Wojo Radio Show

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Derrick was extremely well spoken.  Confident, smooth, proper English, etc.  This is what impressed me the most.
Duane was not as smooth, but also very confident.  As this kid grows up, he's going to add a lot to MU.
Homer did a great job with easy questions early to get them to relax.

I know you didn't mean it this way, but this was pretty racist man.

[Pakuni]

Derrick was extremely well spoken.  Confident, smooth, proper English, etc.  This is what impressed me the most.
Duane was not as smooth, but also very confident.  As this kid grows up, he's going to add a lot to MU.
Homer did a great job with easy questions early to get them to relax.

Is that you, Joe Biden?

[WarriorFan]

I know you didn't mean it this way, but this was pretty racist man.

I rarely respond to negative comments regarding my posts however the above is un-called for.  If you knew me you'd know that I'm the least racist person on the planet.  Derrick is majoring in corporate communications.  Were I in a position to hire anyone for such a position, I'd be looking for proper English and the type of composure Derrick displayed.  I was complimenting him AND his family AND Marquette.  There was nothing backhanded or otherwise intended.  He presented as a good kid, well-spoken, confident, and handled the interview better than the vast majority of university seniors I've met and interviewed in 25 years of business experience around the world.  In 6 short months, Derrick is likely to be entering the business world.  I'm sure that many companies would be proud to have someone with his attitude and composure.  I know I would.

I urge those of you looking for hidden meanings or intent to slow down and think about how much it might hurt those you are accusing, and how bad it makes this message board look. 

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

It wasn't racist at all. Just a poster with his PC antenna set to exceedingly sensitive. Thanks for the feedback.

[Loose Cannon]

  Wow! What Insight

[Galway Eagle]

I rarely respond to negative comments regarding my posts however the above is un-called for.  If you knew me you'd know that I'm the least racist person on the planet.  Derrick is majoring in corporate communications.  Were I in a position to hire anyone for such a position, I'd be looking for proper English and the type of composure Derrick displayed.  I was complimenting him AND his family AND Marquette.  There was nothing backhanded or otherwise intended.  He presented as a good kid, well-spoken, confident, and handled the interview better than the vast majority of university seniors I've met and interviewed in 25 years of business experience around the world.  In 6 short months, Derrick is likely to be entering the business world.  I'm sure that many companies would be proud to have someone with his attitude and composure.  I know I would.

I urge those of you looking for hidden meanings or intent to slow down and think about how much it might hurt those you are accusing, and how bad it makes this message board look.  

I agree he speaks and handles himself better than most other athletes but that shouldn't be surprising when he was born on a military base and has military parents.  He was probably raised as a better speaker and presenting himself better than most of us were.  

I agree it wasn't racist, there's definitely a way you could've teetered over the boarder if you said you were surprised or something but didn't read any racism in it the way it is.  

[GooooMarquette]

I know you didn't mean it this way, but this was pretty racist man.

Sorry, but I disagree.  Two  players,both African-American, and he simply noted that he was more impressed with the one who was more composed and spoke proper English.

Would it be racist if he said the exact same things about Luke and Henry in a couple of years?

People have to relax.

[Pakuni]

Sorry, but I disagree.  Two  players,both African-American, and he simply noted that he was more impressed with the one who was more composed and spoke proper English.

Would it be racist if he said the exact same things about Luke and Henry in a couple of years?

No, because nobody would heap praise on white kid for using proper English.

I'm not suggesting anyone here is a racist, but you'd have to be pretty thick not to understand the undertones of a statement like that. The unspoken implication is that it's somehow unusual or surprising for a young, black man to be well-spoken.
Guys ... Derrick Wilson is a 21-year-old college student. Why wouldn't he be well-spoken and use proper English?

[GooooMarquette]

No, because nobody would heap praise on white kid for using proper English.

I'm not suggesting anyone here is a racist, but you'd have to be pretty thick not to understand the undertones of a statement like that. The unspoken implication is that it's somehow unusual or surprising for a young, black man to be well-spoken.
Guys ... Derrick Wilson is a 21-year-old college student. Why wouldn't he be well-spoken and use proper English?

You don't get out much, do you?  Both of my daughters go to good colleges, and have noticed that many other white kids seem pretty far behind the curve in grammar. 

And yes, my eldest daughter has been specifically praised by more than one professor for her English usage in comparison to the other (mostly white) students in the class.  My youngest is only a freshman...and she has already had a frustrated professor hold up her paper, and ask the rest of the class why they couldn't put together a properly written three paragraph nonfiction piece.

It happens all the time.

[Wojo'sMojo]

No, because nobody would heap praise on white kid for using proper English.

I'm not suggesting anyone here is a racist, but you'd have to be pretty thick not to understand the undertones of a statement like that. The unspoken implication is that it's somehow unusual or surprising for a young, black man to be well-spoken.
Guys ... Derrick Wilson is a 21-year-old college student. Why wouldn't he be well-spoken and use proper English?

Exactly. Nobody would say Matt Carlino uses proper English.

[Pakuni]

You don't get out much, do you?  Both of my daughters go to good colleges, and have noticed that many other white kids seem pretty far behind the curve in grammar. 

And yes, my eldest daughter has been specifically praised by more than one professor for her English usage in comparison to the other (mostly white) students in the class.  My youngest is only a freshman...and she has already had a frustrated professor hold up her paper, and ask the rest of the class why they couldn't put together a properly written three paragraph nonfiction piece.

It happens all the time.

Congrats on having children who speak proper English. I hope you put their English papers on the fridge at home.
None of the above addresses the point, though, to which you apparently choose to be ignorant.

[GooooMarquette]

Congrats on having children who speak proper English. I hope you put their English papers on the fridge at home.
None of the above addresses the point, though, to which you apparently choose to be ignorant.

You specifically said that "nobody would heap praise on a white kid for using proper English."  My response directly addresses - and contradicts - your statement.  How is that ignoring your point?

Go read a definition of racism in any dictionary.  I did.  You'll be surprised.

[Blackhat]

You've got to love PC wars. This has turned into such an exciting thread: Who is the best conformist?

[jsglow]

You've got to love PC wars. This has turned into such an exciting thread: Who is the best conformist?

I agree with Stone. Let's move on.  I think it'll be great if Wojo regularly asks a player to join him for a segment on the show.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I rarely respond to negative comments regarding my posts however the above is un-called for.  If you knew me you'd know that I'm the least racist person on the planet.  Derrick is majoring in corporate communications.  Were I in a position to hire anyone for such a position, I'd be looking for proper English and the type of composure Derrick displayed.  I was complimenting him AND his family AND Marquette.  There was nothing backhanded or otherwise intended.  He presented as a good kid, well-spoken, confident, and handled the interview better than the vast majority of university seniors I've met and interviewed in 25 years of business experience around the world.  In 6 short months, Derrick is likely to be entering the business world.  I'm sure that many companies would be proud to have someone with his attitude and composure.  I know I would.

I urge those of you looking for hidden meanings or intent to slow down and think about how much it might hurt those you are accusing, and how bad it makes this message board look. 

The comment you made, while made with the best intentions in the world, could be offensive to others around you. To say you are impressed with a black student for speaking proper english implies that you think it is an achievement for a black person to speak proper english. As someone else pointed out, no one would praise Matt Carlino for speaking proper english. So why do you feel the need to praise Derrick for it? Again, I know that was not your intent, but it was your effect.

This came up on EPSN a few years back during RGIII's Heisman acceptance speech. One of the white anchors on ESPN commented how impressed he was that RGIII used proper english. One of the black sportscasters turned to him and asked "why is that impressive to you? Why do you assume that a black student would use improper english when speaking in public?" They had a dialogue about it and I thought it was a really positive thing to see on a sports broadcast. I watched it live and its always stuck with me. That's why I made a comment in this situation.

I'm not calling you a racist. I'm sure you are a wonderful human being who believes in equality for all. I'm saying you made an unintentional racist comment, which is something that every human being in the world does on a daily basis. I know you meant it as praise and in good spirits. But I'm letting you know that if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

Allow me to apologize as well. I shouldn't have just made a comment "that was pretty racist" and not included any sort of an explanation. That does read like an accusation and it was not my intent. I apologize for putting you on the defensive.

[WarriorFan]

The comment you made, while made with the best intentions in the world, could be offensive to others around you. To say you are impressed with a black student for speaking proper english implies that you think it is an achievement for a black person to speak proper english. As someone else pointed out, no one would praise Matt Carlino for speaking proper english. So why do you feel the need to praise Derrick for it? Again, I know that was not your intent, but it was your effect.

This came up on EPSN a few years back during RGIII's Heisman acceptance speech. One of the white anchors on ESPN commented how impressed he was that RGIII used proper english. One of the black sportscasters turned to him and asked "why is that impressive to you? Why do you assume that a black student would use improper english when speaking in public?" They had a dialogue about it and I thought it was a really positive thing to see on a sports broadcast. I watched it live and its always stuck with me. That's why I made a comment in this situation.

I'm not calling you a racist. I'm sure you are a wonderful human being who believes in equality for all. I'm saying you made an unintentional racist comment, which is something that every human being in the world does on a daily basis. I know you meant it as praise and in good spirits. But I'm letting you know that if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

Allow me to apologize as well. I shouldn't have just made a comment "that was pretty racist" and not included any sort of an explanation. That does read like an accusation and it was not my intent. I apologize for putting you on the defensive.

Huge respect for this post.  Very good points.
Thanks.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I grew up in a small WI town of 1500.  Population 99% white, 1% other (mostly Hmong).  We had a joke in town.  Our high school teaches two foreign languages.  French and English!

So like using like proper English is like totally like a problem for like young people like of all races.

[wildbill sb]

The comment you made, while made with the best intentions in the world, could be offensive to others around you. To say you are impressed with a black student for speaking proper english implies that you think it is an achievement for a black person to speak proper english. As someone else pointed out, no one would praise Matt Carlino for speaking proper english. So why do you feel the need to praise Derrick for it? Again, I know that was not your intent, but it was your effect.

This came up on EPSN a few years back during RGIII's Heisman acceptance speech. One of the white anchors on ESPN commented how impressed he was that RGIII used proper english. One of the black sportscasters turned to him and asked "why is that impressive to you? Why do you assume that a black student would use improper english when speaking in public?" They had a dialogue about it and I thought it was a really positive thing to see on a sports broadcast. I watched it live and its always stuck with me. That's why I made a comment in this situation.

I'm not calling you a racist. I'm sure you are a wonderful human being who believes in equality for all. I'm saying you made an unintentional racist comment, which is something that every human being in the world does on a daily basis. I know you meant it as praise and in good spirits. But I'm letting you know that if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

Allow me to apologize as well. I shouldn't have just made a comment "that was pretty racist" and not included any sort of an explanation. That does read like an accusation and it was not my intent. I apologize for putting you on the defensive.

For whatever it is worth, I believe the correct spelling for the name of our native language is "English." 

[rocky_warrior]

I'm saying you made an unintentional racist comment, which is something that every human being in the world does on a daily basis. I know you meant it as praise and in good spirits. But I'm letting you know that if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

I see you're well trained in the PC world.  But what he said wasn't racist.  Period.  No matter how you try to wiggle around it.  It may be offensive to SOMEONE, ANYONE you say it to/about, but it's not racist. 

Let me turn your statement around....

if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

True statement.  But if you want to be PC, yours could be interpreted as racist by needing to point out the color of ones skin that would be required to be offended.  See how that works? 

[Lennys Tap]

I see you're well trained in the PC world.  But what he said wasn't racist.  Period.  No matter how you try to wiggle around it.  It may be offensive to SOMEONE, ANYONE you say it to/about, but it's not racist. 

Let me turn your statement around....

if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

True statement.  But if you want to be PC, yours could be interpreted as racist by needing to point out the color of ones skin that would be required to be offended.  See how that works? 

+1

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I see you're well trained in the PC world.  But what he said wasn't racist.  Period.  No matter how you try to wiggle around it.  It may be offensive to SOMEONE, ANYONE you say it to/about, but it's not racist. 

Let me turn your statement around....

if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

True statement.  But if you want to be PC, yours could be interpreted as racist by needing to point out the color of ones skin that would be required to be offended.  See how that works? 

I'm not well trained in anything. I'm also not wiggling. I accept your point that any student would be offended by someone being impressed by their use of proper English (thank you wildbill). But why does observing that a white man said that about a black man make me racist? Am I supposed to pretend that people aren't of different races and ergo have different experiences and privileges? It's a common misunderstanding that being inclusive means not "seeing" color. In fact, that is a form of racism known as colorblindness. Being inclusive means you "see" color but don't let it color your opinion of the person.

[rocky_warrior]

why does observing that a white man said that about a black man make me racist? Am I supposed to pretend that people aren't of different races and ergo have different experiences and privileges? It's a common misunderstanding that being inclusive means not "seeing" color. In fact, that is a form of racism known as colorblindness. Being inclusive means you "see" color but don't let it color your opinion of the person.

I said "could be interpreted as racist", I did not call you a racist.  You said "that was pretty racist".

It's a big world, lots of things get interpreted incorrectly.  Just don't be the guy that jumps to conclusions too fast.

[mu-rara]

I see you're well trained in the PC world.  But what he said wasn't racist.  Period.  No matter how you try to wiggle around it.  It may be offensive to SOMEONE, ANYONE you say it to/about, but it's not racist. 

Let me turn your statement around....

if you were to tell a black student "I'm impressed that you use proper english" there's a good chance that he or she would be offended by your intended praise.

True statement.  But if you want to be PC, yours could be interpreted as racist by needing to point out the color of ones skin that would be required to be offended.  See how that works? 

Well said Rocky.  TAMU is a valuable poster and I enjoy his insight.  He is also a college administrator, where you need to be PC to move up the ladder, or to prevent being kicked off the ladder.   He is a product of his environment.

[Lennys Tap]

Well said Rocky.  TAMU is a valuable poster and I enjoy his insight.  He is also a college administrator, where you need to be PC to move up the ladder, or to prevent being kicked off the ladder.   He is a product of his environment.

Agreed. TAMU is one of our most valuable posters. And a genuinely good guy to boot. But the orthodoxy of victimhood he embraces is on the fringes in the real world.

[WarhawkWarrior]

Tremendous thread which went from:

Wojo show content to Derrick to Team Leadership to Use of Proper English to Racism to the Value of Individual Posters.

Conclusion:

It must have been a great show.