Payton should make a public apology and be suspended from NBA TV

[guava_wrench]

Payton's comment about Matt Bonner after joking he thought it was Scalabrine:

"They all look alike."

Not cool. He even repeated the comment a few times. I actually don't really care about the comment. But imagine Walton or Van Gundy making that kind of comment about a black player. Imagine the protests and outrage.

It is one thing to joke about red heads, which is already in poor taste. Payton went well beyond the line.

So you're upset about it not because you're offended, but because you feel like other people would be upset about if a white announcer did it in reference to black players?

That makes absolutely no sense.

Your view point basically states "Im offended because if Bill Walton said it in regards to a black player, then he would be suspended, so I want Gary Payton suspended."

I mean first of all no white announcer would ever say "They all look alike" after confusing Sam Cassell with Gollum. Even if they were kidding. THere is too much pain today and in the VERY recent past to let that slide. Its like when people do holocaust jokes today. They still seem a little off color, not so funny kind of offensive.

Comedy is tragedy + time. Maybe there is a double standard. However I suppose the mature thing would be to look past that and see the comment for the really poor joke it is instead of crashing NBATV's servers with emails.

For the record I'd be 100% behind firing Payton for a job poorly done. But not because of this faux pas.

I am actually neither offended nor upset by the comment or by the double standard. I only used the aggressive title for the sake of discussion.

I find it all more sad than offensive. It is sad that people demand (like clockwork!) public apologies for certain jokes but not for others. My only point is that sensitivity for other groups isn't really the issue. The real issue for networks is PR and appeasing certain loud groups.

[fairweatherfan]

The racial tit for tat that occurs in this country is absolutely-freaking-hilarious.

When a white person says anything remotely tinged with race about a black person, all the black people, white people with "white guilt", and PC police feign outrage over something trivial.

When a black person says anything remotely tinged with race about a white person, all the white people who are sick and tired of Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson's BS jump on it because finally, it's their turn to feel "oppressed" and "outraged".

  No, it's their turn to demonstrate that the people who are "outraged" about remarks with possible racial overtones aren't concerned about it because they are opposed to racial behavior, but are simply opportunists who exploit the situation to advance their cause or attack their enemies. As far as I'm concerned if you claim that there's nothing wrong with what Payton said (which is different from not commenting on the issue) then you relinquish your ability to claim the moral high ground when the positions are reversed. If you didn't comment on it but complain when the positions are reversed then "why didn't you complain about Payton" is a legitimate question.

I don't think there's anything terribly wrong with what Payton said.  I don't think it would be wrong if say Bill Walton said the same thing about two black players either.  From the sound of your posts, you agree with both of these statements. 

I understand where you're coming from, but if you demand Payton be shamed and punished, you're basically saying you're ok with those who demand the same thing in the opposite situation, as long as it goes both ways.  Grover summed it up very well (TP for you Grover) - matching their manufactured outrage with manufactured outrage of your own just perpetuates the problem.  If you believe the other side are "opportunists who exploit the situation to advance their cause or attack their enemies", how is mirroring what they're doing any different?

I don't like the double standards we have about race in this country either, but I think the only way to fix it in the long run is by saying, loudly and often, that neither type of statement should be an issue (which is what I think we both believe), instead of demanding equal amounts of phony, exaggerated offense when a black person does it.

  I don't think that I said in any of my posts that I was offended by Payton or wanted him to be punished. I might have even said the opposite.

Gotcha - think I combined the tone of your posts with the thread title.  Looks like we agree more than I had thought, then.  Apologies for misconstruing what you were saying, but I think my point stands generally.

[PaulPierce34G]

imagine Walton or Van Gundy making that kind of comment about a black player.

It's not the same. History matters. Payton's comment was a joke -- perhaps a lame attempt at one, but still -- and should be taken as one.

Give me a break. I'm not saying the treatment of various races, specifically that of African Americans/blacks was anything small, but it doesn't justify by any means a person of a different pigment being able to make comments such as the one Payton made.  I am sure it was made in jest, but as a previous poster said, had Walton or JVG made the same comment talking about a black player, the NBA's phones would be ringing off the hook, Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson would be calling for Walton or JVG's removal from NBA telecasts.  Racism does exist, and there are times when it can be used as a defense, but there are those times when others still use it as a crutch.  However, my overall point is, just because African Americans suffered for many years in this country's beginnings, and even in the 20th century, they don't have a stipulation of "It's okay to be racist against whites, but they can't be racist against us."  What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.  Nobody should be racist. And if you are, you should be able to take it just as well as you can dish it.

Lastly, to end my above post, I just want to say I really don't care what Payton said, it didn't offend me in the least bit. I'm was just stating the fact that we all know very well had a white telecaster made the same remark about a player of different ethnicity, this would be blown way out of proportion.

[KungPoweChicken]

imagine Walton or Van Gundy making that kind of comment about a black player.

It's not the same. History matters. Payton's comment was a joke -- perhaps a lame attempt at one, but still -- and should be taken as one.

Give me a break. I'm not saying the treatment of various races, specifically that of African Americans/blacks was anything small, but it doesn't justify by any means a person of a different pigment being able to make comments such as the one Payton made.  I am sure it was made in jest, but as a previous poster said, had Walton or JVG made the same comment talking about a black player, the NBA's phones would be ringing off the hook, Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson would be calling for Walton or JVG's removal from NBA telecasts.  Racism does exist, and there are times when it can be used as a defense, but there are those times when others still use it as a crutch.  However, my overall point is, just because African Americans suffered for many years in this country's beginnings, and even in the 20th century, they don't have a stipulation of "It's okay to be racist against whites, but they can't be racist against us."  What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.  Nobody should be racist. And if you are, you should be able to take it just as well as you can dish it.

Lastly, to end my above post, I just want to say I really don't care what Payton said, it didn't offend me in the least bit. I'm was just stating the fact that we all know very well had a white telecaster made the same remark about a player of different ethnicity, this would be blown way out of proportion.

Everyone in America should be treated on an even keel. I'm so sick of double standards and affirmative action. It's completely unfair and unjustified. Why should a less qualified black man be able to secure a job over a better qualified white man? Why should Harvard University accept a minority kid with a lesser academic record than the white kid who has elite academic marks? Lastly, why should Payton be able to make bigotry remarks when we know a white person would have been ostracized for the same ones.

[xmuscularghandix]

imagine Walton or Van Gundy making that kind of comment about a black player.

It's not the same. History matters. Payton's comment was a joke -- perhaps a lame attempt at one, but still -- and should be taken as one.

stupid comment, i think he should be fired becuase he's a moron though anyways.

[greg_kite]

I think the difference between Payton's comments and a guy like Imus who was reprimanded for racial comments is that Payton's wasn't hateful.  Payton seemed to be more making fun of the actual joke than he was making fun of white people, or redheads.  Regardless, he never said anything hateful.  I can't remember anyone besides Imus who actually was fired or suspended for saying something racial.  Maybe an apology but not suspension.  And Imus only was because it was hateful.

I do find it interesting that GP once again is targeting another Celtic.  He apparently has Celtic envy.  Must be because Danny wanted nothing to do with GP but wanted to pay Scal $3 mil a year.  That might upset me too.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I would love to see Jesse Jackson criticizing Gary Payton for his remarks. I guess when it doesn't serve his interests he doesn't feel the need to get involved.

Anyways, I really couldn't care less about what Payton said, but as others have said, the double standard does bug me. I know it's important to know where you came from and about history, but at some point (as a nation) people just need to start moving on.

Sometimes I feel that many of the activist groups around that preach understanding and equal rights, etc. have the opposite of the desired effect. Heck, now we have an Asian Rights group going after Miley Cyrus because she pulled her eyes so that they became slanted. Give me a freaking break.

[Redz]

I think the difference between Payton's comments and a guy like Imus who was reprimanded for racial comments is that Payton's wasn't hateful.  Payton seemed to be more making fun of the actual joke than he was making fun of white people, or redheads.  Regardless, he never said anything hateful.  I can't remember anyone besides Imus who actually was fired or suspended for saying something racial.  Maybe an apology but not suspension.  And Imus only was because it was hateful.

I do find it interesting that GP once again is targeting another Celtic.  He apparently has Celtic envy.  Must be because Danny wanted nothing to do with GP but wanted to pay Scal $3 mil a year.  That might upset me too.

The LA Dodgers GM...Donnie something?  I forget his name.  He was fired for making a boneheaded racial comment.

[BballTim]

I think the difference between Payton's comments and a guy like Imus who was reprimanded for racial comments is that Payton's wasn't hateful.  Payton seemed to be more making fun of the actual joke than he was making fun of white people, or redheads.  Regardless, he never said anything hateful.  I can't remember anyone besides Imus who actually was fired or suspended for saying something racial.  Maybe an apology but not suspension.  And Imus only was because it was hateful.

I do find it interesting that GP once again is targeting another Celtic.  He apparently has Celtic envy.  Must be because Danny wanted nothing to do with GP but wanted to pay Scal $3 mil a year.  That might upset me too.

  For starters, an aide to the mayor of DC was fired (more than 5 years ago I'll bet) because he used the word "****rdly" which, although it's meaning and origin is harmless, sounded like a racial word. There have been others besides Imus, but most of the statements were either innocent or a slip of the tongue.

  I can't believe that was blanked out. That kind of spoils my post, but people familiar with the story will get what I was saying.

[BballTim]

I think the difference between Payton's comments and a guy like Imus who was reprimanded for racial comments is that Payton's wasn't hateful.  Payton seemed to be more making fun of the actual joke than he was making fun of white people, or redheads.  Regardless, he never said anything hateful. I can't remember anyone besides Imus who actually was fired or suspended for saying something racial.  Maybe an apology but not suspension.  And Imus only was because it was hateful.

I do find it interesting that GP once again is targeting another Celtic.  He apparently has Celtic envy.  Must be because Danny wanted nothing to do with GP but wanted to pay Scal $3 mil a year.  That might upset me too.

The LA Dodgers GM...Donnie something?  I forget his name.  He was fired for making a boneheaded racial comment.

  Jimmy the Greek, Howard Cosell, and you're thinking of Al Campanis, I think.

[moiso]

rush limbaugh, too, i think.  Or was his contract just not renewed?  Billy Packer caught some heat a couple years ago too.

[Fafnir]

rush limbaugh, too, i think.  Or was his contract just not renewed?  Billy Packer caught some heat a couple years ago too.

Rush got fired from being a football analyst after he said that McNabb wouldn't be as acclaimed as a quarterback if he were white.

[MBz]

I think this is a non-issue.  Matt Bonner and Scal do kind of look alike.  Maybe he just got mixed up, then tried throwing a little joke in there.  I don't think it's a big deal, I think a lot of this is people's issue with Gary Payton and how he hasn't really given the Celtics their deserved respect.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I think this is a non-issue.  Matt Bonner and Scal do kind of look alike.  Maybe he just got mixed up, then tried throwing a little joke in there.  I don't think it's a big deal, I think a lot of this is people's issue with Gary Payton and how he hasn't really given the Celtics their deserved respect.

By reading most of the thread, most here agree that this is a non-issue. I don't think anyone really cares for what Payton said. The complaints are about the double standards aspects of the case.

[FLCeltsFan]

Matt Bonner and Scal do look a lot alike.  I don't think it is a big deal.  Payton hates the Celtics because they didn't re-sign him and so he takes every opportunity to slam them. 

I don't know if anyone else caught it but during a broadcast last week, Mike Breen told Mark Jackson not to get uppity with him.  I thought that was going to be an issue but no one seemed to notice it.  That to me is more offensive than Payton thinking all tall redheads look alike.