Yesterday afternoon ESPN analyst and college football reporter Joe Schad tweeted a comment made by fellow ESPN analyst and college football anchor Kirk Herbstreit, “Kirk Herbstreit: Ohio State should "quit recruiting players like Maurice Clarett and Terrelle Pryor."
Both Clarett and Pryor are Black athletes that played football for Ohio State. Pryor is still there. They have both at some point run afoul of the law and NCAA regulations but are bby far not the only ones to have done so. But, that’s not what I’m writing about per se.
After Schad’s tweet, the following conversation ensued:
“Hey @K_Herbstreit, so what kind of players are Terrelle Pryor and Maurice Clarett? --@DCurtis22
“BLACK!! RT @DCurtis22 Hey @K_Herbstreit, so what kind of players are Terrelle Pryor and Maurice Clarett?” --@dwright1906(That’s me by the way)
“@dwright1906 @DCurtis22 Haha Now im a racist? Why not blame the world economy and the war in the middle east on me too. Ya'll really r crazy”--@K_Herbsteit
“@K_Herbstreit @DCurtis22 I call it like I see it.”--@dwright1906
“@dwright1906 @K_Herbstreit @DCurtis22 When u play race cards at REALLY wrong times u set back progress we all want. Like crying wolf” --@rootshomeschad
The last tweet is what prompted me to write this post. Aside from the fact that this guy isn’t following @dwright1906 nor @DCurtis22 but found it necessary to come to Herbstreit’s defense, I’m just tired of people like him using that tired “race card” line.
People kill me when they say, "playing the race card", as if it's the Big Joker in a game of Spades. Racism is real, this isn’t a card game. That's the problem with progress when it comes to racism, people act like we're supposed to hold on to "the race card" until some huge event happens then slap it on the table like some mega-trump and shut the game down, then proceed to slap high-fives while we come up with clever slogans (like, get the yeast outcha ass and rise) that let the other team know that they've lost. NO!! Racism needs to be called out and eradicated at its roots, not just when it's on a large scale. Just as you wouldn't wait for weeds and crabgrass to grow and take over your lawn, neither should you allow remarks or actions that are racist to grow. People are always making slick racist comments, then pretending to be offended when they are called out on it. They act as if you're "crying wolf" or making a "mountain out of a molehill". Or they hit you with, and this is my favorite, "But, I have Black friends".
By the way, I never flat out called him a racist, I just insinuated like he did. I merely stated the obvious because the players are indeed Black. You'll notice that Herbstreit introduces the word "racist" into the conversation. But, for the sake of argument and honesty because that's exactly what I meant, let's say I did. Let's say I said, "Hey Kirk you're a racist". I could feel comfortable standing behind that because everyone is innately racist. I know you're saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa racism is taught". I beg to differ, hatred is taught, and racism is embedded.
Let me try to explain.
Have you ever been to an event or gathering that had several different races and groups of people that didn't know each other? Did you notice how Black people automatically migrated towards Black people and the other groups did the same? If you went to a mixed High School, this happened daily at lunchtime. Some might say that it's human nature to flock to those that you identify with. However, you don't know anyone in the room. Yet, you find yourself sitting in the same section as the other people who look like you. Why??? Because even if it's on a subconscious level, you already feel some kind of way about other races. One obviously noticeable thing that distinguishes different types of people in that setting is race or at the very least skin color , which is usually the best indicator of race. That's not to say that you hate any group in the room, but you're experiencing a reaction based on an innate prejudice based on race.
On the flipside, let's say Herbstreit isn't a racist of the hateful variety; rather he's just subject to making stupid remarks. ESPN, doesn't call itself "The worldwide leader in sports" because it's catchy to say. No, they say that because it's true. As an analyst on ESPN, Herbstreit has a responsibility, a duty if you will, to make more socially responsible comments, especially in a society as racially sensitive, and for good reason, as America's. While I admit that I can tend to have some "different" views and opinions and I may look too far beneath the surface at times, I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one that picked up on the racist undertones of his comment. As unique as I'd like to think that I am, I know better. As an analyst at "The worldwide leader in sports", Kirk Herbstreit should know better too. The same way he picked up my implication that he's racist; he should have known people would pick up on his own implications, even if more cleverly masked.
Well that’s the Green Chimp’s take on it….what’s yours?
