Iowa's Gary Dolphin Suspended For Rest Of The Year

[Pakuni]

Cheeks ... stating "What Dolphin said is racist" is not the same as saying "Dolphin is racist." You seem to be equating those statements.
Edit: Took out the rest. Doesn't matter.

[buckchuckler]

I for one, am shocked at how this thread has played out, and the key players within. 

[WarriorDad]

Not racist.  Why is he suspended?  Intent matters.

[The Sultan]

Not racist.  Why is he suspended?  Intent matters.

So I could say something that most people would think is racist, but if I truly didn't intend for it to be a racist comment, I'm good?  No that's not how it works.  Especially when someone's job is to communicate like his is.

And again, don't treat it like a binary choice.

[Jon]

Nice copy/paste job.

Also, total nonsense.

And ditch the Pearl Harbor reference, too, you insensitive a$$.

Typical ignorant white man.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Not racist.  Why is he suspended?  Intent matters.

Comparing a black man to a monkey? I think most would agree that falls on the spectrum of racism. Now that doesn't make Dolphin a racist, just a person who said something racist. Everyone has said, done, or thought racist things at some point in their life. Unfortunately for Dolphin, he made a mistake in a very public way.

He is suspended because regardless of intent, we should be accountable for our actions. Part of his job description is not saying offensive things while on air. Comparing a black man to a monkey is considered offensive by a large population of reasonable people (there are also reasonable people who aren't offended by it). You fail at a part of your job description and your employer has a right to hold you accountable.

Intent matters to a degree. You are right that we should treat someone who intentionally says something racist more harshly than someone who makes a mistake. But just because you didn't intend to offend someone, doesn't mean you didn't offend them. The right thing to do is own it, apologize, and try to do better moving forward. I mean I'm sure 99% of people who cause car accidents didn't intend to cause an accident, but they are still accountable for the damage that they do (unless there were circumstances beyond their control like the brakes failing). Same lesson applies here. Be accountable for the offense you cause, even if you didn't intend to offend.

[Heisenberg]

Is Lazar's Headband racist? 

He wrote this on January 24 about Theo
https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=57547.msg1082166#msg1082166

Badder than old King Kong?  Check
Meaner than a junk yard dog?  Check

Why was Dolphin's comment worse?

And, since everyone here NOW knows how obvious the King Kong reference is racist,  why did no one call Headband on it?

The point is this is only racist because someone personally decided it was racist and the many are too weak to push back on these standards.

This is the problem with dubious racist comments.

[Heisenberg]

How about mu03eng?  Is this also racist?

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=44861.msg653371#msg653371

Quote from: JakeBarnes on September 29, 2014, 12:33:43 PM
If anyone can recruit, it's Denzel.

King Kong ain't got s$%t on Wojo!!

[Jockey]

And ditch the Pearl Harbor reference, too, you insensitive a$$.

Typical ignorant white man.

No flowing prose that you pretend that you wrote yourself?

This is the real you - not the long winded posts that you copy/paste.

[Heisenberg]

Why was this 2008 Vogue cover ok?  Why did Lebron agree to such a racist image?  Who lost their job over this?

[Heisenberg]

Why does pinterest still allow this image to be posted?

Again all you that are "tisk tisking" Dolphin's statement, please explain why these were allowable?

[Cheeks]

Why was this 2008 Vogue cover ok?  Why did Lebron agree to such a racist image?  Who lost their job over this?

It's complicated, you would 't understand because of your life history.  Same question why some guys in Virginia still have jobs while same action elsewhere meant resignations.  Consistently complicated apparently.

[The Sultan]

Why was this 2008 Vogue cover ok?  Why did Lebron agree to such a racist image?  Who lost their job over this?

It was actually pretty controversial when it came out.  But nobody apparently lost their job.  And Dolphin didn't lose his - Iowa announced today that he would be back next year.

[Pakuni]

Why was this 2008 Vogue cover ok?  Why did Lebron agree to such a racist image?  Who lost their job over this?

Who said it was OK? Vogue actually took quite a bit of criticism over it. And, in all likelihood (given Vogue's history as well as the photgrapher's history), it was intentionally created to stir controversy.

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080320

https://www.today.com/news/vogue-cover-lebron-stirs-controversy-wbna23797883

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1583333/Race-row-over-King-Kong-Vogue-cover.html

https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-03-24-vogue-controversy_n.htm

https://gawker.com/5004715/time-for-leibovitz-to-confess

[Pakuni]

It's complicated, you would 't understand because of your life history.  Same question why some guys in Virginia still have jobs while same action elsewhere meant resignations.  Consistently complicated apparently.

Ever the victim.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

How about mu03eng?  Is this also racist?

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=44861.msg653371#msg653371

Quote from: JakeBarnes on September 29, 2014, 12:33:43 PM
If anyone can recruit, it's Denzel.

King Kong ain't got s$%t on Wojo!!

Heisy, I really think you and Chicos should take up Pakuni's suggestion and approach a black guy and tell he looks like a gorilla.  I think you'll be fine if you just explain to him that no, he is wrong, it isn't a racist comment at all.  Inform him that you, in fact, know what is a racist comment and what isn't much better than he does.

He will undoubtedly appreciate you enlightening him so, and thereafter thank you for the compliment as well.

[Heisenberg]

Heisy, I really think you and Chicos should take up Pakuni's suggestion and approach a black guy and tell he looks like a gorilla.  I think you'll be fine if you just explain to him that no, he is wrong, it isn't a racist comment at all.  Inform him that you, in fact, know what is a racist comment and what isn't much better than he does.

He will undoubtedly appreciate you enlightening him so, and thereafter thank you for the compliment as well.

Can we start with LeBron as he seems fine with the characterization of himself?

[Pakuni]

How about mu03eng?  Is this also racist?

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=44861.msg653371#msg653371

Quote from: JakeBarnes on September 29, 2014, 12:33:43 PM
If anyone can recruit, it's Denzel.

King Kong ain't got s$%t on Wojo!!

Are you being intentionally vapid?
It's a quote from a movie ... and the quote is not likening a black person to King King, it's a person bragging that he is more powerful than King Kong.
And, last I checked, Wojo isn't a  black man. Do you know something the rest of us don't?

[The Sultan]

Can we start with LeBron as he seems fine with the characterization of himself?

So you think Lebron speaks for all black men?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Can we start with LeBron as he seems fine with the characterization of himself?

Walk around your neighborhood in Chicago, let us know how it goes.  Because I am sure you are right, you clearly know what is and isn't racist much better than black people do.

[buckchuckler]

Between the helmet and the spelling, Kong looks German to me in that picture.

That's not quite the point though, is it.

[Heisenberg]

Walk around your neighborhood in Chicago, let us know how it goes.  Because I am sure you are right, you clearly know what is and isn't racist much better than black people do.

This is where context matters.  It seems King Kong has two means.

1. A big Monkey/Gorilla
2. This premise of the movie.  The "eighth wonder of the world."  An unstoppable force. 

The second definition is how most use it, mean it.

So, turn your question around ... if an African-American did something that was impressive and dominant, an "eighth wonder of the world" type of thing, then would they object to the King Kong reference?  LeBron did not

So you think Lebron speaks for all black men?

.

Who does?  If someone objects and another does not, which one speaks for all black men?

Are you being intentionally vapid?
It's a quote from a movie ... and the quote is not likening a black person to King King, it's a person bragging that he is more powerful than King Kong.

But this is EXACTLY the context that Dolphin meant it when he called Fernando King Kong.  He had a great game and was dominating which is why he made the reference.

[The Sultan]

But this is EXACTLY the context that Dolphin meant it when he called Fernando King Kong.  He had a great game and was dominating which is why he made the reference.

No one disputes this. But just because that's what he meant, doesn't mean it was appropriate for the reasons stated earlier.

Who does?  If someone objects and another does not, which one speaks for all black men?

No one speaks for their race. 

[Pakuni]

But this is EXACTLY the context that Dolphin meant it when he called Fernando King Kong.  He had a great game and was dominating which is why he made the reference.

It may have been how Dolphin meant it, but it's not what he actually said.
He actually said "Fernando was King Kong at the end of the game." As a professional communicator, it's his responsibility to choose his words carefully. He didn't and is facing the consequences of it.

Edit: What's funny here is that even Dolphin has admitted he used a poor choice of words and apologized for it.

And, yes, I 100 percent think you should approach LeBron James next time you see him and say "you remind me of King Kong." I'm sure he'll be cool with it.
Do you also believe that because the 'N' word is used in some hip hop music, black people are OK with you using that word in reference to them?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

So, turn your question around ... if an African-American did something that was impressive and dominant, an "eighth wonder of the world" type of thing, then would they object to the King Kong reference?  LeBron did not

You should go find out.