I swear we can't go even a week without some announcer saying something stupid that upsets a racial, religious, or gender based group. Most recently it was Johnny Miller and Italians, but over the past two years I've been writing this site I think we're up in the teens now.
Well I think we're likely to add yet another controversy brewing after Dick Enberg decided to use the term "Nubian Slaves" while calling an opening round match. He was talking about Roger Federer talking with the Studio Team and how regal the number one player in the World is. Some much so that he would have to be transported like a Sultan being carried by "Four Nubian Slaves"....
"Roger Federer on his way. I wonder how they transport him? One of those Sultan chairs with four Nubian Slaves take him into our studio."- Dick Enberg
I know Enberg wasn't trying to intentionally bring race into his commentary, but he did. Just using the term "slave" alone in an arguably elitist Sport dominated by white individuals alone is going to perk some ears but using the term "Nubian"?! Come on Dick. You're better than that.
You saw nothing wrong with Miller, yet this is Oh So Terrible.
ReplyDeleteGuess it proved the point.
Maybe if he said that they were Italian Pool Cleaning Slaves, it would have been acceptable.
Actually, everyone knows the Sultans were carried by Italians.
I didn't say this was "Oh So Terrible", but yes...it's much different than Johnny Miller's comments. Miller didn't specifically refer to Italians while Enberg used the term Nubian Slaves.
ReplyDeleteI know neither meant the comments in a hurtful way, but again...let's just not bring up race, religion, or sex in the booth. It's just dumb and doesn't add anything.
"What's a nubian?" - Banky
ReplyDelete90% of the time i give a pass on this sort of stuff when said in a live context. It's rough to come up with hours worth of stuff to babble about. One little off-color quip isn't the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteI was more annoyed by Jamele Hill's Nazi rant, but that was because it was the written word. It had to be proofread, edited and approved.
cock. balls.
ReplyDeletethe reason why dick didn't think what he said was a big deal is because that's how he was brought into the booth when he did nfl games.
ReplyDelete-dan
What a Dick comment!
ReplyDeleteThe response is the best part:
ReplyDelete"I think he walks."
Don't blame Dick, when he was a kid the pharaoh's were still running things.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the world Slave should just be revoked from the english language so that nobody will ever be offended.
ReplyDeleteDamn it, flubby stole my thunder. Damn tracer!!
ReplyDeleteSwing and a miss there, Simon.
ReplyDeleteWhy on Earth is this a topic of conversation on this website? The guy acknowledged slave in a conversation. He did nothing wrong, he said nothing offensive. Dick Enberg does not deserve to be disrespected like this. Let's not call out a legend on a baseless, trivial matter. Man, this country is getting out of hand with all of this "I'm too sensitive crap". In other news, a broadcaster in Michigan used the word murderer on-air during a broadcast. How appaling that the word murderer was uttered on a broadcast.
ReplyDeleteFor heaven's sake.....it's getting so that people are afraid to open their mouths any more. I'm more interested in knowing why I can't see the top part of my screen where the current scores are. What gives? and that Bottom Line thing is a real distraction.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is of BOTH African descent and Jewish descent, I offer this test: What would the response have been if Mr. Enberg's quote had featured "Hebrew Slaves"?
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Enberg should apologize. Then we can accept his apology.
Thomas
then it would have been hilarious
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprise with this comment coming from a Askenazi Khazarian Jew. They pretend to be our friends but hate us behind our backs with a burning passion. That their attitude toward non-Jews. Why don't this comment get any media hype? I tell you why. Because the jews own the media. Jews don't like to expose their own people. I guarantee you if he was white, he'll get the Imus treatment.
ReplyDelete