Floyd Mayweather is many things, but he is not Lin-sane.
From his Twitter:
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.”
Predictably, that didn’t go over well. After a night of Twitter reacting as it does (with blind support, blind hatred and hashtagging of both “fact” and “ignorant”), Mayweather explained his point of view. He’s just supporting black athletes, you guys!
Mayweather, who will fight Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas in May before starting a 90-day jail sentence for domestic abuse, said he was speaking up for other players in the NBA.
“Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine,” the 34-year-old said. “As soon as I support black American athletes, I get criticized.
“I’m speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.”
I guess I shouldn’t expect a guy who can’t grasp “don’t punch your wife to death in front of your kids” to understand it, but supporting black athletes isn’t what makes you worthy of criticism here.
You know that thing assholes do where they complain that basketball has gotten too “thuggish”, or college coaches say they have “white boys who can shoot”? You know how what they’re saying might have some feasible root in observational truth but is rendered pointless and f**king ridiculous by how stupidly they’re saying it? That’s the problem. That’s what you’re doing here. It’s fairly observant to consider how Lin’s heritage affects the way the public or the media sees him, but a waste of time to make it about you, and an insult to players of every color to suggest that tolerance or decent human thought is “programming”.
If I were to offer you constructive criticism here — and let’s face it, you have more duffel bags filled with money than I’ll ever see, which in today’s world makes you both fulfilled and right — it would be to take a break from getting punched in the face, use some of that jets and dogs money for counseling and calm the f**k down. And delete your Twitter. And stop hitting women.
[via CNN]
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everyone’s ignoring the real problem – lin raised the bar even higher for asian kids and their parents. WAY TO GO ASSHOLE
This is complete bollocks. Look at Victor Cruz. Everybody loved him because he was an UNDERDOG, race has nothing to do with it.
I guess we’ve found the one Asian that Floyd won’t duck from attacking.
/knows Pacquaio isn’t Asian
//racist joke has to work somehow
Pacquaio isn’t Asian?
bwisit ka, chef.
I think the real problem here is that my beloved Knickerbockers still aren’t very good. Being 13-15 makes my heart sad.
The main issue with his argument is that it ignores the fact that Lin clearly has talent, but was undrafted, managed to make an NBA roster last season, got no playing time, managed to get a contract with the Knicks, and still got no playing time until they didn’t have much choice but to play him. He clearly should’ve been given a chance before now, and he wasn’t…because he’s Asian.
Not to sound racist but I didn’t know that black athletes had trouble getting noticed.
See, the beauty of Twitter is that you don’t even have to be a syndicated radio host to annoy millions of people with your asinine brain felches.
Peg Bundy: “Go ahead and thank Twitter, kids”
Kelly & Bud” THANKS TWITTUUURRR”
I’m generally not “down with” the ‘you might be right, but it’s the WAY you said it’ excuse. Especially in the Land of the Intertubes, which prides itself on speaking freely about issues in a manner the ink-stained fogies can’t comprehend.
There is nothing wrong with his initial tweet, other than he said it and harshed everyone’s Jeremy buzz. If the tone is more annoyed than need be, it’s probably out of frustration over having to say what’s Obvious But Shan’t be Spoken. If everything about Linn’s story was the same but he was black, it’s not nearly as big a story.
That’s OK. Skilled NBA players who aren’t black are kind of rare. Same for NFL skill position players. Meanwhile, most of the fans aren’t black. Ditto the media covering it all. So, when there is an exception to the norm, it gets extra attention. There’s nothing sinister about that, or about acknowledging it.
Also, Duane Bobick will always be “The Greatest.”
Kyrie Irving and Ricky Rubio are two rookie point guards, and Jeremy Lin is getting playing time for the first time in his career, but nobody talks about Irving.
I’m a huge fan of Rubio, even went to see him play in Spain, and he’s the one I want to watch, but Irving has been the best rookie point guard, and he doesn’t have any teammates worth anything.
Media coverage goes like this: Lin > Rubio > Irving
Actual Basketball ability: Irving > Rubio > Lin
There’s a racial component to it, but Mayweather was stupid to say what he did. However, he wasn’t completely wrong, and it must gall Irving to think “I’ve only got Varajeo to play with, yet Rubio has Love to pass to, and Lin has Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler to back him up. Where’s the love?”
Granted, Irving was the number one pick so he gets the money, but he needs a bit more respect.
I’d be happy with just the $! Also the fact that Irving plays in Cleveland (Haha… sorry I always involuntarily laugh when I write or say that) compared to the media capital of the world and we have been waiting on wunderkind Rubio for seemingly 80 years are also factors in coverage disparity.
Floyd only punches women in order to defend black athletes Brandon.
I hadn’t considered that!
That’s because YOU’RE the racist!
take a break from getting punched in the face, use some of that jets and dogs money for counseling and calm the f**k down. And delete your Twitter. And stop hitting women.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
He won’t
He can always support black American athletes without dissing and downgrading other athletes.. Attention whore..-__-