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ESPN's Howard Bryant (allegedly) pulls a Jay Mariotti

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by NickMordo, Feb 28, 2011.

  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I guess the phrase "pulling the race card" has a connotation attached to it that the "race card" does not have merit.

    I wasn't using it that way. I think it can and often does have merit.
     
  2. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    I think we've all heard of a lot of cases where the wife declines to press charges or denies that something ever occurred. It's hard to take much from that either way. The witness statements are key, at least in terms of public perception. It could be exactly as Ragu says, that a bunch of people thought they saw something they didn't really see -- but Howard's, his wife's and their lawyer's statements did not specifically address the allegation that people saw him choking her against the car. Maybe that's just something they're going to defend in court rather than play it out in the newspapers, I don't know, but that question is hanging out there.
     
  3. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    Wait a minute... the guy who wrote “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston” is pulling the race card?

    Shocking,
     
  4. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Someone please define "race card."
     
  5. Aside from the other points made about the "race card", it should be noted as was already mentioned, neither Bryant nor his wife mentioned race in their accounts and simply described their version of what happened.
    Their lawyer is the one to mention race as a potential motivation for the officer's actions.
     
  6. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    And Susan Slusser.
     
  7. YGBFKM

    YGBFKM Guest

    White people are bad; white cops are worse.
     
  8. Yes, Susan considered race as well. So did Ragu. So did I. None of that has anything to do with the fact that assumptions were made that Bryant and his wife were the ones to first mention it in that story -- they did not. Their lawyer did.

    And, no, YGFKM, recognizing legitimate concerns about racism which are documented every day in many ways does not lead to the overly simplistic thought that "white people are bad; white cops are worse."
     
  9. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    Their lawyer is them.
     
  10. You can make that connection and it's a fair one, but I don't think that's how it was introduced here.

    And I just thought it was interesting that Bryant and his wife in their statements certainly did not scream "racism!" but took an even-handed approach to telling their side.

    It was especially interesting that many folks here and on comment boards for the story immediately accused them of doing just that.
     
  11. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    More details. The lawyer is definitely making it about racism. Bryant admits to a 'public altercation' but denies everything else.

    http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/lawyer_claims_racism_in_arrest.html
     
  12. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    if the bryants version is anywhere close to accurate, they should raise whatever holy hell it takes to satisfy them. though i'd totally understand if their attitude is, 'the damage has already been done and is irreparable.' :mad: :mad: :mad:
     
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