Re: Bob Ryan being stupid again

[Kestutis.Kveraga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Kestutis Kveraga)]

--- <jahill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ryan proves he is not only a stereotyping racist and that must have missed
the whole "Big Three" period of the Celtics as well, but he doesn't know
much about college hoops either.  What a disgrace to Boston.  Time to remove
him for good this time.  People who wonder why Boston is considered bigoted
only need to read the "news" papers.
--- end of quote ---

Why?! What is this urge to remove those whose opinions you don't like? Haven't we had enough Orwellian societies in the past century to have learned a lesson? Supressing someone's right to speak his mind is not a sign of a healthy society. Let him say what he wants - people can make up their own minds. 
Ryan's wrong, of course, though not about the stereotype. Stereotypes, you might be surprised to learn, are usually grounded in reality to at least some degree, or they would not have arisen in the first place. The problem with stereotypes is that some people think it means that every member, or at least the vast majority of the stereotyped group fits the stereotype. That's one error that Ryan's making. The other error - and he should really know better - is thinking that the only way to win in basketball is by being more athletic in the basketball sense - a characteristic more associated with blacks than with whites. The fiasco of the 2002 "Dream Team" (not), of various collegiate teams, and the emergence of the Sacramento Kings-style of basketball in the NBA, let alone Celtics history, should have alerted him that this is not the case. 
He could've said that Vanderbilt won't beat Western Michigan because it's one of those "academic schools" (i.e., a place where kids go to get their education, not to play basketball semiprofessionally). It would have accomplished the same thing without getting him into hot water, as everybody knows the loadings of those particular terms, yet it's difficult to accuse the speaker of anything concrete. So, I'm not sure if he was being careless or deliberately incendiary. Is he looking for early retirement which - given the PC climate at El Globo, might be forthcoming?
Kestas