ESPN Suspends Commentator Over Racial Comments About Quarterback

[Auburn85 434]

http://mediadecoder....ut-quarterback/

ESPN announced on Friday that it had suspended Rob Parker, a commentator on the network’s program “First Take,” because of his racially oriented comments about the rookie quarterback for the Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III.

During a planned discussion on Thursday’s show about whether Mr. Griffin, who is black and wears his hair in braids, was a “post-racial figure,” Mr. Parker, who is himself black, asked the question: “Is he a brother, or is he a ‘cornball’ brother?”

Pressed to explain, Mr. Parker said: “He’s black; he kind of does his thing. But he’s not really down with the cause. He’s not one of us.”

He also said that Mr. Griffin was engaged to a white woman and referred to “all this talk” that the quarterback may be a Republican. The subject of Mr. Griffin’s hair being in braids also came up, and Mr. Parker said that this gave him pause because “that’s very urban” and “wearing braids is pure brother.”

The comments were immediately countered by one of the other panelists on the show, Stephen A. Smith, who is also black. He said he was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken about Mr. Griffin.

“The ethnicity or the color of his fiancée is none of our business,” Mr. Smith said. “It’s irrelevant. He can live his life in whatever what he chooses. The braids that he has in his hair, that’s his business. That’s his life.”

ESPN did not take any action in the immediate aftermath of the show, which was broadcast at 10 a.m. on Thursday. It was not until much later in the day, after the issue had been taken up on various Web sites, including one called “Awful Announcing,” that the network issued a first statement labeling the comments inappropriate.

On Friday, ESPN released another official statement: “Following yesterday’s comments, Rob Parker has been suspended until further notice. We are conducting a full review.”

A network spokesman, Mike Soltys, said ESPN would have no further comment pending its review.

Mr. Parker is a former columnist for The Detroit News.

The incident was instantly connected to other racially oriented comments made on ESPN. In 2003, the conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who then appeared on ESPN’s weekend NFL pregame coverage, said that the Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated by a media that was “very desirous that a black quarterback do well.”

An ESPN executive first defended Mr. Limbaugh. But three days later, after a storm of criticism over what many labeled a racist remark, the network released a statement saying it had told Mr. Limbaugh that his comments were “insensitive and inappropriate.”

He resigned from ESPN that evening, saying he did not want to be “a distraction” to the network because of the McNabb comments.

Mr. Parker has declined comment since the program was broadcast, though he did respond via Twitter, calling his critics misinformed.

[Weegle777 78]

What is "The cause"?

[bigsixfive 336]

What is a cornball?

[AURaptor 1,137]

What is "The cause"?

Anything not white.

[augolf1716 21,646]

What is a cornball?

One who tries to be cool, but doesn't see just how uncool he really is... In fact it would be pretty easy to take what this person is doing / wearing and turn it into something cool with the right person involved.

[TastesLikeChicken 0]

Good. We're all created with the skin color we're given.

[augolf1716 21,646]

Why did this even come up for a discussion at Bspn? RG is a just a great person who has turned around the Skins. Seems like everything has to have sometype of shock value......Maybe they should have listen to Howard Stern 20 years ago. Pig Vomit would be embarrassed.

[Weegle777 78]

This commentator is just echoing what his parents probably taught him. White people are not to be trusted at all.

My wife and I purposely have raised our children without ever having mentioned race, or ever having labeled anyone as that "white guy" or that "black guy" or that "Chinese guy". And they have never heard us say anything derogatory about any other race. To this day they see others as people that are just people. So it does work if it starts in the home.

I worked with a guy whose skin was darker than mine and my wife and I and he and his wife were expecting our first child at the same time. I remarked to him that we could start to make a difference in the world by raising our children to not see skin color but to see beyond it to the person's character. He told me this:

"My dad raised me to hate you crackers and I will raise my son to hate you too."

Sad that he would handicap his child that way and instill hate in him, but it's his choice not mine.

[TXaubie 567]

This commentator is just echoing what his parents probably taught him. White people are not to be trusted at all.

My wife and I purposely have raised our children without ever having mentioned race, or ever having labeled anyone as that "white guy" or that "black guy" or that "Chinese guy". And they have never heard us say anything derogatory about any other race. To this day they see others as people that are just people. So it does work if it starts in the home.

I worked with a guy whose skin was darker than mine and my wife and I and he and his wife were expecting our first child at the same time. I remarked to him that we could start to make a difference in the world by raising our children to not see skin color but to see beyond it to the person's character. He told me this:

"My dad raised me to hate you crackers and I will raise my son to hate you too."

Sad that he would handicap his child that way and instill hate in him, but it's his choice not mine.

Weeg's amen to that. I thank my mom daily for raising me to be color blind as I like to call it. I think back on how hard it must have been for her to do that growing up in B'ham (or anywhere for that matter) in the time that she did. It is very common for my kids who attend predominantly white school to compete against predominantly black schools. I cringe everytime I hear other parents say "we're fixing to show this black kids what a bunch of white kids can do." After the game I usually hear "welp, we gave them black kids all they could handle for three quarters." LOL

Seriously Weegs, maybe your co-workers son will break the mold and raise his kids to not look at color before anything else.

[alexava 6,974]

Weegs there is one way you and i are alike. I dont even like for my kids hear me describe someone as black even when that is the easiest or only way to distinguish between two people. I was not raised that way and it takes some folks a lifetime to reprogram themselves. I see peers say things way out of line but swear they are not racist. I think they are but dont realize it. And i worry that i could have some of those tendencies and not be aware of it. I know i dont get to decide what others find offensive.

[Auburn85 434]

http://espn.go.com/e...ot-renewed-espn

Rob Parker won't return to ESPN

ESPN will not renew its contract with commentator Rob Parker, who was suspended last month following remarks he made on "First Take" in which he questioned Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III's "blackness."

"Rob Parker's contract expired at year's end. Evaluating our needs and his work, including his recent RG III comments, we decided not to renew his deal," an ESPN spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.

During a Dec. 13 episode of "First Take" on ESPN2, Parker was discussing Griffin's answer to a question about Griffin's role as an African-American quarterback. In questioning Griffin's "blackness," Parker cited that Griffin has a white fiancée and is rumored to be Republican.

Among his comments, Parker, who is black, said: "Is he a brother or a cornball brother?"

Parker later issued an apology on his Twitter account. A day later, on Dec. 20, ESPN announced he was suspended for 30 days.

[IndianTiger 95]

Didn't RG3 grow up in military bases around the world, well no wonder Rob Parker can't identify with that. Funny, people have definitions of what Black or White or Brown have to be..

When I first moved here had the toughest time adjusting to calling people black or white, it felt horrible. Still have trouble..