Originally posted by: tkim
yoda sent it to me..here it is:
'Shaq Didn't Use Good Judgement'
January 10, 2003
By Jim Rome
http://www.jimrome.com/home/article/shaq.html
Shaquille O'Neal has reportedly let loose a controversial, racial remark directed at Yao Ming.
Literally everybody is down with Houston Rockets' rookie, Yao Ming. The 7-5 Ming has made unbelievable progress since the beginning of the season. He can shoot it, pass and finishes strong. He needs to bulk up, but that will come with time. His teammates like him, opposition likes himjust about everybody, except Shaq.
Shaq has been very critical of Ming since the very beginning. But lately it seems, Shaq has turned it up and went too far, getting off a racial blast.
Yao Ming has been getting a lot of pub from the very beginning, is ahead of Shaq in the All-Star voting and Shaq is not pleased. This much we do know. I don't know if this was the catalyst for his most recent remark, but Shaq crossed the line.
According to ESPN.com, 'Asian Week' columnist Erwin Tang alleges that Shaq got off this bomb in an interview, using a mock Chinese accent.
Tell Yao Ming, 'Ching Chong, Yang Wau, Ah So'.
Erwin Tang went on to say, the NBA and the Media are employing a double-standard when it comes to Asians.
"Let's not beat around the bush. If a White player had for instance had made monkey sounds to taunt a Black player, it would have been a national controversy. But Yao is Chinese and Asians are fair game."
And he's exactly right.
If a white player had made monkey sounds to taunt a black player he'd be run out of the game.
And for those who think that Shaq was only 'trying to be funny'uh no. It was a racist and inappropriate thing to do, period.
Do I think that Shaq is a racist and has malice in his heart? No. But going to the 'Ching chong, yang, wah, ah so" blast is not cool. He was trying to be funny and failed miserably. It wasn't funny at all. There's nothing inherently funny about Yao Ming being Chinese.
There is a double-standard. Bonzi Wells calling Danny Ferry a 'beloved patriot' should be just as unacceptable as Ferry calling Wells the equivalent in reverse.
There probably was nothing hateful meant by Shaq, I think he's a good guy. He works in the community, he's charitable, doesn't end up in jail and generally has nothing but positive contributions to society.
But it was a racist statement and unacceptable. He owes Yao Ming an apology.
There's no way around this. If you mock someone for their race, skin color, ethnicity or heritage it's wrong. If you have to, just switch Yao and Shaq in this instance and see what the reaction would be. You can't qualify or make allowances based upon the race of who said it. It's the statement that's unacceptable and shouldn't have anything to do with whose mouth it came out of or to whom it was directed.
There is an obvious double-standard. If you turn this on its ear or look at the flipside, the 'Fortune Cookie' promotion night by the Miami Heat when Yao Ming came to town should be as abominable as a supposed 'Fried Chicken' night because any African-American comes to town.
Shaq wasn't mocking Yao's game, he was mocking his Chinese heritage. Therein lies the difference.
This is a nation that has an ugly history in relation to racism and African-Americans. Intellectually I would say this factors into why there is a double-standard today. But it doesn't legitimize or justify certain types of behavior. It doesn't mean that Shaq is allowed a free pass. It only means that Shaq is in the wrong and owes Yao Ming an apology.
The statement is unacceptable and that has nothing to do with who said it or its intended recipient.
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