516 replies to this topic

[Hendu's Gait]

apologies if this was posted in another thread

[Corsi]

Wisconsin: The New Minnesota!

And it doesn't even look like Minnesota.

[page 2 protege]

apologies if this was posted in another thread

They know their audience, most of my friends I showed this to didn't understand what the problem was...

[axx]

It looks more like a piece of cheese and not Minnesota

[drleather2001]

I guess South Dakota invaded and claimed the prairie portion of the state.

Oh well.

[ifmanis5]

Huh. I didn't know Tebow took his talents to South Beach.

[Hendu for Kutch]

Huh. I didn't know Tebow took his talents to South Beach.

Isn't that just a link to last week's article where they beat Tebow and locked up the AFC East?

[ifmanis5]

Isn't that just a link to last week's article where they beat Tebow and locked up the AFC East?

No, it actually linked to the proper Pats/Fins game story, they just re-used the headline from last week by mistake.

[Tartan]

Apparently Tim Tebow is better equipped to thrive in any NFL era than Peyton Manning.

http://espn.go.com/n...os-qb-tim-tebow

I know, I know. It was their Hall of Fame Panel of Genius that made the picks. But still, Tebow being ahead of Manning right of the bat makes the list look bad already. I'm not sure their rationale. Because he's a scrambler? And NFL history is full of scramblers who have trouble hitting open receivers? That makes him more valuable than one of the quickest (in terms of getting rid of the ball, not mobility) and most accurate passers of all time?

Edited by Tartan, 23 January 2012 - 05:56 PM.

[BucketOBalls]

Apparently Tim Tebow is better equipped to thrive in any NFL era than Peyton Manning.

http://espn.go.com/n...os-qb-tim-tebow

That's pretty funny considering he isn't a starter in his own era.

[dirtynine]

Nice Nike commercial in the lead stories today...

[Hendu for Kutch]

I've got First Take on (can't find the remote, don't feel like changing it).

Lead debate: Were the Patriots cheating again? (Answer: yes)

Next debate: Are Giants compliments of Brady fake praise? (Answer: yes...Brady's not a good playoff QB any more)

I can't wait for the next debate: Lead paint...tastes great or less filling?

Edit: OK, Rob Parker just said Tom Brady is overrated and that if he goes 3-2 in the Super Bowl he becomes an average QB. I'm finding that goddamn remote.

Edited by Hendu for Kutch, 26 January 2012 - 10:22 AM.

[Tartan]

Rob Parker's opinions are worth about as much of a damn as Skip Bayless's. The guy is a joke.

[PBDWake]

Edit: OK, Rob Parker just said Tom Brady is overrated and that if he goes 3-2 in the Super Bowl he becomes an average QB. I'm finding that goddamn remote.

I have to wonder what that makes John Elway

[wilymomoonshot]

http://t.co/3qMxdL7V

I'll take "Poor Use Of The Word Chink" for $500,Alex

[natpastime162]

http://t.co/3qMxdL7V

I'll take "Poor Use Of The Word Chink" for $500,Alex

What was the actual headline. Link isn't work for me and ESPN is pulling half a Giambi.

[wilymomoonshot]

It had a picture of Lin with the headline "Chink In The Armor"...it has since been taken down and ESPN issued a formal apology.

[JBill]

Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.

ESPN VP:

There's no defense for the indefensible. All we can offer are our apologies, sincere though incalculably inadequate.

https://mobile.twitt...873149192273920

Yikes, how does a headline like that get through? Someone is getting fired.

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

It had a picture of Lin with the headline "Chink In The Armor"...it has since been taken down and ESPN issued a formal apology.

Screen shot in the BalLin thread in the Port Cellar.

Disgusting.

[kazuneko]

Here is that headline...
Totally ridiculous. Whoever is responsible is almost certainly already unemployed. You'd also have to think they might have trouble finding employment again in the industry....

[DesperadoDelonteWest]

You'd like to think someone is just extremely clueless and it was a poor choice of words, but... wow. Any chance Peter 'Arian Nation' King has a side gig writing headlines?

[JimBoSox9]

I'll put "dumbass" at about a 5-1 favorite over "racist". It doesn't even make grammatical sense if it was intentional, since the chink is the performance, not the player.

[johnmd20]

I'll put "dumbass" at about a 5-1 favorite over "racist". It doesn't even make grammatical sense if it was intentional, since the chink is the performance, not the player.

Honestly, would that make a difference if someone was trying to make a racist comment?

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Is there perhaps an "armor" reference I'm unaware of? If there is, then the remark is rather innocuous.

If not, then someone is completely sans clue.

[Darnell's Son]

I think ESPN can be as stupid as the next guy, but come on. The headline reads "Chink in the armor", not "Chink in armor." This is just people being way too reactionary in my opinion. It should have been caught, but I don't think it's really a big deal.

[Shelterdog]

I think ESPN can be as stupid as the next guy, but come on. The headline reads "Chink in the armor", not "Chink in armor." This is just people being way too reactionary in my opinion. It should have been caught, but I don't think it's really a big deal.

If you don't understand why it's blatant racism then you are an incredibly stupid person. Why would you use the word "chink" if you weren't making an offensive pun about Lin's race?

[timlinin8th]

since the chink is the performance, not the player.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=double+entendre

[ichirob4ichiro]

On Friday I was listening to Mad dog radio on xm on my drive home. Dan Graca (who I think is a meat stick anyhow) dropped this same line when talking about Lin and the possibility of him having a bad game that night.

He knew what he said immediately and everyone in the studio busted a gut, while they scurried to change the subject as quick as they could. They were like giggling school children. It was no "Don Imus," but extremely awkward nonetheless; clearly one that comes having 5 hours of airtime to fill with off the cuff, under prepared talking points. ESPN.com on the other hand had minutes-- if not hours/days-- to craft a catchy headline for when Lin suffered his first set back. There are stupid people out there, but one can easiy see how this could blow up into one of those "mistakes" people lose their jobs over.

[singaporesoxfan]

The fact that ESPN loves wordplay headlines in their site probably doesn't help. I don't think I've seen a Jeremy Lin headline on ESPN.com without some pun or allusion (e.g. "Jeremy has spoken").

[ichirob4ichiro]

I'm waiting for "Thai goes to the runner" with an action shot of Lin cutting through the paint during an overtime victory...

[scottyno]

espn used the exact same headline for team usa at one point during the olympics when they were in china

[wilymomoonshot]

For me I just don't understand how something like that actually gets through. I have no idea how these things work but I would think, given that ESPN.com is one of the biggest websites in the world, that a headline would go through several different people before being published and somehow NO ONE said "hmmmm maybe we should just go with so silly Lin pun instead of this...."

[JBill]

For me I just don't understand how something like that actually gets through. I have no idea how these things work but I would think, given that ESPN.com is one of the biggest websites in the world, that a headline would go through several different people before being published and somehow NO ONE said "hmmmm maybe we should just go with so silly Lin pun instead of this...."

I have no idea how the process works, but the headline was on their mobile site, and it happened in the middle of the night. I imagine during that time it might only have to go through a couple of people before we see it.

But your overall point still makes sense, my theory is someone was screwing around and did a mock up or something intentionally thinking it was funny, but it was never meant to go live, and it went up by mistake. Otherwise to think someone paired a picture of Lin with a headline that includes the word "chink" without intending the slur means that person is the biggest dumbass alive. It's possible I guess...

I think ESPN can be as stupid as the next guy, but come on. The headline reads "Chink in the armor", not "Chink in armor." This is just people being way too reactionary in my opinion. It should have been caught, but I don't think it's really a big deal.

It's not like ESPN's president wrote the headline and picked the picture, just some overnight copy editor(s), so it's not hard to believe "ESPN" made a mistake like this. You only need one dumbass/racist/asshole. As for ESPN, I think they did well to get out ahead and issue an apology early, and say they're going to look into discipline and review their procedures. Not much more you can do, at this point, except apologize profusely and say it will never happen again.

[ichirob4ichiro]

A statement released from ESPN just a bit ago. . .

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.

Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

- The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.

- The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.

- The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

http://m.espn.go.com...storyId=7591778

[DrewDawg]

Who was the ESPNEWS anchor? What did they say?

[page 2 protege]

Who was the ESPNEWS anchor? What did they say?

[johnmd20]

That is way less horrible than the headline.

[Tyrone Biggums]

That is way less horrible than the headline.

It seems as if he was quoting the headline. I really don't think anyone would have made the connection without seeing the headline first. Don Imus's rant against Rutgers was a hell of a lot worse.

Edited by Tyrone Biggums, 19 February 2012 - 12:28 PM.

[ichirob4ichiro]

That is way less horrible than the headline.

Agreed. The guy was a robot as he said the line. If he smirked or even acknowledged after the fact what he just said, then it would have come off much worse. The clip reminded me of Ron Burgandy a bit, reading whatever is put in front of him.

[JBill]

So the guy who we assume did it intentionally is fired, the guy who said it without intent is suspended 30 days....can Whitlock at least take a twitter timeout?

[Rocco Graziosa]

I don't think I've heard someone refer to an Asian person as a "chink" in 15 years. I hear the phrase "chink in the armor" all the time. I think its absolutely plausible for someone to use that phrase and not make the connection to the racist term. I'm 100% confident the anchor didn't make that connection.

[ichirob4ichiro]

Anyone else watching the LIN vs Mavs game on ABC/ESPN right now? It looks like ESPN is trying to pay back to the Asain culture simply by doing close up shots of random Asain fans going nuts after an exciting Lin play. It's pretty funny, actually. I'm sure it's purely coincidental. [/rolling eyes]

[Mike Greenwall]

Is it not part of the job description to know if certain words are considered offensive or not? And if so, to protect your employer, your reputation, and maybe your job, you find another ways to be clever.

[PBDWake]

Is it not part of the job description to know if certain words are considered offensive or not? And if so, to protect your employer, your reputation, and maybe your job, you find another ways to be clever.

Agreed. You need to know NOT to put your employer in a position where it can cause problems, even if you're using a colloquialism or word as it's meant to be used. No news organization would refer to Obama as "niggardly" if he introduced radical spending cuts, and no business journal would headline a profile on a Mexican Cleaning Company with "Spic and Span". Context matters.

[SuperManny]

I don't think I've heard someone refer to an Asian person as a "chink" in 15 years. I hear the phrase "chink in the armor" all the time. I think its absolutely plausible for someone to use that phrase and not make the connection to the racist term. I'm 100% confident the anchor didn't make that connection.

This is how I feel at this point, it seems accidental. From said ESPN anchor Max Bretos' twitter account:

Wanted 2 apologize 2 all those I have upset. Not done with any racial reference. Despite intention,phrase was inappropriate in this context

My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community.

[kazuneko]

Yeah, doesn't look like the news anchor realized what he was saying...
But its hard to imagine - and less forgivable either way - if the editor responsible for the headline didn't realize. With words in print there is more time to consider the implications. Even if the editor was simply clueless that still disqualifies him for his job....

[moondog80]

I don't think I've heard someone refer to an Asian person as a "chink" in 15 years. I hear the phrase "chink in the armor" all the time. I think its absolutely plausible for someone to use that phrase and not make the connection to the racist term. I'm 100% confident the anchor didn't make that connection.

I think it's utterly implausible the writer did not make the connection, but If you can find examples of headlines where the subject is non-Asian, I might reconsider/

[Three10toLeft]

This whole thing is slightly comical.

I don't feel much pity for the editor who posted the headline, like others have stated, if it's in print it should provide you with more time to pause and realize a mistake you could be making.

The ESPN News anchor who said "chink in the armor" seems to have genuinely made a mistake without any malice whatsoever.

At the end of the day though, it just feels like this is another example of an over sensitive society, looking to find nits to pick.

[Joe Sixpack]

I think it's utterly implausible the writer did not make the connection, but If you can find examples of headlines where the subject is non-Asian, I might reconsider/

Here you go:

A chink in the armor? Bears need to get to Rodgers by exploiting Packers' depleted O-line
http://msn.foxsports...-Oline-00245261

Auburn 2, Hudson 1: Chink in the armor
http://www.wickedloc...nk-in-the-armor

A Noticeable Chink In The Armour Of The Mighty Catalans: How Barcelona Struggle To Break Down Physical Sides
http://www.goal.com/...ty-catalans-how

Is central defence Barcelona’s chink in the armour?
http://www.soccernew...e-armour/79005/

'Dodgy keeper' De Gea is the only chink in United's armour
http://www.independe...ur-2337702.html

Boris Becker: Wimbledon locker-room can see chink in Roger Federer's armour
http://www.telegraph...ers-armour.html

Champs cultivate deep outfield
If the World Series Champion Phillies have a chink in the armor, it's in the outfield ...
http://mlb.mlb.com/m...ew.jsp?c_id=phi

Lakers may bench Andrew Bynum
If there has been one chink in the Lakers armor this year, it has been bench play ...
http://probasketball...h-andrew-bynum/

Edited by Joe Sixpack, 20 February 2012 - 06:28 AM.

[bosox188]

Here you go:

A chink in the armor? Bears need to get to Rodgers by exploiting Packers' depleted O-line
http://msn.foxsports...-Oline-00245261

Auburn 2, Hudson 1: Chink in the armor
http://www.wickedloc...nk-in-the-armor

A Noticeable Chink In The Armour Of The Mighty Catalans: How Barcelona Struggle To Break Down Physical Sides
http://www.goal.com/...ty-catalans-how

Is central defence Barcelona’s chink in the armour?
http://www.soccernew...e-armour/79005/

'Dodgy keeper' De Gea is the only chink in United's armour
http://www.independe...ur-2337702.html

Boris Becker: Wimbledon locker-room can see chink in Roger Federer's armour
http://www.telegraph...ers-armour.html

Champs cultivate deep outfield
If the World Series Champion Phillies have a chink in the armor, it's in the outfield ...
http://mlb.mlb.com/m...ew.jsp?c_id=phi

Lakers may bench Andrew Bynum
If there has been one chink in the Lakers armor this year, it has been bench play ...
http://probasketball...h-andrew-bynum/

I didn't know Jeremy Lin played for all those teams.