Hypocrisy thy name is Jason…
For a dude who made something of a name combating African American stereotypes, former KC Star scribe Jason Whitlock sure plays fast and lose when it comes to other ethnicities.
Anybody remember Whitlock’s failed attempt at humor two years ago when he tweeted about New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin after he scored 38 points against the LA Lakers?
“Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight.”
The joke being that Lin – of Chinese or Taiwanese descent – had a small penis.
“There are funny jokes, and then there are unfunny jokes that mix with needless racial stereotyping and the laziness that comes from not even bothering to look up the fact that the Knicks would be flying to Minneapolis directly after Friday’s game,” wrote Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports, referring to Whitlock’s tweet after calling him “an unfunny boor with a massive ego.”
After taking considerable heat in the national media Whitlock half ass apologized.
The latest: Whitlock stepped in it again recently.
While appearing on Keith Olbermann‘s ESPN show to discuss LeBron James decision to go to Cleveland – the team that had just drafted one-and-done KU star Andrew Wiggins of Canada – Whitlock decided to diss the entire country.
“Andrew Wiggins is from Canada, and Canadian athletes, I think, among NBA players and NBA people, perhaps don’t want it as much as even some of the Europeans and certainly the American players,” Whitlock told Olbermann.
Olbermann gave Whitlock a chance to dodge the PC faux pas bullet but…
Jason doubled down with, “This is what a lot of NBA people believe. American born … players have more intensity.”
Unfortunately Whitlock’s latest attempt to court publicity fell far short of his Lin controversy.
Screen Shot of you-know-whom from Toronto Sun
Only a handful of sports blogs paid any notice. Even KU basketball mad media like the Kansas City Star, Lawrence Journal World and his former best bud Greg Hall ignored Whitlock’s gaffe.
Wiggins
Not so in Canada where Whitlock drew fire from the Toronto Sun on down.
“I refuse to give time to Jason Whitlock’s comment about Wiggins – and about all of Canada – in which the American reporter claims that ‘Canadians don’t want it as much,’ ” wrote Toronto Sports Media columnist Norm. “(Lakers point guard) Steve Nash once popped his nose back into place after breaking it and kept on playing without missing a beat, or even wearing one of those bulky masks. He’s won 2 MVPs. I think he wanted it just as much as anyone.”
Fehr
Yahoo Sports Canada‘s Israel Fehr weighed in by writing, “It wasn’t enough for ESPN’s Jason Whitlock to critize Andrew Wiggins, who became the second Canadian ever to go No. 1 overall in the NBA draft last month, Whitlock had to take out an entire nation of athletes…Whitlock conveniently forgets…the thousands upon thousands of times a Canadian athlete in any sport has persevered to be the best.”
Then Fehr turned the tables on Whitlock:
“A fair share of Americans, those who according to Whitlock want it more than Canadians, have been hit with similar criticisms. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were alleged to lack focus and drive. Even LeBron has been accused of not possessing a ‘clutch gene’ and fading late in games.”
Naismith
Fehr saved his best Whitlock diss for his column kicker:
“Whitlock should be thankful Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian, had the drive to invent the game of basketball over 120 years ago.”
YAWN.
I thought doughy kicked the bucket already from a heart attack.
“U.S. athletes, I think, among NHL players and NHL people, perhaps don’t want it as much as even some of the Europeans and certainly the Canadian players,” (insert name of Canadian journalist) told Olbermann.”
I’m asking myself if I would be offended if the same comment were made by a Canadian journalist about our home-grown hockey players.
Nah. Wouldn’t bother me at all.
“Only a handful of sports blogs paid any notice.”
It was everywhere in the sportsblog world and it happened 11 days ago. You many have been on vacation at the time.
http://awfulannouncing.com/2014/jason-whitlocks-comments-about-canada-are-insulting-to-everyone.html
http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/22/jason-whitlock-doesnt-think-canadian-athletes-want-it-as-much-as-european-and-american-athletes/
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/07/22/jason-whitlock-says-canadian-athletes-dont-want-it-as-much-as-americans
http://www.sbnation.com/2014/7/22/5926283/andrew-wiggins-jason-whitlock-canadian-stereotype
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/07/22/canadians-are-lazy-at-basketball-prominent-espn-personality-says/
I was on vacation…
However outside of some of the usual sports blogs like you note – SB Nation and The Big Lead – it didn’t really resonate in the mainstream media where non sports fanatics live. Unlike the Lin deal or his Imus thing of several years back.
And most KCC readers live in a far more mainstream media world. One that includes local news sites and blogs that transcend sports only. None of which – not even Greg Hall or Tony – covered this.
The point being that Whitlock’s footprint continues to shrink – despite his ESPN deal – even though he’s still out there trying to generate controversial headlines. Headline that extend behind a handful of sports sites.
Most of the quotes I used I found using Google Canada btw. Which did find his stunt a bit more appetizing.
I really don’t think his “footprint” is shrinking Hearne. He subbed for Tony K and Mike W all week on PTI which is a big deal on ESPN. ESPN loves the guy and if they can do it, they will try to make him bigger than ever.
He is ascending. Weather he burns his wings off near the sun is yet to be seen, but he is ascending.
Weather, heh heh, accidental pun.
I think most MSM media types are tired of giving Whitlock print. As you are aware, he is still prime clickbait material for blogs. All he was doing was trolling and he won.
There are diferrent rules for black people and poor dummies like me. Jamie Foxx bragged on live TV, SNL about how much he loved making movies where he “Got to kill all the white people” and got an ovation.
I am learning, as time goes by, to hate myself and American culture. I hope someday after my reeducation camp grades are looked over by Al or Jesse, or, even the dozens of millions self appointed Race Police who are constantly on guard to make sure our ears are not assaulted with the “N” word, or, I mean assaulted by a white person using the “N” word, that I can be a productive member of society. I have come a long way, but I have a long way to go.
Go Jason!!
Not sure who picks the “talent” for ESPN, but they’ve been off the rails on numerous issues that go beyond sports. Without wasting time on a vague google search I seem to recall a few occasions where ESPN has been accused of being a little too politically correct, while tolerating the lunacy of some of its announcers (wasn’t one criticized for picking on a black quarterback married to a white woman) and rescuing the failed career of Keith Olberman who was unceremoniously dumped by ratings starved MSNBC and then also by whatever nonentity network he fled to from there.
While many leftist executives who put their ideological leanings and controversy before the best interests of their employers have damaged the brand ESPN seems to be a safe place for morons given that the fans just tune them out and watch the events with the volume turned down.