Richard Sherman wins the Madden cover vote

[crazycolt1]

All this bickering is getting nowhere. You either like him, or you don't. I think he is a great player. One of those players you hate your team to play but would like to have him on your team. What he does off field I don't care. He hasn't done anything criminal as far as I know so why all the attention? For the haters your constant whine and comments only make him more popular. There have been a lot of players I didn't like very well but that's life all over the place. To worry about it and let it become an issue to argue about is useless.

[ruksak]

Please explain to me "going full ghetto". I often wonder why those NASCAR drivers that get out there and fist fight never get stereotyped the label thug. Is that not acting like thugs? How come those tags only get thrown on black players with big mouths and/or tattoos?

 

Before the Super Bowl, the media turned this into a "good guy vs bad guy" thing cause we had to be reminded every 5 seconds that Manning is the classiest and greatest person in the world as a role model and Sherman is just a loud mouthed thug, boo hoo.

When did I ever say these NASCAR issues weren't "ghetto"? 

 

I spent quite a bit of time living in trailer parks when I was a young man. I've seen things ....man. Ghetto things. White people aren't immune to the trappings of ghetto behavior. I would apply the same label to anyone of any race that acts so brash, swag and confrontational. 

[Superman]

Since when does "ghetto" equal "black"? If you treat it as a code word, it might say as much about you as it does about the person using it.

 

As for Richard Sherman, I don't feel sorry for him. He's wrongly labeled as a thug because of his thuggish behavior. (Same way Riley Cooper is labeled "racist" because of using racial slurs.) People judge you based on the way you act. Maybe it's not right, but that's the way the world works. He has chosen, on several occasions, to portray himself in a certain way; he can't complain when people label him that way.

 

The reality is that he's a very smart, hardworking guy, who has never been in any trouble, despite growing up in a rough area. He shook off those influences, chose to go to Stanford to get away from those influences, and then he worked his butt off to graduate with a 3.9 GPA. He's reportedly a good teammate, very coachable, etc. 

 

But he thinks that he can separate the type of person he is from the way he portrays himself. It doesn't take rocket science to understand why the world in general is turned off by seeing a big black man with dreadlocks and tattoos "screaming at" a little white woman and pounding his chest on national TV. Smack talk and aggressive competition is obviously part of sports, and I don't think that needs to change. But Sherman put himself in the spotlight, and when he did so, he didn't showcase the well read Stanford graduate. People aren't calling him a thug and ghetto because he's black and a little cocky; they're doing so because he acted like a thug. Can't be surprised when people react to what you show them.

 

And as a black man, I don't think it does any good to anyone to pretend that this isn't true, especially young black people. I'd rather see people take responsibility for their behavior, than act like other people are wrong to judge them based on their behavior.

[21isSuperman]

Since when does "ghetto" equal "black"? If you treat it as a code word, it might say as much about you as it does about the person using it.

 

As for Richard Sherman, I don't feel sorry for him. He's wrongly labeled as a thug because of his thuggish behavior. (Same way Riley Cooper is labeled "racist" because of using racial slurs.) People judge you based on the way you act. Maybe it's not right, but that's the way the world works. He has chosen, on several occasions, to portray himself in a certain way; he can't complain when people label him that way.

 

The reality is that he's a very smart, hardworking guy, who has never been in any trouble, despite growing up in a rough area. He shook off those influences, chose to go to Stanford to get away from those influences, and then he worked his butt off to graduate with a 3.9 GPA. He's reportedly a good teammate, very coachable, etc. 

 

But he thinks that he can separate the type of person he is from the way he portrays himself. It doesn't take rocket science to understand why the world in general is turned off by seeing a big black man with dreadlocks and tattoos "screaming at" a little white woman and pounding his chest on national TV. Smack talk and aggressive competition is obviously part of sports, and I don't think that needs to change. But Sherman put himself in the spotlight, and when he did so, he didn't showcase the well read Stanford graduate. People aren't calling him a thug and ghetto because he's black and a little cocky; they're doing so because he acted like a thug. Can't be surprised when people react to what you show them.

 

And as a black man, I don't think it does any good to anyone to pretend that this isn't true, especially young black people. I'd rather see people take responsibility for their behavior, than act like other people are wrong to judge them based on their behavior.

I don't know if I would label his behaviour as thug.  Maybe obnoxious or arrogant, but thug has more of a destructive connotation to me.  I don't think his behaviour is destructive to the team, the NFL, or himself

[Superman]

I don't know if I would label his behaviour as thug.  Maybe obnoxious or arrogant, but thug has more of a destructive connotation to me.  I don't think his behaviour is destructive to the team, the NFL, or himself

 

That might be true. There are certain connotations associated with the word "thug" that go beyond the strict definition of the word, and I get that. 

[Jules]

That might be true. There are certain connotations associated with the word "thug" that go beyond the strict definition of the word, and I get that. 

 

Much of the time from my experiences when someone uses words like thug, ghetto or punk they ARE referring to non white people or white people they think "look" dangerous for some reason with tats or whatever doesn't fit the mold. Often this can be common with sports fans who are not often as shy when it comes to labels that can come across as racist or sexist as a whole.

 

People were calling Sherman some names in the media and in social media before the SB that IMO that were at times offensive to me as someone who believes in overcoming barriers in society.

 

Sorry, I just find a lot of it to be offensive and sometimes I have to suck it up I know cause sports fans can be offensive as a whole at times and I spend a lot of time with sports forums. I am hearing what a wuss Lebron is now cause he had cramps. Sigh.....as if many people even understand at times what it is like to play sports at high levels and suffer injuries/cramps and what not. We must resort to name calling and names that de-masculinize.

 

 

Anyway I am off my soap box.

[Nadine]

Sherman does seem like an intelligent and nice guy

But he is volatile.

 

Now Erin Andrews said she wasn't upset........and that she 'loved it' so maybe people like to push his buttons

 

But if he keeps going on camera to talk smack.......he'll get remembered for it.

[Superman]

Much of the time from my experiences when someone uses words like thug, ghetto or punk they ARE referring to non white people or white people they think "look" dangerous for some reason with tats or whatever doesn't fit the mold. Often this can be common with sports fans who are not often as shy when it comes to labels that can come across as racist or sexist as a whole.

People were calling Sherman some names in the media and in social media before the SB that IMO that were at times offensive to me as someone who believes in overcoming barriers in society.

Sorry, I just find a lot of it to be offensive and sometimes I have to suck it up I know cause sports fans can be offensive as a whole at times and I spend a lot of time with sports forums. I am hearing what a wuss Lebron is now cause he had cramps. Sigh.....as if many people even understand at times what it is like to play sports at high levels and suffer injuries/cramps and what not. We must resort to name calling and names that de-masculinize.

Anyway I am off my soap box.

That's fair, and I agree with it.

But I think it's different in Sherman's case. He brought the scrutiny and criticism on himself with his actions. He wasn't just minding his own business and got called a name. He lived up to that label.

As a black person, he can't ask not to be lumped in with the rappers and gangsters who look the way he does, and then act the way they act and be surprised when people don't give him the benefit of the doubt. These stereotypes exist for a reason. I wish people like Sherman would stop feeding them.

[21isSuperman]

Sherman does seem like an intelligent and nice guy

But he is volatile.

 

Now Erin Andrews said she wasn't upset........and that she 'loved it' so maybe people like to push his buttons

 

But if he keeps going on camera to talk smack.......he'll get remembered for it.

There's actually a video of Sherman and Andrews right before the camera started rolling and they share a big hug and she seems really excited for him.

 

[Qwiz]

Calling anyone a thug besides an actual thug just doesn't make sense. Especially if said thug graduated from Stanford and is the best player at his position in the NFL.

[Jules]

That's fair, and I agree with it.

But I think it's different in Sherman's case. He brought the scrutiny and criticism on himself with his actions. He wasn't just minding his own business and got called a name. He lived up to that label.

As a black person, he can't ask not to be lumped in with the rappers and gangsters who look the way he does, and then act the way they act and be surprised when people don't give him the benefit of the doubt. These stereotypes exist for a reason. I wish people like Sherman would stop feeding them.

 

I respect you a lot, but we will just have to agree to disagree at times. And on this one.

I don't think just because he had a testosterone filled rant after winning the NFC title game is worth the attention nor vocal criticism it initially ever received. Mainstream news stations literally went completely over board on this as if Sherman hung a litter of puppies on live television.

 

As for rap and hip hop, I am a white woman and I pay no attention to this music normally. But, a lot of black people don't even LIKE it and it's culture since it can be degrading. It's just marketing 101 and it sells so it happens. It's like how many females do not like pornography and sexually exploitive things centered around women either which can make us look like sex objects. Just because some women are usually a part of it......it does not mean it is who we are as people even if we sometimes look too cute or whatever. And that does not mean the rappers and gangsters represent African Americans as a whole either nor do I feel one should be called ghetto/thug or what not just because he can have a big mouth.

 

This country has a huge issue with labels and stereotypes. Badly.

 

Yeah I am off my soap box part 2.....lol

[NFLfan]

Since when does "ghetto" equal "black"? If you treat it as a code word, it might say as much about you as it does about the person using it.

As for Richard Sherman, I don't feel sorry for him. He's wrongly labeled as a thug because of his thuggish behavior. (Same way Riley Cooper is labeled "racist" because of using racial slurs.) People judge you based on the way you act. Maybe it's not right, but that's the way the world works. He has chosen, on several occasions, to portray himself in a certain way; he can't complain when people label him that way.

The reality is that he's a very smart, hardworking guy, who has never been in any trouble, despite growing up in a rough area. He shook off those influences, chose to go to Stanford to get away from those influences, and then he worked his butt off to graduate with a 3.9 GPA. He's reportedly a good teammate, very coachable, etc.

But he thinks that he can separate the type of person he is from the way he portrays himself. It doesn't take rocket science to understand why the world in general is turned off by seeing a big black man with dreadlocks and tattoos "screaming at" a little white woman and pounding his chest on national TV. Smack talk and aggressive competition is obviously part of sports, and I don't think that needs to change. But Sherman put himself in the spotlight, and when he did so, he didn't showcase the well read Stanford graduate. People aren't calling him a thug and ghetto because he's black and a little cocky; they're doing so because he acted like a thug. Can't be surprised when people react to what you show them.

And as a black man, I don't think it does any good to anyone to pretend that this isn't true, especially young black people. I'd rather see people take responsibility for their behavior, than act like other people are wrong to judge them based on their behavior.

Wow! I have to think about how to respond to that.

[jvan1973]

Since when does "ghetto" equal "black"? If you treat it as a code word, it might say as much about you as it does about the person using it.

As for Richard Sherman, I don't feel sorry for him. He's wrongly labeled as a thug because of his thuggish behavior. (Same way Riley Cooper is labeled "racist" because of using racial slurs.) People judge you based on the way you act. Maybe it's not right, but that's the way the world works. He has chosen, on several occasions, to portray himself in a certain way; he can't complain when people label him that way.

The reality is that he's a very smart, hardworking guy, who has never been in any trouble, despite growing up in a rough area. He shook off those influences, chose to go to Stanford to get away from those influences, and then he worked his butt off to graduate with a 3.9 GPA. He's reportedly a good teammate, very coachable, etc.

But he thinks that he can separate the type of person he is from the way he portrays himself. It doesn't take rocket science to understand why the world in general is turned off by seeing a big black man with dreadlocks and tattoos "screaming at" a little white woman and pounding his chest on national TV. Smack talk and aggressive competition is obviously part of sports, and I don't think that needs to change. But Sherman put himself in the spotlight, and when he did so, he didn't showcase the well read Stanford graduate. People aren't calling him a thug and ghetto because he's black and a little cocky; they're doing so because he acted like a thug. Can't be surprised when people react to what you show them.

And as a black man, I don't think it does any good to anyone to pretend that this isn't true, especially young black people. I'd rather see people take responsibility for their behavior, than act like other people are wrong to judge them based on their behavior.

I'm not sure how much race has to do with it. I didn't like Kyle Turley and his nonsense either. I don't like Philip rivers for the way he acted in Indy a few years back. Maybe its an age thing. But i prefer a guy who is classy in victory or defeat.

[NFLfan]

I respect you a lot, but we will just have to agree to disagree at times. And on this one.

I don't think just because he had a testosterone filled rant after winning the NFC title game is worth the attention nor vocal criticism it initially ever received. Mainstream news stations literally went completely over board on this as if Sherman hung a litter of puppies on live television.

As for rap and hip hop, I am a white woman and I pay no attention to this music normally. But, a lot of black people don't even LIKE it and it's culture since it can be degrading. It's just marketing 101 and it sells so it happens. It's like how many females do not like pornography and sexually exploitive things centered around women either which can make us look like sex objects. Just because some women are usually a part of it......it does not mean it is who we are as people even if we sometimes look too cute or whatever. And that does not mean the rappers and gangsters represent African Americans as a whole either nor do I feel one should be called ghetto/thug or what not just because he can have a big mouth.

This country has a huge issue with labels and stereotypes. Badly.

Yeah I am off my soap box part 2.....lol

Thank you, that was very well said. I cannot LIKE it enough.

I wonder how many people called Bill Romanowski and Jeremy Shockey "thugs" and "ghetto". It is very disappointing to read an intelligent person justifying the use of such words to describe another person.

[NFLfan]

I'm not sure how much race has to do with it. I didn't like Kyle Turley and his nonsense either. I don't like Philip rivers for the way he acted in Indy a few years back. Maybe its an age thing. But i prefer a guy who is classy in victory or defeat.

I don't recall anyone calling them "thugs" and "ghetto"?

[jvan1973]

I don't recall anyone calling them "thugs" and "ghetto"?

kyle turley was called worse than a thug. And so was Philip in Indianapolis

[jvan1973]

Thank you, that was very well said. I cannot LIKE it enough.

I wonder how many people called Bill Romanowski and Jeremy Shockey "thugs" and "ghetto". It is very disappointing to read an intelligent person justifying the use of such words to describe another person.

a lot of people labeled both of those guys, and for good reason

[Jules]

Thank you, that was very well said. I cannot LIKE it enough.

I wonder how many people called Bill Romanowski and Jeremy Shockey "thugs" and "ghetto". It is very disappointing to read an intelligent person justifying the use of such words to describe another person.

 

I just wish labels could end.....period. Or at least be understood better. I am more cautious of it now too then I used to be because as a female we often get labeled constantly and I see a lot of the same discrimination directed towards African Americans by our media. And nobody has to accept it.......if it makes you angry or offends you then speak out IMO.

 

I do think Rivers was called a punk a few times years ago by Colts fans but not nearly as bad as the Sherman thing. I mean Rivers pretty much smack talked and said crap to Colts fans in the crowd after getting hurt in the playoff game vs. us but I don't recall major news outlets saying he was some sort of ghetto thug. But, he has the reputation of being a family man with like 50 children and the same woman since high school, go figure.

[Superman]

I respect you a lot, but we will just have to agree to disagree at times. And on this one.

I don't think just because he had a testosterone filled rant after winning the NFC title game is worth the attention nor vocal criticism it initially ever received. Mainstream news stations literally went completely over board on this as if Sherman hung a litter of puppies on live television.

 

As for rap and hip hop, I am a white woman and I pay no attention to this music normally. But, a lot of black people don't even LIKE it and it's culture since it can be degrading. It's just marketing 101 and it sells so it happens. It's like how many females do not like pornography and sexually exploitive things centered around women either which can make us look like sex objects. Just because some women are usually a part of it......it does not mean it is who we are as people even if we sometimes look too cute or whatever. And that does not mean the rappers and gangsters represent African Americans as a whole either nor do I feel one should be called ghetto/thug or what not just because he can have a big mouth.

 

This country has a huge issue with labels and stereotypes. Badly.

 

Yeah I am off my soap box part 2.....lol

 

I'm gonna go ahead and respond, not to incite anything, but just because we're having a discussion. Feel free to ignore if you're done with this. Either way, I hope I haven't offended you in any way, nor do I intend to.

 

I agree that the whole situation was blown out of proportion. That's not surprising, given the state of the media.

 

Also, I'm obviously not claiming that rappers and gangsters represent black people as a whole. I'm not sure why you think I'm suggesting that, or even if you think I'm suggesting that. (It's also not just marketing. The rapper T.I. owns his own very successful record label, he's been in movies, he owns other businesses. Yet, he's done time in prison for various charges, and none of them were white collar crimes. He's not just pretending to be about guns and drugs and beating up cops; he's actually done it.)

 

What I am saying is that people in general view rappers (let's just set gangsters aside) as thugs, because they portray themselves in that manner. The music talks about drugs and violence and degrading women, which is thuggish. Many of them talk like they have no education. The entire industry centers around braggadocio. Many of them wear oversized clothes, including pants hanging off their butts. Even when some switched to skinny jeans, they still hung off their butts. Tattoos and braids are commonplace. They're loud and aggressive and confrontational. You don't have to pay attention to their music; all you have to do is watch TV or go on the Internet, and you'll see depictions of that "lifestyle."

 

A lot of them look like Richard Sherman. There's nothing necessarily wrong with Sherman's look. I don't like his hair, and some people associate tattoos with a rebellious attitude; he couldn't work for Disney and look that way. But the way a person looks doesn't define who/what they are.

 

What defines who and what you are is what you do. And for many people, their first real interaction with Richard Sherman was his overly confrontational outburst on national TV. Add to that the fact that he looks like what a lot of people think rappers look like, and a lot of people associate rappers with thuggery, and I get why people responded the way they did.

 

What's sad is that Sherman seems to be a smart, thoughtful and generally good person. He responded in the heat of the moment, and he didn't come across well, but if you throw microphones in people's faces in the heat of the moment, you're not always going to get well thought out responses. I think the media and a lot of fans are hypocritical in that regard; you want access because you want to see the behind the scenes, but then your first reaction when you see something you don't like is to judge and condemn, rather than acknowledging that everyone has bad moments. And then when you get the media savvy responses, you call it fake and rehearsed. There's no winning.

 

Either way, yes, labels, stereotypes, and outright racism and discrimination are a big problem. (It's not just this country, by the way.) But a lot of stereotypes exist for a reason. I live not too far from where Richard Sherman grew up. I've been to his high school. I know about the riots after football games. I know about the guys who have been arrested for drive-bys and armed robbery. I know some of them. I know what others look like. Stupid people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and from all over the world. Thuggery is not exclusive to young black guys with dreadlocks and tattoos, nor is it some sort of predisposition. Yet and still, there is a reason people associate angry, screaming, dreadlocked black men with thuggery, and I don't think it's just racism. I wish people -- particularly young black men -- would stop feeding those stereotypes, especially on national television. And I wish other people would stop defending that behavior as if it's okay.

[NFLfan]

kyle turley was called worse than a thug. And so was Philip in Indianapolis

What were they called? What can be "worse" than being called a thug?

[Superman]

Thank you, that was very well said. I cannot LIKE it enough.

I wonder how many people called Bill Romanowski and Jeremy Shockey "thugs" and "ghetto". It is very disappointing to read an intelligent person justifying the use of such words to describe another person.

 

Sorry you missed it, but Jeremy Shockey was called a thug and worse. Bill Romanowski predates this era of media coverage and social networking, so it's kind of pointless to bring him up, but he didn't have a great reputation either.

 

And it is justifiable to describe a person as a thug when they're acting like a thug. I can agree that the term has racial overtones, at times, and that's a good reason for people to think before they use the term. 

 

I don't recall people calling Richard Sherman a thug before his outburst. Some people didn't like him, but thug? Not that I remember.

[Superman]

What were they called? What can be "worse" than being called a thug?

 

Seriously? I can think of many things you can be called that are worse than being called a thug.

[NFLfan]

I just wish labels could end.....period. Or at least be understood better. I am more cautious of it now too then I used to be because as a female we often get labeled constantly and I see a lot of the same discrimination directed towards African Americans by our media. And nobody has to accept it.......if it makes you angry or offends you then speak out IMO.

I do think Rivers was called a punk a few times years ago by Colts fans but not nearly as bad as the Sherman thing. I mean Rivers pretty much smack talked and said crap to Colts fans in the crowd after getting hurt in the playoff game vs. us but I don't recall major news outlets saying he was some sort of ghetto thug. But, he has the reputation of being a family man with like 50 children and the same woman since high school, go figure.

The word punk does not carry the kind of connotation and stigma that the other two words have. I too dislike labels. When I write comments and posts, I rarely if ever use labels. I prefer to describe the behavior than attach a label. But, I have been trained this way in grad school and in my profession. I appreciate your posts here and will look out for more.

As for Philip Rivers, I liked him a lot out of NC State. I am still waiting for him to prove me right that he was the best QB in that draft. Time is running out.

[jvan1973]

What were they called? What can be "worse" than being called a thug?

There are many things one can be called that is worse than thug.

[NFLfan]

Seriously? I can think of many things you can be called that are worse than being called a thug.

Yes, seriously.

[jvan1973]

The word punk does not carry the kind of connotation and stigma that the other two words have. I too dislike labels. When I write comments and posts, I rarely if ever use labels. I prefer to describe the behavior than attach a label. But, I have been trained this way in grad school and in my profession. I appreciate your posts here and will look out for more.

As for Philip Rivers, I liked him a lot out of NC State. I am still waiting for him to prove me right that he was the best QB in that draft. Time is running out.

Thug is 2014 for hoodlum or hooligan. Im not sure what connotation is so offensive

[jvan1973]

Yes, seriously.

Buy a dictionary, expand your vocabulary

[Jules]

Thug is 2014 for hoodlum or hooligan. Im not sure what connotation is so offensive

 

 

The offensive part is that the word and several other words are often used to describe more often then not....African American men who do not fit a pre determined mold that society thinks they need to fit.

[jvan1973]

The offensive part is that the word and several other words are often used to describe more often then not....African American men who do not fit a pre determined mold that society thinks they need to fit.

Just because a word is improperly used, doesn't make the word an offensive one

[Jules]

I'm gonna go ahead and respond, not to incite anything, but just because we're having a discussion. Feel free to ignore if you're done with this. Either way, I hope I haven't offended you in any way, nor do I intend to.

 

I agree that the whole situation was blown out of proportion. That's not surprising, given the state of the media.

 

Also, I'm obviously not claiming that rappers and gangsters represent black people as a whole. I'm not sure why you think I'm suggesting that, or even if you think I'm suggesting that. (It's also not just marketing. The rapper T.I. owns his own very successful record label, he's been in movies, he owns other businesses. Yet, he's done time in prison for various charges, and none of them were white collar crimes. He's not just pretending to be about guns and drugs and beating up cops; he's actually done it.)

 

What I am saying is that people in general view rappers (let's just set gangsters aside) as thugs, because they portray themselves in that manner. The music talks about drugs and violence and degrading women, which is thuggish. Many of them talk like they have no education. The entire industry centers around braggadocio. Many of them wear oversized clothes, including pants hanging off their butts. Even when some switched to skinny jeans, they still hung off their butts. Tattoos and braids are commonplace. They're loud and aggressive and confrontational. You don't have to pay attention to their music; all you have to do is watch TV or go on the Internet, and you'll see depictions of that "lifestyle."

 

A lot of them look like Richard Sherman. There's nothing necessarily wrong with Sherman's look. I don't like his hair, and some people associate tattoos with a rebellious attitude; he couldn't work for Disney and look that way. But the way a person looks doesn't define who/what they are.

 

What defines who and what you are is what you do. And for many people, their first real interaction with Richard Sherman was his overly confrontational outburst on national TV. Add to that the fact that he looks like what a lot of people think rappers look like, and a lot of people associate rappers with thuggery, and I get why people responded the way they did.

 

What's sad is that Sherman seems to be a smart, thoughtful and generally good person. He responded in the heat of the moment, and he didn't come across well, but if you throw microphones in people's faces in the heat of the moment, you're not always going to get well thought out responses. I think the media and a lot of fans are hypocritical in that regard; you want access because you want to see the behind the scenes, but then your first reaction when you see something you don't like is to judge and condemn, rather than acknowledging that everyone has bad moments. And then when you get the media savvy responses, you call it fake and rehearsed. There's no winning.

 

Either way, yes, labels, stereotypes, and outright racism and discrimination are a big problem. (It's not just this country, by the way.) But a lot of stereotypes exist for a reason. I live not too far from where Richard Sherman grew up. I've been to his high school. I know about the riots after football games. I know about the guys who have been arrested for drive-bys and armed robbery. I know some of them. I know what others look like. Stupid people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and from all over the world. Thuggery is not exclusive to young black guys with dreadlocks and tattoos, nor is it some sort of predisposition. Yet and still, there is a reason people associate angry, screaming, dreadlocked black men with thuggery, and I don't think it's just racism. I wish people -- particularly young black men -- would stop feeding those stereotypes, especially on national television. And I wish other people would stop defending that behavior as if it's okay.

 

 

 

No lol, you didn't offend me personally. Thank you for the response.

 

But, I may bow out now soon anyway. I didn't think this thread may go over well as soon as I read a few posts and it really is heated in some discussions we often don't see here. Whowza.

 

But, thanks for everyone's replies.

[Jules]

Just because a word is improperly used, doesn't make the word an offensive one

 

If it were up to me a lot of these words would no longer be used, period. They really have little to no value as a whole but to further divide us and help degrade each other, even if unintentional.

[NFLfan]

Sorry you missed it, but Jeremy Shockey was called a thug and worse. Bill Romanowski predates this era of media coverage and social networking, so it's kind of pointless to bring him up, but he didn't have a great reputation either.

And it is justifiable to describe a person as a thug when they're acting like a thug. I can agree that the term has racial overtones, at times, and that's a good reason for people to think before they use the term.

I don't recall people calling Richard Sherman a thug before his outburst. Some people didn't like him, but thug? Not that I remember.

What is "acting like a thug"?

I live in New York and Jeremy Shockey played here for many years. I listened to talk radio almost every day. I never heard anyone call him a thug. In fact, I have heard the word used only to describe blacks and non-whites.

Anyway, I will end it here.

[jvan1973]

If it were up to me a lot of these words would no longer be used, period. They really have little to no value as a whole but to further divide us and help degrade each other, even if unintentional.

Some people have a way of finding things to be offended by. As a society we are too sensitive to things we shouldn't be

[jvan1973]

What is "acting like a thug"?

I live in New York and Jeremy Shockey played here for many years. I listened to talk radio almost every day. I never heard anyone call him a thug. In fact, I have heard the word used only to describe blacks and non-whites.

Anyway, I will end it here.

http://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&ei=aGKWU-6CIoOmyATj5oLwAw&q=Jeremy+shockey+thug&oq=Jeremy+shockey+thug&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.12...10961.24915.0.26076.20.20.0.5.5.3.398.3076.3j15j1j1.20.0....0...1c.1.45.mobile-gws-hp..5.15.1738.3.8Ox77Gv9YVI

[Jules]

Some people have a way of finding things to be offended by. As a society we are too sensitive to things we shouldn't be

 

Society in itself is not structured right IMO as a whole which can create multiple issues on a daily basis, but that's a whole different topic (politics) and against the rules. But, I am bowing out again now.

 

Good job Sherman!

[NFLfan]

Buy a dictionary, expand your vocabulary

You have such a great one!

[jvan1973]

You have such a great one!

Thanks

[Superman]

I just wish labels could end.....period. Or at least be understood better. I am more cautious of it now too then I used to be because as a female we often get labeled constantly and I see a lot of the same discrimination directed towards African Americans by our media. And nobody has to accept it.......if it makes you angry or offends you then speak out IMO.

 

I do think Rivers was called a punk a few times years ago by Colts fans but not nearly as bad as the Sherman thing. I mean Rivers pretty much smack talked and said crap to Colts fans in the crowd after getting hurt in the playoff game vs. us but I don't recall major news outlets saying he was some sort of ghetto thug. But, he has the reputation of being a family man with like 50 children and the same woman since high school, go figure.

 

This something that, I think, is hard for people to appreciate sometimes.

 

Richard Sherman was born with a deficit. He's a young black man from Compton. The odds of him living to be 21 without going to prison or dying are significantly lower than a white guy from Decatur, Alabama. His odds of graduating high school weren't all that much better. He beat those odds like nobody's business, not only graduating high school, but earning a 4.2 GPA and being accepted to Stanford. Got a full ride, too. In doing that, he made tough decisions that showed that he understood that his decisions -- including the way he portrayed himself -- were important. He chose not to go to USC partly to make a point to himself, his family, his friends, young kids from Compton who would come after him. He gets all of this.

 

But most people don't know all of this about him. And despite how much things have changed, he still carries that deficit around with him, in many respects. He's still a young black man, and he'll still be looked at and treated differently than a white guy from Decatur, Alabama, by many people. That's before he ever opens his mouth.

 

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not defending it. But my parents and their parents before them dealt with significant adversity, so that my peers and those who come after me could walk down the street without being harassed because of the color of our skin. So that one day, a young black man from Compton, CA, could get a full ride to Stanford. Jackie Robinson dealt with out and out racism, much worse than being called a thug, so that people in my generation and the generations after me could use their talents to overcome the deficit that they have had since birth.

 

So when Richard Sherman goes on national TV and feeds into the stereotypes that we all know exist, that we all know are working against him already, he's not helping himself. When my parents see him "screaming at" a little white girl with a microphone, pounding his chest, they facepalm, because they know how much was sacrificed so that he could be on national TV in the first place.

 

It's not that he's a thug, or that he was being a thug or acting like a thug. It's that he gave people a reason to label him that way in the first place. A young black man from Compton, CA, is going to face things that a young white man from Decatur, Alabama, won't, because of the way he looks. I'm sorry that that's the way things are, but that's truly the way things are. And Richard Sherman knows that.

[southwest1]

Richard doesn't really talk against another player unless something is directed at him or his team first. That whole thing with Brady was provoked and so was the Crabtree rant. He is actually very courteous and respectful, as I remember he had nothing but good things to say about Andre and the Texans even after we lost. I also remember him being respectful and having fun with Andy before they actually played each other. He doesn't do anything differently trash talk wise than any player in the league.

Exactly QuizBoy, Mr. Sherman is no thug. He is highly educated, well spoken, & he never forgot where he came from. I have profound respect for this man & his remarkable accomplishments on & off the football field. 

 

He deserves this rare honor & I wish him nothing but continued success. He is a model citizen & gifted writer in his own right. 

[Superman]

What is "acting like a thug"?

I live in New York and Jeremy Shockey played here for many years. I listened to talk radio almost every day. I never heard anyone call him a thug. In fact, I have heard the word used only to describe blacks and non-whites.

Anyway, I will end it here.

 

See jvan's post. The word thug was used to describe Jeremy Shockey. It wasn't racial.

 

Maybe you think you've only heard it used to describe non-whites because it didn't carry a racial overtone when it was used to describe a white person. But it's been done. The word shouldn't be racial, but I understand that it often is. Many people use it as a substitute for less socially acceptable terms. I'm not defending that or pretending that it doesn't happen.

 

As for what "acting like a thug" means, that's pretty abstract, I think. That's why I gave the example of rappers. They portray themselves as thugs in their music and videos, then they get on stage, snatch microphones from little white girls to promote their friends. So, doing something that reminds people of the behavior exhibited by thugs or thug-types qualifies as "acting like a thug," in my mind.