Iowa announcer suspended for season for referring to Bruno Fernando as King Kong

Thanks for the ask
1) He's an independent contractor so had to be open to working with all kinds of people to make a living - and has little investment in the power structure.
2) Living in a diverse neighborhood and having a wide circle
3) A very good heart - he actually cares if his words are problematic and listens - doesn't take it personally (tries anyway - we all struggle)
4) Raising two step-sons who understand he came by his views honestly and they LISTEN to each other

I really do understand that it is hard to have to change and to see that while we might not have malice, damage may still be done. I get very embarrassed and often feel defensive when I screw up on the racial front. I hope we can get to a better place about not shaming people because that doesnt motivate change - just makes people more defensive.

Im not getting how that reshaped his mind on an iowa announcer saying a player was going King kong on the basketball court.
 

Well, apparently a radio announcer complimenting a players dominant play is one of yours.

Wrong again. If you read my initial sentiments on this thread (before I got involved with your victimization complex), it should be clear that I thought the announcer's words were intended as a compliment but were a bit careless and that a little time out and self-examination wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Suspended for the season is a bit harsh but this remark follows a more inappropriate slip of the tongue earlier in the season.
 

Wrong again. If you read my initial sentiments on this thread (before I got involved with your victimization complex), it should be clear that I thought the announcer's words were intended as a compliment but were a bit careless and that a little time out and self-examination wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Suspended for the season is a bit harsh but this remark follows a more inappropriate slip of the tongue earlier in the season.

So he was complimenting the player, but it was harsh.

Ah, ok........LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO

I had better bow out of this one.

All I see is people talking out of both sides of their angry, old, white, collectives asses!
 

Size matters. Small cornerbacks would not bring images of King Kong to my mind. Offensive linemen, yes. It's about precision in the description.

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So are you, lol
Butt you're too kind.

I realize this anonymous board is a haven for those of you who feel persecuted by the world's changing expectations and will try to resoect your need to have some kind of an old boys club somewhere.
 

Butt you're too kind.

I realize this anonymous board is a haven for those of you who feel persecuted by the world's changing expectations and will try to resoect your need to have some kind of an old boys club somewhere.

I think some of those initially dismissing the potential offensiveness of this remark were 1) focusing more on the intent of the remark than the various reactions people could have to it and 2) may not have known about this guy's more serious episode earlier in the season. I happen to know about the earlier episode because I have a good friend and diehard Hawkeye fan living in the Iowa City area who told me about it some time ago. Goldteam obviously has a white persecution complex and maybe a few others do but I don't think that's dominant around here.
 

You know, the objectively offensive things that I have been instructed patiently to laugh off in any setting you want to name are legion. There's no mistaking that this board is an outpost of white older males. And you apparently think that should be normative.

There are several who easily advertise themselves as falling into that demographic- I’m not sure you can make that into a generalization of the community as a whole though.


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It’s the same thing referring to your kids as monkeys. Everyone says “oh the kids are being monkeys.” You can’t say anything in today’s society without it being taken out of context. Man I miss the 80’s and early 90’s.

Those were the days!
 

I think some of those initially dismissing the potential offensiveness of this remark were 1) focusing more on the intent of the remark than the various reactions people could have to it and 2) may not have known about this guy's more serious episode earlier in the season. I happen to know about the earlier episode because I have a good friend and diehard Hawkeye fan living in the Iowa City area who told me about it some time ago. Goldteam obviously has a white persecution complex and maybe a few others do but I don't think that's dominant around here.

Hold on here...don't intentionally play coy and give people the wrong idea that his earlier screw up was race-related. It certainly was not. He was bemoaning guard Maishe Dailey's skills, and said so during a commercial break when his mic was supposed to be turned off.
 

I would be thinking that he was playing like King Kong but I don't get to dictate that others have to follow my perspectives. I think this is a primary fault with reactionary thinkers. "If I think it's OK, then it must be OK."

I’m Asian, adopted, and it’s about perspective. I wouldn’t get my panties in a bunch if someone said damn he’s like Bruce lee. I’d be thinking hell yes as fast as lightning and can kick anyone’s a$$. If someone used the word he plays like Godzilla I’d be thinking the same thing. I’ll crush your soul and dominate the game. People get salty and butt hurt about the smallest little things.
 

Hold on here...don't intentionally play coy and give people the wrong idea that his earlier screw up was race-related. It certainly was not. He was bemoaning guard Maishe Dailey's skills, and said so during a commercial break when his mic was supposed to be turned off.

I didn't do anything of the sort and, unless you believe that you have mind reading powers, I don't know why you think you knew my intent. He made rather sneeringly disparaging remarks about Iowa's weakest rotation player and, as I remember the story, wondered with all of the talented black guards in the league, why they ended up with Dailey. Sorry, but announcers shouldn't make remarks like that. Even without the microphone on, he could have been overheard. The reason I said those remarks were more serious was that they were hurtful and gratuitous. We can talk about how Hurt and Stull are terrible on this board but if we did that in the course of our team broadcasting jobs, we would deserve some sanctions.

I didn't intentionally mislead anyone with my comments. You read what you wanted to read, not what I said.
 
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Maybe Learfield Sports needs to come up with a list of acceptable and non acceptable "PC" adjectives that their announcers can use describing players. Good Grief!!
 

Welp...thanks for making one more forum unreadable.

Goodbye GH
 



I think some of those initially dismissing the potential offensiveness of this remark were 1) focusing more on the intent of the remark than the various reactions people could have to it and 2) may not have known about this guy's more serious episode earlier in the season. I happen to know about the earlier episode because I have a good friend and diehard Hawkeye fan living in the Iowa City area who told me about it some time ago. Goldteam obviously has a white persecution complex and maybe a few others do but I don't think that's dominant around here.

What is white persecution complex?

I've never heard of it. Is this another one of those progressive thingies?

gawd, I hate having schit like this and not even knowing it! LMAO
 
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There are several who easily advertise themselves as falling into that demographic- I’m not sure you can make that into a generalization of the community as a whole though.

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I have posted here since the Monson days and I have met many gopherhole posters. There are many demographic groups that have left. Some of that is due to increasing social media options but some is due to threads like this where the predominant voice is normative older, white male & gender and racially tone deaf.
 

Not okay to call an African American or African player a monkey, gorilla, or King Kong. Big Ten basketball announcer is a pretty good gig if you are working in sports broadcasting, and it’s not too much to ask for a certain level of decency. Kind of a weird thing to say to describe a player who is having a good game right?
 

I have posted here since the Monson days and I have met many gopherhole posters. There are many demographic groups that have left. Some of that is due to increasing social media options but some is due to threads like this where the predominant voice is normative older, white male & gender and racially tone deaf.

Well, if this was pc thinking, young white males posting mostly here................myself and others would be long gone.

Don't think too hard on that or you might hurt yourself.
 


I didn't do anything of the sort and, unless you believe that you have mind reading powers, I don't know why you think you knew my intent. He made rather sneeringly disparaging remarks about Iowa's weakest rotation player and, as I remember the story, wondered with all of the talented black guards in the league, why they ended up with Dailey. Sorry, but announcers shouldn't make remarks like that. Even without the microphone on, he could have been overheard. The reason I said those remarks were more serious was that they were hurtful and gratuitous. We can talk about how Hurt and Stull are terrible on this board but if we did that in the course of our team broadcasting jobs, we would deserve some sanctions.

I didn't intentionally mislead anyone with my comments. You read what you wanted to read, not what I said.

Good god...I was on your side of the argument until you started making stuff up. My suggestion is you listen to the clip before you start throwing out accusations. There's not a single mention of race. https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-...-caught-on-open-mic-criticizing-hawkeye-guard

And you absolutely were misleading with your comments, as evidenced by the fact that you mysteriously talked about his earlier, more grievous misstep during your comments on race, plus the fact that you obviously didn't know anything about the situation you were commenting on.

Dolphin shouldn't have made the King Kong comment, although I think there are worse things to get upset about. But there was no racial component to his earlier suspension.
 

And you absolutely were misleading with your comments, as evidenced by the fact that you mysteriously talked about his earlier, more grievous misstep during your comments on race, plus the fact that you obviously didn't know anything about the situation you were commenting on.

I wasn't mysteriously doing anything. I heard about the earlier incident second hand. I didn't feel the need to go into it at the time. I was recalling what I heard from my friend. Maybe my memory was faulty but I think I related the central theme of his words (disparaging Dailey) as I remembered them and I made it clear that I thought that was the serious part. Again, you're reading something into my comments that you want to read but doesn't reflect my intent.
 
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I'm a white guy. When shoveling while my snowblower was in the shop, I was told that I was shoveling like King Kong. I took it as a compliment. Now, giving the history of what black people have had to deal with, I can see why they wouldn't like it as they have been called everything under the sun in a bad way for the past 200 years. As a result the layers of hurt builds up on these folks.

I don't know the history of the announcer. I can see however where he was just trying to compliment the guy as he over took the basketball floor with his talent. The announcer's history may change everything however. We can spin this incident many different ways. Personally I believe we need to be more cautious as to what we say due to the many years of abuse the African-Americans have endured and it pents up anger. We just need to be more sensitive and understanding.
 

He called him King Kong because he was dominating. Keep on digging though.

I'm telling you, the black lines on the court are racist too. Paint them pink

Sure just like using the word Savage to refer to someone's play now a days would almost always be understood to express that they are destroying the opposition, crushing the opponent etc. but...if it's never used to refer to anyone until it happens to be a native american player its hard maintain it's innocence. King-Kong isn't used to refer to white players ever.

Saying facetious things about lines on the court. I'll just laugh and agree yea that probably is extreme, don't really think anyone believes that though.
 

Not okay to call an African American or African player a monkey, gorilla, or King Kong. Big Ten basketball announcer is a pretty good gig if you are working in sports broadcasting, and it’s not too much to ask for a certain level of decency. Kind of a weird thing to say to describe a player who is having a good game right?

Not if you're a good ol', corn growing, Iowa racist, like Steve King.

Beyond obvious that any kind of primate reference to a black player is racism.
 

When I think of King Kong, I think of a beast and someone being destructive.........as this basketball player was on the court. Any rational person would.

So yes, I'm trying to correct him.

In my defense though, I have not taken very much PC training or courses.

If you or he want to see something that's not there in the name of racism...........knock yourself out. I'm just completely bored with this schit.

The point that I haven't heard a good response to is that this term would never be used to refer to a dominant white player like Ethan Happ, Kyle Guy. Which makes it hard to understand the comment as anything other than racial and it should't exactly require a "PC class" to know this. Especially in the context here, where the announcer's been doing this for so long. Is an extreme penalty necessary? I don't really know, but thats Iowa's prerogative and it sounds like it was more the straw that broke the camel's back related to other issues but I still feel like at least a small sanction makes sense.
 

The point that I haven't heard a good response to is that this term would never be used to refer to a dominant white player like Ethan Happ, Kyle Guy. Which makes it hard to understand the comment as anything other than racial and it should't exactly require a "PC class" to know this. Especially in the context here, where the announcer's been doing this for so long. Is an extreme penalty necessary? I don't really know, but thats Iowa's prerogative and it sounds like it was more the straw that broke the camel's back related to other issues but I still feel like at least a small sanction makes sense.
Agree on the lack of using the term in comparisons to white players. (Frankly, King Kong would be likely to pick up a lot of flagrant 1s)

And - he was talking about an oppositing team's player.

I disagree on the idea that this is overreaction (well there IS an overreaction on this board). Learfield sports is a business, and this guy isnt allowed to interview McCaffrey anymore so this is one of several problems (although Fran isn't my favorite, he is the coach so kind of a problem). This guy didnt lose his job and is very unlikely to. He also announces for Iowa football. He wrote a sincere sounding apology.
Sounds like sitting on the bench a while might do him good.
 




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