Did anyone hear the football commentator state that the player's father was

[Hosnon]

"currently incarcerated"?

I don't know what game we were watching (it was on around 4 or 5). It was the most shocking thing to hear. And if I had to guess, I would guess that the player was black (don't know that either).

My gut tells me that it was a horribly racist comment but I'd like to know more about it (perhaps there was some legitimate reason for mentioning that his father was in jail).

[Skittles]

1. hard to see how that would be relevant to the game

[Hosnon]

8. I agree...but I may have misheard it (although, who I was watching the game with heard it too). nt.

[vadawg]

2. no more racist than you assuming the player was black if you think about it..

[Hosnon]

5. That may be true and I'll admit to that if it is so. But given the state of racism today, I

find it hard to believe he would have said it if the player is white. Similar to Rep. Joe Wilson...I don't think he would have yelled out as he did were Obama white.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

31. Playing the odds is not racist.

If most players on the field are black... is it racist to assume a "random" player being discussed was black?

[armyowalgreens]

34. Yes. It is racist.

I highly doubt you were "playing the odds".

[rucky]

3. A player having to deal with hardship at home adds to the drama?

maybe. I didn't hear it so I don't know the context, but sports announcers always trying to put in some backstory when they can.

[BlooInBloo]

4. "4 or 5" doesn't narrow things down very much, since America has lots of time zones.

[Hosnon]

6. Oh, sorry. Eastern. nt.

[scheming daemons]

7. I think it is racist to assume the player is black

Pointing out that a player's father is in jail might be in bad taste, but it isn't inherently racist.

I have no idea what the race of the player is from your OP.

[BlooInBloo]

9. Presumably the poster saw the player on teevee, and hence isn't assuming it.

[tammywammy]

10. Except in the OP it says

"I would guess that the player was black (don't know that either)."

[BlooInBloo]

Well yah. Except for that part.

:rofl:

[Hosnon]

11. I didn't see the player actually.

I just think the odds of a comment like that being said about a black player are much higher than a white player (because of racism, not because of an incorrect assumption that more blacks are incarcerated).

[BlooInBloo]

12. Oh. That's really too bad, then.

[vadawg]

13. roflmao, this post is the best skewer i think ive seen on DU

bravo

[BlooInBloo]

18. lol! There was just nowhere else to go.

:rofl:

[vadawg]

19. i dont think the OP is racist, but its that old line about having the right to remain silent

but not having the ability, im starting to feel for them..

[Hosnon]

15. Well, like I said above, I won't deny that my assumption may be based on

my own racism (not perfect by any means). But just like I don't think Joe Wilson would have said what he did to a white President, I don't think the comment would have been said about a white player.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

20. Dude go to sleep

The only racist thing I read is you assuming that the player is black. Then you cop out by saying:

"I just think the odds of a comment like that being said about a black player are much higher than a white player"

I think what you really wanted to say was:

"I just think the odds of a black player having a father incarcerate are much higher than a white player"

Your antics have been noted.

[Hosnon]

22. No, that's not what I wanted to say.

But thanks for assuming the worst about me.

I'll freely admit that it may have been my racism that made me initially assume the player was black. But I still think that it is less likely to be said about a white player with an incarcerated father. I'm using this example a lot to explain but it is relevant (plus I went to a Wilson rally to protest today): I don't think that Rep. Wilson would have said what he said to a white President (ergo, his comment was racist).

ETA: Hmm...but, I don't know what I would have assumed about the race of the President (if anything) if I merely heard Rep. Wilson say that but didn't know anything about the President. Then again, I don't think it would mean that my assuming the President was black means that I think black people lie more than white people.

[vadawg]

24. dude you have the right to remain silent, id go to bed and forget this ever happened

[Hosnon]

25. Meh, perhaps you're right. I'm still curious about it though.

And at the very least, I've learned something about myself (which is never a bad thing).

[Brooklyns_Finest]

27. Wilson

This has nothing to do with Wilson or racism. Announcers make a living by talking about the personal life struggles of the athletes that they are watching. Do you ever watch Real Sport with Gumbal? He is always talking about deadbeat black and white athletes. This is what they do.

Not everything is racism.

[Hosnon]

29. I'm not that big of a sports watcher so, no.

And, like I noted, there could have been a legitimate reason for the comment (which is why I asked here...)

[Seeking Serenity]

26. I don't think that's quite it.

"I think what you really wanted to say was: 'I just think the odds of a black player having a father incarcerate are much higher than a white player.'"

Not quite. What I think the OP really wanted to say was:

"I think I heard, and I want other people to confirm, something that validates my preconceived notions, to wit, that this country is incurably racist and this teevee commentator's comment is more evidence of that racism, except that I can't prove that race was even involved, except that I just know that it was, because of what Joe Wilson did."

[Hosnon]

28. I will admit that is closer...

I only think this country is incurably racist to the degree that humans are incurably so. And I explained why I've been using the Joe Wilson example. I actually have a good video I wanted to post but couldn't quite figure that one out (never posted a video). (In sum, his supporters didn't see the irony in their strong (and vocal) opinion that no one should heckle Joe Wilson.)

[fishwax]

14. they used to mention that about Adrian Peterson's father when AD was at Oklahoma

It's a typical human interest hook, detailing a hardship or dramatic aspect of a player's personal life as context for what they do on the field. In AD's case, his father was released his last year at Oklahoma, and the first time he had a chance to attend one of his son's game it was something of a big deal.

I'll also add that, while I can't speak directly to the example you're recalling, there is a good chance that the storyline was given to him by the school's SID for precisely this purpose.

[Hosnon]

17. Interesting. We weren't really watching the game up until that point so

we acknowledged that there could be a legitimate back story. Which is one of the reasons I posted...

[WillowTree]

23. As I recall, they never hesitated to mention the legal problems Steffi Graf's father had, either.

[Dreamer Tatum]

16. Can you supply maybe one iota of evidence of racism when you post this stuff?

Please?

[Hosnon]

21. I tried to find anything about it on Google but came up short. So I thought I'd see if

anyone here caught the game and the moment.

Unfortunately, my admittedly racist assumption about the player seems to have made that unlikely.

[Recovered Repug]

30. I'm guessing that you're refering to this

http://www.tidefans.com/forums/football/93249-why-did-vern-stumble-quist-say-about-ingrams-father.html

[Hosnon]

35. That's it. Thanks. nt.

[michreject]

32. So you don't know what game was on

Who said it. Who they were talking about. The race of said subject of discussion. And yet you're enraged.

Mmmkay. :thumbsup:

[armyowalgreens]

33. The only thing that's racist is the fact that you assumed the player was black.

Talk about a mental slip up.

[KharmaTrain]

36. I Recall The Same Thing Always Said About Woody Harrelson

Sadly in a country where several million are currently in the penal system, there are going to be children who are affected. So was citing this about Woody also racist? Methinks some skins are getting a little thin these days.

[onenote]

37. yes the player involved is black. and no, mentioning his dad's incarceration was not racist

The player is Mark Ingram, Jr. His father Mark Ingram Sr. was a professional football player in the NFL for 9 years and his legal problems have been widely reported in the past. Its hardly surprising that the announcers would update viewers on the situation involving a football player's well-known (at least to other football fans) current situation.

[Hosnon]

38. Thanks for the info. We thought there might

have been some reason for saying that.