Semi-OT: Prejudice and the Home Run Derby

[frikativ54]

Like many of you tonight, I watched the Home Run Derby. However, I was really disgusted by Rick Reilly, who said of Josh Hamilton's performance "It's a lousy night to be an atheist." What does religion or lack of religion have to do with it? I personally am not a religious believer, but I rooted as hard as anybody for Josh Hamilton and respect the role of religion in his remarkable comeback. If he would have said, "It's a lousy night to be a Jew" or "It's a lousy night to be a Muslim" over the Christian Hamilton's performance, he would have been fired in an instant. Yet, nobody even winces when Reilly spouts his prejudice. Thoughts?

[Swoboda4]

I heard that when he said it and I didn't think badly of it. I knew he was awkwardly trying to get a point across at the expense of someone else which at the time seemed benign enough. But he went on ( the transition from writer to on air personality requires self checking before you say something-something the many times over "sportwriter of the year" isn't used to without an editor or proof reader) and he said something far worse:"What's with all the white guys in the Home Run Derby?" "This is like a Kiwainis meeting." Everyone in the booth took a collective "two steps back." He was obviously trying way to hard to be ESPN glib but it didn't work. Now, when ESPN showed all the eight players faces on the screen just prior to the start,I noticed that and my reaction to it wasn't racist which he alluded to,but more and more that players don't want to play in the derby. A-Rod and Wright and all other home run hitters voted in all-stars were asked and declined. There was no racism. But plenty of ignorance and stupidity. Reilly still didn't get it,and he continued. To prove his point,Reilly messed up again by,and in trying to one last time he erred in asking ,"Well, where's Philadelphia's Ryan Howard?" The poor sap didn't realize only elected all-stars participate in the Derby.

[nomarmauerfan]

He's a fool. Everything out of his mouth was terrible. I agree that he was probably trying too hard. It was a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth. It was great, though, that Justin Morneau won the HR contest after Reilly went on his rant about Morneau and how he felt others should have been there instead.

Mike

[bigtime59]

So very glad I chose to watch HGTV last night...

[Jags Fan Dan]

I agree that he sounded like he was grasping for straws and just trying to stir things up with his comments.

[godwulf]

...I was really disgusted by Rick Reilly, who said of Josh Hamilton's performance "It's a lousy night to be an atheist." What does religion or lack of religion have to do with it? I personally am not a religious believer, but I rooted as hard as anybody for Josh Hamilton and respect the role of religion in his remarkable comeback. If he would have said, "It's a lousy night to be a Jew" or "It's a lousy night to be a Muslim" over the Christian Hamilton's performance, he would have been fired in an instant. Yet, nobody even winces when Reilly spouts his prejudice. Thoughts?

Piety, heartfelt or otherwise, is so common in professional sports these days that I'm surprised that this elicited any comment. At least two of my hometown players wear big crosses prominently displayed on their uniforms, and several others regularly bring up their faith in interviews, and add Bible verse citations to their signatures. Every Sunday, at Chase Field, they play "God Bless America" during the seventh inning, and most people take off their hats and stand at attention, like it was the new National Anthem.

Given this atmosphere, I'm sure that Reilly viewed his own words as being pretty "safe". When was the last time you heard an athlete admit to being an atheist? For that matter, how frequently do you hear any public or media figure do so? Chances are pretty good, I think, that we've already had a "secret" atheist or two in the White House, but there's no way that an openly atheist politician is going to get there any time soon. Atheism is still viewed by many - even those who only give lip service to any kind of belief, and live their lives as defacto atheists, themselves - with suspicion, even disgust. Reilly is not going to be called out for what he said in any very public way by anyone else in the media, because anyone who did so would immediately be labeled an atheist, and very few public figures can afford for that to happen to them.

[10thMan]

Frik, I agree. I think he phrased his comments just right, just right for him. He could have made almost any other Religious or Ethnic Remark & be done for, that is FIRED.

I heard the "white guy" comments & wondered why it`s ALWAYS fair to say whatever you want about whitey...

Those that Judge don`t matter, & those that matter don`t judge

Sean