Whitlock’s Apology; Football Motivation, 21st Century-Style; Paying for Content Is Here

And so Jason Whitlock caved. Though he’ll never admit it – he certainly attempted to put on a brave face in his latest Fox Sports offering – he folded like pretty Christmas wrapping paper around a gift.

The only problem is, he packaged himself:

Let me first apologize to Rush Limbaugh.

Last week in explaining why NFL commissioner Roger Goodell needed to put an end to Limbaugh’s latest publicity stunt, I attributed racially insensitive quotes to Limbaugh that I read in two Missouri newspapers, saw on CNN and confirmed through a Google search. Prior to posting the article, I never found a denial of these quotes by Limbaugh, and had no reason to believe those statements were not true.

It was unfair to Limbaugh. And I regret that. I’ve commented on some of his earlier controversies. I’ve long been an admirer of his broadcasting skills.

No he didn’t.

Yes Whitlock did.

The quotes are attributed to a 2006 book by Jack Huberman, “101 People Who Are Really Screwing America (Nation Books).” There are at least one dozen references to those quotes after the book’s publishing. But Limbaugh never said a word about the book or the quotes in them. No legal action no public reprisal of Huberman or Nation Books.

Until now.

But Whitlock apologised. And lost his cred with that apology. He lost his cred with the right because he stepped out on that limb and appeared like a chaep Black opportunist dumping on Limbaugh. He lost his cred with everyone else who might have given him a break because he has repeatedly averred that he is the one sports columnist who can write whatever he damn well pleases. So, Fox chumps him and takes down his column about Limbaugh  and then Whitlock backslides like a defenseman facing a three-on-one empty net rush.

Welcome to the Terrordome.

Mr. Chitlins.

For the most part, I’ve never taken his political commentary all that seriously. There are virtually no modern-day political figures that I take seriously. Politics and politicians are too dishonest and too controlled by financial influences for my taste. I’ve never participated in American politics. I’ve never voted.

I am not right wing or left wing, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. I’m not beholden to any political agenda. An examination of my work at FOXSports.com, the Kansas City Star and/or any of the places I’ve worked previously would reveal a free-thinking, hardcore independent.

So, Big Greezy says he’s never taken Limbaugh’s political commentary all that seriously. Then how can he explain this statement later on in his commentary?

Limbaugh’s radio empire is built on the foundation of convincing white America that the country our forefathers stole from Native Americans is being stolen by blacks and Mexicans….

The point of Limbaugh’s rant/satire is to divide, scare and breed contempt.

Whitlock attempts to have us believe Limbaugh is just a harmless satirist who should not be “taken seriously.” And yet he freely admits Limbaugh espouses a racist agenda. But I like how Mr. Chitlins  talks about “our forefathers,” like they are his forefathers. Not the forefathers, our… I can see Big Greezy dreaming of times of revolution now:

George Washington: Whitlock. Whitlock! Awken you big, lazy darky!

Whitlock: Sorry Massa Wshin’ton. Wha’ I doos?

GW: It is time for the revolution to begin Whitlock. Will you put aside those, those —– things! What do you call them —— hog mawls?! Ugggh. I do not know how you darkies do it, eating that —- tripe!

W: Tripe! Massa, tripe be some good eats. I luvs me some tripe!

GW: Whitlock you are a talking monkey. Grab that oar in your ample, stubby little fingers, and take me across the Delaware.

W: (At the thought of physical exertion and because food was involved in the dream, Whitlock awakens in a sweat with a food headache then reaches over reflexively for one of his bags of pork rinds).

That’s your, “our” forefathers, Chitlins – for whom, “darky” was a compliment.

And then he describes exactly how dangerous a man – whose goal is to divide, scare, and breed contempt – like Limbaugh can be. But Jason, I thought…. oh never mind.

Whitlock can claim he is “fiercely independent” but he’s cashed too many checks written by White bosses from commentaries that mischaracterize misrepresent, and misinform the public about an arts movement called “hip-hop,” while reducing the whole of meaningful Black American philosophical thought to the words of  public personalities, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Hell, Whitlock couldn’t critique Limbaugh without taking a useless swipe at Sharpton, Jackson and a rapper (Jay-Z):

And here come the Left Brothers — Al “747″ Sharpton and Jesse “DC 10″ Jackson — barreling in for a landing on top of Goodell’s dome. And this time every black person with an ounce of common sense and self-respect is riding shotgun with Jesse and Al, who have justifiably voiced their displeasure with Limbaugh’s ownership bid.

I’m not mad at Limbaugh. He expresses no shame to the game he’s been running for two decades. He’s an opportunistic, race-baiting, anti-black entertainer. The popularity of the gangsta element of hip-hop music culture has allowed Limbaugh to proudly claim that his form of entertainment is mainstream.

I’d say we’re less than 24 hours from Limbaugh playing the Jay-Z card. Brother Jay owns a piece of the New Jersey Nets and has a library of rap tunes spewing the same kind of black-degrading lyrics, phrases and stereotypes that have made Limbaugh rich enough to buy a chunk of the St. Louis Rams.

Take that hackneyed garbage and dump it, Jason. It’s old and has no place in a discussion about anything other than how much self-hate you can espouse in 1,000 words or less.

And that line in your commentary, “My point is some days I’m sympathetic to Limbaugh’s plight. He’s a push-the-envelope entertainer. His parody song “Barack The Magic Negro” is one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard on radio. It’s not racist. It’s genius,” is one of the saddest commentaries on self-hate I have ever heard from a Black man.

Carry on Mr. Chitlins, carry on.

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The superintendent of schools called it “a serious error in judgement.” Let’s just call it what it is – racist speech:

A Melvindale High School assistant football coach is in hot water after a failed effort to motivate his players.

WDIV, The News-Herald and the Detroit Free Press report that fliers posted in the boys’ locker room at Melvindale High list demeaning statements — some including racial slurs — from Wyandotte Roosevelt High School Football Coach Ron Adams.

Except, Adams says, he didn’t say those things.

On the flier obtained by WDIV, Adams is accused of saying the following things:

“You’re not physical enough to play in this league.”
“A spread football team can’t be a physical football team.”
“You will be regretting being in this league by week five.”
“I will take my big Polish kids over your little fast (n-words) any day.”
“What are you going to do when my BIG Polish kid runs right over your little (n-word)?”
“Melvindale can’t hang with teams like Wyandotte, Southgate and Allen Park.”

The coach has been suspended. His name has not been released.

Here is what Adams had to say about the flier:

“The point is I didn’t say it,” Adams said. “But here’s the thing — why would you ever have to resort to using racial propaganda to motivate your players? I mean, we’re talking about a football game. Our job and our responsibility as a football coach is to do what? It’s to teach kids how to do things the right way. We teach life skills. Is this an example of life skills we should be teaching kids?”

Stupid, racially-motivated speech is not to be tolerated in any form. The coach needs to be fired ———— immediately.

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And remember I just wrote that there was going to be a shift to paying for content? Well, here we go:

Beginning Wednesday, most of Newsday.com content will only be available to subscribers of Optimum Online, Newsday, or those willing to pay for it.

Those who are not customers of Optimum Online or the newspaper – both owned by Bethpage-based Cablevision Systems Corp. – will have to pay a $5 weekly fee. However, nonpaying customers will have access to some of newsday.com’s information, including the home page, school closings, weather, obituaries, classified and entertainment listings. There also will be some limited access to Newsday stories.

Newsday described the move as one that would create a “pioneering Web model,” combining the newspaper’s newsgathering services with Cablevision’s electronic distribution capabilities. About 75 percent of Long Island households are Newsday home delivery or Cablevision online customers or both, according to Newsday. Optimum Online customers total 2.5 million in the New York area, the paper said.

“We are excited about this model because in addition to a unique ability to immediately reach about 75 percent of Long Island households, we believe the hyper-local approach is right for Long Island,” said Debby Krenek, Newsday managing editor and senior vice president/digital.

The new strategy comes as newspapers have been scrambling to replace the advertising-based model after years of steep revenue decline. Charging viewers for online content has been debated in the newspaper industry in the past few years.

And this from the land of video-streamed content:

How much would you be willing to pay to watch your favorite TV shows online? Not for the first time, the corporate suits behind online video-streaming Web site Hulu have suggested that the service might start charging in the future instead of relying on the ad-supported model it currently uses.

Speaking at Broadcast & Cable’s OnScreen Media Summit, News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey said that the television industry needs to start getting paid for its content. “Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business,” said Carey at the event. There does not appear to be a firm timeline for charging, though Carey suggested it could happen by 2010, and the possibility of free content remaining was not ruled out.

News Corp. is one of the three primary owners of Hulu, the other two being NBC Universal and Disney. Carey’s remarks echo similar comments made by News Corp’s chief digital officer, Jonathan Miller, last June. Likewise, News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch recently said that all the company’s newspaper properties such as The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal would charge at least some extent for content beginning next year.

News Corp, NBC Universal, and ——– Disney. What an unholy trinity.