Racist Bryant Gumbel - new NFL Network announcer

[TravisWilliams23]

Here's the difinition of racist from the Random House Webster Dictionary:
racism
—racist, n., adj.
/ray"siz euhm/
n.
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usu. involving the idea that one's own race is superior.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based on such a doctrine.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
[1865-70; < F racisme. See RACE[2], -ISM]

Sounds like Gumbel is a racist.

[pbmax]

Bryant Gumbel is an egotistical jerk. That said, I don't think he's a racist. Words like racist get thrown around too easily these days. I don't think Gumbel thinks white people should be enslaved. I don't think Gumbel thinks white people should be denied the right to vote. Anyone who has been the victim of true racism knows there is a difference between true racism and insensitive stupid comments that people like Gumbel sometimes make.

I'm with Joe on this one.

I with Joe and Rastak. Implying that the best athletes in the world are not at the Winter Games takes no great leap of logic or proof.

We wouldn't consider Gumble to be too far off base if he said baseball in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s didn't contain the very best athletes because of the color line. No one doubts this.

He doesn't say the motivation for the division along color lines is the same.

At the same time, he is whistling past the graveyard here. The winter olympics have always been a step child to the summer games, except for figure skating. No one argues this.

He uses a gratuitous mention of a lack of racial balance to imply something is not as it appears. When, in fact, everything is as you would expect it to be.

If he has evidence that minority groups are being excluded by skating federations or hockey, I'd like to see his argument.

He isn't racist, he's a poseur

[woodbuck27]

One of the stars of the last winter Olympics was ( see how do I describe this speed skater of reknown? . . shit he's an African American ). He's an American. PERIOD !!

I could call myself an Irish Canadian but I'm just Canadian.

I believe he hails from the Chicago area ( Johnny ?) - Nice fella - very cool athlete, who trained at the Olympic Oval in Galgary Alberta - side by side with Canadians, and I expect athletes from all over the world. What about the Movie - was it called "Cool Running" about the Jamaican Winter Olympic Bob Sled team. They were treated like hero's.

Gumbal is an idiot. The sportsmanship at the Winter Olympics - Country to Country is outstanding! That's what it's all about . . .

GUMBALL !!

I love the Winter Olympics, because not much else is on in the Sporting World, at that time of year.Two wonderful weeks of excitement and heartfelt stories and fabulous sportsmanship.

The Winter Olympics are awesome in all events.I actually prefer them to the Summer Olympics, because I can concentrate on watching them. No other distractions.

[Kiwon]

Some other thoughts....

The NFL Network trumpeted the fact that Bryant Gumbel brought them instant journalistic credibility when he was hired. What he really brings is divisiveness and unnecessary distraction from the main thing – the play on the field.

It would be nice if there could be one bastion remaining for people to go to (NFL Football) that is free from the constant PC nonsense that defines academics, politics, journalism, etc. I watch or listen to a football game for enjoyment, not for some intellectual enlightenment. I wish the suits at the NFL Network will consider this sentiment and find another announcer that wants to describe what’s happening on the field rather than trying to reshape societal attitudes to his own liking.

Also, Bryant Gumbel is a brilliant man. He isn’t ignorant. Look at his background. He has had enormous advantages in his career. His opinions are not uninformed. He states what he truly believes. I feel completely comfortable calling him a racist.

[FritzDontBlitz]

kiwon, you obviously have too much time on your hands.

[the_idle_threat]

That may be so, but Kiwon is also hitting this nail square on the head.

[Kiwon]

kiwon, you obviously have too much time on your hands.

Fritz, I'm going to take my time and seriously consider your reply.

[CaliforniaCheez]

A well documented history of this idiot is at the following link:

http://www.mrc.org/projects/gumbel/gumbel_bias.asp

Just sample some of the stuff.

[Rastak]

Whatever the case, his Upshaw - Tagliabue remarks were in no way shape or form racist. I don't know everything he's said in the past, but to bring up his recent comments to bolster your arument that he's a racist is way out of line, IMHO of course.

[Terry]

That may be so, but Kiwon is also hitting this nail square on the head.

No, he's not. He's hitting some other nails entirely. It's like he's pointed out a shelf being built and then started hitting nails on another wall entirely.

Back in the first post, Gumbel made some comments in reference to the absence of black athletes at the Winter Olympics.

Kiwon's response was to point to point to Gumbel's private education and professional successes in some sarcastic comment about deprived opportunities which was entirely a non-sequitor. Then he started talking affirmative-action programs and racial quotas for the winter olympics, which he pulled out of some imagined universe all of his own and which were also non-sequitors. And then he went onto a personal attack on Gumbel, who he probably doesn't even know.

But the last thing it would all make me think of is hitting any nails on the head. He never once addressed what Gumbel said. No one did for a while. The first subsequent poster talked about what he would do as a taxi driver. The next one talked about the ruination of his day. The next one talked about what a jerk Gumbel is - but at least, at last, we had a little first hand experience. And we all know how reliable gossip is.

And so on. It wasn't until Harlan Huckleby piped in that anything Gumbel said was addressed in the slightest. (And it was a good point, Harlan.)

I haven't seen anything that suggests Gumbel is a racist. I don't know if he is, but it's been an entirely unsupportable proposition so far in this thread. In fact, going by the complete absence of a decent supporting argument, I'm practically convinced the guy is NOT a racist, whereas I hadn't really ever thought about it before. Just so you all know the net effect of your arguments. The only half sensible comment on that particular subject came from Joemailman. Going by the definition posted by TravisWilliams23 on racism, I still don't see any evidence of racism in Gumbel, never mind the farce contained in the notion that a sociological phenomenon can be researched in some abridged dictionary.

Really, I get only two things from this thread. The first is that if Gumbel can generate such a frenzy among the Lilliputians so easily by just muttering a few words as observation, he must be doing something right (though not necessarily good for his career, as has also been accurately pointed out). The second is that the hysterical reaction by so many to a suggestion that there is racism in our world only reminds me how racist people really are.

Having said that, I seriously doubt if the Winter Olympics is essentially racist. I could have really enjoyed a humourous discussion around that and some person's penchant for seeing racism under every bed (Gumbel in this case). I'm sure you guys could provide such a discussion if you'd settle down and stop freaking out from your own insecurities. As it is, though, I'm hardly going to grab the popcorn for this scintillating discussion.

[BallHawk]

Whatever the case, his Upshaw - Tagliabue remarks were in no way shape or form racist. I don't know everything he's said in the past, but to bring up his recent comments to bolster your arument that he's a racist is way out of line, IMHO of course.

That article was not used to be saying Gumbel was racist. The article was just showing that he said some things, that obviously were not gonna going to go down well with some people. I didn't make it sound clear, but that article doesn't show a speck of racism. It just shows that he doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

[Terry]

whoops, double post..... sorry

[woodbuck27]

That may be so, but Kiwon is also hitting this nail square on the head.

I think - so.

[woodbuck27]

kiwon, you obviously have too much time on your hands.

Fritz, I'm going to take my time and seriously consider your reply.

We have alot, that we may teach one another here. Kiwon

Another's perspective may deserve examination of self.

How do I get this post back to "the Packers" and NFL football? That is alot what I aim to be here.

Sometimes I'm too challenged.

GO PACKERS ! PACKER FAN - FOR FAITH.[/b]

[woodbuck27]

Whatever the case, his Upshaw - Tagliabue remarks were in no way shape or form racist. I don't know everything he's said in the past, but to bring up his recent comments to bolster your arument that he's a racist is way out of line, IMHO of course.

That article was not used to be saying Gumbel was racist. The article was just showing that he said some things, that obviously were not gonna going to go down well with some people. I didn't make it sound clear, but that article doesn't show a speck of racism. It just shows that he doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

For a young man - YOUR well on YOUR way - BallHawk.

PACKERS ! HOLD FAITH - PACKER FAN !!