against comments he didn’t
make to a player he hasn’t spoken to.
Van Zant has a reputation as a poor communicator with a good won-loss
record. But nobody has accused him of prejudice, and there isn’t any evidence of it beyond the fact that there aren’t many African-Americans on his teams (or on many other college baseball teams). But Van Zant will be carrying the weight of White’s words as a tag line the rest of his career. "Greg Van Zant, once accused of racism by WVU quarterback Pat White."
Then again.
It is a sports world inhabited by Redskins, Braves, and Indians. No stereotyping or prejudice there, right? Why are the Redskins called that? Because they were originally the Boston Football Braves. Moving to Fenway Park they became the Boston Redskins, presumably to clear up the name conflict with the Boston National League baseball team.
The baseball Braves were named not for native Americans but for a Democratic Party political machine. In the late 1800’s New York politics was dominated by Tammany Hall, a sort of political machine and lodge that used native American phrases and symbols and referred to it’s meeting place as a wigwam. When New York politician James Gaffney bought the team they went from Boston Rustlers to Boston Braves. By which logic, the Atlanta Braves ought to have a picture of a smiling politician on their logo.
The Indians of Cleveland were the Naps, after their captain Nap Lajoie. When Lajoie was sold to the Philadelphia A’s, sportswriters were asked by the team to come up with a new name. They chose Indians, in part because of Cleveland player Louis Sockalexis, a native American. Ironically, Sockalexis died within a few years due to alcoholism. It was reported that a reason for his heavy drinking was the racial slurs hurled at him by fans.
Where am I headed with all this? Where are we headed?
We could start with the idea that words matter.
Ron Artest should consider, and probably won’t, that endorsing violent responses to perceived slights is not evidence of culture but of a curse laid upon generations. It will continue, is continued, by thoughtless statements from athletes and entertainers.
It would be nice if someone, anyone, from the administration at West Virginia University publicly called out White for his reckless comments (unless he can back them up, which he hasn’t so far). But the simple fact is White’s performance on the field makes his happiness more important than the reputation of a 14 year employee of the school.
Oddly enough, it must be some warped sign of progress in this country that white fans in West Virginia were quick to go to college football message boards and throw their white coach under the bus lest any criticize their African-American quarterback.
Which brings us to the Redskins. Once a year I come out in favor of retiring the name. Once a year people get mad and say I’m a politically correct liberal trying to force my ideas on other people. In fact, I’m somewhat to the right of Ghengis Khan politically, but that’s neither here nor there.
I have been blessed to be raised in the South. We get things wrong. Boy, have we gotten some things wrong. But we used to be raised to understand that you thought about your neighbor and went out of your way not to cause offense.
That said, I say we rename the Redskins (who used to be the Braves). The Indians we can talk about, but the smiling Chief Wahoo logo has to go. The Braves? Probably not an issue anymore, but I do think the smiling politician should be worn for at least one season.
But that’s just me.
