55 replies to this topic

[CJM]

The NY Post's Phil Mushnick has some choice words for the new, Jay-Z designed Nets logo/merchandise.

The choicest words:

Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!

Then, after the entirely appropriate backlash began, Mushnick doubled down:

Bob – Such obvious, wishful and ignorant mischaracterizations of what I write are common. I don’t call black men the N-word; I don’t regard young women as bitches and whores; I don’t glorify the use of assault weapons and drugs. Jay-Z, on the other hand…..Is he the only NBA owner allowed to call black men N—ers?”
Jay-Z profits from the worst and most sustaining self-enslaving stereotypes of black-American culture and I’M the racist? Some truths, I guess, are just hard to read, let alone think about.

This would all be offensive if it weren't such a tin-eared, tired, and stupid argument. I'm going to guess that, in doing a mental tally of NBA owners with problematic racial views, he somehow forgot Donald Sterling. I'm also going to guess that he hasn't listened too carefully to the Black Album.

Edited by CJM, 04 May 2012 - 05:20 PM.

[TheRealness]

[collings94]

Sounds like Mr. Mushnick is a little out of touch with pop culture. I'm not a big Rap fan, but i respect Jay Z for actually investing his money instead of blowing it all on drugs, hookers and guns.

And remember, Jay Z owns 1% more of the Nets then you or I do, so I doubt he has all this control over uniforms and what not.

[CJM]

He actually did design them.

It may just be 1.5% more than you or I, but that's a pretty huge 1.5%. He also seems to have been designated the face of the ownership group.

[PC Drunken Friar]

Sounds like Mr. Mushnick is a little out of touch with pop culture. I'm not a big Rap fan, but i respect Jay Z for actually investing his money instead of blowing it all on drugs, hookers and guns.

And remember, Jay Z owns 1% more of the Nets then you or I do, so I doubt he has all this control over uniforms and what not.

So can you name one superstar rapper who made it big that blew a fortune on drugs, hookers and guns? Sounds like you, too are out of touch with pop culture.

[URI]

He's talking about all negros African-Americans, not just rappers. Antoine Walker shit. No respect for Antoine Walker.

Jay-Z though? Much respect, or as they say in the hip-hop community, "love".

[MannysGoldGlove]

So can you name one superstar rapper who made it big that blew a fortune on drugs, hookers and guns? Sounds like you, too are out of touch with pop culture.

Ol' Dirty Bastard

Edited by MannysGoldGlove, 04 May 2012 - 06:09 PM.

[PC Drunken Friar]

Ol' Dirty Bastard

I wouldn't say O'DB was a superstar who made a fortune, but still the point stands that rap has a lot less stories of humongous stars self-destructing because of drugs and stuff. And hookers? Please, rap stars have groupies, too. Ignorant statement made by C94

[MannysGoldGlove]

I wouldn't say O'DB was a superstar who made a fortune, but still the point stands that rap has a lot less stories of humongous stars self-destructing because of drugs and stuff. And hookers? Please, rap stars have groupies, too. Ignorant statement made by C94

Yeah, I dont understand the whole hookers part either.

[kenneycb]

So can you name one superstar rapper who made it big that blew a fortune on drugs, hookers and guns? Sounds like you, too are out of touch with pop culture.

MC Hammer

[MannysGoldGlove]

MC Hammer

I thought he lost most of his money to his friends/family?

[bsj]

I wouldnt go as far as Mushnick, but he's not all wrong...really lousy one track logo/color scheme

[PC Drunken Friar]

MC Hammer

Saying MC Hammer represents rap is like saying Creed represents hard rock...and yes, he blew it on bad real estate and a 200 person entourage.

Edited by PC Drunken Friar, 04 May 2012 - 06:22 PM.

[URI]

BLACK FOLK DONT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEY MONEY AMIRITE?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

In his most desperate times, Hammer turned to Pumps and a Bump...not drugs/hookers/guns. That hurt the World more than the 49 drug cocktail that ODB was swigging.

[CJM]

MC Hammer

If you translate "drugs, hookers, and guns" to "thoroughbreds, mission trips, and gold lame vests".

[The Social Chair]

Mushnick is sports media's oldest, most irrelevant troll.

If anybody wants to read a great take on Jay-Z than please read Christagu's review of Watch the Throne and Jay-Z's book Decoded

http://bnreview.barn...-That/ba-p/5743

[jon abbey]

Mushnick is sports media's oldest, most irrelevant troll.

Murray Chass begs to disagree.

[Pumpsie]

I haven't read anything by Mushnick in a long, long time but if this particular article is representative of his work, they should re-name his column "The Daily Curmudgeon."

[jon abbey]

I think Mushnick has always been terrible, I don't have much of an opinion either way on this one specifically, but I do still buy the Post every day and I will say that his constant hammering of Francesa over the last few years has been totally on point and hilarious.

[JBill]

Phil Mushnick hates everything.

[AimingForYoko]

This is stupid. And his argument is stupid. And insanely racist. But it's the Post so not only am I not surprised he wrote it, but I'm less surprised some editor said "no it's good, run with it."

[AimingForYoko]

Is he the only NBA owner allowed to call black men N—ers?”
Jay-Z profits from the worst and most sustaining self-enslaving stereotypes of black-American culture and I’M the racist? Some truths, I guess, are just hard to read, let alone think about.

Also, what? I know he probably has not heard any of Jay's recent music but he hasn't been "gangsta" since the 90's. And why are you so damn worried about what white NBA owners can say? Why the fuck do some white people want to use that damn word so friggin badly?

And yes, you are the racist.

And I need to stop because I've already wasted too much time and energy on this jackass.

Edited by AimingForYoko, 04 May 2012 - 07:08 PM.

[Royal Reader]

If you translate "drugs, hookers, and guns" to "thoroughbreds, mission trips, and gold lame vests".

It really takes something to be a huge rap star and yet still be THAT uncool.

[kenneycb]

Saying MC Hammer represents rap is like saying Creed represents hard rock...and yes, he blew it on bad real estate and a 200 person entourage.

I am well aware. Like all things MC Hammer, it was said in jest.

[CJM]

The thing I like about Mushnick's stupidity is the easy counterargument it raises. His displeasure at the new Nets look is precisely why it works: it's generic in the sense that it doesn't feel excessively focus-grouped; we're far enough away from the late 90's hand wringing about the NBA's thuggishness image issue that 'street' isn't a negative connotation; there's a whole generation of people who grew up on hip-hop culture and don't think it's scary (I'd bet most 30-and-under folks know and have seen hanging sneakers); and the product is 'urban' in the most definitional way--it's a game that's born and bred in the city where ballparks and football fields are at a premium. Brooklyn seems like the perfect test case for this new angle, because it simultaneously plays towards an ironic wink to the past and a non-polished 'street' look.

I like the Nets' new merchandise precisely because it bucks the trend of garish, kid-friendly colors (aka the Thunder, and living in Oklahoma I can tell you that no one above the age of 11 looks good in Thunder gear). The Net's stripped down design is a strength, because it's adaptable (like the old Raiders look, like Dynomite said in the Nets thread) and it doesn't make you a team color wearing logo clown for rocking the style. Savvy businessman that he is, I'd imagine Jay-Z saw Mushnick's article and was delighted.

Edited by CJM, 04 May 2012 - 10:43 PM.

[collings94]

So can you name one superstar rapper who made it big that blew a fortune on drugs, hookers and guns? Sounds like you, too are out of touch with pop culture.

Just one... T.I. What do I win?

[Alcohol&Overcalls]

He's talking about all negros African-Americans, not just rappers. Antoine Walker shit. No respect for Antoine Walker.

Jay-Z though? Much respect, or as they say in the hip-hop community, "love".

You would think Mushnick would be really excited for Jay-Z, as a black man who stayed with his "boo" after inserting child. Although maybe he'd invoke a SSS argument on me, and I'd be HELPLESS AGAINST OLD MAN LOGIC SHIT SHIT SHIT BLACKS SHIT.

[PC Drunken Friar]

Just one... T.I. What do I win?

Considering T.I. is still one of the biggest names in rap today...try again.

[TheShynessClinic]

Considering T.I. is still one of the biggest names in rap today...try again.

I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

[rembrat]

It's offensive to good design.

[PC Drunken Friar]

I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

Well, I believe he is...and considering he had a starring role in a top-grossing at the box office movie, has a reality TV show, albums on the way, has his own record label own film company, owns a very popular nightclub, partnership with Remy Martin, yea, I'd say T.I. is doing just fine and hasn't blown all his money away

[collings94]

The point I was originally trying to make, since we got really off topic, is that Jay Z is a legitimate businessman and he deserves to be treated as such. He's not running around putting diamonds over his teeth like Kanye West.

[URI]

The failing there is:
1. You didn't say that
2. If you don't think, at this point, Kayne West is a legitimate businessman, then you're a fool.

You might as well have said "Jay-Z deserves respect because he's not at all like the stereotypical rapper created by old white men" rather than push the stereotype to it's edge and get killed on the board for it. Would have saved you some posts.

[kenneycb]

Would Suge Knight qualify? Not a rapper per se but I can't imagine he's doing too well right now.

[Average Reds]

What's with all this nonsense about which rapper is now a "legitimate businessman?" What are we, in a sequel to the Godfather?

Can't we all just agree that Mushnick is a legitimate tool and leave it at that?

[Dan Murfman]

Phil Mushnick has the easiest job in America. He writes 3 columns a week and they're the same each time. Hammer Francesa, ESPN and black uniforms.

[drleather2001]

People who don't live on NYC may not understand, but the New York Post is NOT a "newspaper". It's a tabloid. People who are shocked at what they print are just being suckers.

I'd place money that Mushnick got the go ahead, and probably an enthusiastic one, from the editors to run with this inflammatory bit.

The Post doesn't give one shit about PR (and in fact, probably half of its subscribers agree with Mushnick, because only fucking idiots read the Post on a regular basis). It cares about selling oodles of copies to boost ad sales. This manufactured controversy is just one of the tricks they fall back on.

[SteveCrawford]

I believe he is required to rip Francesca in every column...wfan and espn new york had callers irate demanding he be fired asap. sadly think I listened to same callers on each station within minutes. Phil is known for his rancor but yet a must read.

[jon abbey]

People who don't live on NYC may not understand, but the New York Post is NOT a "newspaper". It's a tabloid. People who are shocked at what they print are just being suckers. I'd place money that Mushnick got the go ahead, and probably an enthusiastic one, from the editors to run with this inflammatory bit. The Post doesn't give one shit about PR (and in fact, probably half of its subscribers agree with Mushnick, because only fucking idiots read the Post on a regular basis). It cares about selling oodles of copies to boost ad sales. This manufactured controversy is just one of the tricks they fall back on.

Well, I read the Post on a regular basis and would be happy to go toe to toe with you in a battle of wits if you'd like. I personally think there are plenty of things more objectionable about the NY Times (which I read for decades and now mostly try to ignore) and the Daily News (which is so worthless that even in the days where I read four papers every day, I didn't consider reading it). FWIW, I'm very liberal and always ignore the editorial pages, but that shouldn't tarnish the entire paper. And as I said above, Mushnick is terrible, not defending him at all.

Coincidentally, I'm now finishing up Caro's The Power Broker, in which the Times is complicit to a huge extent in Moses' co-opting of power (to the point where this should still be a huge black mark on their record half a century later, they were basically a PR organ for him for decades as he destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of poor people for very little reason besides his lifelong distaste for them, among many other things) and the Post is the only paper that saw through Moses for probably a decade before anyone else gave a shit. The Times is so deeply tied into NYC 'high society' (they run schedule announcements from Lincoln Center as news stories!) that I'm sure it constantly leads to situations like the above one regarding Moses, most of which no one ever finds out about.

[InstantKarmma]

I did hear that Ice Cube blew his fortune on porcelain dolls.

[DrewDawg]

I haven't read anything by Mushnick in a long, long time but if this particular article is representative of his work, they should re-name his column "The Daily Curmudgeon."

Yes. As someone posted above "Phil Mushnick hates everything". Back when Sports Guy did daily links this was ALWAYS his description of any of Mushnick's links.

[stevman17]

What exactly about the unis is offensive? I'm totally lost. FWIW, I like the look. If they retain Deron Williams and become contenders, they will be some of the coolest uniforms in sports. Sort of like how the Broncos made their uniforms look cool.

[drleather2001]

Well, I read the Post on a regular basis and would be happy to go toe to toe with you in a battle of wits if you'd like. I personally think there are plenty of things more objectionable about the NY Times (which I read for decades and now mostly try to ignore) and the Daily News (which is so worthless that even in the days where I read four papers every day, I didn't consider reading it). FWIW, I'm very liberal and always ignore the editorial pages, but that shouldn't tarnish the entire paper. And as I said above, Mushnick is terrible, not defending him at all.

Coincidentally, I'm now finishing up Caro's The Power Broker, in which the Times is complicit to a huge extent in Moses' co-opting of power (to the point where this should still be a huge black mark on their record half a century later, they were basically a PR organ for him for decades as he destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of poor people for very little reason besides his lifelong distaste for them, among many other things) and the Post is the only paper that saw through Moses for probably a decade before anyone else gave a shit. The Times is so deeply tied into NYC 'high society' (they run schedule announcements from Lincoln Center as news stories!) that I'm sure it constantly leads to situations like the above one regarding Moses, most of which no one ever finds out about.

1) What does the NY Times have to do with anything?
2) Rupert Murdoch has owned the Post for about 35 years. Murdoch's track record of gossip journalism speaks for itself. In fact, Murdoch transformed the Post to a European style gossip rag. Citing the Post's work from the 1930's to 1960's is completely irrelevant to the discussion on the Post's reputation and quality for the past 20 or so years.

But whatever, if you consider a newspaper that runs headlines like "Wok This Way" regarding a meeting with a presidential visit to China, and has two pages every day devoted to celebrity gossip and photos, and a column devoted to the stories of local lottery winners (when the lottery is a huge advertiser) to be anything but a vehicle for cheap laughs, go for it.

Edited by drleather2001, 06 May 2012 - 01:00 PM.

[Mystic Merlin]

Are we going to see drleather and jonabbey go toe to toe in a battle of wits?

[drleather2001]

Hey Jon Abbey:

[drleather2001]

Just kidding, Abbey. No hard feelings. Hey,

[The Best Catch in 100 Years]

I'm not totally sure what your point is drleather. Whether the New York Post is a newspaper or not, I still don't really think it should be regarded as unimportant when one of their columnist writes a completely racist column. Is there a line the New York Post could cross where you'd be concerned that this is a media organ that companies still buy ad space in, people still read, stores still sell, etc.? Or should anything that appears in those pages whatsoever be shrugged off as "cheap laughs," just trying to stir the pot, etc.?

[Comfortably Lomb]

The real problem with the Nets new "color" is that it's what, 5-10 years too late? Fans, there will be a "black-out" every Sunday home game during which we encourage everyone to wear black! Yea, that hasn't been done.

Edited by Comfortably Lomb, 06 May 2012 - 01:32 PM.

[DukeSox]

and has two pages every day devoted to celebrity gossip and photos,

I enjoy this on that link. I would say she's quite cool.



Who's Hot

• Alex Rodriguez
• Amy Winehouse
• Angelina Jolie
• Anna Wintour
• Ashton Kutcher

[jon abbey]

My objection was to this:

only fucking idiots read the Post on a regular basis

People look to newspapers for different things. I like reading the sports section of an actual newspaper (meaning print), and the Post is the best option around currently.

And who cares that they have entertaining headlines? Sure, they're a tabloid and not a more "serious" newspaper, but so what? More "serious" newspapers mostly suck too these days, that was my point in bringing up the Times.

But whatever, if you consider a newspaper that runs headlines like "Wok This Way" regarding a meeting with a presidential visit to China, and has two pages every day devoted to celebrity gossip and photos, and a column devoted to the stories of local lottery winners (when the lottery is a huge advertiser) to be anything but a vehicle for cheap laughs, go for it.

I don't get what that has to do with the overall newspaper, it's like listing three bad shows on ABC and thinking that proves that the network can't possibly have any quality content.