Maybe I'm a Racist Too...

Rush Limbaugh…Michael Richards…Michael Irvin. Some of you might also know these men as the conservative king of talk radio, Kramer, and “The Playmaker”. While all three have achieved considerable fame for their exploits in their respective crafts, they have also basked in the media glow for their well publicized commentary related to a certain hot button issue. By “commentary” I of course mean “incredibly stupid statements” and by “hot button issue”…I mean “race”.

Few topics generate awkward silence and/or uncontrolled hostility as does race and a discussion of racism. Few modern day activities generate passion, anger, and emotion quite like professional sports and our rabid support of our favorite player and team. While professional sports have historically created a venue through which incredible progress and racial equality have been pursued, we’ve also seen countless instances of discrimination, bigotry, and outright hatred toward racial minorities. Rush, Kramer, and The Playmaker certainly have done nothing to improve race relations in our country, but they have shed light on a important discussion that each of us needs to have. What follows is my version of that discussion – take from it what you will.

The Fat Man







I’ll start in the beginning. Well…not “the beginning” in an Adam and Eve sort of way but the beginning so far as it related to the three men I have mentioned…I’ll start with Rush. On a September 28, 2003 airing of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Rush made the following comments in regards to Eagles QB Donovan McNabb…

"Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Rush’s comments were initially followed by several nods and no strong words of disagreement from his ESPN colleagues on set, who included Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Steve Young, and Michael Irvin. As Limbaugh concluded his rant…er…segment, Irvin chimed in with the following nugget of wisdom…“Rush has a point.” Less than a week after the show, Rush had resigned from his ESPN gig amid a firestorm of criticism about his remarks. As NPR commentator Bob Cook explained it, “Limbaugh got into trouble not because he talked about race but because he related race to athletic ability.” It seemed Rush had touched on a hot button issue. America wasn’t ready for a conservative blowhard like Limbaugh to lead us through a delicate analysis of race relations in our country and in professional sports.

On a personal level, the Limbaugh incident led me to a great deal of confusion. My questions (aside from “When the hell did Rush Limbaugh get a job with ESPN?”) were many. In the comfort of my own living room, I asked myself – did a part of me want Donovan to succeed because he was black? Am I a subconscious racist? Would I be still be questioning myself if McNabb were running for president or striving toward CEO at a major corporation? Is it now ok to root for the shattering of racial stereotypes (i.e. Doug Williams in the Super Bowl) only when you’re outside the arena of sports? Unfortunately I kept these questions to myself. After all, I assured myself, Rush Limbaugh is a blabbering buffoon and the implication that a “black quarterback” is someone who can’t stand in the pocket and dissect a defense was long ago shattered by not-so-black scramblers such as Tarkenton, Elway, Young, and Marino (just wanted to make sure you’re paying attention). With the idiocy of Limbaugh securely established, I tucked my questions back into my subconscious and gleefully returned to hating McNabb based solely on color alone – Eagles green that is.

The Neighbor







Allow me to move you forward a few years…say about three. Just a few weeks ago everyone’s favorite goofy neighbor – a.k.a. Kramer from Seinfeld – launched into a racial tirade at a night club that was both shocking in its intensity and astonishing in its stupidity. The man basically took the handbook on “what white guys can never, ever, ever, EVER say in public”, read it from cover to cover in a booming voice, and threw in some ad-libs of his own. I’d post a link to his tirade, but just like the upcoming 214th book in the Harry Potter series, there are some things I just don’t believe in thrusting upon an unsuspecting society. Suffice it to say that Michael Richards is a dumbass and Kramer’s scenes with his Johnny Cochran send-up lawyer will forever have another tone in my eyes. Media reaction? “Michael Richards is a dumbass.”

So good…the media gets it right for once. No need to question myself here, right? I mean...Richards...that guy is a racist. What was I thinking with all that introspective shit after the Limbaugh incident? No need to delve into the sub-conscious here. Now we know that if you have racist stereotypes drilled somewhere deep in your noggin they will come flying out in a Richards-style rant. Thankfully I have never said (or even consciously thought) any of the terrible filth that Richards had spewed. I was in the clear! Or was I?

The Playmaker








We come full circle with a recent segment on Dan Patrick’s ESPN Radio show with Michael Irvin. Commenting on the success of Cowboys QB Tony Romo, Irvin had the following to say…

"He doesn't look like he's that type of an athlete. But he is. He is, man. I don't know . . . some brother down in that line somewhere. . . . I don't know who saw what or where, his great-great-great-great-grandma ran over in the 'hood or something went down."

Sensing that his lesson on Romo-genetics had not fully sunk in, The Playmaker continued…

"That's not the only way, but it's certainly one way. If great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma pulled one of them studs up out of the barn [and said], 'Come on in here for a second,' you know, and they go out and work in the yard. You know, back in the day."

Yeah Mike…“we know”. Irvin’s comments have mostly been downplayed by the big network. An apology on Patrick’s show took place a week later, but nothing in the way of punishment or suspension was discussed publicly. Media reaction? Underwhelming…at most.

My initial response to Irvin’s Romo comments was not unlike my reaction to most all of Irvin’s comments – what the hell was he talking about? Though I’ve never been a fan of The Playmaker (on the field or in the booth), his presence has always upped the unintentional humor level of any broadcast. He brings a goofy childishness to the set that is unmatched by any of his peers. Simply put – I’ve never really been able to take him seriously. But unbeknownst to me (and somewhere in between the nights full of strippers and cocaine) Mike took some classes on race and human genetics somewhere along the way.

I kid, of course, but all joking (and Mike’s general lack of knowledge) aside, should we be offended by his comments? I mean when Mike sees a mobile and athletic QB in the mold of Tarkenton, Elway, Young, Cunningham, etc he automatically thinks “black quarterback.” So is that a bad thought? Aren’t we right back where we started? Isn’t Mike just regurgitating a racial stereotype that a lot of us had somewhere in our memory banks? I think he is. While I question his method of delivering it (and his competence as a broadcaster to begin with), I think The Playmaker has posed an important question. Despite all the “progress” our country has seen in the past 50 years don’t we still have a lot of stereotypes we need to deal with? If we’re still referring to quarterbacks as “black quarterbacks” isn’t there something more to this issue? I can’t remember the last time I heard a comment about a “black cornerback” or a “white left guard”. What is it in my subconscious that tells me that David Garrard is a different player than David Carr? I mean after all, for every Ryan Leaf isn’t there an Akili Smith? Doesn’t it all even out in the end? I can’t pretend I know the answer to all these questions but I think it’s important to ask them. Perhaps if we can take this conversation out of our private living rooms and onto our bar stools and neighbors’ couches we can begin to determine how much “progress” we have really made. Perhaps we’ll find out we’re not as far along as we think we are. Isn’t it important to know? Don’t we have to start somewhere?