Should athletes who are the subjects of racist taunts react/fight back, or ignore such actions?

[BigJ]

Kill 'em all, let the paramedics sort 'em out.

 

[Andyb23]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Racist comments are dumb.

Those who take them personally/seriously are even dumber. Why should you let the ignorance/idiocy of someone who has to resort to racial slurs affect you?

Reminds me of this article.. http://heelpress.com/article.php?id=29 Long but well worth it.

LOL that was the dumbest article I've read in a while.

That kid had no balls at all. It was pretty much him rolling over for a bunch of yokels making veiled comments towards him.

Anyways I don't think violence is necessarily appropriate but sometimes in the heat of the moment humans make mistakes. Especially when you've been playing hardcore sports for 2-3 hours and your adrenaline is flowing.

I don't think many white people here know what its like to be an a mostly white crowd and have someone say something that offensive to you. Especially when you are as intelligent as Dikembe Mutombo.

 

[Brackis]

Originally posted by: chambersc

Originally posted by: Brackis

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

"I am not going to take that. He was insulting my race, my family, my integrity. For him to call me a monkey ... that should not happen today," Mutombo said.

He's a moron if he feels insulted by some random guy saying crap at him.
There's no justification for what he did.

But that's the thing, Dikemebe Mutombo is a brilliant man who speaks over half a dozen languages fluently and went to Georegtown on an academic merit scholarship....


Sticks and stones may break your bones, but which has a lasting effect? Broken bones heal, but words and feelings will live on.

If a well educated man is that emotional over a few casual words then he's obviously not as smart as we make him out to be.


BTW, words are what you make them. Their only power is the emotions they inflict upon you. If you choose not to let them bother you, they won't.

People cannot conciously choose what is painful, it's as simple as that. One can internalize what hurts and try to bottle it, or find ways of deflecting it, but the initial pain will always exist.

 

[chuckywang]

If I were big and strong like Dikembe, I would have beat him down.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Beachboy
They are supposed to be professionals. They should ignore the taunts or direct security to deal with people who harrass them.

Agreed.

However, in the Artest situation, while I don't agree with the response, it's a bit more understandable in that position, seeing as how the fan crossed the line and physically accosted him as well.

But then he went after the wrong guy. So he pretty much beat up some random innocent guy in the stands.

 

[SampSon]

Why should athletes act any different than everyone else?

 

[alkemyst]

bottom line...if you can't back up your words, keep your yap shut.

That's the big issue here. Too many pencil necks love cowering behind laws while calling names.

 

[DrPizza]

What do you mean by "fight back"? Taunts are not fights. Grow the f up... they're only words. The bigger man can walk away and ignore things like that.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: Andyb23
That kid had no balls at all. It was pretty much him rolling over for a bunch of yokels making veiled comments towards him.

Im korean as well and i think that dude overreacted

I grew up in the south as well, Texas, NC, VA and experienced what he experienced nearly every day. White people hardly made fun of me though, it was usually mexicans or blacks. But if i were to fight everytime someone made a comment like that to me, i would have gotten in a few thousand fights during school. I just got used to the comments and they didnt really bother me anymore. Only time I really reacted was when these hispanic kids were making fun of my mom and another time when I got a padlock thrown at my head.

My highschool graduating class had nearly 1000 students, there were only 2 asians in that class

 

[her209]

What if the majority of kids at school taunt you on a daily basis?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: Andyb23
That kid had no balls at all. It was pretty much him rolling over for a bunch of yokels making veiled comments towards him.

Im korean as well and i think that dude overreacted

I grew up in the south as well, Texas, NC, VA and experienced what he experienced nearly every day. White people hardly made fun of me though, it was usually mexicans or blacks. But if i were to fight everytime someone made a comment like that to me, i would have gotten in a few thousand fights during school. I just got used to the comments and they didnt really bother me anymore. Only time I really reacted was when these hispanic kids were making fun of my mom and another time when I got a padlock thrown at my head.

My highschool graduating class had nearly 1000 students, there were only 2 asians in that class

that said, could you have effectively reacted?

Many that say they accepted something, had no other way around it.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: miri
Im korean as well and i think that dude overreacted

I grew up in the south as well, Texas, NC, VA and experienced what he experienced nearly every day. White people hardly made fun of me though, it was usually mexicans or blacks. But if i were to fight everytime someone made a comment like that to me, i would have gotten in a few thousand fights during school. I just got used to the comments and they didnt really bother me anymore. Only time I really reacted was when these hispanic kids were making fun of my mom and another time when I got a padlock thrown at my head.

My highschool graduating class had nearly 1000 students, there were only 2 asians in that class

that said, could you have effectively reacted?

Many that say they accepted something, had no other way around it.

i think i did effectively react my doing nothing

i was outnumbered and outsized (malnourished as a child)

I could have gotten into fights every day, but what would that have accomplished? suspension? I would have had to fight larger and more numerous opponents. I did take tae kwon do, but we all know that martial arts is more a exercise than anything else

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: miri
Im korean as well and i think that dude overreacted

I grew up in the south as well, Texas, NC, VA and experienced what he experienced nearly every day. White people hardly made fun of me though, it was usually mexicans or blacks. But if i were to fight everytime someone made a comment like that to me, i would have gotten in a few thousand fights during school. I just got used to the comments and they didnt really bother me anymore. Only time I really reacted was when these hispanic kids were making fun of my mom and another time when I got a padlock thrown at my head.

My highschool graduating class had nearly 1000 students, there were only 2 asians in that class

that said, could you have effectively reacted?

Many that say they accepted something, had no other way around it.

i think i did effectively react my doing nothing

i was outnumbered and outsized (malnourished as a child)

I could have gotten into fights every day, but what would that have accomplished? suspension? I would have had to fight larger and more numerous opponents. I did take tae kwon do, but we all know that martial arts is more a exercise than anything else

This is my point. If you would have been able to my money is on more people letting another have it.

Talking is the first step always. However; if Joe Asshat doesn't want to rephrase something it's time to kick ass. When I say this, it's not about beating someone to pulp...usually a shove or open hand slap is enough to get most stupid people to back down from pointless banter.

I think congress would be better if they allowed a good pummeling from time to time. It would have more people pushing issues they are willing to take a beating for.

To many people can use their power/influence and have the laws protect them.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Brackis
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A...-rockets-mutombo-fan&prov=ap&type=lgns

Do you think players should acknowledge fans who taunt them and yell back, fight back, grit their teeth and ignore it? Should they refuse to continue playing in the match (been done more than once in european soccer) Beehive of discuss begins now!.......

nothing anyone says gives you the right to strike them. any fans who shout out racist remarks should be removed from the premises by security.

if someone called out racist things to me or any other kind of insult it would spurr me on to play even harder to show them.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
nothing anyone says gives you the right to strike them. any fans who shout out racist remarks should be removed from the premises by security.

if someone called out racist things to me or any other kind of insult it would spurr me on to play even harder to show them.

Security is then taking on the physical role. Why not allow them to stay and voice their opinion?

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: moshquerade
nothing anyone says gives you the right to strike them. any fans who shout out racist remarks should be removed from the premises by security.

if someone called out racist things to me or any other kind of insult it would spurr me on to play even harder to show them.

Security is then taking on the physical role. Why not allow them to stay and voice their opinion?

That is the job of Security. It's not the role of the athlete to police the stands.

Opinions are one things, being an asshole is another.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Andyb23


I don't think many white people here know what its like to be an a mostly white crowd and have someone say something that offensive to you. Especially when you are as intelligent as Dikembe Mutombo.

i used to think that was bs, but i do believe that now....nothing against white people, but i guess they just dont really know how racism can hit you. and being called a cracker doesnt count.

And also, mutumbo is a really smart dude. My teacher in high school met him and told me about the things he did. He is really active in politics back in africa, as well has one of the best shot blockers ever... only if the 01 sixers could have stopped shaq

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: hypn0tik
Why the hell should the just 'grit their teeth and ignore it?'

Give those idiots a beat down.

I agree completely with what Ron Artest did a few seasons ago in Detroit. He was minding his own business when an idiot fan decided to throw his beer at him. Stupid fan got a beat down, as he should have.

A know three people who are convicted felons because they got into fights. Athletes, actually everyone, have to much to lose to get into fights over what someone says to them.

 

[JackBurton]

These fans are all weak pvssies. They yell out all this crap that they would NEVER say to a person's face. Why? Because they are in a crowd (and most likely drunk). I think they should be escorted out of the building and beaten severely in a closed room. If anyone asks what happened, the guy fell...many times. I really don't give a sh!t if a player runs up into the stands and beats someone's ass. I just feel sorry for the athlete because he is going to get the sh!t sued out of him.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: hypn0tik
Why the hell should the just 'grit their teeth and ignore it?'

Give those idiots a beat down.

I agree completely with what Ron Artest did a few seasons ago in Detroit. He was minding his own business when an idiot fan decided to throw his beer at him. Stupid fan got a beat down, as he should have.

I hope you're aware that Artest picked out the wrong guy to beat down.

So, yeah, if someone throws a beer on you just go beat anyone down............because you can.

 

[StepUp]

Mutombo yelled back. That's all. Big ups to him.

 

[chambersc]

Originally posted by: JackBurton
These fans are all weak pvssies. They yell out all this crap that they would NEVER say to a person's face. Why? Because they are in a crowd (and most likely drunk). I think they should be escorted out of the building and beaten severely in a closed room. If anyone asks what happened, the guy fell...many times. I really don't give a sh!t if a player runs up into the stands and beats someone's ass. I just feel sorry for the athlete because he is going to get the sh!t sued out of him.

People like you are what are wrong with society. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

 

[EmperorIQ]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: broon
Name calling is no reason to resort to violence. Ron Artest should have been banned from basketball for attacking a spectator. If I got into a fight with a co-worker or customer (a spectator is a customer) I would be fired on the spot.

Yea, but someone did more than call Ron Artest a bad name, they actually threw a beer at him. He's a human being like the rest of us. Im not sure what you would do if someone threw a beer at you, but Id react in a similar way Ron did.

also, i think the work environment that we are used to is different when it comes to the entertainment industry.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: chambersc

Originally posted by: JackBurton
These fans are all weak pvssies. They yell out all this crap that they would NEVER say to a person's face. Why? Because they are in a crowd (and most likely drunk). I think they should be escorted out of the building and beaten severely in a closed room. If anyone asks what happened, the guy fell...many times. I really don't give a sh!t if a player runs up into the stands and beats someone's ass. I just feel sorry for the athlete because he is going to get the sh!t sued out of him.

People like you are what are wrong with society. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

and you are living in the wrong one.

You really at UCF? I don't know how you survive.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

Normally, I wouldn't respond to any hate-comment.
But on a bad day (like right after checking out my latest test scores, or a bad date or a heated argument with someone etc.), I am 99% sure I would go postal. It's a state-of-mind thing.

Celebrities & Athletes are under tremendous pressure all the time. I guess sometimes they crack, sometimes they don't. I wouldn't blame them though. I was actually pretty damn proud of what Zinedine Zidane did to Materazzi in the World Cup Final. That was just bad-ass.