PC police or poor taste?

[Victor Steinbok]

Hope I'm not late to this party.

Is anyone following the ESPN/Jeremy Lin flap that's developed Sunday
morning? Apparently, not only was it used in an interview with Walt
Frazier (I initially thought it was Frazier who used it, but that
appears to be wrong), but then an ESPN writer picked up "Chink in the
Armor" for a mobile feed headline. A few hours later someone noticed
that one of ESPN anchors used the same phrase in a broadcast even before
the headline appeared. The reaction was swift--the writer has been
fired, the anchor suspended. There is a big debate whether there was a
deliberate (racial) pun placed in any of the instances (certainly was
the case with the Frazier interview). I suspect, the debate will only
get more vociferous tomorrow, as FNC and other cable commentators will
get in on the act. I'm not going to track down all the stories--it's all
pretty much on the surface. I'll link one:

http://goo.gl/wQ0mD
> ESPN has apologized for using an offensive "Chink in the Armor?"
> headline below a picture of Jeremy Lin on their mobile site following
> a Knicks loss. The employee responsible for the headline was
> dismissed. ESPN also suspended anchor Max Bretos for using the phrase
> while asking a question about Lin on ESPNEWS.
...
> The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.
> The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.
> The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.
>
> We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a
> source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the
> Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved
> editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive
> criticism, we will be better in the future.


     VS-)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org