Richard Sherman Says Calling Someone a Thug Is the Same as Calling Someone the N-Word

[bocomo007]

What they did has nothing to do with my question.... My point is that if thug is a racist term like many who have posted here seem to believe... Then the people who are calling Richie Incognito a thug must be racist against white people... Correct? Or would it have been OK and not racist to call Sherman a thug if he did something "thuggish"?

Maybe people should just accept that the term thug has absolutely nothing to do with race....

nobody is saying the word thug itself is racist

it's racist to label him a thug for what he said and the way he said it

it was really harmless and was a rare example (albeit a selfish, poor winner one) of an athlete not just giving the same old sound bites

 

[Kevin12773]

Also, Why does it matter that Erin Andrews is white? If Pam Oliver had done the interview would it have made a difference? Would Sherman not have gone on that idiotic rant if they didn't have that "worried looking white woman" interview him?

Speaking of Pam Oliver... Wtf with her chewbacca haircut last weekend?

"I think there's a Squatch in these woods"

 

[tshirt]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BizEqMIrsY4]How to be a Thug - YouTube[/ame]

 

[tshirt]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWIatqgXxSg]White Boys Visit Compton - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Taz_Hokie]

Wait, are we using "Thug" now instead of "ninja" or "canadian"? Why didn't "White Power United" include that in the monthly mailer?

 

[Frank Rizzo]

nobody is saying the word thug itself is racist

it's racist to label him a thug for what he said and the way he said it

it was really harmless and was a rare example (albeit a selfish, poor winner one) of an athlete not just giving the same old sound bites

So let me get this straight...
If he had done something worse that would be interpreted by you to be "thug behavior" then it would not be racist to call him a thug. But if all he does is going on that bizarre idiotic rant that you don't feel is thug behavior then it is racist to call him a thug.
Do I have that right?

 

[RoboticDreams]

and why are they labeled thugs?

because of actions not words

I'm no Richard Sherman hater but let's not pretend that he's a choir boy. He's done a lot of instigating in his short career. Jeremy Shockey didn't exactly do anything more than Sherman. Just a lot of talking but not anything worthy of being labeled a thug.

 

[SonnyCID]

I'm no Richard Sherman hater but let's not pretend that he's a choir boy. He's done a lot of instigating in his short career. Jeremy Shockey didn't exactly do anything more than Sherman. Just a lot of talking but not anything worthy of being labeled a thug.

There was nothing thuggish about Shockey either.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

There was nothing thuggish about Shockey either.

That is my question for all the people playing the race card here... If I am understanding it right some are saying that it was racist to label Sherman a thug because they felt his behavior didn't warrant that label. So if Shockey were a called a thug and didn't do anything serious either then it is racist for people to call him a thug?

 

[cwood]

So let me get this straight...
If he had done something worse that would be interpreted by you to be "thug behavior" then it would not be racist to call him a thug. But if all he does is going on that bizarre idiotic rant that you don't feel is thug behavior then it is racist to call him a thug.
Do I have that right?

Yes, because nothing he's done or said is actually even remotely thuggish. It's just another way of saying he's acting like a Canadian as someone above said kind of mockingly even though he's right.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Yes, because nothing he's done or said is actually even remotely thuggish. It's just another way of saying he's acting like a Canadian as someone above said kind of mockingly even though he's right.

It seems more logical then that it is just a misuse of the word then and not a racial slur. Does it make sense to accuse some one of a racial slur when the origin or definition of the word has absolutely nothing to do with black people?

It amazes me at what lengths some will go to to play the race card. There are real examples of racism out there and those situations should get awareness and worked on.... This simply isn't one of them no matter how much you want it to be.

 

[SonnyCID]

That is my question for all the people playing the race card here... If I am understanding it right some are saying that it was racist to label Sherman a thug because they felt his behavior didn't warrant that label. So if Shockey were a called a thug and didn't do anything serious either then it is racist for people to call him a thug?

I dont remember anyone calling Shockey a thug. Loudmouth, yes. Idiot, yes.

 

[SonnyCID]

It seems more logical then that it is just a misuse of the word then and not a racial slur. Does it make sense to accuse some one of a racial slur when the origin or definition of the word has absolutely nothing to do with black people?

It amazes me at what lengths some will go to to play the race card. There are real examples of racism out there and those situations should get awareness and worked on.... This simply isn't one of them no matter how much you want it to be.

A lot of people only want to talk about race when they can say "he pulled the race card". 2 days before Sherman said this thing about the word thug, he brought up the amount of racism he faced that night, and not many really wanted to touch on it. Then he says this and all hell breaks loose.

 

[NinerSickness]

I dont remember anyone calling Shockey a thug. Loudmouth, yes. Idiot, yes.

For that matter I don't remember anyone calling Sherman a thug. Who started this thug business?

Sherman isn't even close to a thug. He's a disrespectful punk (see the Skip Bayless interview, slapping Harbaugh on the ass) & showed poor sportsmanship, but he's nothing like a thug.

 

[cwood]

It seems more logical then that it is just a misuse of the word then and not a racial slur. Does it make sense to accuse some one of a racial slur when the origin or definition of the word has absolutely nothing to do with black people?

It amazes me at what lengths some will go to to play the race card. There are real examples of racism out there and those situations should get awareness and worked on.... This simply isn't one of them no matter how much you want it to be.

Thug by itself isn't remotely a racial slur. I also don't think most people who use the term are intentionally being racist. But it's not a simple misuse of the word and nothing Sherman has ever done even comes close to approaching that label. How does being cocky, intense, a poor sport, and loud lead to someone being called a thug? Only because he's a Canadian who is fitting people's stereotypes of other Canadians who call themselves thugs.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I dont remember anyone calling Shockey a thug. Loudmouth, yes. Idiot, yes.

Shockey has been brought up in this thread... I was just continuing on that conversation. How about this one then... Here is an article that says Bill Laimbeer was called a thug. He was not a criminal or anything.... Do you think those people that called him a thug are racist?


Legends profile: Bill Laimbeer | NBA.com

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Thug by itself isn't remotely a racial slur. I also don't think most people who use the term are intentionally being racist. But it's not a simple misuse of the word and nothing Sherman has ever done even comes close to approaching that label. How does being cocky, intense, a poor sport, and loud lead to someone being called a thug? Only because he's a Canadian who is fitting people's stereotypes of other Canadians who call themselves thugs.

OK... I'll ask you the same question.
The people that referred to Bill Laimbeer as a thug even tough he wasn't a criminal or anything... Are they racists?

Also, If there were any black people that referred to Sherman as a thug.. Are they racist too?

Again, this is a desperate stretch to play the race card when it simply isn't warranted.

 

[SonnyCID]

Shockey has been brought up in this thread... I was just continuing on that conversation. How about this one then... Here is an article that says Bill Laimbeer was called a thug. He was not a criminal or anything.... Do you think those people that called him a thug are racist?


Legends profile: Bill Laimbeer | NBA.com

Were they calling him a thuggish person off the court or a thuggish player on the court? There's a difference.

 

[Berkeley_Blues]

If we can't use the N word and we can't use Thug -- then we'll just need to invent a new word to describe loud, indignant, menacing, black men like Richard Sherman...so, why don't we just stick with Thug and be done with it?

 

[cwood]

OK... I'll ask you the same question.
The people that referred to Bill Laimbeer as a thug even tough he wasn't a criminal or anything... Are they racists?

Also, If there were any black people that referred to Sherman as a thug.. Are they racist too?

Again, this is a desperate stretch to play the race card when it simply isn't warranted.

They were referring to his physical style of play, not words he spoke in an interview.