ESPN fires Rob Parker

[michael89156]

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ESPN’s Rob Parker says ridiculous things about RG3, takes ‘First Take’ to new levels of depravity
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 .By Doug Farrar | Shutdown Corner – 9 hours ago.. .


Nobody will ever mistake ESPN's "First Take" show with anything remotely resembling insightful, important, or accurate journalism. The trainwreck bookmarked by Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith has adopted the slogan "Embrace Debate" to put a nice little hat on the fact that the show is actually the kind of dreck that makes the worst political commentary programs look like great television. As a result, it's tough to come on that show and actually be an embarrassment.
 
Frequent ESPN talking head Rob Parker, however, went out of his way to do so when the subject of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III came up on Thursday morning. Parker decided that it was the appropriate time to bring up whether Griffin was black enough or not. No, really. We'll just let the video and transcript roll.
 
"I've talked to some people in Washington, D.C. Some people in [Griffin's] press conferences. Some people I've known for a long time. My question, which is just a straight, honest question, is ... is he a 'brother,' or is he a cornball 'brother?' He's not really ... he's black, but he's not really down with the cause. He's not one of us. He's kind of black, but he's not really like the guy you'd want to hang out with. I just want to find out about him. I don't know, because I keep hearing these things. He has a white fiancé, people talking about that he's a Republican ... there's no information at all. I'm just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue. Tiger Woods was like, 'I have black skin, but don't call me black.' People wondered about Tiger Woods early on -- about him."
 
 
Bayless, never content to let someone else have the last infantile, stupid remark, upped the ante with this question: "What do RG3's braids say to you?"
 
"To me, that's very urban," Parker continued, seemingly determined to dig his own professional grave. "It makes you feel like ... I think he would have a clean cut if he were more straight-laced or not ... wearing braids is ... you're a brother. You're a brother. If you've got braids on."
 
Smith responded, and you can watch the video if you'd like to get that. We generally oppose quoting Stephen A. Smith under any circumstances. What these talking heads throw against the wall to see what sticks is not the point. What is the point is that Parker, in his position as a supposed journalist, has insulted an individual of color to a cruel and unbelievable degree by actually bringing Robert Griffin's "blackness" to the forefront, and openly questioning it with no basis in fact, no knowledge of the person, and no sense of responsibility.
 
"He needs to define what 'one of us' is. That guy needs to define that," Griffin's father told Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports about Parker's comments. "I wouldn't say it's racism. I would just say some people put things out there about people so they can stir things up.
 
"Robert is in really good shape on who he is, where he needs to get to in order to seek the goals he has in life ... so I don't take offense."
 
We tend to expect preposterous stuff from this show -- after all, that's what that show does. But what Rob Parker said went far beyond the parameters of "opinion" and veered quickly into something that should have ESPN seriously considering whether they want Parker representing even their worst traffic jam of a media product.
 
Unlike Parker, I've met Griffin a couple of times. Not nearly enough to know him or his particular thoughts on any particular cause, but enough to know that he knows how to carry himself, and that he's never made any particular statement claiming that he isn't in line with whatever Parker seems to believe he's supposed to be in line with. His teammates respect him, his coaches can't say enough good things about him, and everyone I've talked to who spends any time in his orbit seems to believe that Griffin is absolutely all that he's cracked up to be.
 
 
Sadly for journalism in general (not that we'd ever classify "First Take" as journalism under any conditions), this isn't the first time Parker has really blown it when discussing a current Washington Redskins quarterback. In October, 2008, Parker had to publically apologize after falsely claiming on Detroit NBC affiliate WDIV-TV that Kirk Cousins, then a Michigan State player, was involved in a fight between Spartans football and hockey players at a party in East Lansing. The problem? Cousins' parents said that their son was at home, with them, all evening.
 
"I was wrong. I apologize," Parker said by way of retraction, after first trying to defend his report. "I have reached out to the student-athlete's family and apologized. They have accepted. I also apologize to the Michigan State community."
 
Parker also had to leave his Detroit paper in 2009 after an incident with then-Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli. At the end of the Lions' 0-16 season, Parker asked Marinelli if he wished that his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator, referring to Joe Barry, Marinelli's son-in-law.
 
Parker had better get that stock apology statement out of the box again. Something tells us he's going to be using it frequently, and for a good long time.

[mrchillwill]

Ain't this some sh%t.

[Benchwarmer#1]

So if a black man wears cowboy boots, he's not really black? ..Am I missing something here?

[chace1986]

So, if you are black and you marry interracially or vote Republican, then you aren't "down with the cause"?

Parker knew the camera was on, right??

SMH.

[JavaRay]

Why do they allow racist idiots like that to be on TV?    Why can't people just be people rather than the color of their skin defining them? 

[Benchwarmer#1]

So, if you are black and you marry interracially or vote Republican, then you aren't "down with the cause"?

Parker knew the camera was on, right??

SMH.

He might as well have called him a "Tom."

Besides, what's "the cause?" Is that a secret hate the white bread group?The last "white" guy that rambled on about a "cause" didn't fair so well. So why is that no different? If he wants to talk about "the struggle," then fine, but RG3 has no struggle from here on out. That dude is getting paid. He's only going to be "struggling" to win playoffs or superbowls. Can't use that word anymore, so let's manufacture another, right?

Does this also mean if my wife was black, I wouldn't be white anymore? I'm republican so I must be white! ...never knew.

[Timbuc2]

I am a Black man and will always be proud of that fact. I also love my heritage and realize that my forefathers took a lot so that I can have the rights that I have today. Therefore education is very close to my heart and helping the kids coming up today. That being said:

I will be the first to say that this Parker is a complete idiot. Who cares what color his girlfriend is or anything about his braids? It's just stupid and how does this creep still have a job? Of course, he is entitled to his opinion. I also believe that Parker is the one with the identity problem deep down.

I have encountered people like him and there's a word for them...Troublemakers! You can spot them a mile away, Period.

[Timbuc2]

Why do they allow racist idiots like that to be on TV?    Why can't people just be people rather than the color of their skin defining them?

Wow, I am shocked but I realize that it's sarcasm.

[tripblood]

Parker is just doing his job. Race baiting is a new thing to First Take?? Hell no, thats the entire premise of the show.

Blame the producers.. Clearly Parker is talking out of his ass because he changes his train of thought to say RG3 is "pure brother" because of his "URBAN dreads".. Also Skip Bayless seems to agree with all the points hes making and actually initiated the dread discussion.

[JavaRay]

I am a Black man and will always be proud of that fact.

This is a weird statement in and of itself.    I've never once in my life said "I'm a white man and will always be proud of that fact."     We are all whatever color we were born with.   There's no need to be "proud" or "embarrassed" by whatever race you are.    It just is.    Everyone should be proud to be their own individual person, but the color of their skin or their race should not be the focus of why they are proud.

[Timbuc2]

I am a Black man and will always be proud of that fact.

This is a weird statement in and of itself.    I've never once in my life said "I'm a white man and will always be proud of that fact."     We are all whatever color we were born with.   There's no need to be "proud" or "embarrassed" by whatever race you are.    It just is.    Everyone should be proud to be their own individual person, but the color of their skin or their race should not be the focus of why they are proud.

Well if it's weird to you, it's on your dime. Did my statement pierce you? It wasn't aimed at you and just because you have never said something doesn't mean squat to me really. I'm not being nasty but for real.

There's no need to be proud? Are you kidding me? After all that my ancestors went through for me...but I understand your point of view, you wouldn't understand and that's OK. See, I don't blame any race for anything that's happened in my life. It's called accountability and I love everyone even my enemies. So, you don't have to take it personal, although I don't care if you do.

I hear many Irish say that they are proud of their heritage. I hear Italian, German, etc... Are you saying the same about them?

I notice how you use the word "should" in your sentence. Do you set the bar for what's right and wrong? Are you a person that has to have their way or you just lose it?

I have no more to say to you my friend because it's not worth the engagement at this time of morning.

[The Anti-Java]

I am a Black man and will always be proud of that fact. I also love my heritage and realize that my forefathers took a lot so that I can have the rights that I have today. Therefore education is very close to my heart and helping the kids coming up today. That being said:

I will be the first to say that this Parker is a complete idiot. Who cares what color his girlfriend is or anything about his braids? It's just stupid and how does this creep still have a job? Of course, he is entitled to his opinion. I also believe that Parker is the one with the identity problem deep down.

I have encountered people like him and there's a word for them...Troublemakers! You can spot them a mile away, Period.

Good post Tim2.


I will have to reserve comment until I figure out if I am  a brother......or cornball brother.          SMH

[JavaRay]

I hear many Irish say that they are proud of their heritage. I hear Italian, German, etc... Are you saying the same about them?

I guess if you say you are proud to be Somalian or proud to be Ghanaian or proud to be Nigerian or proud to be Italian, that does make more sense than simply saying you are proud to be a certain skin color.   But that's a different thing altogether from race.

[JavaRay]

Why do they allow racist idiots like that to be on TV?    Why can't people just be people rather than the color of their skin defining them?

Wow, I am shocked but I realize that it's sarcasm.

I've always felt that way.   Everyone should be treated equal and skin color should be meaningless.   The only time I even notice it is when idiots like the guy in this video bring it up.

[Benchwarmer#1]

I am a Black man and will always be proud of that fact. I also love my heritage and realize that my forefathers took a lot so that I can have the rights that I have today. Therefore education is very close to my heart and helping the kids coming up today. That being said:

I will be the first to say that this Parker is a complete idiot. Who cares what color his girlfriend is or anything about his braids? It's just stupid and how does this creep still have a job? Of course, he is entitled to his opinion. I also believe that Parker is the one with the identity problem deep down.

I have encountered people like him and there's a word for them...Troublemakers! You can spot them a mile away, Period.

Good post Tim2.


I will have to reserve comment until I figure out if I am  a brother......or cornball brother.          SMH

Anyone know where the term "cornball" was from? Never heard it used before.

Also, I'm glad you guys have pride, there is no reason not to. However, being "white" myself, I don't go running around saying I'm proud of my race. Not all things I'm proud of, but proud I am nonetheless. I don't however, parade it around in peoples faces.

Seems awfully redundant in light of every race being a slave to another at one point in time in history. Just seems a lot like fingerpointing, tooting horns, or generally standing on a soapbox. All in all, It seems silly to even bring it up. No matter who you are, you should be proud of yourself (unless you happen to be O.J.  ).