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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Whitlock: At It Again

Tattoos.

The reason, according to Mr. Whitlock, that the NBA has not been as warmly received by viewers as it would like.

No one wants to watch Delonte West or Larry Hughes play basketball. It's uncomfortable and disconcerting. You don't want your kids to see it. You don't want your kids to think they should decorate their neck, arms, hands, chest and legs in paint. You don't want to waste time explaining to your kids that some millionaire athletes have so little genuine self-confidence that they find it necessary to cover themselves in tattoos as a way to mask their insecurities.

Threatening appearances.

The players' looks scare an audience that can't relate to them.

You just want to watch basketball and feel like you're watching people you can relate to a little bit, people you somewhat respect.

This years playoffs.

A rousing ratings success thanks to the abundance of foreign players and non-threatening Negros on the Lakers, Spurs, Pistons and Celtics.

Part of the reason more people are watching these playoffs is because the average fan isn't constantly repulsed by the appearance of most of the players on the court. Most of the key players left in the playoffs don't look like recent prison parolees.

Mr. Whitlock's point seems to be that it is better for the league, and the business of the league if the players present a cleaner image. Better business means more money for the league. More money for the players. We get that.

But, in his bashing of the appearance of the players, he is stereotyping and grandstanding.

By diminishing the notion that much of the ratings upswing (if it is great, we didn't check the numbers) is due to the resurgence of the Lakers and Celts and propagating the notion that player appearance is anything more than a tertiary or minimal factor; Mr. Whitlock is simply attempting to turn attention towards...............himself.

Shock and a contrived contrarian view have become Mr. Whitlock's calling card.

The 'chicken little' antics that Mr. Whitlock engages in reek of self serving hypocrisy and self promotion.

Being the Negro that calls out the other Negroes and demands they change who they are and change their culture certainly must be an exhilerating position. To be the right thinking Negro must be stressful.

How could one argue with the right thinking Negro who postulates the position that increased viewership is due to the absence of ink and perceived thuggish appearance (although, Rasheed Wallace might take issue with not being single out here)?

Well, perhaps the best argument against this theory is....from the right thinking Negro's comments on last seasons Finals:

"Why don't the Spurs connect? Why were these finals a TV ratings disaster and a challenge to watch?" Mr. Whitlock writes. "Because sports fans aren't stupid. They can sniff an impostor even when we in the media try to convince them otherwise." He adds, "It's difficult to stake a dynasty claim when you've just completed the worst NBA finals series in history."

We at NOIS are sports fans.

And WE sniff an imposter.

And we sniff something else!

The 'unthreatening' Spurs and Pistons were in the conference finals last year, too. Along with the least threatening team in the league....the JAZZ! How could this year's NBA final four possibly be less threatening than last year?

Nope, it couldn't be that the ratings are due to better play this year!

Someone get some air freshener. Mr. Whitlock seems to have fouled the air.

19 comments:

Banana Hands said...

so your whole argument is based on the fact that last year's finals were bad and whitlock called them on it for what it was??? I agree he's often over the top and I don't necessarily agree with his argument that people are watching because of the players' appearance, but what you both are missing is that there is much better basketball being played in this finals. Yes, a lot of the games have been won convincingly, but you have a lot of good TEAMS playing this year. Teams that actually pass the ball to the open man and who do use isolation every play.

Banana Hands said...

*who DON'T use isolation every play.

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

"but what you both are missing is that there is much better basketball being played in this finals"

Sir, we apologize.

We thought that by including Mr. Whitlock's quote from last year...and prefacing it with something to the effect of it being the accurate counter to his theory about this year....that it was implicit that the quality of play was a driving factor.

We apologize for our lack of clarity.

Or your lack of reading comprehension.

Whichever.

RSE said...

This is a picture of David Beckham's arm, who is basically the most popular player in the most watched sport on the planet. (easy on the soccer jokes, you get my point).

Dave the Wave said...

"This is a picture of David Beckham's arm, who is basically the most popular player in the most watched sport on the planet. (easy on the soccer jokes, you get my point)."

wtf is wrong with you? keep your eurofags off this blog.

this blog is for black racist jigs!

Unknown said...

Damnit, NOIS! You are killing it again. Nice work, man. Very nice work.

mr_miyagi said...

C'mon dave, everyone knows blacks cannot be racists.

Reverend Paul Revere said...

This has nothing to do with Whitlock "Bojangling," but I thought you fellas at NOIS would appreciate this: http://thedumbjockblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/brian-scalabrine-and-walter-hermann-are.html

RighteousReasoner said...

Sir, we at The Nation are thrilled with the elimination of the caucasiod from the Eastern Conference.

We can only hope the devil owners of the West follow suit and realize the superiority of the Original Negro Athlete.

We hope that someday soon, the NBA will be an entirely Negro operated, coached, and played entity. Only then will we be able to ban the racist dress code and bring the oversized white tees and massive gold chains back. The free spirit of the Negro will no longer be shackled by the suit-and-tie of the devil.

Foxxy Brown said...

what he meant to say: "No one wants to watch [Cleveland Cavaliers Not Named LeBron]play basketball. It's uncomfortable and disconcerting. You don't want your kids to see it."

Does Whitlock even watch NBA games?
i'm guessing the clean-living Pistons-Boston series is getting good ratings. as it sit and watch the game now i see a bunch of guys with tattoos, some of them who are not on the verge of getting the tech that will get him suspended for one game. [sigh. oh rasheed. why?] not to mention Kobe [TM2007-2008, not the raping, Shaq-snitching-on one David Stern and ESPN want u to forget. right now.] i mean if Stuart Scott had licked any harder during that interview shown at halftime Kobe would have been hospitalized with
3rd degree burns on his ass.
***
"SPURS NAMED NO. 1 FRANCHISE IN SPORTS
According to ESPN The Magazine's fourth annual Ultimate Standings fan poll the San Antonio Spurs were the best franchise in sports for the second time in the last three years ... after their first recognition on 2/4/04 by ESPN the Magazine as the best franchise in sports, the Spurs are now the only franchise to have named the top franchise in all of sports twice since the poll's debut ... the Spurs finished second in the 2004 poll ... in addition to being named the top franchise, the Spurs also took home the No. 1 spot in three other categories that were included in the poll--Fan Relations, Ownership and Players ... to determine the No. 1 franchise in sports more than 30,000 fans participated in the Ultimate Standings poll online through ESPN.com from October to November 2005, giving grades to their favorite teams on the following seven categories:


Bang for the Buck (BNG) – Revenues directly from fans divided by wins in the past three years.

Fan Relations (FRL) – Ease of access to players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN) – Honesty; loyalty to players and city.

Affordability (AFF) – Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STD) – Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions.

Players (PLA) – Effort on the field; likability off it.

Coach/Manager (CCH) – Strong on-field leadership.

Championships (CHA) – Titles already won or expected soon"

Doesn't he work for ESPN?

Fuck you Whitlock. shove these 4 nba championship trophies in 8 years (+ many west conf champ runner-ups) up your ignorent fat minstrel imposter ass.

/bitter Spur fan with unlimited hateration today

Anonymous said...

As a tattoo enthusiast myself, I find Mr Whitlock's argument that all people (black or white) are thugs or are unappealing to the average "white, male, demographic" to be ignorant and poorly thought-out. Shit, they are teachers, firemen, and other well-respected professions where individuals are covered head-to-toe in ink and no one gives them grief about it.

While admitedly, the NBA is not as highly respected as the aforementioned professions, people (Read: ignorant white people from the midwest) are fully capable of looking past the ink.

The sad part of all of this is that I really like some of Whitlock's stuff and pieces like this are making it really hard to enjoy all of his work.

Unknown said...

I was wondering if anyone here knew how the Nuggets made out in the postseason this year. They got a boatload of talent there in Denver.

Keven said...

"They got a boatload of talent there in Denver."

Yes, but they have a lot of tattoos. So, obviously they made out badly in the post season.

Didn't you hear?

The reason ratings are up this year is because of the lack of tattoos!

All that,despite the fact that there were LESS tatts last year in the conference finals than this year.

censored said...

Isnt the negro rapist Kobe Bryant in this years NBA finals? Mr. Whitlock I think cheering for a rapist should be of much more concern to you than some tattoos.

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

"Isnt the negro rapist Kobe Bryant in this years NBA finals? Mr. Whitlock I think cheering for a rapist should be of much more concern to you than some tattoos."

Sir, no.

It's because of his tattoos that Mr. Bryant was accused of rape.

A rapist, in contrast, would be someone convicted of rape.

Cheers.

censored said...

It's because of his tattoos that Mr. Bryant was accused of rape.

No it wasnt because of the tattoos, it must have been a mass conspiracy headed by Mrs. Bryant so she could get a 10 million dollar ring from her husband.
NBA poster boy...rapist Kobe. The ratings this year must be higher because the rape gives kobe more street cred than the fathering of bastard children gives Lebron.

Big Man said...

bastard children?


Like Larry Bird's daughter?

Dave the Wave said...

"Big Man said... "

ravingblacklunatic?

well, how the hell do we figure out which one you are? you just described them all!

Big Man said...

Thanks Dave.

I see the name choice went right over your horn-adorned head.