Was Grantland Rice a Bigot?

Hell - MLK in one of the greatest speeches ever given used the words "negro people".

 

I don't think Craggs was trying to say that Grantland Rice was inherently an evil dick for his terminology, I think he was suggest that perhaps we shouldn't glorify someone who was out of step with modern values. It's a debatable point: We have money and monuments devoted to Thomas Jefferson, too.

 

And Brent Musburger called Tommie Smith and John Carlos "black-skinned storm troopers" in Mexico City, and what do you think of that Herbie?

 

They say "Once you go black - you can't go back....


to my grandmother's house."

 

I thought he was the one who turned down Grantland. At least that's what Daulerio said on Whitlock's podcast. Could Daulerio be lying? Of course...

 

There is a link to story somewhere within SJ that said John Skipper rescinded Craggs offer after he did the Lynn Hoppes put down. Then he recanted but Craggs decided not to take job.

 

Important to note that Craggs accepted the job when it was first offered. Then went after Hoppes.

 

Are you saying that he should not have gone after Hoppes once he became an ESPN cast member?

 

I'm saying he accepted a job at Grantland.

 

That fell apart because of Hoppes story:

http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2011/06/tommy_craggs_tom_scocca_talk_d.html

"So, for the record: The deal fell apart because:

1) I wrote that thing about Lynn Hoppes;
2) ESPN is a terrible company full of craven morons who would rather maintain an air of phony intramural bonhomie than hire someone like me.

No. 1 was my fault, and I'm sorry I caused so much consternation for my now former future editor, Dan Fierman, though I'm not the least bit sorry for the post itself. No. 2 is ESPN's issue and ESPN's alone, and it would take an army of dendrologists and a pack of sherpas to determine the type and size of the stick they keep jamming up their asses."

 

I know the hatred of Whitlock and Deadspin on this site will prevent us from having an intelligent conversation about this, but on Whitlock's podcast, he points out (correctly, I believe...) that ESPN is not called to task enough in large part because journalists are worried that doing so will prevent them from working there.

 

Whitlock and Deadspin are certainly polarizing entities here at SJ, but ESPN seems to be hated by all at SJ.