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ESPN commentator on RG3: “He’s kind of black, but he’s not really”

PhDeac said:
Skins, that's not what he's saying at all. That's what a white guy would think he's saying without a broader understanding of internal workings of black people. It comes from the believe that
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Can you explain what Parker was getting at, PH?
 
wakephan, my interpretation is that Parker said he's not sure if RGIII embraces being black and that concerns him.

I'll add a little bit more. It's dissappointing as someone who is proud to be black to see a high profile young black man possibly saying that the best way for him to be famous is to disassociate from being black. There have been similar fears expressed above other black athletes. I used MJ during the Gantt-Helms election as a reference above.

The Redskins probably have one of the largest black fanbases in the NFL. They had the only black QB to win a Super Bowl. RGIII has a great opportunity to be a positive role model, but it's not that positive if the model for success includes not being defined as black. In my opinion, it stokes a fear that he won't embrace the black community in DC because that it may hurt his mainstream appeal.

I don't expect folks here to understand that, especially how personal it is. The best way to explain it is how you feel when you meet somebody who went to Wake and they say "Wake Forest is just where I went to school. That will never change. I don't have to be defined by that. I wouldn't call myself a Wake Forest fan." You'd be disappointed that someone didn't fully embrace an opportunity to be in this family.

That's how I feel when I hear a black person say something like what RGIII said.


I just remembered the last time I was called racist in a conversation about RGIII. I said that before the draft that if the Skins picked RGIII that I'd be concerned that he'd be the next Jason Campbell. Go and I think Skins jumped on me and called me racist for lumping two black QBs together. Of course, I was referring to Campbell as the last QB the Skins took in the first round.
 
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PhDeac said:
wakephan, my interpretation is that Parker said he's not sure if RGIII embraces being black and that concerns him.

I just remembered the last time I was called racist in a conversation about RGIII. I said that before the draft that if the Skins picked RGIII that I'd be concerned that he'd be the next Jason Campbell. Go and I think Skins jumped on me and called me racist for lumping two black QBs together. Of course, I was referring to Campbell as the last QB the Skins took in the first round.
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Well, nobody likes being called a racist or a race-baiter, so this topic is always uncomfortable. Especially with the black population of the message boards at 2 (is Smoove alive?).

I'm not really sure I care about boards history here, but I am curious about the Parker thing. Nothing that he said seemed 'ok' to me; my first thought was similar SkinsNNeers here -- "He is telling black people that they better not act intelligent, professional and respectable or they are not real black people."

So, do you agree with (your interpretation of) Parker?

Maybe the clip deserves another watch, but frankly, it made me uncomfortable.
 
wakephan, see my edits above. Hope that helps.

A question for you and others. Why does it make sense to you that Rob Parker would say that black people shouldn't act intelligent, professional, or respectable or they're not black people? He went to Columbia. Whether you agree with him or not, he seems pretty professional and respectable. Do you think he's saying that he himself isn't black?
 
Probably because he didn't have time to sit down and think about it. He had to immediately respond. Stephen A was reacting to the poor way he said it not the broader idea.
 
PhDeac said:
Probably because he didn't have time to sit down and think about it. He had to immediately respond. Stephen A was reacting to the poor way he said it not the broader idea.
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So you're confident that any reasonably intelligent black person would understand Parker's issue with RG3 if they just thought about it?
 
No. All black people don't think alike.
 
PhDeac said:
No. All black people don't think alike.
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Tell that to Rob Parker.
I am curious then why you believe Stephen A. Smith would have felt differently given a longer thought. You understand it (not necessarily agree with it), and you think SAS would, what is it that you all have in common that the other posters on this board don't have?
 
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I don't understand anyone who tries to justify this idiot's comments
 
SkinsNDeacs said:
The line of thinking is if you are educated, speak well, conduct yourself like a professional you are not really black.
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The idea that he gets angry at him for being a Republican (considered the "racist" party) while also condemning his engagement to a white women kills me.
 
PhDeac said:
Go and I think Skins jumped on me and called me racist for lumping two black QBs together. Of course, I was referring to Campbell as the last QB the Skins took in the first round.
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Don't think I ever read your post on RGIII pre-draft and nearly positive I didn't call you racist. Do you have a link for that?

Back to Parker

If he was saying he was disappointed that RGIII does not embrace being black then he should have said that. He didn't. He called him "cornball", an obvious attack on his demeanor not his philosophy. If his criticism was about him embracing his blackness what the hell was that ridiculous comment about his braids all about? To me (as an admitted white guy) it is clear, he is telling RGIII that because he was born black he supposed to act a certain way or he is not really black. Again, I don't think he is saying he has to be a thug or any other negative black stereotype (that would be insane) but he is saying that he needs to live up to what Parker's vision of a black man is or he is not really black. That is nearly as bad IMO.

You are right, the Skins have probably the highest number of black fans in the NFL. I would guess that 99.9% of them are damn proud of what he does on and off the field and I would also say that the vast majority were happy with his "my race does not define me" comment.
 
You spoiled, entitled crackers haven't earned the right to comment on black culture. Save your outrage for a topic more suitable to rich white guys, like putters or soccer.
 
PhDeac said:
wakephan, my interpretation is that Parker said he's not sure if RGIII embraces being black and that concerns him.



I don't expect folks here to understand that, especially how personal it is.

Do you think RG3's statements about race could possibly be "personal" to him? This "high profile young black man" may be the greatest athlete to ever hit Washington DC and by all accounts a wonderful person, but he had better not start thinking for himself. We don't want that, now do we?
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PhDeac, thank you for that explanation. It makes complete sense the way you described it and gives me a completely different perspective on Parker's comments.
 
The thing I don't understand is why this should even be discussed. Isn't somewhat of a positive in terms of how far our country and the NFL has come that RGIII DOESN'T define himself by his skin color ? Isn't that what the civil rights movement has been about all along ? To not be defined by the color for your skin ?

I guess when a QB like RGIII just kind of embraces being the QB of the skins and embraces being part of the DC community and feels comfortable enough in society to have a white girlfriend, I just think Good for him...he'd never feel that way even 20 years ago.

Edited to add that in full disclosure I am whiter than snow...
 
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WindyCityDeac said:
The thing I don't understand is why this should even be discussed. Isn't somewhat of a positive in terms of how far our country and the NFL has come that RGIII DOESN'T define himself by his skin color ? Isn't that what the civil rights movement has been about all along ? To not be defined by the color for your skin ?

I guess when a QB like RGIII just kind of embraces being the QB of the skins and embraces being part of the DC community and feels comfortable enough in society to have a white girlfriend, I just think Good for him...he'd never feel that way even 20 years ago.
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Well said!!!
 
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