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Wed 22 Feb, 2006 11:47 am
I actually saw Mr Gumbel make these remarks on his Real Sports show about two weeks ago. It took a few days, but the wails started to rise right on cue:
It's interesting, for several reasons. I immediately identified with what he said, but I am biased -I have been a long fan of Gumbel's, and a long detractor of the Winter Games. After reading the first few words of one of the blistering reviews this paragraph (which constituted a speck of the particular episode of Real Sports - which was as per usual outstanding, IMO), I immediately comprehended the tack that those calling for Gumbel's head were going to take. "It's a racist comment, and he should be fired!" "If Rush Limbaugh got fired for saying something racial, then so should Gumbel!"
Drivel.
Limbaugh had tried awhile back, on NFL Monday Night Football I believe, to support a hypothesis about the racial politics that caused sportscasters to speak favorably about Donovan McNabb, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. After a cursory examination of the facts, any idiot could see that Limbaugh was talking from the deep recesses of his arse. McNabb was a highly rated, highly effective QB with stellar stats and a very good record. Limbaugh is a rightist talking head who could claim only being a Republican butt-boy as a field of expertise. He gave the audience what they hired him for - some incendiary pap to make a hubbub over.
Gumbel is a much awarded and recognized journalist with three decades of sports journalism on his resume. He said that the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. It's just true. Period. There may be an abundance of reasons why its true - inaccessibility of training facilities, non-existence of promotion of winter sports in urban communities, whatever. The point is that Gumbel made an editorial comment about why he didn't like the Winter Olympics, and it included the fact that there aren't many folks who look like him in it. You may disagree - you may like the Winter games. But its hard to deny the bare facts of his statement.
But then again, -that's just what I think. What say you, true A2K believers?
Plus, Gumbel is a black man. Not sure if everyone is aware of that or not. In today's society I wonder if it's even possible for a black American to make a racist comment and be called on it.
He could have said it looked like a Klan convention instead. Would that have irked you at all?
McGentrix wrote:Plus, Gumbel is a black man. Not sure if everyone is aware of that or not. In today's society I wonder if it's even possible for a black American to make a racist comment and be called on it.
He could have said it looked like a Klan convention instead. Would that have irked you at all?
I would rather just try to weigh the remarks that were actually made on their merits. You sure sound like an oppressed minority. "Those darn African Americans can do
anything!" But yeah, McG - if Gumbel had said it looked like a Klan rally, I would've thought it was pretty bad. Do you think Limbaugh was wrong?
Absolutely. I also thought Jimmy 'the Greek' was wrong. It's not up to sportcasters and analysts to make commentary on the color or racial makeup of the atheletes. They should stick to what they now best, covering the sports.
Imagine Bob Costas commenting on the NBA...
"Finally, tonight, the NBA Playoffs. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of whites that makes the NBA look like a tribal gathering of Tutu's."
Same reaction?
The irony here is a Shani Davis winning Gold. To bad Mr. Grumble missed history. It was a wonderful event and some of the best drama of these games.
I'll bet Mr. Grumble is not a hockey fan either
McGentrix wrote:Absolutely. I also thought Jimmy 'the Greek' was wrong. It's not up to sportcasters and analysts to make commentary on the color or racial makeup of the atheletes. They should stick to what they now best, covering the sports.
Imagine Bob Costas commenting on the NBA...
"Finally, tonight, the NBA Playoffs. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of whites that makes the NBA look like a tribal gathering of Tutu's."
Same reaction?
It's hard to imagine my reaction to someone as obviously intelligent and up to date as Costas saying something that stupid. Okay I'll tell you a secret - there actually is a meritocracy in the NBA - the best players end up playing, and it has nothing to do with accessibility to the sport. Are you going to try to make a parallel case between the NBA and the Winter Olympics? Well, I guess its one way to add another layer of obfuscation between yourself and what has actually been said, try to derail a potentially good discussion before it gets off the ground, and sully everyone by forcing them into constrictive camps.
If Gumbel's remark could be most succinctly paraphrased, it would be that "Gumbel doesn't like the Winter Olympics". If Limbaugh's could be paraphrased, it would be "Limbaugh thinks McNabb's success has nothing to do with his performance, but only his race". You have major trouble not jumping to broad haymaker swings to try to make a point, and you often confuse things, McGentrix. Do you imagine that no one can see that?
snood wrote:McGentrix wrote:Absolutely. I also thought Jimmy 'the Greek' was wrong. It's not up to sportcasters and analysts to make commentary on the color or racial makeup of the atheletes. They should stick to what they now best, covering the sports.
Imagine Bob Costas commenting on the NBA...
"Finally, tonight, the NBA Playoffs. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of whites that makes the NBA look like a tribal gathering of Tutu's."
Same reaction?
It's hard to imagine my reaction to someone as obviously intelligent and up to date as Costas saying something that stupid.
Okay I'll tell you a secret - there actually is a meritocracy in the NBA - the best players end up playing, and it has nothing to do with accessibility to the sport. Are you going to try to make a parallel case between the NBA and the Winter Olympics? Well, I guess its one way to add another layer of obfuscation between yourself and what has actually been said, try to derail a potentially good discussion before it gets off the ground, and sully everyone by forcing them into constrictive camps.
If Gumbel's remark could be most succinctly paraphrased, it would be that "Gumbel doesn't like the Winter Olympics". If Limbaugh's could be paraphrased, it would be "Limbaugh thinks McNabb's success has nothing to do with his performance, but only his race". You have major trouble not jumping to broad haymaker swings to try to make a point, and you often confuse things, McGentrix. Do you imagine that no one can see that?
"Okay I'll tell you a secret - there actually is a meritocracy in the NBA - the best players end up playing, and it has nothing to do with accessibility to the sport."
So, you believe that this meritocracy does not avail itself to winter sports? Are you, like Gumbel, of the impression that if a black man is not involved in a sport that it couldn't possibly contain the very best atheletes? That seems to be what he is implying to me. That the Winter Gmaes can not possibly be taken seriously as a sport because there are not enough black people playing them. I say that is total BS.
This is what he said.
Quote:So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks
How can you accept that?
Quote:If Gumbel's remark could be most succinctly paraphrased, it would be that "Gumbel doesn't like the Winter Olympics".
No, If Gumbel's remark could be most succinctly paraphrased, it would be that "Gumbel doesn't like the Winter Olympics because there are not enough balck people involved."
"If Gumbel's remark could be most succinctly paraphrased, it would be that "Gumbel doesn't like the Winter Olympics". "
You forgot to add..."Because there are no Black people". That's why he said what he said.
But alas, Mr. Grumble was wrong about that.
Wasn't he?
After the games, most of these athletes will return to their jobs at Home Depot, or McDonalds, or go back to school.
What Gumbel said is indefensible and he should be called on the carpet for it. Leave it to Snood to try and defend him.
McGentrix wrote:"Finally, tonight, the NBA Playoffs. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of whites that makes the NBA look like a tribal gathering of Tutu's."
A tribal gathering of ballet skirts?
another thing Mr. Gumbel overlooked with his comparison to a GOP convention is the abundance of asian athletes in the sport he derided with
Quote:Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what's called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won
i guess he thinks olympic gymnasts are also pseudo-athletes. he's entitled to dislike the Winter Olympics, but his remarks make his motives suspect.
Ya' gotta admit though, the kiss & cry area, as well as the "top three" podium in the ski/snowboard events, are well, just plain gay.
yep, not manly like Isiah & Magic kissing before games, right?
What are you saying? Magic got HIV from Isiah Thomas?
nah, could have been the worm.
Gumbel's remarks are not racist. Whites have not been victims of racism therefore comments like these are not racist, ethno-centric perhaps, but not racist. Figure skating is not a sport. A guy who is propelled by gravity in a luge is not an athlete. Skiing requires athleticism but there is no competition going on directly.
We no longer have the US vs. The Evil Empire or against the Soviet Eastern Europ Bloc countries. Add to that, the best athleletes in the world are not participating (many of whom happen to be black) and what you have is a sham. No wonder no one is watching.
cjhsa wrote:What are you saying? Magic got HIV from Isiah Thomas?
HIV infection is funny to you?
cjhsa wrote:Ya' gotta admit though, the kiss & cry area, as well as the "top three" podium in the ski/snowboard events, are well, just plain gay.
You would certainly be the one to know.
Roxxanne, is diving a sport? divers are propelled by gravity and don't compete head to head. Greg Louganis is not an athlete, then?
An activity can be athletic without being a sport. According to Rob Dibble, the rule of thumb should be whether or not anyone is playing defense. No one playing defense, its not a sport. Obviously, this leaves out a lot of Winter Olympic events and many Summer Olympic events as well.
As to the Gumbel remark,it is a tempest in a teapot in my opinion. But then again, I have no interest in the Winter Olympics. Or the Summer Olympics. Or Bryant Gumbel's HBO show, if you want to know the truth. It strikes me as nothing more than a glib comment designed to amuse the base audience for his show, which consists primarily of "real" sports fans who are comfortable with the notion of black athletic superiority (in the sports that matter) and a racial stereotype concerning the nature of the Republican Party. Neither of these notions is going to rock the world of Joe Six Pack.
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