NBC Dateline thinks all the bigots gather at NASCAR events

Posted on Wed Apr 05, 2006 at 09:19:36 AM EST in Other Sports
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At least this is the conclusion I get from this story. We never ever cover NASCAR on Sportscolumn, mostly because we think it sucks and mostly because we don't like sports where half the participants think a wife beater is "business casual" -- but we get to stereotype redneck NASCAR fans because we're just a small site and, well... they are rednecks. NBC on the other hand, might want to rethink this.

An email went out from a person associated somehow with an NBC Dateline producer that was soliciting Muslims to attend a NASCAR event.

They are looking for men who actually "look Muslim". They want a guy with no foreign accent whatsoever, a good thick beard, an outgoing personality, and someone willing to wear a kufi/skullcap during the filming.

I'm urgently looking for someone who can be filmed this April 1st weekend at a Nascar event (and other smaller events) in Virginia. NBC is willing to fly in someone and cover their weekend expenses.
...
A few weeks later, NBC will fly all the filmed participants to New York City to interview them as a group about their experience and thoughts on discrimination they've faced in America.

NASCAR officials can't be happy about this, especially in light of their efforts to make NASCAR minority friendly. This sting operation seems kind of wrong somehow. Like sending some girl scouts to R. Kelly's house.

And no, this wasn't an April Fools joke. Filming has actually been pushed back to this Saturday, 4/8. Maybe they couldn't find enough people brave enough to go to a NASCAR event.

Thanks to Off Wing Opinion for the pointer.

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