Jemele apologizes

[hondo]

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_06_17_ESPN_com_apologizes_for_C_s-Hitler_reference_/srvc=home&position=recent

Didn't see this yet. If it's a DP, so sorry.

This constant use of the Hitler comparison, from Jemele Hill to daily.kos, has got to stop. And why in the hell would she hate the Celtics? Weren't they the first NBA team to break the color barrier? If not, they certainly were the first major sports professional franchise to hire a black coach. And, as has been pointed out in blogs, the current members of the team are pretty much stand-up guys. Not like they went on trial for rape or anything (coughKobecough).

 

[Ben_Hecht]

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_06_17_ESPN_com_apologizes_for_C_s-Hitler_reference_/srvc=home&position=recent

Didn't see this yet. If it's a DP, so sorry.

This constant use of the Hitler comparison, from Jemele Hill to daily.kos, has got to stop. And why in the hell would she hate the Celtics? Weren't they the first NBA team to break the color barrier? If not, they certainly were the first major sports professional franchise to hire a black coach. And, as has been pointed out in blogs, the current members of the team are pretty much stand-up guys. Not like they went on trial for rape or anything (coughKobecough).

Not that she needs my help, or that it means a hill of beans, but I've defended her all the way, and think she has a chance to develop into something really, really good.

That said, the Hitler/Gorby reaches were terrible stretches. A moment of self-editing should have curbed that urge . . . and since that obviously didn't happen, someone else should have stepped in and stopped the insanity. Bad job, all around.

 

[forever_town]

It shows incredible hubris for Jemele to make that statement and then not stand up and apologize herself.

It also shows horrendous lack of judgment on ESPN's part to let that column run with the offensive wording.

Criminal.

 

[outofplace]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080614

Here is the column in its edited form. Not her best even with the really bad judgement edited out. The Hitler reference was absolutely out of line, and it is not the first time her fingers have gotten ahead of her brain. She and the editors both deserve some blame, but F_T is correct. Hill should make her own apology for this one.

Of course, Hondo didn't even bother to read the column before he started the thead. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to ask why Hill hates the Celtics.

 

[Ace]

I agree it was a poor choice of words. Didn't go near far enough, dammit!

 

[SockPuppet]

I realize Jemele has a lot of defenders on this board but I believe this illustrates the fact that she's too inexperienced to be at such a major outlet. This terrible lack of judgment was made by someone compelled to write about a series SHE IS COVERING but couldn't come up with something better than this. Yech.

 

[slappy4428]

I realize Jemele has a lot of apologists on this board but I believe this illustrates the fact that she's too inexperienced to be at such a major outlet. This terrible lack of judgment was made by someone compelled to write about a series SHE IS COVERING but couldn't come up with something better than this. Yech.

 

[93Devil]

Yeah, there is one area you never put a "than" in front of or use in a simile or a metaphor and that is the Holocaust or anything to do with it.

The U.S. Steel reference decades ago was much better.

Rooting for the Celtics is like rooting for George Clooney to find a good looking woman to date.

...like rooting for Donald trump to get another tv show.

...feeling sorry for someone on The Hills.

...hoping Charles Barkley has enough disposable income.

 

[Ace]

Yeah, there is one area you never put a "than" in front of or use in a simile or a metaphor and that is the Holocaust or anything to do with it.

The U.S. Steel reference decades ago was much better.

Rooting for the Celtics is like rooting for George Clooney to find a good looking woman to date.

...like rooting for Donald trump to get another tv show.

...feeling sorry for someone on The Hills.

...hoping Charles Barkley has enough disposable income.

I'm not sure your last one works. I'm worried about Charles.

 

[93Devil]

Yeah, there is one area you never put a "than" in front of or use in a simile or a metaphor and that is the Holocaust or anything to do with it.

The U.S. Steel reference decades ago was much better.

Rooting for the Celtics is like rooting for George Clooney to find a good looking woman to date.

...like rooting for Donald trump to get another tv show.

...feeling sorry for someone on The Hills.

...hoping Charles Barkley has enough disposable income.

I'm not sure your last one works. I'm worried about Charles.

I did rethink that one.

I think (hope) Jordan set him up with a good accountant.

I hope so.

 

[21]

I find it fascinating that a columnist who made a major issue of LeBron's Vogue cover--racist image of monstrous black athlete, King Kong to Gisele's Fay Wray-- would then use a Hilter reference to make a not-so-clever and really pointless 'joke.'

I've seen her a few times lately on that First Take show (former Cold Pizza), she is really good on TV....better than she is in print. I would not be surprised if that's where she ends up, ala Rachel N.

 

[JayFarrar]

Shouldn't the thread title be, "ESPN apologizes for Jemele Hill column"?

Because Jemele didn't apologize.

 

[outofplace]

Shouldn't the thread title be, "ESPN apologizes for Jemele Hill column"?

Because Jemele didn't apologize.

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

 

[BTExpress]

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.

 

[forever_town]

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.

 

[Mediator]

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.

 

[Mediator]

Nothing phasers F_T

 

[spnited]

Why was she not fired for this?

 

[SockPuppet]

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.

 

[hondo]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080614

Here is the column in its edited form. Not her best even with the really bad judgement edited out. The Hitler reference was absolutely out of line, and it is not the first time her fingers have gotten ahead of her brain. She and the editors both deserve some blame, but F_T is correct. Hill should make her own apology for this one.

Of course, Hondo didn't even bother to read the column before he started the thead. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to ask why Hill hates the Celtics.

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.