Monkeys, Quarterbacks and Sluts
A little history:
"That little monkey gets loose, doesn't he?"
Howard Cosell said that during a Monday Night Football game on September 5, 1983. He was referring to Washington Redskins wide receiver Alvin Garrett (a black man). He was not fired for his comments, but he left Monday Night Football following that 1983 season claiming he wasn’t interested in football anymore. Right.
“Blacks may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager, or, perhaps, a general manager”….and [they] are poor swimmers "because they don't have the buoyancy."
Al Campanis made those remarks on during an interview on ABC’s 20/20 with Ted Koppel on April 6, 1987. He was not fired for his comments, but he resigned as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a position he held for 19 years, two days later. Right.
“The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way, because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs and he's bred to be the better athlete because this goes back all the way to the Civil War…”
This one belongs to Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, who made the comments to a reporter for WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. while eating dinner in 1988. Jimmy didn’t resign. He was fired by CBS from his position on The NFL Today, a spot he held for 12 years, on January 16, 1988. Right.
"I don't think [McNabb's] been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there's a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
That was Rush Limbaugh in 2003 on ESPN’s NFL Pregame show. He resigned a few weeks into that season due to pressure resulting from his remarks. Right.
And now, to the present day:
"Well, what would you call someone who wants us to pay for her to have sex? What would you call that woman? You'd call 'em a slut, a prostitute or whatever."
That’s right, this one belongs to Rush again. Spoke with conviction on his nationally syndicated radio show just this week, in reference to Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke. Although advertisers are fleeing, and Republican Presidential candidates are distancing themselves from him, Limbaugh has yet to “resign” and even stands by his comments.
Now I’m gonna plead a bit of ignorance here. I don’t know Sandra Fluke. And althought I know what it is she stands for, I’m not completely well versed in it. But in my heart, I don’t think it matters. Not one bit.
Cosell, Campanis and Snyder were, basically, decent (or better) men who made MISTAKES. And in response to those mistakes, regardless of their personal history, they lost their livelihoods.
Cosell changed sports broadcasting FOREVER. Without him there would have been no Bryant Gumbel or Bob Costas. He was the first sportscaster who “told it like it was,” no matter the consequences, no mater the repercussions. Cosell didn’t care what people thought, he only needed to honest and be true to himself. One mistake and he was gone.
Campanis was an integral part of one of the most storied franchises in the history of baseball. He helped shape them into one of the most successful through the 70’s and 80’s. He once traded his own son because it was a good deal for the Dodgers. One mistake and he was gone.
Snyder changed the way America bet on the NFL. Sure, there were always point spreads and over/unders. But Snyder was an expert; a bookmaker, who brought his expertise to a national stage. And he was good. And popular. And entertaining. One mistake and he, too, was gone.
Rush Limbaugh is a nationally syndicated radio host. Millions of people listen to his show every single day. A great deal of those people live their lives by the same ideals that Limbaugh preaches. They believe in him. They agree with him. They walk side by side with him. Despite the fact that he is a fucking complete ignoramus. He has made “mistake” after “mistake” after “mistake” yet there he sits, on his little throne, caustically espousing his opinions, thoughts and (quite frankly) bullshit.
Today, Rick Santorum said of Limbaugh’s comments, “He's being absurd, but that's you know, an entertainer can be absurd. He's in a very different business than I am." Mitt Romney (after initially blowing off the question) said, “I'll just say this which is, it’s not the language I would have used.” (maybe we’ll tackle this one another day cause I’d like to know WHAT language he would have used). And even John Boehner (through a spokesman, of course) said, “The speaker obviously believes the use of those words was inappropriate.”
Now I’m a person who watches the news regularly. I see how our world has moved into a relatively firmly entrenched position of political correctness. I see the way that everyone, from politicians, to sportscasters, to teachers, to even actors, have to watch what they say for fear of someone, somewhere, being offended. I am old enough to have watched, and enjoyed All in the Family, a ground breaking show that literally shattered any pretense of political correctness that may have preceded it. It was thought provoking, funny, and relevant. But there is NO FUCKING WAY Archie would last more than one episode today. And that sucks.
Yes, we’ve become oversensitive. Yes we need to lighten up. But we also need to know when to stand up and object. We need to know when to make a stand. Funny, the only person whose response that nobody is really noticing in all this is that of Sandra Fluke. She will not be silenced. She will be angry. She will be continuing, forcefully, to stand up for what she believes in. You know what we need? More Sandra Flukes.
"That little monkey gets loose, doesn't he?"
Howard Cosell said that during a Monday Night Football game on September 5, 1983. He was referring to Washington Redskins wide receiver Alvin Garrett (a black man). He was not fired for his comments, but he left Monday Night Football following that 1983 season claiming he wasn’t interested in football anymore. Right.
“Blacks may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager, or, perhaps, a general manager”….and [they] are poor swimmers "because they don't have the buoyancy."
Al Campanis made those remarks on during an interview on ABC’s 20/20 with Ted Koppel on April 6, 1987. He was not fired for his comments, but he resigned as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a position he held for 19 years, two days later. Right.
“The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way, because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs and he's bred to be the better athlete because this goes back all the way to the Civil War…”
This one belongs to Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, who made the comments to a reporter for WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. while eating dinner in 1988. Jimmy didn’t resign. He was fired by CBS from his position on The NFL Today, a spot he held for 12 years, on January 16, 1988. Right.
"I don't think [McNabb's] been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there's a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
That was Rush Limbaugh in 2003 on ESPN’s NFL Pregame show. He resigned a few weeks into that season due to pressure resulting from his remarks. Right.
And now, to the present day:
"Well, what would you call someone who wants us to pay for her to have sex? What would you call that woman? You'd call 'em a slut, a prostitute or whatever."
That’s right, this one belongs to Rush again. Spoke with conviction on his nationally syndicated radio show just this week, in reference to Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke. Although advertisers are fleeing, and Republican Presidential candidates are distancing themselves from him, Limbaugh has yet to “resign” and even stands by his comments.
Now I’m gonna plead a bit of ignorance here. I don’t know Sandra Fluke. And althought I know what it is she stands for, I’m not completely well versed in it. But in my heart, I don’t think it matters. Not one bit.
Cosell, Campanis and Snyder were, basically, decent (or better) men who made MISTAKES. And in response to those mistakes, regardless of their personal history, they lost their livelihoods.
Cosell changed sports broadcasting FOREVER. Without him there would have been no Bryant Gumbel or Bob Costas. He was the first sportscaster who “told it like it was,” no matter the consequences, no mater the repercussions. Cosell didn’t care what people thought, he only needed to honest and be true to himself. One mistake and he was gone.
Campanis was an integral part of one of the most storied franchises in the history of baseball. He helped shape them into one of the most successful through the 70’s and 80’s. He once traded his own son because it was a good deal for the Dodgers. One mistake and he was gone.
Snyder changed the way America bet on the NFL. Sure, there were always point spreads and over/unders. But Snyder was an expert; a bookmaker, who brought his expertise to a national stage. And he was good. And popular. And entertaining. One mistake and he, too, was gone.
Rush Limbaugh is a nationally syndicated radio host. Millions of people listen to his show every single day. A great deal of those people live their lives by the same ideals that Limbaugh preaches. They believe in him. They agree with him. They walk side by side with him. Despite the fact that he is a fucking complete ignoramus. He has made “mistake” after “mistake” after “mistake” yet there he sits, on his little throne, caustically espousing his opinions, thoughts and (quite frankly) bullshit.
Today, Rick Santorum said of Limbaugh’s comments, “He's being absurd, but that's you know, an entertainer can be absurd. He's in a very different business than I am." Mitt Romney (after initially blowing off the question) said, “I'll just say this which is, it’s not the language I would have used.” (maybe we’ll tackle this one another day cause I’d like to know WHAT language he would have used). And even John Boehner (through a spokesman, of course) said, “The speaker obviously believes the use of those words was inappropriate.”
Now I’m a person who watches the news regularly. I see how our world has moved into a relatively firmly entrenched position of political correctness. I see the way that everyone, from politicians, to sportscasters, to teachers, to even actors, have to watch what they say for fear of someone, somewhere, being offended. I am old enough to have watched, and enjoyed All in the Family, a ground breaking show that literally shattered any pretense of political correctness that may have preceded it. It was thought provoking, funny, and relevant. But there is NO FUCKING WAY Archie would last more than one episode today. And that sucks.
Yes, we’ve become oversensitive. Yes we need to lighten up. But we also need to know when to stand up and object. We need to know when to make a stand. Funny, the only person whose response that nobody is really noticing in all this is that of Sandra Fluke. She will not be silenced. She will be angry. She will be continuing, forcefully, to stand up for what she believes in. You know what we need? More Sandra Flukes.
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