Jemele apologizes

Technically, the statement said she and ESPN apologize. But in reality, yes, you are absolutely correct.

 

Pat Riley said 20 years ago that the Celtics were the Klingons of the NBA.

Better to leave these comparisons with fake villains, if possible.

 

Now that I'd have no tribble with.

 

The Klingons thing is funny. Hitler, never funny.

As a columnist, the comparison undermines her column because it's so distracting... never mind terribly offensive. The problem is ESPN likes its columnists to be instapundits with forceful and immediate opinions. Her point that it's tough for a black woman from Detroit to like the Celtics has some very valid and serious undercurrents, but that's not what we'll remember here.

 

Nothing phasers F_T

 

Why was she not fired for this?

 

So she's a black woman from Detroit ... so what? Go back to the FreePress then. Otherwise, write a national column that someone outside of Motown might care about.

 

Okay, fine. I just read the column. Some points:

1. She's a national columnist. It's far past the time when she should get over her childhood rooting interests. It's clear it's affecting her objectivity. And she needn't get so indignant about Parrish and Ainge when she was rooting for a team with three outright thugs (Lambier, Ruland and Mahorn) and a certified little punk (Isiah).

2. The city of Boston has had racial problems and tensions. No doubt about it. But to repeat, the Celtics, even though they have put mostly white teams on the course, have been pioneers in breaking racial barriers in professional teams sports. Exhibit A: first black head coach. And can anyone deny the white stars they've had weren't there just because they were white. They were there because they could play (Bird, McHale, Cousey, Ainge).

3. Why dredge up the Charles Murray thing, decades later? The same thing happened with the girls in South Carolina. Does that mean we should all hate South Carolina?

Editing the Hitler reference didn't make that a good column. It's further proof that she's over her head.

 

Bad, boring, childish column.

 

Agreed, but she isn't the only one to write that type of column for Page 2. It is a valid criticism, but I blame ESPN for allowing such homerish crap on Page 2.

It really is a weak column to begin with. The more I think about the Hitler reference, the more it bothers me.

 

Because she can do whatever she wants

 

Excellent point regarding the Vogue cover, 21.

Has Hill stopped posting here? If not, I would love to hear her response to that.