Thunder Announcer

[Mecca]

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.

Yeah, everything doesn't have to be so punitive.

I was watching that particular Thunder game and the comment didn't even register.

He was talking about his own player. So, common sense should tell you it wasn't said with malice.

The Adams thing was just ridiculous.

 

[knowyourenemy]

I always thought it was a euphemism for “god damn.” Pretty sure it’s now totally acceptable to use “god damn.” Talk about a role reversal.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, everything doesn't have to be so punitive.

I was watching that particular Thunder game and the comment didn't even register.

He was talking about his own player. So, common sense should tell you it wasn't said with malice.

The Adams thing was just ridiculous.

Exactly.

There are certain phrases, names, symbols, etc. that used to be "okay" (although never truly okay) that just need to be gone and never used. The "n-word" (or really any word that has been used to portray/render an entire race/group of people to subhuman status), swastikas, etc. should be left to history books/museums as examples of how thing used to be and should never be again.

But we shouldn't have to scour the entire English language and try to sterilize it by removing every single phrase that someone who's looking to be offended by something, might not like.

 

[Mecca]

Exactly.

There are certain phrases, names, symbols, etc. that used to be "okay" (although never truly okay) that just need to be gone and never used. The "n-word" (or really any word that has been used to portray/render an entire race/group of people to subhuman status), swastikas, etc. should be left to history books/museums as examples of how thing used to be and should never be again.

But we shouldn't have to scour the entire English language and try to sterilize it by removing every single phrase that someone who's looking to be offended by something, might not like.

Yeah, it's crazy.

My Daughter has to remind me to stop using the word tard so much.

Oddly enough, I'm usually using it in reference to the dog.

We have a Yorkipoo that leans heavily towards the poodle side.

That little Fucker runs laps around the house, both levels, at full speed, jumping over furniture and shit.

If that aint going full on tard, I don't know what is.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, it's crazy.

My Daughter has to remind me to stop using the word tard so much.

Oddly enough, I'm usually using it in reference to the dog.

We have a Yorkipoo that leans heavily towards the poodle side.

That little Fucker runs laps around the house, both levels, at full speed, jumping over furniture and shit.

If that aint going full on tard, I don't know what is.

My sons yellow lab does that sometimes. He usually reserves if for when he or I (or both) have been gone for awhile.

Of course, to him, 5 seconds is awhile. lol

 

[DJ]

Holy fuck balls, batman.....

 

[DJ]

Yeah, it's crazy.

My Daughter has to remind me to stop using the word tard so much.

Oddly enough, I'm usually using it in reference to the dog.

We have a Yorkipoo that leans heavily towards the poodle side.

That little Fucker runs laps around the house, both levels, at full speed, jumping over furniture and shit.

If that aint going full on tard, I don't know what is.

That dog must be related to TLF and Shaqdaddy.

 

[packerzrule]

The ongoing pussification of this country is intolerable

 

[DJ]

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.

People in public are under a microscope and have to be aware of that. It may be somewhat minor but it can be seen as being offensive.

 

[thunderc]

This.

People in public are under a microscope and have to be aware of that. It may be somewhat minor but it can be seen as being offensive.

Bullshit, taking crap like this seriously is a big part of what has become wrong in this country.

 

[trojanfan12]

This.

People in public are under a microscope and have to be aware of that. It may be somewhat minor but it can be seen as being offensive.

I disagree. Some things are obviously offensive and if they say it, they deserve whatever comes to them over it.

But some, things you have to try to be offended by. The term "out of your cotton pickin' mind" is something you have to try to be offended by.

I do agree that announcers have to be careful. But when something is a common phrase that virtually everyone who hears it doesn't even register as anything offensive (including those who supposedly should be offended), how are they supposed to know not to say it? Especially when the context is a compliment.

 

[Gman]

... it can be seen as being offensive.

Does it even matter that the people who find this offensive in some way literally have no good reason (zero) to find it offensive?

Only pure ignorance and gall would lead someone to the kneejerk reaction that that phrase is offensive.

 

[DJ]

Slaves picked cotton.....not voluntarily......they were forced to.

It may have been a long ass time ago and nobody alive has done it (that was forced to do it, I'm aware some people/farmers have done it, they were not slaves) but when it's a negative part of history you have to be aware of that and be aware that everybody voluntarily did it. It's just part of what our society has become that it can be misconstrued as very negative.

 

[thunderc]

I will issue a statement for the Thunder on this:

The OKC Thunder organization would like to apologize to the whole world that one of our employees said something that was completely innocent that triggered the butthurt militia. We know that normal basketball fans realize that this was not insensitive in any way and certainly was not racist. We will however add this phrase to the continuously growing list of things that can be used against good people by people and organizations that waste peoples time and make themselves look ridiculous.

 

[thunderc]

Slaves picked cotton.....not voluntarily......they were forced to.

It may have been a long ass time ago and nobody alive has done it (that was forced to do it, I'm aware some people/farmers have done it, they were not slaves) but when it's a negative part of history you have to be aware of that and be aware that everybody voluntarily did it. It's just part of what our society has become that it can be misconstrued as very negative.

Big fn deal, my mom and grandparents picked cotton too. You know what, I don't think anyone should even wear cotton, we should fn ban it. What a bunch of dumbasses.

 

[DJ]

Big fn deal, my mom and grandparents picked cotton too. You know what, I don't think anyone should even wear cotton, we should fn ban it. What a bunch of dumbasses.

And I bet they weren't slaves, right?

 

[Mecca]

This.

People in public are under a microscope and have to be aware of that. It may be somewhat minor but it can be seen as being offensive.

Yes.

But, a suspension is way to harsh.

His apology should have been sufficient.

 

[Gman]

Slaves picked cotton.....not voluntarily......they were forced to.

^ Totally true.

So what? The phrase has no special racial or derogatory meaning whatsoever... we can verify that by checking dictionary.com:

the definition of cottonpickin'

^ There is the defined meaning to the word. One would have to be ignorant to go beyond it.

It may have been a long ass time ago and nobody alive has done it (that was forced to do it, I'm aware some people/farmers have done it, they were not slaves) but when it's a negative part of history you have to be aware of that and be aware that everybody voluntarily did it. It's just part of what our society has become that it can be misconstrued as very negative.

The key part of the above I took the liberty of highlighting... only way to find this offensive is if the offended party "miscontrued" the phrase.

It's those offended who are in the wrong here.

 

[thunderc]

And I bet they weren't slaves, right?

No, who gives a shit. Honest question, are there people in this country right now that are about 50 million times better off than they would have been if their ancestors hadn't been brought here as slaves? Call me what you want but it's time to get over this shit. No one condones what happened, but it's not anyone that is alive's fault so get over it already should be the message.

 

[trojanfan12]

Slaves picked cotton.....not voluntarily......they were forced to.

It may have been a long ass time ago and nobody alive has done it (that was forced to do it, I'm aware some people/farmers have done it, they were not slaves) but when it's a negative part of history you have to be aware of that and be aware that everybody voluntarily did it. It's just part of what our society has become that it can be misconstrued as very negative.

The term cotton pickin' has never had a negative or racial connotation to it. Someone posted that earlier in this thread. There were plenty of poor white cotton farmers who didn't have slave labor to pick their cotton. Probably more than actual plantations.

With the logic used to make this phrase racist or offensive, we should probably just outlaw cotton as a racist material.