Giant Public Relations Monster Devours Gilbert Arenas
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 29, 2010 12:45 AM PST
Email
PrintThe story of public relations is the story of the application of psychoanalysis to marketing. In fact, the man recognized with the establishment of the first PR firm in 1919, one Edward L. Bernays, was the nephew of none other than the infamous Sigmund Freud. Our story, however, is not concerned with the advent of that Orwellian juggernaut with which we are all so painfully familiar in the 21st century, but rather how it has influenced the life of one of my own, and many other GSOMers favorite ex-warriors, the enigmatic Gilbert Arenas.
Gilly utilizes his patented "raspberry crossover" on ex-Dub TMNT
By now, of course, the sordid tail of his botched gag at the expense Wizard’s teammate Javaris Crittenton is old, weathered hat. Certainly, most any NBA fan knew as soon as the story broke that Arenas would soon be the subject of what Hunter Thompson might describe as a King Hell Bastard of a punishment, courtesy of the NBA head office and figurehead David Stern. Any time a criminal investigation is undergone regarding employees as high-profile as NBA players, heads are destined to roll. Thus is the nature of PR. There is something strange and terrible which occurs in the American psyche when the imagery of a black man and a gun are combined. So prevalent is this nightmarish perversion of the nature of the African-American male that the terrible PR monster must be unleashed, no matter its destructive power, to dissolve the horror which the media has worked so painstakingly to engender lo these many years. Preying upon our fear, it warps our minds until the words of Stern, the wretched demagogue, begin magically appear reasonable.
The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action.
There you have it. With phrasing more formal than that of a foppish dandy, backed by the law of the all-powerful government of the United States of Refusal to Utilize Abbreviation, the image of the shiftless negro has once more been conjured up for the baser elements of mind to devour.
"How dare these thugs bring guns to an NBA arena!" the collective bigot-mind drawls. "I bring my children there!"
Outside of this perverse delusion, however, there exists a stark reality. One in which the thug in question is paid $18.5 million dollars annually. He has a wife and children, and works with organizations like the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. This is hardly the imagery befitting the LA Crip our monster would have us imagine. Relentless in its magical assault, the monster calls upon the Dark Art of Spin to conjure up some infernal press conference within our mind, hidden deep away in some shadowy figurative alcove like the Nothing of the Neverending Story.
"The Washington Post", it growls, "reports that arenas displayed four gun before Crittenton, advising him to choose one!"
The collective idiot-mind recoils in horror. The depths of the black man’s evil madness have been revealed. Or has it?
In the end the story unfolding in the realm of objectivity is one of complex, in-born racism, fomented by media hype, and an ever-tightening grip on the liberties of the proletariat, in which guns are only to be trusted in public if possessed by a denizen of the all-mighty government. Therefore it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to consider with great care the validity of a policy which, through the looking glass of public relations, attempts to convince us that NBA players somehow endanger the lives of those around them simply by virtue of possessing a firearm. It would seem they would have us believe these players might reasonably decide to fire on someone unprovoked, or that an area as secure as an NBA locker might be compromised, allowing some shadowy terrorist cell to take hostage of 20,000 people with four hand guns. Whatever the implied danger, one can be sure it is a monstrosity of a delusion.
via www.midseasonreplacements.com
This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!
55 comments
|
6 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Very creative......but.....
I believe your article creates a thought process that is not actually there.
This has got absolutely NOTHING to do with the poor oppressed negro, or racism in any way shape or form.
It has to do with an Idiot, taking not one firearm to an NBA arena, but FOUR! It truly does not matter what colour his skin was, it was a mind blowingly stupid thing to do, as is keeping firearms at home where there are children, while not secure in a proper gun cabinet. Anyone going to work, be it an NBA arena, an office, a school, whatever it may be…EVERYONE has the right to feel safe and to understand that a colleague is not bringing a firearm to the workplace, unless they are a member of law enforcement.
The only reason people might consider this to be a race issue is the fact that no one has seen a Troy Murphy, Austin Croshere, etc, i.e. Caucasian Basketball players pulling firearms out in jest or in self defence. Yet at least two that I know of, African American (to be politically correct) have been stupid enough to pull out guns in public.
This has nothing to do with PR spin in my personal opinion, but everything to do with the responsibility of the African American community in its own right saying ‘We are sick of gangsta culture in our community’. ‘Gangsta’ culture has a lot to answer with regards peoples perceptions of the African American community, just as the extremist have a lot to answer with regards to many peoples views that all Muslims have terrorist tendancies, which is complete and utter tripe!.
If Gilbert had stopped for half a second to think about what he was doing, or even god forbid, took a moment to ask his wife… ‘Hey do you think I should take my guns to the arena to play a joke on someone’ she would have probably kicked him in the crown jewels and told him not to be so incredibly stupid! irrespective of the colour of his skin!
Unfortunately…. your average person on the street would never dream of playing a practical joke with ‘Live’ firearms and nor I suspect would the NBA and David Stern. Most likely, the NBA would have thought that multi-million dollar athletes would have a little common sense and thus do not need to be lectured or spoken down to about how to behave and act….
Unfortunately…BECAUSE of Gilberts actions….the NBA now has to assume that it’s players are incredibly stupid with no common sense and to get this message across, has to come down hard on one of its former poster boys, to get the message across to the slightly less intelligent players that may consider something like this again in the future…that it is a BAD idea.
So, I dont think there is ANY racist based PR spin here at all, but a natural reaction to a man that literally has it all….a great home, loving family….multi-million dollar sports contract….everything that is the American dream…and he is STUPID enough to consider throwing that all away for the sake of a ‘practical joke!!!!’…… Irrespective of skin colour….there is stupid and there is…… Beyond MOPED stupid! The media is just doing it’s rightful job and highlighting that as a public figure, you do have to consider your actions in public and as a result…if you dont think about what your doing…you are fair game to ripped apart in the media, for gross stupidity and extremely POOR example setting to impressionable minds.
So unfortunately, your opinion of deep seated racism in the upper echalons of government is in my opinion, just as racist as the people you accuse, namely that you are tarring many people with the same brush. While I dont disagree that racism exists and of course it does… it is equally prevalent from many parts of the African American community to the caucasian, asian, mexican community.
But…this case, in my opinion…..has nothing to do with race…but everything to do with gross stupidity. Period. For that…he deserves all he gets. That said… African American athletes do have to consider their greater profile in the public spotlight and if they are to help in pursuading the populace at large, that not every young African American male is an angry, gun toting gangsta!! They can start by not dressing like one, covering themselves in bling and tattoos and producing guns at inapropriate moments to ‘show off’. Most civilised responsible people of any race realise that a gun in the civil community has very limited use:
1: Law enforcement
2: Home/peronal protection (in the US)
3: Sport
Anything else is nothing more than showing off or worse still… unlawful ….and most of us grew out of showing off by the end of our teenage years and most of us have no intentions to commit unlawful acts that involve firearms.
Here endeth the BW lesson! :-)
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Jan 29, 2010 4:29 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
a few points...
first let me say that i realize my position on this matter well outside the status quo. the positions i am taking here, about racism in the media and in American proffessional sports PR, is certainly not something you will hear very often in the media or otherwise. this is an opinion that has been developing in my mind probably since the demonization of terrel owens several years ago. this occured during my formative years and perplexed me, as my innocence did not allow me to comprehend the nature of public relations. since then there obviously have been an endless series of events involving african american males in proffessional sports being dragged through the mud by corporate media, including the infamous piston’s brawl, and the michael vick case. throughout these events i have developed two basic opinions:
1) within public relations in sports there seems to be no effort to defend, or put positive spin or “damage contol” on situations involving black athletes. it seems as if, by levying the maximum punishments, american proffessional sports seek to add to the subltle racism which is without question alive and well in the US. it would seem they want to dehumanize the players, marginalizing the poor socioeconomic background most of them came from, and treating them in much the same way that our legal system does: using antiquated forms of punishment with no attempt at meaningful rehabilitation, thus feeding into their cycle of poor decision making. for example, i do not think michael vick should have been imprisoned for running a dog fighting ring, as unusual as that position may sound. dogfighting is a totally indefensible practice, but what purpose does imprisonment serve? what does it accomplish that a ton of community service, psychoanalysis, community outreach, and fines levied to be donated to animal rights groups, does not accomplish? imprisonment is simply the aspect which appeals to our dark, judeo-christian beliefs, in which we must please our angry god through blind, stupid punishment. the NBA and NFL’s approach is exactly the same. there is a much greater emphasis on punishment than there is on positive change. it’s just very dishearting, and, in my opinion, insensitve to the unique position many african-amercan males find themselves in by virtue of the poor communities from which they come. particularly angering, to me, is the total disconnect white america seems to have with regard to carrying guns. do they really think black athletes are carrying these guns because they are “thugs” or some such racist imagery? they carry guns, often, because they are much more likely to become targets of robbery and violence by disenfrachised members of their former communites. many middle class americans don’t seem to realize there are many parts of our country which are largely black, and are essentially demilitarized zones that have been created by racist politics since the freeing of the slaves. for more info on the topic i highly recommend the baron davis produced “bloods and crips”. it is one of the most important films i have ever seen. honestly.
2) then there is the issue of gun control. personally i was raised in a middle class environment by a hardline democrat. this meant gun control was seen as the ultimate solution to combat gun violence. to be honest, i’ve never fired a gun in mind life, and would never want to. nevertheless as i developed my own opinions in life i came to realize the incredible dishonestly inherent in “gun control”. it is absolutely nothing more than in attempt to disarm the proletariat, thus further entrenching the power of the federal government.
as much as i hate to agree with the likes of charlton heston and childhood hero michael moore, gun violence is not, by and large, an issue of accessibility to legally purchased weapons. far from it. it is specifically the result of the US government’s systematic efforts disenfranchise certain ethnic and social classes, mainly african americans, to the point where they have no choice but to commit crime to survive. in case you weren’t aware, the CIA used black gangs to introduce crack cocaine into the untied states in the 80s, for example.
then there is the incredible rise of the prison industry that has completely changed our legal system into a factory which produces commodites, or prisoners, to be parlayed into huge profits which come from our tax dollars. ultimately we must take responsibility for our government’s total failure to deal with this problem capably. if we want to stop gun violence we must pour massive amounts of money into poor communites and schools, stop programs like the incredibly racist “no child left behind”, reinstitute large-scale rehabilitation in prisons which was dismantled in the 60s, and return the prision system to public control.
bring back warriors roundtable! warriors weekly is a pretender to the throne of warriors themed TV shows!
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 29, 2010 2:01 PM PST up reply actions
Yes and Saddam Hussein is not to be blamed for gassing the Kurds....
Because he had a bad upbringing….This is an extreme example, but to blame a person actions on their environment, is a cop out excuse used more and more now, by those who refuse to admit that the person might…just MIGHT have the moral fortitude and mental strength to not follow the herd and to say… I am going to make something of my life, through hard work and effort.
As I said…I dont believe any of the above has anything to do racism at all, but an excuse for incredibly STUPID individuals choices and actions.
To say that these guys carry guns to protect themselves more from members of their own community, says more about their own community than it does about the ‘evil’ white man and his constant oppression of the African American race. Besides…there is the certain fact that we all should live by the rule of law…not take the law into our own hands. When one guy carries a gun…the other carries a shotgun…so the first guy gets an AK47…and so on and so on… It’s a cop out….and its an argument used by pathetically weak minded individuals who refuse to do what they can to live a lawful life. Afterall…this world owes everyone…the princely sum of zero!
But unfortunately… we have become an apologetic society, stating a million reasons why its not someones fault. To blame a thug’s choices no matter what their skin colour on anything other than bone idleness and lazyness is a cop out, because there are thousands more citizens who choose to live their lives legally, many of which have come from slums of unimaginable povety in the United States.. For some to say they have no option other than to commit crime…again…more cop out BS. If they have no hope in the world and no chance of a job, through lack of education…… go join the military before committing crime.
There are 100’s of thousands of African american males that dont feel the need to take up arms, but equally there are many who feel it is perfectly acceptable to go to a dog fight. If it had been me, I agree, I would not have sent Michael Vick to jail… I would have put his backside in a pit with two very angry and starving dogs and let the dogs loose on him to see if that could ‘EDUCATE’ him his ignorant and pathetically stupid and cruel brain. Why waste tax payers money on that waste of humanity.
Again as to your comments about illegal arms being actually the fault of the Government…NO…its the fault again of the pathetically weak minded who do want to work hard and want to ‘TAKE’ what they THINK they are owed, by use of force. The government has nothing to do with that process….but purely the individual concerned…he has a moment to make a choice… and if he ‘chooses’ to break the law…. dont tell me that the government has forced them to do that…their lack of personal fortitude has forced them to do that..and that is irrelevent of skin colour.
Your perplexion and innocence has in my opinion…simply been convinced of a particular belief which you believe to be true…to be brutally honest…no different to individual muslims who become indoctrinated to believe that everyone in western government and the western world is evil and Allah demands they give their lives if need be to fight the great evil of western culture. The only difference is that you feel the sports PR industry is somehow out there to try and demonise African American sports stars, which they are not…they are simply printing the stories of acts of incredible stupidity as the one thing all your examples have in common of African American athletes….. they were caught doing something INCREDIBLY STUPID that no self respecting citizen would do…IRRESPECTIVE OF SKIN COLOUR!….
This has nothing to do with racism….but plain, STUPIDITY and ARROGANCE that they think they could get away with something and I for one will never allow anyone so stupid..to blame it on their surroundings.
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Jan 29, 2010 5:29 PM PST up reply actions
go join the military before committing crime.
haha, yeah let the state legitimize your crimes. that’s sicker than Gil’s joke.
Step back and take a look at what he did , If it was a set of swords would there be any difference? How about cream pies? Just cause Gil collects guns it becomes a matter of national security? What if Steve Nash collected guns would there be the same outrage?? I’m a lot more comfortable with Arenas having guns than with some creep that will shoot a tricker treater at his door having them but these types don’t get the book thrown at them.
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 29, 2010 6:34 PM PST up reply actions
Your not that naive or stupid, so I dont think it's worth any further discussion.
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Jan 29, 2010 7:32 PM PST up reply actions
You're not that naive or stupid, so I dont think it's worth any further discussion.
I’m glad you understand that.
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 29, 2010 10:51 PM PST up reply actions
Alright, I can't resist one thing
“There are 100s of thousands of African American males that don’t feel the need to take up arms”? Oh really? How many of those stories do you see as the lead topic on Sportscenter? Go ahead and give me the argument that that is what sells. But white people have a much better representation on TV, when one acts up (and it happens, contrary to what they tell you, look up Brad Miller and cocaine or Brett Myers and abuse) it does not get the type of attention that a black person in the exact same scenario would get. (Note: I am not saying that white troublemakers don’t ever get front page coverage, because race is not the only factor that goes into how big of a story something is. But I am saying that in any situation, if everything else remained constant, changing only the race of the perpetrator from white to black or brown will lead to a harsher reaction.) You say “they are simply printing the stories of acts of incredible stupidity as the one thing all your examples have in common of African American athletes…they were caught doing something incredibly stupid that no self respecting citizen would do”. But as far as I know, Roethlisberger got charged with rape (or something close, but I’m pretty sure it was rape) and ESPN chose not to report the story until a lot more of the information came out (and basically demoted the topic from the public consciousness, when was the last time you thought about that when you looked at Big Ben? But when Kobe Bryant was accused of rape, it was everywhere.
And that has nothing to do with racism?
You seem to think that your intellectual opposites are arguing that dogfighting is a good thing and other things like that. When that is your mindset, you will NEVER understand.
Alright, I’m not getting drawn into this. I really can’t afford the time this time. I would understand if you responded, but in that case you will have the last word, so hopefully you won’t do what the last guy did and start attacking me personally.
Hmmmm... to answer just a couple of points..
Why would any normal citizen be featured on sportscentre? Talk about state the obvious. If you have done nothing wrong, funnily enough…no one does any news articles about you… strange concept I know..but hey..
If I remember correctly… Brad Miller and Brett Myers all received a great dal of publicity about those cases?
With regards Roethlisberger, I could be wrong, but I dont believe he was charged with rape as I thought the allegation was proven to be false? As I said…I could be wrong. But I do remember seeing his mugshot across every national news TV station…granted its not ESPN as in your example..but surely national news is just a tad worse?
Finally…you talk of steroetypes and yet you see ‘Brit’ and think I spend all day looking at ‘Big Ben’ considering life… that actually just made me laugh out loud… As to Kobe… He frankly deserves all the attention he gets with some of his past behaviour..
But, whatever….I find these racial conspiracy theories, ‘sometimes’ as fanciful as alien theory…
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Jan 30, 2010 6:19 AM PST up reply actions
Big Ben is Ben Roethlisberger's nickname
by Reverend_Randy on Feb 1, 2010 4:13 PM PST up reply actions
Hhahahah
See…there’s the culture thing rearing its head again…I had no idea he was called that!
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 1, 2010 4:51 PM PST up reply actions
To say that these guys carry guns to protect themselves more from members of their own community, says more about their own community than it does about the ‘evil’ white man and his constant oppression of the African American race.
this argument is predicated on the idea that systematic oppression of african americans has not been a long, and well documented process, which it has. again, i must recommend the recent stacy peralta documentary bloods and crips for an in-depth, expansive history of this opression dating back to the freeing of the slaves.
with regard to your argument about an “apologetic society”, i must point out that to deny socioeconomic factors and modern psychology and its acceptance of concepts such as patterns of behavior seems very unrealistic. also, using terms like “rule of law” in a positive connotation suggests a predilection to antiquated, judeo-christian beliefs. if this is the case we cannot have a reasonable discussion on the matter as religous beliefs are not, in modern terms, reasonable.
To blame a thug’s choices no matter what their skin colour on anything other than bone idleness and lazyness is a cop out, because there are thousands more citizens who choose to live their lives legally, many of which have come from slums of unimaginable povety in the United States.. For some to say they have no option other than to commit crime…again…more cop out BS. If they have no hope in the world and no chance of a job, through lack of education…… go join the military before committing crime.
i must admit i found this statement shocking. a convicted fellon saying he cannot get a job is not a cop-out, it’s the truth. that cannot be argued. there is a word for this condition which is levied upon classes of societies, and it is called disenfranchisement. it would seem you are somehow unfamiliar with this concept entirely. do you think ghettos are the result of laziness? that is an absurdity.
furthermore, you’re suggestion that they “go join the military” is, frankly, very offensive to me. the fact is that the disenfranchised do makeup a disproportionate number of our military personnel. it is a matter which is of great controversy in the US. the idea that an individual is so without hope that he can be convinced to participate in the violent occupation of another country is, for a great many americans, incredibly tragic.
bring back warriors roundtable! warriors weekly is a pretender to the throne of warriors themed TV shows!
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 30, 2010 1:13 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I dont think I could agree less with anything you have written above in this response...
Your first paragraph you manage yet again to make it seem like ALL African Americans are subject to, even today, that which they might have been in the past (of which I do not deny and do not approve of)… This argument in modern society is about as antiquated as your ‘judeo-christian’ statements and beliefs.
Your second paragraph again.. modern psychology…ahhh yes one of my favourite subjects… otherwise known as…well no…I dont think i am even going to open this conversation to what I think of many ‘modern psychologists’.
So… the third paragraph finds you in shock…shock that I should think many convicted fellons are bone idle and lazy? Many of them are… that may not sit well with you but many ‘not all’ but many, will never do whatever job they can, to get by… they resort to crime long before they have ever gotten their fingernails dirty in hard jobs, working long hours for little pay…many choose to use the .. ‘I am so oppressed and that is why I have never worked a day in my life…but will have my revenge on society with my gun’… Is not interesting to you, and to be fair, this applies to bone idle Caucasians as much as African Americans, that whenever you see workers in the fields now, harvesting crops… what is the predominance of race? I’ll tell you… Mexican… and why? Because many realise that hard work and effort CAN get you out of your predicament.
We have produced a ‘Pop tart culture’ of instant gratification…“I have no job…boohoo woe is me…I know…I’ll go get the easy street cash robbing some pensioner at gun point”… as opposed to…. “I have no opportunities here…. I am going to move somewhere where I can work..no matter what that job might be…I want to work…”
You are fond of the ‘Bloods and Crips’ movie.. would you deny the merits of the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’… the story of …shock horror… an African American man…who had nothing…and worked his backside off to do what he had to do…
So yes… there are many ‘fellons’ that take the easy option…to deny that there are easy street crooks, is blind naivety. But then in order to see that, you would see I have not ‘generalised’ in my view here and yes there will often be the case of someone who has tried to work…and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, making the wrong decision… I am sorry if this shocks you… but the majority of the populace at large are sick to death of people complaining what they dont have and then not making an active attempt to do something about that..
Gehtto’s are not a result of laziness…did I say that…or are you trying to now put words into my mouth? But who says a person once they are 16-18 has to stay in the ghetto? Move out…move away…. do what you have to do to leave, what is evidently not going to lead to anything other than a life of crime. It requires the person to be proactive in their own destiny…or…they can stay… claim benefit…and get dragged deeper and deeper into the mire..
As to your comment about joining the military as being offensive… I frankly find your deep seated generalisation of the oppression of ALL African Americans with generalised comments…ASLO offensive… and as a former serving member of my military armed forces… the clear dislike you have for the armed forces…is also pretty offensive… but hey…you have your views..I’ll have mine… it’s not hostile…just differing views….. I actually applaud the ‘disenfranchised’ that DO make the choice to join the armed forces…as many will discover a true brotherhood…much more meaningful and tighter than any street ‘brotherhood’ will ever be… at the same time, they can have the opportunity to learn new skills and be educated… granted this comes at a price… the price of going to war… but then nothing in life is FREE… other than something stolen… its just life…get over it…stop complaining about it…and do something about it… LIFE is what you make it… be it voluntary work…manual labour…. military service… sports…. business… it really does not matter…if someone REALLY truly wants to work… they can find it…it may not be ideal… but it is more credible than any scumbag with a gun will ever be in my eyes….
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Jan 30, 2010 1:54 PM PST up reply actions
if we want to stop gun violence we must
You forgot: Legalize drugs to end the bogus “war on drugs” that’s making those behind it rich, while killing our children and destroying our future.
Quit making the theiving Wall Street Fat-Cat Bankers even richer.
moveyourmoney.info
by cybermaldonado on Jan 29, 2010 11:04 PM PST up reply actions
i completely agree!
bring back warriors roundtable! warriors weekly is a pretender to the throne of warriors themed TV shows!
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 30, 2010 1:14 PM PST up reply actions
Bring a gun to work.
See what happens.
All the same, an entertaining read by Bimbo Coles. However, I wouldn’t put too much into the over-reacting sports bard . They live for these sorts of incidents because it makes them feel like authentic writers. For once, maybe they have insight or privileged information that your common, everyday sports-fan does not.
don't worry
i have no delusions about being an “authentic writer” hahaha
bring back warriors roundtable! warriors weekly is a pretender to the throne of warriors themed TV shows!
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 29, 2010 2:07 PM PST up reply actions
I meant...
Sports writers. Specifically, the ones that get paid (as clearly you have written a piece about sports, however you receive no monetary compensation for the act) and, specifically, the guys that blew the Arenas story out of proportion. I was not taking a shot at you. You’re family. GSoM family.
What ever happened ?
to the sanctity of the locker room? How did a joke among friends become an NBA matter anyway? When Stern got involved why didn’t they all just say Gil had a case of fake guns and forget it? Where is the Republican pro gun lobby when we really need them?
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 29, 2010 10:12 AM PST reply actions
Wizards leaked it.
Its clear that the organization wanted this to be known. Gil did a really stupid thing and Gil should have realized that Stern is working for NBA owners, Washington owners included and commish will try to help them get rid of a bad contract, especially in this financial climate.
Gil did a really stupid thing
It’s not so much a stupid thing, it’s more a stupid law that can prosecute him for a joke. Meanwhile bad people are carrying guns all over the place with few repercussions.
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 29, 2010 2:03 PM PST up reply actions
It's more a stupid law that can prosecute him for a joke.
Its MORE that, even if Gill was joking, he did a stupid thing. You can’t just do whatever you want, and then write it off as a joke, even if it actually was intended to be a joke. I personally think that Gill probably believes it was a joke, but he also obviously wanted to show JC who was in charge. If he just wanted to play a joke on him, why didn’t he give him a wedgie. He brought 4 guns into a locker room! Guns hurt and kill people all the time by accident!
So I don’t believe that it was totally a joke, but even if it was, it was a dangerous, stupid, and uncalled for joke that deserves, at least, the suspension that he received.
by freerandolph on Jan 29, 2010 4:13 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
One of the more interesting debates here in quite a while....I have to agree w freerandolph here.
And with a variety of friends of many races in this mult-cultural community my african american friends are the ones groaning/rolling their eyes the most at this behavior.
One interesting comment was “who the he__ wants to raise a family in a society where so many would argue that this was NOT a stupid mistake—no matter what color we are we have to be responsible for our actions—-raise your hand if you think that you will be employed tomorrow if you bring your guns into the workplace—much less do what this guy did”…..
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 1, 2010 1:33 PM PST up reply actions
Where was the pro gun lobby?
They don’t endorse stupidity, just enable it.
Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell? Oh no hide the children!
by Nuck Chorris on Jan 29, 2010 4:53 PM PST up reply actions
Soooooo.........
That is nice that he makes 18.5 million dollars, has a wife and kids, and works with charities.
But Gilbert owed Jarvaris. Not the other way around.
I don’t see how anyone could take what Gil did as a joke. Obviously Jarvaris didn’t and he was there first hand. Anytime guns, pride and a conflict over money occupy the same space it is not a joke. The fact that it happened in the workplace only makes it worse.
I don’t think he is a monster. Just an idiot.
Just because it’s Gil’s joke doesn’t make it a joke at all.
Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell? Oh no hide the children!
You need broaden your horizons. I laugh at your “collective-idiot mind”. Accusing others of stereotyping while doing the same yourself is amusing.
This seems to be some sort of mish-mash of Robert Anton Wilson and Lenin.
Quit making the theiving Wall Street Fat-Cat Bankers even richer.
moveyourmoney.info
by cybermaldonado on Jan 29, 2010 11:20 PM PST reply actions
you've got me pegged!
i am a huge RAW fan! however, i see no harm in stereotyping the status quo. it is when stereotypes feed into a tangible system of oppression that they become relevant. :P
bring back warriors roundtable! warriors weekly is a pretender to the throne of warriors themed TV shows!
by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Jan 30, 2010 1:17 PM PST up reply actions
Interesting post. But I don’t know if it’s simply fear of private ownership of guns or simple racism that makes fans uncomfortable. The entire spectacle of sport, all of its absurdities, is at work here. Gil ruined Stern’s product. Never mind the sanctity of the locker room, if this had happened at all, anywhere, and someone got word of it, it still would have ruined Stern’s product and Gil would still have been blamed. On the other hand, if the Wizards were 3rd in the East (as some predicted) I’m not so sure Stern would have acted as he did. “It’s a business.”
The question is, at what point do athletes stop being Stern’s product? What does it say about players, whose sense of self is defined thusly? What does it say about us, without whom there is no NBA?
The question is, at what point do athletes stop being Stern’s product? What does it say about players, whose sense of self is defined thusly?
It says the players are selling their soul for money. They are willing to let Stern dictate their dress and actions that have nothing to do with their ability to play ball. It’s a big sell out to “the man” by boyz who should know better. I’m surprised they haven’t given up their rights to tats by now :>)
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 30, 2010 8:43 PM PST reply actions
Skeptic..I get the feeling that you have not faced much life yet related to having work for a living.
When that happens it is a tough thing to admit that life forces choices/comprimises and there are ramifications for the bad ones……and yes that 18 mill has to come from somewhere and yes even the highly paid “performers” are working “for” someone….any of those performers have the option to work a normal day job and most will have to after the glory and money is gone and most have a much more realistic understanding of the world than I see in your argument….let them live their dream without this baggage you are piling on. They are working their butts off to be where they are …. basically you are selling the old diatribe that anyone who is ambitious and works hard is selling out to “THE MAN”. Note: By the time you get out of school and into the work force it will probably be “The Woman”
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 1, 2010 1:54 PM PST up reply actions
.I get the feeling that you have not faced much life yet related to having work for a living
haha, Your feelings need a trip to the shop. They are ready for a tuneup.
You know these guys could work hard and be successful and then still have enough pride to tell Stern they’ll dress any way they want ?
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 1, 2010 3:15 PM PST up reply actions
Note: By the time you get out of school and into the work force…
Haha. Stay in school, Skep!
There will be no extra point!
Stay in school, Skep!
Maybe so? You know I could use a nice nap?
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 1, 2010 8:49 PM PST up reply actions
If Arenas Followed the law i'm ok with it...
Apparently, the guns were not licensed, but let’s just say they were licensed and he has a conceal and carry permit. There are still rules to follow in some states that allow you to bring your gun to work, but it has to be stored in your car in a specific manner usually defined by statute. I doubt that the state (district) the Wizzards play in allows guns to be stored in your car in a parking lot.
I am all for NBA players having guns, but they should follow the law. If Arenas wants more lax gun laws he should leave the Wizards and go to Texas and get a conceal and carry permit.
I do agree that the media has gone overboard and the myopic Stern reacted in a predictive fashion by over-punishing Arenas, but I don’t think it has to do with racism. It has to do with incompetent leadership of the NBA, a silly mistake made by Arenas and a media frenzy. Stern clearly acted to get rid of the supposed NBA’s “gangsta” image.
And that “gangsta image” has nothing to do with racism?
Pop Quiz
Question 1: Which sport appears more involves more fighting and violence?
a) hockey.
b) basketball.
Question 2: Match the sports on the left with their descriptions on the right.
a) hockey…………………………..composed of majority black players.
b) basketball……………………..composed of majority white players.
Question 3: Match the sports on the left with their descriptions on the right.
a) hockey…………………………..players labeled as “tough”, has a “good clean fun” image.
b) basketball……………………..players labeled as “thugs”, has a “gangsta” image.
Question 4:
Why is there this discrepancy between the two sports?
a) racism, along with other factors.
b) apparently everything in the universe except racism somehow.
Pencils down.
You forgot queston 5
Which sport has more players involved in gun related issues and domestic violence issues?
One of the reasons BB players have a “gangsta” image is because they want one. And when I say “they” I mean a vocal, over the top few who will put a negative image on the entire sport.
Football has the same issues but they are much better at policing themselves and have a much better PR dept.
"If God made us in his image then he must be dumb too, and a little ugly on the side."
Frank Zappa
by qin on Feb 2, 2010 3:28 PM PST up reply actions
Please read again...
I qualified my statement by adding the word “supposed.” I just wanted to make that clear just in case you read it fast. I didn’t say that the NBA has a gangsta image. I said and am saying now that the NBA’s leadership is incompetent, i.e. David Stern and his minions.
Suppose again that I said the NBA has a “gangsta” or “thug” image? How is that racist? There are gang members of all races, classes and creeds. You even have corporate thugocracy…see Enron. See how ridiculous these kinds of labels are.
I watch the NBA because I like basketball and if a dumb ass player wants to break the law he deserves to get punished. Arenas’ punishment is far too harsh though in my opinion.
The hockey analogy doesn’t work because who cares about hockey? Hockey is just like soccer, going back and forth for 3 hours with little or no points to show for it.
It’s funny, the first time you mention anything involving racism, people will jump up and point out how not racist they are. I’m honestly not concerned with that. I never called you anything, so I don’t know what you are trying to exonerate yourself from. As should be clearly obvious to anyone reading this, racism is a word with extreme negative connotations, and people will go to lengths to say it is not there. They will not do that as hard with other things. Is race really not a factor, or do people just want to deny it to an extreme extent because it reflects the uglier side of humanity? Not everything is racial (it’s stupid that I even have to say that but whenever I try and calmly discuss this stuff people assume I calling them racist and calling everything racist, but whatever), but today the dominant paradigm seems to be that only clearly explicit racially charged acts like a KKK meeting or someone saying the nword are called racial. Everything else is denied. Why is that? Because racism has turned into such a taboo thing with such a dirty past (and present) that no one wants to admit it still exists. To me, that doesn’t seem like we are in a post-racial era, that just seems like we are covering up that we are clearly in the…whatever the hell the opposite of “post-racial” era is.
Let’s not pretend that in this day and age gangsta and thug aren’t synonymous with black or brown males. I’m not saying people of other skin tones don’t commit crimes, but they don’t get these labels that stick and become associated with them.
As far as the dumb player who breaks the law thing, sure. There’s a difference between hating on an idiot because they are an idiot and hating on them because they are a certain color. And though you personally might not be that person hating the player because of their skin color, people do. So to deny that it is going on because you yourself don’t practice it, that to me just seems like you trying to exonerate yourself and clean your slate.
I would love to live in a society where I could call a dumb ass a dumb ass, regardless of their color. Though the media will tell you otherwise, we aren’t even close to that. So I will defend the dumb ass from those who hate on her/him due to her/his skin color, and keep my opinion to myself if it is a negative one so I don’t add more fuel to a racist-dominated fire.
If I truly thought you were a racist (and you really can’t tell over the internet), I wouldn’t have written all this.
And don’t hate on soccer. Greatest game in the world.
by belilaugh on Feb 3, 2010 7:07 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Ridiculous analogy...
1: Hockey, because for some reason it seems an accepted part of the game. But then again you are also talking about a sport popular with a nation, where a great majority think that WWF is actually real and not some well staged stunt show…. (roll eyes graphic here)
2: What on earth has skin colour got to do with this? Yes it seems that Ice Hockey is more popular with guys who come from Scandinavia/Russia, Former Eastern block, etc or have that heritage and frozen parts of the US and basketball appeals more to slightly more athletic powerful players, of which many African American athletes seem to posess a slightly greater athleticism, speed, power, etc, which is why they are also becoming the redominating race now in the NFL…. Would many cauasian athletes wish to be as fast, athletic, etc..of course they would… However this is not the main issue to deciding which sport has a particular racial predominance…. its CHILDHOOD!
It’s what they grew up with….. how many ice rinks are there in Oakland versus the number of basketball hoops on street corners…so your question two is more to do with what a child growing up has access to… as compared to any other great conspiracy theories…or is there now oppression of African Americans due to not enough ice rinks being built in predominantly African American areas…. (another rolls eyes graphic)
3: b…to be precise…. Who has called Basketball as Thug or Gangsta? You? Because I dont know of anyone that thinks of basketball as either……just a couple of mindless idiots that may portray themselves as such for their own cred amoung their peers and ‘hangers on’…. whereas most look at the bling and poses and go….‘silly Tw%$… your about as Gangsta as my little toe’…
3: a…This made me laugh… tough??? no…possibly stupid..but not tough? I think the fact that two guys in more padding than a Joan Collins episode of Dynasty (possibly on before you were born), that want to try and ‘beat each other up’… is an absolute joke. But then I have never gotten this interest in this ‘pretend fight’…you wanna fight the guy…give him a wink and say… ‘after the game sunshine…parking lot..just you and me..’ and if they want to beat the crap out of each other… then more fool them…all it does in the game is simply waste time…
4: There is discrepency because people with far too much time on their hands, try to create division and try to highlight things like ‘racism’… that everyone else is trying to do away with, by not recognising the colour of someones skin…because it truly does not matter…. If your an idiot…YOUR AN IDIOT…. no matter what your skin colour is..
In short…your grasping at straws here to make this an issue that is not actually there…the problem of ‘gangsta’ image….is the fact that Troy Murphy, Steve Nash et al….. not one of them even vaguely try’s to copy the gangsta style image,other than maybe that muppet with the Nuggets…
Yet there have been a few high profile African American (can I just say Black..is that acceptable???) basketball players and NFL players that seem to want to portray themselves as a little ‘Gangsta’ like… all the while having the family at home, with the nice cars and lovely house, living in a nice surburban area…. The pathetic irony is staggering…
What these tiny brained individuals dont realise is… (and I include the caucasian fool from the Nuggets in this) is the fact that they are in the public eye and spotlight.. and therefore they have a civic duty not to act the ass! as many people pay truly hard earned money to come watch them play..and they need to have respect enough for these people and their hard earned cash…to behave themselves in public…rather than act the clown…. If that idiot happens to be black, white, yellow, purple…. it really does not matter.
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 3, 2010 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
I'm not going to break down the rant but
that muppet with the Nuggets
made me spit out some tea, very nice.
"If God made us in his image then he must be dumb too, and a little ugly on the side."
Frank Zappa
I do try and add a little humour at times...
even if it is a tad ‘British’…
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 3, 2010 3:50 PM PST up reply actions
meant to add a :-)
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 3, 2010 3:50 PM PST up reply actions
probably best you dont...
Jan 16 2010 - Onlxn quote on Stephen Curry - "one of the worst playmakers in basketball"
by BritWarriorGSW on Feb 4, 2010 4:43 AM PST up reply actions
Brit...
You’ve done a really good job at pointing out some of the cultural differences between yourself and most Americans in past discussions. It’s true that though we share the same language the culture can at times be worlds apart. Without getting into a discussion that I prefer to avoid at all costs on the internet, could I kindly suggest that this may be one of those topics that just doesn’t translate well. The U.S. has a long and complicated history when it comes to this subject, and it could be very hard for someone coming from a more European mentality to navigate that minefield. It’s hard enough for people born and raised here, to understand.
My point is that there is more than meets the eye in these discussions, and what you see as simply applying your own brand of common sense, some others may read as offensive. Take it for what it’s worth.
"I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause."
by olympicmike on Feb 8, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
the problem of ‘gangsta’ image….is the fact that Troy Murphy, Steve Nash et al….. not one of them even vaguely try’s to copy the gangsta style image,other than maybe that muppet with the Nuggets…
If you were American you might understand that the “gangsta” image is something these guys have a right to sport. It’s the way they want to dress based on growing up with their friends dressing a certain way. It as legit as the Elvis look of the 50s or the surfer or hippy look of the 60’s. For Stern to tell them there culture is an embarrassment to the league is for Stern to be an embarrassment to all white people and I resent him making me look that stupid. When I was a kid we took guns to school and went hunting afterwards so Gil taking his to the locker room for a joke was a no big deal to me and I don’t like the hypocrisy of singling him out for something that didn’t hurt anyone and probably got a laugh from his teammates? Basketball needs more free spirits and less political correctness in my opinion. Gil is a lot more fun to watch than Stern.
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 3, 2010 11:38 AM PST reply actions
Do you mean that you had guns in your car trunk parked at school?
Arenas not only brought guns into the building but layed then out on the other players seat out in the locker rm with his"joke" note……..an idiodic,theatening, illegal thing to do by anyone much less someone in his position…..the race thing here is not relevant Skeptic….common sense.
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 3, 2010 12:57 PM PST reply actions
Do you mean that you had guns in your car trunk parked at school?
Yeah, No problem in those days. Sometimes we’d carry trout rods instead depending on the season. There were a lot less people around and more open space, also no crime in the town so they din’t need to worry about us. When I got to be about 17 I decided it is wrong to kill for sport so now I don’t like hunting or fishing but I still eat meat. :>)
Lights please, lights please, turn off the lights.
by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 3, 2010 10:40 PM PST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
"UNSTOPPABLE BABY!"
Golden State Warriors rookie Marc Jackson to the Mavericks' bench, after hitting a lay-up during a 29-point loss (2000)
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
Most Commented
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
