Thunder Announcer

[Scapegoat]

Royce Young
ESPN Staff Writer
The Thunder have suspended play-by-play announcer Brian Davis for Game 1 against the Utah Jazz. Davis, who said Russell Westbrook was "out of his cotton-pickin' mind" after a highlight play, released this statement: "It is with great remorse and humility that I accept this suspension for the insensitive words I used during Wednesday's broadcast. While unintentional, I understand and acknowledge the gravity of the situation. I offer my sincere apology and realize that, while I committed a lapse in judgement, such mistakes come with consequences. This is an appropriate consequence for my actions."

 

[Montalban]

Royce Young
ESPN Staff Writer
The Thunder have suspended play-by-play announcer Brian Davis for Game 1 against the Utah Jazz. Davis, who said Russell Westbrook was "out of his cotton-pickin' mind" after a highlight play, released this statement: "It is with great remorse and humility that I accept this suspension for the insensitive words I used during Wednesday's broadcast. While unintentional, I understand and acknowledge the gravity of the situation. I offer my sincere apology and realize that, while I committed a lapse in judgement, such mistakes come with consequences. This is an appropriate consequence for my actions."

The Thunder should be ashamed of themselves for kow towing to the PC police.

 

[broncosmitty]

He never should've apologized.


What a crock of shit this is.

 

[Montalban]

He never should've apologized.


What a crock of shit this is.

Agreed. Several people disagreed though in my thread about this in the Politics Forum. But if he didn't apologize he'd have lost his job. They had him over a barrel

 

[flyerhawk]

I think this is pretty minor and, honestly, I've heard that phrase a million times and never thought about the connotations.

But I also think that a brief suspension is probably best for the team and for the announcer. It shows remorse for a bad choice of words, even if they were meant to be harmless.

 

[broncosmitty]

Agreed. Several people disagreed though in my thread about this in the Politics Forum. But if he didn't apologize he'd have lost his job. They had him over a barrel

Whole idea of that phrase being anything of note is baffling.

 

[broncosmitty]

I think this is pretty minor and, honestly, I've heard that phrase a million times and never thought about the connotations.

But I also think that a brief suspension is probably best for the team and for the announcer. It shows remorse for a bad choice of words, even if they were meant to be harmless.

Why is it a bad choice of words?


How could anyone have remorse for saying it?


This is nuts.

 

[Tapey]

I thought it was funny, I had a good chuckle

 

[tlance]

Whole idea of that phrase being anything of note is baffling.

I don't know about it being baffling. It's origination very clearly was a slave reference since slaves picked a vast majority of the cotton in the country.

That said, it is an expression. It is highly unlikely he used it intentionally with its origin in mind. An apology should have been enough without the suspension.

 

[logic]

It is a relatively common phrase, and I do believe that there was nothing really meant by it. However, being a professional announcer and representing an organization one does need to be aware of the connotations of the thing that are said. I think the apology and one game suspension fit perfectly. They show that he and the team take this seriously without completely throwing him under the bus for a one time error.

 

[flyerhawk]

It is a relatively common phrase, and I do believe that there was nothing really meant by it. However, being a professional announcer and representing an organization one does need to be aware of the connotations of the thing that are said. I think the apology and one game suspension fit perfectly. They show that he and the team take this seriously without completely throwing him under the bus for a one time error.

Exactly. I do feel it was an honest error but I also get why some people would find him using that reference during a basketball game to be problematic.

 

[trojanfan12]

What a load of bullshit.

The "offended class" is getting out of control in this country.

I've heard and used that phrase my entire life. Had no clue that it meant anything other than someone doing something crazy.

We really need to quit suspending and firing people for stupid shit like this. How about just pull the guy aside and say "Hey, we got some complaints, don't use that phrase again"?

 

[Montalban]

Why is it a bad choice of words?


How could anyone have remorse for saying it?


This is nuts.

Agreed. The announcer is forced to apologize for something he doesn't feel the need to apologize for and thus the apology is meaningless. But I guess to them it feels like a victory.

 

[Wishbone]

Would love to hear Westbrook's response to this. My guess is he doesn't give a shit.

 

[Gman]

We talked about this in the politics forum... ^this^ is the context most folks are familiar with the phrase (Saturday morning cartoons), or hearing it from some random aging family member as a sign of exasperation.

I'll repeat what I said there: it's a mistake to jump on the case of folks for an obvious misunderstanding with no ill meaning attached. I'm not gonna get worked up over a minor suspension... but it sucks that ownership has had to publically denounce this and this poor guy has been publically pilloried to an extent.

It sucks that we have to walk on egg shells around each other. That we should be expected to second guess ourselves.

Look this phrase up... it has a defined meaning with no racial angle whatsoever. Do some research on agriculture in the American South... it wasn't all plantation agriculture, there was a significant amount of poor whites who were cotton pickers.

There is zero... I repeat: zero... credible reason for punishing this dude to any extent.

But here we are, and it's too bad.

 

[Mecca]

I'm black.

I have heard the phrase, and used the phrase, when I was younger.

Shameful that this man is being suspended for a statement that clearly held no malice.

An apology should have sufficed.

I understand how some can be offended by the saying.

I just don't agree with it.

 

[msgkings322]

It is a relatively common phrase, and I do believe that there was nothing really meant by it. However, being a professional announcer and representing an organization one does need to be aware of the connotations of the thing that are said. I think the apology and one game suspension fit perfectly. They show that he and the team take this seriously without completely throwing him under the bus for a one time error.

This is before many of the posters' time, but Howard Cosell had exactly the same issue during Monday Night Football when some guy had a breakaway and he said "Look at the little monkey run!". In no way was he being racial, but he got shit for it anyway. That was like 35 years ago.

 

[trojanfan12]

This is before many of the posters' time, but Howard Cosell had exactly the same issue during Monday Night Football when some guy had a breakaway and he said "Look at the little monkey run!". In no way was he being racial, but he got shit for it anyway. That was like 35 years ago.

I remember that. In fact, I was watching the game when he said it and didn't think of it as meaning anything other than the guy was small (which he was) and running really fast (which he also was).

Having said that, when I heard that he got criticized for it and why...I understood. Still didn't and don't think it was about race, but I at least understood why he was criticized.

This thing with the Thunder announcer...I really don't get it.

 

[Mecca]

This is before many of the posters' time, but Howard Cosell had exactly the same issue during Monday Night Football when some guy had a breakaway and he said "Look at the little monkey run!". In no way was he being racial, but he got shit for it anyway. That was like 35 years ago.

Adams got Shit for calling the Dubs guards quick little monkeys.

 

[Gman]

Adams got Shit for calling the Dubs guards quick little monkeys.

Which, again, was a rather obvious misunderstanding... because the guy is a foreigner in that case. (Kiwi?)

These things could be teachable, dialogue moments that are positive and constructive in nature... instead of a chance to overreact and pillory...

Can't we all do better?

You may say I'm a dreamer... but I'm not the only one.