March 1, 2006: The Bryant Gumbel Olympic Forum
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| Bryant Gumbel and his wife, who he probably found at a GOP convention. |
White Russian:
Bryant Gumbel says the winter games look like a GOP convention due to the
lack of black athletes...
Albuquerque Tom:
That's funny. I didn't hear that. I think the Gumbel household looks like
a GOP convention. He's pretty white. What do you think would happen if Jimmy
the Greek would have said that the NBA looks like a NAACP convention? Riots
in the streets. I am thinking of rioting right now. Where's my riot gear?
The Diesel:
I think Mr. Bryant meant it in a good way since not many blacks like him anyway.
Even Al Roker hates him. Your right about Jimmy The Greek comment on the NBA.
Why was there such an outcry about what JTG said anyway? He was just a greasy
guy who made a living betting on games and schmoozing with Good Fellas.
White Russian:
Gumball is just another one of those people who loves to hear himself speak.
His remarks won't get him fired, or even reprimanded, just like when Dusty
Baker made his comments a few years ago...
Here is Gumbel's quote:
"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them ... Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what's called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they're done, when we can move on to March Madness - for God's sake, let the games begin."[Quote is from Gumbel’s closing monologue on the February 7, 2006 episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel]
Sandman:
Let me chime in.
Gumbel is a guy whose ego rides shotgun when he drives. He needs to be slapped, and slapped hard like the chump he is.
He gets a free pass because of the race card. I would just assume he shut up instead of trying to be like Malcolm X or Chuck D. If Bob Costas said the reverse of this he would be fired. I propose an open letter to this idiot.
Gumbel also trying to align himself with the NCAA tournament is a joke. Honestly, the only person who likes Gumbel is Gumbel.
HBO won't fire him if the ratings plummet, as they are afraid of a lawsuit.
He is a baby. Give him a bottle and let him suck on it.
Albuquerque Tom:
That's funny.
I hate to say it, but Gumball may be right in some ways. He is certainly right in his choice of hairstyle. It is tight and frames his face in a "don't mess with me" manner.
Except
for the fact that Plato was a skier and Socrates was a snowboarder. Everyone
knows Athenagoras of Athens practically invented curling, but back then the
sport involved midgets and fire breathing lizards and there was a shortage
of both in Athens at the time.
Other than that, I think our tight-haired commentator may be correct when I read it in context. I may be the minority in this. I know it's certainly true that there aren't enough black republicans, although it isn't true that the GOP doesn't welcome them, which seems to be implied. He should have said, "despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a KKK rally." That would have been better.
The racial point he tries to make is off the mark if he is inferring that blacks have been barred. I can't imagine that very many winter athletes are disqualified for being black. "Yes, you might win us the gold medal, but I'm afraid you are black." You could say the same thing about a paucity of Asian basketball players or Dominican wrestlers. So what? And there is a conspicuous absence of heterosexual baristas at Starbucks. Explain that, Gumball.
White Russian:
For
some reason the democrats get credit for caring more for black people, when
they really just use them to advance their agenda. George Bush has appointed
more minorities to high level government positions than any other president.
But anytime there is a successful black man or woman who is a republican,
people like Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Harry Belafonte, and Jesse Jackson
portray them as some type of sell out, instead of celebrating their success.
Harry Belafonte actually referred to black republicans as tyrants and recently
referred to President Bush as the biggest terrorist and tyrant of all. Sharpton's
and the others' goal seems to be to continually play the race card as they
try to divide the country as much as possible (and the white democrats are
all too happy to join in with them in their efforts). It is like they have
no intention of helping their own people - they just make crazy claims and
blame the government for anything they can. Maybe Gumbel is trying to get
into their inner circle.
As far as Gumbel's disdain for people who try to link the ancient games to the modern games, what is his point? Is he saying he would prefer the Olympics to be more like the ancient games? Here is a key difference between ancient and modern - in the ancient games only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Would Mr. Gumbel prefer that? Perhaps Gumbel would prefer an Olympics that featured only Greek men, many of whom would compete naked.
Married women were not even permitted to attend the games, under penalty of death. Unmarried women had a separate festival where they competed in foot races. The ancient Greeks did not have any winter events - does that mean the Winter Olympics are not valid? The link is made from the ancient to the modern because the modern games are in the same spirit of the ancient games. Obviously the sports are going to change as the times change. Bryant seems totally clueless and ignorant.
And the race remark by Gumbel is just plain stupid. For these sports, these are the world's best athletes...
The Diesel:
Those black leaders that you mentioned are not leaders to advance the cause
of blacks in the United States. They are leaders to advance themselves through
the guise of a more noble cause. They may occasionally ride a valiant ship
to keep up appearances but overall they are just making sure they can continue
their lifestyles regardless of the social costs.
Naked would be funny (at least wrestling, ski jump, and curling) and I think Gumball would prefer it. Maybe his real anger is because he wasn't asked to compete.
I would like to see these "foot races" you speak of. Do they race only 12 inches? Use only one of their feet? Do they use their entire bodies or just run in place. Your human "Foot Races" intrigue me very much.
Who would want a married woman at the Greek Games anyway? That was the equivalent of March Madness, and ladies today would be severely punished for interrupting that.
Albuquerque Tom
Gentlemen,
Good commentary. I am easily swayed by a persuasive argument and ready to
riot in the streets again.
5 Rules from the Ancient games that should be enforced today:
1. Married women were not even permitted to attend the games, under penalty
of death.
2. The ancient Greeks did not have any winter events
3. Only free men who spoke Greek could compete
4. Olympics that featured only Greek men, many of whom would compete naked.
5. Unmarried women had a separate festival where they competed in foot races.
And, for the bonus round,
6. All men should have tight, curly heads of hair in the fashion of Gumbel.
These games sound somewhat interesting. I may have to borrow a television
next year and watch one. Or stand in the TV department at Best Buy.
We should see if Alonzo Starfish can draw one of these "foot races."
White Russian
Here is a bronze statuette of a lady runner.
Attire:
The ladies wore their hair free down their back and a tunic hanging almost
as low as the knees covering only the left shoulder and breast.
Length of races:
The course of the stadium (at Olympia) is shortened for the ladies by about
one-sixth to about 160 m, instead of about 192 m.
Prizes:
The winning ladies are given crowns of olive and a portion of the cow sacrificed
to Hera. They may also have dedicated to them statues with their names inscribed
upon them...
Albuquerque Tom
I
just thought of something funny. Jimmy the Greek, whom we mentioned in earlier
emails. That's a weird name. Is it biological, like Juan the Hispanic on CBS?
Or is it the Country of origin like Ted the American on ESPN? Did the producers
give him this name to single him out?
White Russian
Additional note about the ancient Olympic games:
The 1st Olympiad was in 776 BC. It was not until 680 BC, at the 25th Olympiad
that the 4-horse chariot race was added. It is said that the Greek philosopher
Gumballis criticized those who tried to link the 25th Olympiad with the 1st
Olympiad, saying that the Greeks of a hundred years earlier would have vehemently
objected to chariots being used in the games, as well as the expansion of
the competition to 2 days. In the 1st Olympiad there was only one race held
on one day. Gumballis argued that adding all these strange events, like the
pentathalon, wrestling, boxing, and chariot racing, took away from the purity
of the original race...
Also,
Jimmy the Greek's real name was Demetrius George Synodinos. He was born in
Ohio. The Simpsons had an episode titled Lisa the Greek, where Lisa displayed
a knack for predicting football winners...
Albuquerque Tom
SOCIAL COMMENTARY ON BLACK AMERICA
I think Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are celebrities that do nothing good
for black America. They advance an entitlement agenda which has almost as
much harm to the black community in America than anything in our history.
I think the real black leaders in America (at least those who are high profile)
are people like Walter E. Williams, Thomas Sowell, Alan Keyes, and Condi Rice.
They understand that entitlement isn't the answer to black America's problems.
The biggest issue in the black community is a family issue. In 1965 24% of
black kids were born into fatherless homes, by 1990 it was 64%, by 2005 the
estimates are around 70%.
Single parent or parentless homes are 6 times more likely to be poor. Also,
I can't remember the stats, but it is staggering how many kids who are incarcerated
are from single or no parent homes (with relatives raising the kids). The
stats are the same whether they are Hispanic, white, black or anyone else.
It's a family issue, not a racial one. The reason there are more black criminals
and there is more black poverty is because there are fewer black fathers percentage-wise
than any other culture in America, followed by Hispanics. And then people
from Alabama.
I think we can throw as much welfare and tax payer cash at these homes as
we want and at the end of the day it won't make any difference until men step
up to the plate and father the kids they are producing. Kids from two parent
homes are statistically much more likely to rise above poverty and not end
up as criminals. They are also less likely to become DJs and rappers.
I'm sure you guys can think of a quick answer to solve this problem and turn
the world around. America is counting on you.