How do you get under the skin of a former All-American? Well, the easiest way is to anoint him your franchise scorer, then demote him in favor of an unknown Argentinian. Or, as a fan, you can heckle him based on the fact that he's one of the few prominent white players in the league. He'll apparently respond to that with an obscene gesture. From The Seattle Times: Charlotte Bobcats forward Adam Morrison was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for making an obscene gesture to a fan during a game in Miami.Adam's supposed to be a decent, down-to-earth guy, and he went on to promise it won't happen again. So this is probably just a case of end-of-season frustration, when the entire year starts to sink in. I can't help but wonder, though, how it is that being called "white trash" gets to him so bad. The only thing older than white players getting taunted for their race is black players getting taunted for their race. Maybe it's unusual for a fan to do it, as opposed to another guy on the court. But is Morrison really too young to remember White Men Can't Jump?
"I've got to learn to take it, I guess, but I think the guy went over the edge a little bit, calling me 'white trash' over and over again," said Morrison, who also sat out Tuesday's game against Miami.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-11-2007 @ 6:56PM
Miss Gossip said...
Is "white trash" really a racial insult? I would think being called any color trash would be upsetting. But I have no idea. I guess it's true that "white" is the only color regularly used with that phrase.
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4-11-2007 @ 10:30PM
The Nugg Doctor said...
I think his game is trash! I wonder if that upsets him?
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4-11-2007 @ 10:32PM
john dime said...
I don't think you can fault anybody for reacting when they are under fire. It is unreasonable for Morrison, or any player of any race, to digest a racial slur and consider it in the context of history. If a minority were to hear a racial slur, I wouldn't expect them to be able to always ingnore it, nor would I expect this from a white person.
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4-11-2007 @ 10:45PM
RobinFiveWords said...
I know the NFL has a rookie orientation program. Not sure if the NBA does as well, but especially considering how close the players are to the audience while performing...wouldn't it be a good idea to have stand-up comedians talk to rookies about how to respond to hecklers?
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4-12-2007 @ 9:47AM
Will said...
Yes, "white trash" is a racial insult. It is a statement that attempts to offend by incorporating race (white) and, arguably, socio-economic class (trash) in a demeaning way. Funny joke though.
B. Shoals, Just out of curiosity, are there any white, American-born players that you don't treat with veiled contempt?
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4-12-2007 @ 9:52AM
Will said...
Yes, "white trash" is a racial insult. It is a statement that attempts to offend by incorporating race (white) and, arguably, socio-economic class (trash) in a demeaning way. Good joke though.
B. Shoals, Just out of curiosity, are there any white, American-born players that you don't treat with veiled contempt?
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4-12-2007 @ 12:57PM
Don Babbitt said...
What a shocker...AOL sports bloggers (The PC Police) think that racism against white people isn't racism.
If this were about a black player, every single AOL sports blogger would have a post up defending his actions.
It's been open season on white people in our culture, for what 20 years now?
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