Sports Guy's editor missed something...

Let me say this again: Context.

It's clear it was a poker analogy, not a racist commentary on Garnett being black. There are four suits, and he picked one.

As for saying that writers should be expected to know every word or phrase that has ever been used in a derogatory sense -- that's ridiculous. Any word could have been used by somebody, someplace, sometime to offend or ridicule someone else. There's no way everbody can know every one of them. In Simmons' case, I think it was clearly obscure enough (given how many people on here had never heard of it) and clearly not a racist comment, that it was fine as it was.

 

Then why was it changed?

 

No. That's not what anyone's saying. You can still use the word as regards playing cards and garden tools. You probably ought not use it in cases of obvious or accidental double entendre. Simple. See?
Changing this was simply someone's idea of good editing. Why are we breaking so much rock over a change that does nothing but save the writer a little embarrassment? The vigor with which folks are defending the original version of this strikes me as disproportionate.

 

actually, i didn't know there were people out there who didn't know this was offensive.

 

No. But you probably shouldn't use the phrase "fifth spade on the river" in regard to a black basketball player (they put five on the court, you know) being traded (dealt) to a team in a city that sits on a fucking river.

Got it?

And the thing that amazes me about this ridiculous thread is the number of people who think it's OK to just throw up their hands and say, "But I didn't know it was offensive!" Just because you've never heard it doesn't mean it's not offensive.

 

This is another example of of why Bill Simmons is an embarrassment to ESPN.

"5 Spades On the River" classic given that it refers to the Celtics.

Next week Bill tells us of the quint nickname that Celtic fans had for the upper section of the old Garden.

Rush Limbaugh , Michael Irvin , Bill Simmons- It really makes you wonder if all these racial insults were really accidental.

 

I don't think anyone's saying that. What I'm saying is if Simmons were me with my base knowledge, he could have written that with no idea. I'm not saying it couldn't have been changed or any of that...but jgmacg's quote about how it was so OBVIOUS that it was a black basketball player in Boston floors me. Because it wasn't obvious to me at all.

 

Never used the word "obvious," ijag, in caps, in quotes or otherwise.

 

I understand, IJAG, and I'm not necessarily ripping Simmons. It was probably an innocent mistake. The people I have a problem with are those who just think it's no big deal because they never heard that word used as an offensive term.

Some editor did the right thing by changing it. Now that y'all know what it can mean, you shouldn't use it in a context in which it could be interpreted as offensive, either. Hopefully some people learned something from this nonsense.

 

Imus was fired for less.

 

I've never used the term. I have no need to (I don't play poker, so I'd never use a poker analogy). But to act like those of us that didn't know are somehow saying that makes it unoffensive is off-base.

And jgmacg, you have no idea how much better my interviewing would be if I could take your advice.

 

You weren't lumped in with that group. Don't worry.