John Motson gaffe?

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BobHirst
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John Motson gaffe?

Post by BobHirst »

Just read this
John Motson apologises for calling Millwall’s Tom Elliott ‘big, black and brave’ on talksports.

It must be a generation thing, cause I don't get it. What was wrong with that? Certainly not a put down.
There is a basketball term over here SWG, slow, white, guy, which on the face of it is an insult, but seems OK to use.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

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weasel
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by weasel »

Another case of mindless cretins being offended on behalf of people who aren't offended.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by whiteswan »

weasel wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:10 pm Another case of mindless cretins being offended on behalf of people who aren't offended.
Something that really grates with me as well Weasel....as well as people apologising for othe people who don't really need to appologise in the first place :x
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by hector »

Ducky... I appologise to you on behalf of the cretins who don't know what they are doing....... :)
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by 1964white »

Not allowed to use the word black over here Bob
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by Sara »

Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by Genghers »

SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
Nail on the head.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by whiteswan »

SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
But would anyone have taken offence at that? Just asking.....
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

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SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
As I said before it must be a generational thing. I know that when I have described a person to someone who didn't know them, black or white was often used as a way to narrow down the choices.
Regarding identifying an athlete as big and white is not necessarily irrelevant. In basketball, where 95% of the players are not white, I can't see how saying he is the big white guy on the team is such a bad thing.
I suppose I am old and have lost touch with the current thinking in the UK. To me it just seems a bit over the top for Motson's phrase to be construed as having any ill feeling in it.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by BobHirst »

whiteswan wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:51 am But would anyone have taken offence at that? Just asking.....
I think you are spot on.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by BobHirst »

1964white wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:30 pm Not allowed to use the word black over here Bob
Seems so.
I remember when John Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.
Terry apparently called him a F*cking Bl*ck C*nt.
I read that Ferdinand didn't object to being called a F*cking C*nt but was upset because he was called bl*ck.
Sorry, I just don't get it.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by danhirons »

SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
Spot on.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by danhirons »

Not sure as said above anyone would be offended by it though... So don't think an apology was really needed!
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by Genghers »

whiteswan wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:51 am But would anyone have taken offence at that? Just asking.....
I don't know, but clearly they did?

I don't want to make assumptions of anyone's race, but I presume on here the majority of posters are Caucasian, so really we aren't in a position to judge.

If a white person got offended by Bob's 'SWG' thing from basketball, they'd have every right.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by Genghers »

BobHirst wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 1:15 am Seems so.
I remember when John Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.
Terry apparently called him a F*cking Bl*ck C*nt.
I read that Ferdinand didn't object to being called a F*cking C*nt but was upset because he was called bl*ck.
Sorry, I just don't get it.
Because he called him a black c*nt, not because he called him black. Anyone can be a c*nt and the person's race has nothing to do with it. Adding the 'black' part into what he said suggests that it is part of the vitriol.

Put any other ethnicity in there and imagine saying it to someone on the street ("You f*cking Pakistani c*nt", for instance). I suspect you'd think twice, and I suspect the police would err on the side of it being racially motivated.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by HarryofOz »

SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm Why mention his race at all when describing him, as if that's one of his defining features as a player? You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.
Spot on, nailed it.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by YorkshireSquare »

SaraM wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:49 pm You wouldn't say Pontus was big, white and brave, it's irrelevant.

But people do refer to him as a Viking.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by weasel »

The thing is it is simply a descriptive word - black. By making it wrong it is like saying being called black is offensive and as such being black is in some way making someone inferior. There was nothing in the sentence to make anything offensive ie Motson didn't say he's a big black c*nt. It is just a descriptive word same as if someone at the rugby at the weekend was to say the big welsh number 9 went in bravely there. Just a way to describe and identify the player. It differentiates from the other number 9 on the pitch.

Like mentioned Motson didn't need to use the word black, he could have just said big and brave (or is he having a go at cowardly midgets as well). But just because he used the word black doesn't mean it is offensive.
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Re: John Motson gaffe?

Post by Dalton »

I remember boxer Gerry Cooney being called the "great white hope". That in itself is a description but what of? The fact the the whole of the heavyweight division is dominated by black boxers. I wonder if they would get away with it these days?
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