Categories
NBA General

Odds and Ends: More on the NBA ref racial bias study



Should we call it on the black guy?

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a study that concluded that there was a racial bias in foul calls in the NBA. One of the major flaws in that study was that the data was based on box scores and only the racial makeup of the three member crews could be used in the analysis instead of which ref made which call. Well, after the NBA criticized the study, they released actual person by person foul call data to Justin Wolfers, the professor who penned the study.

After reviewing the new data, Wolfers found that the NBA’s data actually confirms racial bias in officiating. Doh! An independent analysis of both Wolfer’s and the NBA’s study confirmed the findings in Wolfer’s study. The NBA is taking an ostrich approach: “It’s done. It’s over. We have nothing to add to what we have said already.”

In other news…

[NY Times]: Some people think an amputee sprinter might actually has an unfair advantae in the Olympics.

[Indystar.com]: Colts say no to car honoring team in the Indy 500.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]: Hey, Ruben Patterson, don’t forget: you’re a sex offender.

[Off Color Commentary]: Pam Oliver sucks

[One More Dying Quail]: Baseball’s All-Height Team

And finally, we have two stories on why ESPN sucks donkey. First, is Fantasy Fishing. Boy, we can’t wait to get our office ready for this thing. Second, the National Spelling Bee will be hosted by Mike and Mike. How many Golic is so dumb, he can’t spell cat jokes will there be? 200? ESPN really is ruining everything holy in sports/almost sports.

Categories
NFL General

So how long have you been a black quarterback?


Butch John is his name (we’d hate to know what his porn name is) and he was a reporter for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. According to sports lore, he was the guy who asked Doug Williams, “So, Doug, how long have you been a black quarterback?” Except, well, he didn’t.

According to John, he actually said, “Doug, it’s obvious you’ve been a black quarterback all your life. When did it start to matter?'” Doug Williams mishead him and replied, “What? How long have I been a black quarterback?” and the rest is history. The problem is that a ridiculous question is so much funnier than a thoughtfully posed question so it’s unlikely that the truth will ever spread the way the story of the stupid question spread. It’s like when an athlete gets arrested and it makes the front page but when that athlete is exonerated, it’s a small blurb on page 10.

So here we are doing our part to set the record straight. When people google “how long have you been a black quarterback”, hopefully they’ll read the truth of the statement. Or they can just keep making fun of it like we did on Poor Man’s PTI last week. Sadly the latter is more likely.

Links:

[Orlando Sentinel]: Dumbest question was never asked

Categories
Philadelphia Eagles

Reporter takes the ultimate risk: wears Aikman jersey to the Linc



A take home to mom kinda gal

Remember in April we told you about Dateline NBC recruiting muslims to attend NASCAR events? It seemed to us that baiting redneck NASCAR fans was very shady on Dateline’s part. Well, sending a reporter wearing a Cowboys jersey to Lincoln Financial Field on the day that the Cowboys and the TO Circus returned to town seems like entrapment as well. At least the reporter had the sense to wear an Aikman jersey and not a Owens jersey.

The reporter took off his jersey after getting bumped “accidentally” by two Eagles fans at halftime so he was spared the brunt of the abuse spurred by second half drunkeness. He did however manage to get the reactions from some out of town Cowboys fans.


It was like the gladiator days and the mob ruled,” Doug Rodriguez said after the Eagles rallied in the second half to win.

“It’s scary. The fans are bullying and insulting. In your face. I’ve never seen anything like it. The fans are yelling in your ear and there is no one you can turn to and say, ‘Hey this is enough.’

After all the media coverage of how hostile Eagles fans are, why would you expect otherwise? The Linc is a place for Eagles fans. If all that happens to you is some drunk yelling at you, consider yourself lucky. Still, with all the negative stories that are likely to come out in the press about fans being abused at the game, the city of Philadelphia is reporting that only 4 arrests were made at the game. Hell, that’s not even enough arrests to make the Bengals players flinch.

Links:

[Philly.com]: Fanning the Flames with a Jersey

[Forbes]: Eagles Fans Show T.O. Their Worst