When I see a wrong, I fell like I must make it right.
John Sterling's signature call for Alex Rodriguez's home runs is an 100% inappropriate comment. When you consider the world of political correctiveness that we live in, it is hard to believe that this man has not been fired yet.
Has anyone explained to Rodriguez's Yankee teammate Hideki Matsui what "An A-Bomb for Arod" is referring to? How about when Dice-K serves one up to the purple lipped one -- "Arod drops an A-Bomb on Dice K". Don Imus, Jimmy "The Greek", Al Campanis, Ross Perot and now John Sterling.
I'm sure there are some people out there that may think this is being a little picky. How about if Larry Bird was of Spanish descent? Would calling him the Spic from French Lick be okay? What if Jacoby Ellsbury hits a would be homer that is robbed by Melky Cabrera and Sterling screams, "Melky with an outstanding catch. Ellsbury rounds second but must now walk the Trail of Tears back to Boston's dugout." Joba Chamberlain strikes out Kevin Youkilis (certainly after throwing at his head again), are you okay with Sterling saying, "The only way Youkilis can be saved from Joba is if Schindler puts him on a list"?
I understand Sterling is not trying to demean people of Japanese ancestry but why is he getting away with this? The dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan during World War II is one of the most despicable events in our country's history. I am officially starting a movement to get John Sterling from using that call.
If you support this, please email the Yankees from the following link explaining your displeasure. Together, we can make a difference.
https://secure.mlb.com/help/email.jsp?c_id=nyy&primarySubject=Other&secondarySubject=None&dest=fanfeedback@yankees.mlb.com
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6 comments:
Really? This is what you're concerned about?
I'd be with you if your argument was it simply doesn't make sense. It's a stupid thing to say, among the many the many stupid thing Sterling says. But making it into a racial or cultural thing is such a stretch of the imagination, such a reach for racial insensitivity.
Maybe he shouldn't call them "home runs" because some people have lost their homes in fires, or have lost their legs, and can't run. Maybe they're just slow.
Maybe Sterling hasn't been fired because people understand it's just some goofy call for what amounts to an insignificant event on the world stage.
You omitted Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, Jack the Ripper, the living dead, the guys from "Dude, Where's My Car" the cast of "Friends," cheese doodles and flying squirrels.
Let's make everyone so thin-skinned we'll be left only with smiling and nodding as forms of communication. And even then, whoa to any non-gender specific carbon-based organism who nods to aggressively.
John - I am concerned about many things. Will I be able to pay for my kids' college education? Is Obama not the man I thought he was? Will the Cowboys ever win another Super Bowl?
As far as this particular injustice, I find it hard to believe a man (and Yankee fan) of your standing has not brought this to his reader's attention.
Regardless, the fact is that you cannot see this as a wrong. As I stated in my post, I don't think Sterling is trying to be insensitive towards people but the fact is, he is.
Don Imus was not trying to demean African-Americans when he commented about the Rutgers women's basketball team but he did. Jimmy "the Greek", in describing the prowess of African-American athletes, was in some people's view not inaccurate in his statements. The lack of intent does not make it right.
BTW #1 -- The examples that you used could be construed as you being insensitive because you are trivalizing the matter by putting Hilter in the same category as cheese doodles and flying sqirrels.
I know you were trying to be "witty" but ...
I wasn't "trying ... "
This is a reach, and my examples WERE meant to trivialize your observation. I wish I had left Hitler out. Such a cliche.
As for my standing, I'm not sure what that means, but I know a reach for racism when I see one.
If Sterling said "There's another home run for Rodriguez, man that Mexican can rake." Well, that's racism, on several levels. Clever, but racist. He's singling out race, and linking it to an occupation stereotypically associated with Hispanics.
Sterling saying "a-bomb" is stupid and inaccurate. What about "Jorgie juiced one?" Posada hits a homerun, he says that. Stupid, insensitive, but ultimately common sense prevails and everyone moves on.
This is that sort of situation.
A-Rod hits a home run off Dice-K and Sterling yells "An a-bomb, from A-Rod! Doesn't that just make Dice-K's ancestors weep! And burn!!!" Racist.
At no time have I called Sterling racist nor have I brought up the word racism. You must be confused. I am simply stating that this home run call is inappropriate based on our country's history. Whether or not Truman's decision was based on race (I'm pretty certain it wasn't) is a different debate. Your last post concerning your dislike for Youkilis is not driven by the fact that he is Jewish.
Your Arod example as far as "raking" is not even close to what I'm talking about. We are not talking about stereotyping someone. I am talking about a painful memory in both country's past.
BTW -- Rodriguez is far from being Mexican. Both parents are Dominican. He was born in NYC and raised in Florida. The Hispanic "rakers" you are referring to are often classified as illegal immigrants.
Sterling's a-bomb reference is not racist it is culturally insensitive. There is a difference.
The only way to settle this is to ask people of Japanese descent if they are offended by this home run call. My guess is that some will be and some won't be. However, if any number of people are offended by it, Sterling should stop using it.
That is common sense.
Hey Phil, it's cool if you want to play semantics.
But the fact is, if we eliminated from our lexicon all the stuff that's potentially offensive/inappropriate/insensitive, we wouldn't be left with much.
She Britney Spears apologize for her "Slave for you" song because blacks were slaves? Other cultures were enslaved at various periods throughout history. Should she also apologize for to them?
I could go on and on with more and more ridiculous examples of slippery this slope is.
Maybe it's better to take a breath, sack up, accept what is and just move on. Stuff happens. It's not always good, so we see it for what it is and don't do it again. Dwelling on it just perpetuates the cycle of creating victims instead of people.
Also, Matsui dropped two bomb of his his own last night. Ka-boom.
It is not semantics. I really don't mean to sound so much like a "tree hugging liberal" but again you are trivalizing this. Your best example is Brittney Spears? Come on. BTW -- Many different groups in the past have been or are currently enslaved.
I actually agree it is a slippery slope but in this case there is only ONE group in the history of the world that has ever had an atomic bomb dropped on them.
What does "sack up" mean? May be a typo or a new phrase that has yet to make it to my neck of the woods.
"Dwelling on it just perpetuates the cycle of creating victims not people" You actually typed this and pressed the "publish your comment" button. I have a friend who once said he believed the people of New Orleans deserved to have the debacle after Hurricane Katrina happen to them. Believe it or not but victims are people and sometimes people are victims.
As a fellow Cowboy fan, do you remember when discussing the competiton between his offense and defense during practices Bill Parcells made mention to the "Jap plays" that the offense was using? He apologized for the offensive comment and that was the end of it.
If Sterling was to apologize and not use it again, would you support that?
Please spare me (or us, if anyone else is actually reading this)your witty pop culture references because like the Arod is a Mexican, Hilter with chesse doodles and Brittney Spears you continue to miss the mark.
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