Racial Slurs Won't Derail Linsanity

For NBA fanatics in America, Big Apple Linsation handily cancelled any recall of last year’s lockout lows. For communities occasionally rocked by world uncertainty, Linderella delivered a welcomed celebratory distraction. Black, white, brown or yellow people across the globe were united in “rah rah sis boom bah”until Linsanity yielded to media insanity. 

When the Asian-American NY point guard failed to engineer a team lin, Max Bretos, an ESPN anchor cited “a chink in the armor” for cause. “Oh no he didn’t,” I huffed when one considers the racial slur “chink” is earmarked for those of Asian descent. But yes, I’m afraid the media maggot did. Sadly, he wasn’t the lone blow fly.  

Anthony Federico, the writer responsible for the ESPN.com headline has since been fired while Bretos’s slip of the tongue netted a 30-day suspension. What’s puzzling is the lack of admonishment levied against Spero Dedes, the play-by-play voice of the Knicks, whose loose lips parted the same phrase via ESPN Radio New York. And this is supposed to be a team? Clearly those aboard the Lin train seem to execute this concept better than the executive team.

What about Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock who recently tweeted “Some lucky lady is going to feel a few inches of pain tonight”? Plain and simple, the statement opened a stereotypical attack on Lin’s masculinity. So unnecessary and unprofessional, but the columnist hasn’t been ejected from his throne when a suspension is justified. Never mind the apologies since issued by Dedes and Whitlock as provoked afterthoughts.   

Jeez, where’s the accountability in media these days? I see it slip-sliding away along with established editorial constraints requiring continuous enforcement.  

Past the professional roar of cultural insensitivity, you have to admit that lin or lose, the Jeremy kid is something special. Harvard’s grad is not only a ball of “I Can” fire on the court but gentlemanly enough off of it to forgive and forget. Perhaps he’s teaching us far more than we bargained for.