a case WHERE

White boxer vs Black boxer..same color trunks..same color gloves..same color shoes yet during the fight instead of just saying JOHNSON is the white one....SMITH is the black one they usually say.....JOHNSON is the one with the white and red shoe laces....whereas SMITh is the one with the white and orange shoe laces....is that too much??? Is there anything wrong with distingushing them by skin color??

 

NATHAN Wrong w/it N REED's Opinion, yet U RARELY See it Happen...

Skin Color/Ethnicity is THE FIRST Thing we ALL Notice about a Person...SURELY, a Black or White Fighter KNOWS he's Black or White & WOULDN'T Mind Being IDENTIFIED that Way...


REED

 

Actually happened between Beyer and an afro-american opponent, where the commentator distinguished the fighters by their stance.

You automatically think: I see another difference, one is black, the other is white.

 

i notice it a couple of time also, its pc gone way too far

 

Yes. It wouldn't be prudent.

 

I'm on the other side of the coin fellas... To a point...


I think (out of respect) announcers should stay away from distinguishing fighters by skin color. It's a lot more respectfull...

Now, I'm no fool, If everything is exactly the same, you might get to the point where it would be kind of silly NOT to mention the difference in skin color, but it should be a last resort.

 

That's where I'm at.

 

I think the modern science is at the point where they can digitally alter the broadcast of the fight as it happens, so that both fighters appear to be of the same color, so that viewers at home will be forced to distinguigh the fighters by conditions, other than skin color.
That would be the fair and sound approach, IMO.

 

Yep because refusing to acknowledge the difference will somehow make us all the same.

Bullshit. People are different. Short, Fat, Tall, Skinny, White, Black, Bald, Afro, Dreads. And people are always going to be different whether commentators continue to toe a ridiculously PC line or not.

 

but if they're both the same color who do i cheer for? ::

 

shut up.

 

Great retort from the resident dolt.

 

For the Polack, obviously :dunno:

 

:bears: :bears:

 

:dunno:

not quite funny :doh:

 

Sorry, I thought I was responding to dymipepel. I quoted the wrong post.

It's not about being ridiculously PC though, it's about being professional. Unless it's absolutely necessary, race shouldn't be mentioned...as it's a touchy subject.

 

::

 

But How is Stating the OBVIOUS a "Touchy Subject"???...

Unless a Fighter is ASHAMED of his Color???...


REED:dunno:

 

Like Slystaff is ashamed of his?

 

I'm not saying that stating the obvious is "touchy" just that the issue of race and colour (the correct ENGLISH spelling of the word ) is. I just don't think it'll sound professional anyway.

For example:

"If you just joined us, we are in round 3, Ricky Hatton is the white man and Floyd is the Black man"

:: Just wouldn't sound right.

 

Or to hear Harold Lederman talking about his scorecard...

Well JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM i have the white man ahead 10 rounds to nothing ::

 

True, but in this kind of competition you don't really want to break it down to a battle of race... I would think you (not you in particular but you in general) wouldn't want to paint that kind of picture...

By the same token you wouldn't say the Muslim fighter against the Christian.

 

This is the rare time I disagree with you Sly...

There's nothing wrong with a little honest disagreement. You don't have to give him a verbal beat down just because he's on the wrong side of an issue to us. ::

 

I can't remember the fight, maybe Cobb-Shavers, when Howard Cosell says the trunk colors, then says "or you can say so and so is the black guy and so and so is the white guy"

 

shows how uptight and fucked up people are when it comes to race. white people are terrified of saying anything that could be construed as being remotely racist, and in the case of black announcers, they don't want to suggest in any way that fighter A is getting his azz kicked BECAUSE he's white.

i always think it's the overly careful guys that are likely the most racist - they're uncomfortable even talking about race because in their hearts they're racist. so they pretend there's no such thing as race.

 

Could they say it's because of "Slow twitch muscle fibres".. instead?..

 

Terrible comparison... Pointing out a fighter's religion won't help the TV audience figure out which guy is which. Christians and Muslims can look alike. However, black will always be different from white.

There is nothing racist about me saying that my skin is a different color than Reeds for example.

 

True, but it's not in the best of taste when talking about a fight... That's the main point. As SLY and I have said, We think it should be used as a LAST resort.

(My example wasn't the best, but as you pointed out, you wouldn't want to do it because it's not the best way to distinguish fighters AND it's not in the best of taste... That's our point... )

 

dsimon writes:

It is a tricky issue Kevin...imo. There is an element of hyper-political correctness associated with this issue where one should not exist. There is also some truth in the notion that deconstructing Jermaine Taylor as that Black guy in the boxing trunks may be a bit one dimensional. I use Taylor for an example because intrestingly enough Taylor, who looks very African American :: is often associated in the ring as a lover of all things Arkansas... particularly razor backs. When one considers the stereotypes consistant with Arkansas, this is quite an irony indeed.... Think Deliverance for example, think lower socio-economic white with a capitol W. ::

My opinion is that we have to let this issue play out, let the tension associated with it reach great crescendos and... we have to be ready when the first guy says "aww fuck it" the black guy is fighting out of the left corner tonight.

Only then can we see if identifying somoene is worth reducing them in some economy of social cost. I have no problem with calling a certain type of pretty girl the girl next door when distinguishing her from the exotic Puerto Rican chick who looks like an exotic Latin wet dream... in the meantime, or in saying that Mike Ditka (bless his soul) is a certain kind of white man we can all affectionately welcome at the local soccer game. Yet somehow I have to admit that calling Taylor "the black guy" would in some way cast aspersions on that whole Arkansas thing he has going. I don't understand why this is btw, but I know it is true.:dunno:

 

:: ::