Will the Cavs get caught in the Ferry undertow?

[Notorious]

Ferry has been a great GM for Atlanta, and fixed a bad roster situation. Whatever the fallout, I think this is a scapegoat situation for the owner. Not excusing his comments, but I think this doesn't come to light without the the owner Levenson running his mouth and losing the franchise.

Oh, and it isn't racial to say Deng is two-faced... too many reports out of Cleveland have confirmed that as a non-racial and personality consistent trait. Sorry, that part isn't racist... it appears factual.

I agree and my about the last part. As far the owner "running his mouth" though, when a company like Pepsi hires Ludacris as their spokesperson do you think they aren't doing it to attract a certain type of people. If you don't think companies are actively vying for certain races and their money you're nuts.

 

[Notorious]

It's not racist to say he's two-faced. It's racist to say that he has some African in him and have that imply that he's two-faced. If you removed the "he's got some African in him" line, the statement Ferry made isn't racist at all. But Ferry didn't remove that line. To be honest, I'm not really sure why that line was in a scouting report to begin with. If you think Deng is two-faced, just write that in the damn report.

If he said he had too much German in him because he eats too much sour kraut is that racist? No it's culturalist. Africa is not an all black continent and has never been so. When Ferry read that line it was implying a cultural link and not a racist link. It's plain as day.

 

[Jack Brickman]

If he said he had too much German in him because he eats too much sour kraut is that racist? No it's culturalist. Africa is not an all black continent and has never been so. When Ferry read that line it was implying a cultural link and not a racist link. It's plain as day.

A German eating too much kraut is not a negative stereotype. An African being deceitful is. Those two scenarios are nothing alike.

 

[macbdog]

A German eating too much kraut is not a negative stereotype. An African being deceitful is. Those two scenarios are nothing alike.

What Ferry was referring was not to a deceitful African, but deceitful African store owners. Unless you think all Africans own stores?

 

[blommen]

What Ferry was referring was not to a deceitful African, but deceitful African store owners. Unless you think all Africans own stores?

If that was the case case Ferry would've said he Deng had some deceitful African store owner qualities. Instead he said he had some african qualities that he exemplified with the deceitful store owners. that's racist man, no way around it.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Oh, and it isn't racial to say Deng is two-faced... too many reports out of Cleveland have confirmed that as a non-racial and personality consistent trait. Sorry, that part isn't racist... it appears factual.

The part that is shaky is equating being two-faced with "having some African in him". At work I deal with native Africans every once in a while, there have been a few times where one of them tried to beat us, give us a bad check, etc. Maybe that's where the stereotype comes from, but I know they all aren't like that, and using stereotypes just makes you look like an idiot when you deal with the people that don't fit it.

I do agree that I don't think it was racial. I don't think his stereotype of Africans was because of their skin color, but their culture and how they may do business over there. It was still a dumb thing to do.

 

[macbdog]

If that was the case case Ferry would've said he Deng had some deceitful African store owner qualities. Instead he said he had some african qualities that he exemplified with the deceitful store owners. that's racist man, no way around it.

No, he didn't. He said Deng 'has some African in him' but then never quantified what that was. His next description was of African store owners. His racism was clearly towards this subgroup, not all Africans.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Agreed on all counts. BTW, I'm going out for a happy hour with an Atlanta transplant this evening... there is something to be said for Georgians having a culture of talking in stereotypes as well, if we are going down that path.

That said, I was going to stay away from the discussion but felt it was important to state Deng earned this "two faced" stigma, even if the rest of Africa didn't.

 

[Notorious]

If that was the case case Ferry would've said he Deng had some deceitful African store owner qualities. Instead he said he had some african qualities that he exemplified with the deceitful store owners. that's racist man, no way around it.

It's a cultural thing, not a race thing. All Africans are not black.

 

[Notorious]

No, he didn't. He said Deng 'has some African in him' but then never quantified what that was. His next description was of African store owners. His racism was clearly towards this subgroup, not all Africans.

If a guy in Egypt is Middle Eastern and runs a shady store is he black? If a white guy in South Africa runs a shady store is he black? Are all Africans Black or is Luol Deng a Black African making the comment a cultural issue?

Africa is big diverse continent.

If a European scouting report said a US player was too American because he blows all of his money and that player is black is that racist? No it's culturalist.

 

[pl4tinum]

Cultural, racial... you guys are nit picking on this one. It was inappropriate, regardless of what you classify it as.

 

[Notorious]

Cultural, racial... you guys are nit picking on this one. It was inappropriate, regardless of what you classify it as.

Have you ever said something inflammatory or inappropriate? Should you lose your job for it? If we fire everyone who has ever said something someone else doesn't like not one of us would have a job. I'm ok with what happened to that POS Sterling, but this is not even close and is not a racist remark.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Have you ever said something inflammatory or inappropriate?

Not on a conference call with the people who own the company I work for. If I did, I would expect to lose my job. You have to be smarter than that.

 

[Notorious]

Not on a conference call with the people who own the company I work for. If I did, I would expect to lose my job. You have to be smarter than that.

I understand your point completely. It's possible he was reading that report for the first time. and once he said it he had to keep going. We don't know if Ferry was instantly thinking I'm canning this scout at the end of this meeting.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I understand your point completely. It's possible he was reading that report for the first time. and once he said it he had to keep going. We don't know if Ferry was instantly thinking I'm canning this scout at the end of this meeting.

That's possible, but I also kind of doubt an NBA GM is going to be reading scouting reports for marquee free agents for the first time out loud and in front of his bosses.