John
Rocker
by
Larry Elder
"White racism
exists," "National Review" editor John O'Sullivan once said, "But
its social power is weak. And the social power against it, overwhelming."
Too bad white
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher John Rocker did not consult with O'Sullivan
before Rocker shot his mouth off. In a recent issue of "Sports Illustrated,"
John Rocker treats us to a view of his Archie Bunker-esque thinking.
An important member of the Braves team that beat the New York Mets
in the playoffs, Rocker offered his thoughts on the Big Apple, "Imagine
having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark, looking like
you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next
to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of
jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four
kids."
About New York,
Rocker said, "The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the
foreigners. I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an
entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English.
Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish
people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this
country?" He called a black teammate a "fat monkey," and criticized
the way Japanese women drive.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
But in the "Sports Illustrated" article, Rocker himself "bemoans the
fact that he's not more intelligent..." Are we surprised that someone
who admits lacking intelligence says unintelligent things? The skies
now rain bricks on Rocker. "The attitudes and the opinions expressed
have no place in our game or in our society," said baseball Commissioner
Bud Selig, "The remarks are under review and we will take the appropriate
action."
The Anti-Defamation
League and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urged baseball to punish
Rocker. Hall of Famer and Atlanta Braves executive Hank Aaron questioned
whether Rocker could even continue in baseball! Let's go to the videotape.
Black Green Bay Packer defensive end Reggie White on Hispanics: "[They]
were gifted in family structure...they can put 20, 30 people in one
home." On white people: "Blessed with the gift of structure and organization."
On black people: "Very gifted in what we call worship and celebration.
A lot of us like to dance. If you go to black churches you see people
jumping up and down." On gays: "Homosexuality is a decision." On Asians:
"Gifted in creativity...they can turn a television into a watch."
On Native Americans: "[they avoided slavery because they] knew the
territory, and the Indians knew how to sneak up on people."
What did the NFL
commissioner say about Reverend White's anthropological observations?
No comment.
Following an NBA
playoff game, black Detroit Piston members Isiah Thomas and Dennis
Rodman accused Larry Bird, a white player, of receiving praise only
"because he is white." With a boys-will-be-boys wave, NBA Commissioner
David Stern dismissed their remarks.
NBA's Charles
Barkley, annoyed at reporters' post-game questions, said, "That's
what I hate about white people." No League comment. Sir Charles just
being Sir Charles, right?
Tiger Woods, in
a recent "Gentleman's Quarterly" article, made an unseemly joke about
gays. Did the golf tour demand an apology? No. And the gay and lesbian
magazine, "The Advocate," simply attributed Wood's remarks to his
youth and naivete.
According to authors
Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger, in their book Pros and Cons, better
than a fifth of NFL players have been charged with serious crimes,
including attempted murder and sexual assault. And many NFL players
convicted of crimes continue to play.
No one keeps figures
on the number of illegitimate children of NBA players. But ESPN broadcaster
Len Elmore, said, "For every player with none, there's a guy with
two or three."
NBA's Latrell
Sprewell attempts to choke his coach and gets traded to a bigger town,
a better team, and ends up earning more money.
But President
Clinton, like most Americans, wants Pete Rose admitted into the Hall
of Fame. Never mind that Rose refuses to admit to gambling on baseball,
let alone apologize. Judge Rose, say the fans, by his on-the-field
performance as a player. Yet people want Rocker expelled from baseball
for his off-the-field remarks.
Rocker, of course,
denies being a racist, and issued an apology. But, so what? America
has a zero tolerance for white bigotry. The late Jimmy "The Greek"
Snyder got the hook for racially insensitive remarks. So did the late
L.A. Dodgers General Manager, Al Campanis. And golf's Fuzzy Zoeller
lost two million dollars in endorsements for making "racially insensitive"
remarks about Tiger Woods. As for Rocker, do we really care what this
"role model" thinks or says? Hate, someone once said, is far too strong
an emotion to waste on people you don't like. Or on boneheads.