Here's why Seahawks' Richard Sherman was right in comparing being called a thug to a racial slur.By Eric Adelson  8 minutes agoYahoo Sports If you think Richard Sherman made a statement on Sunday night, you should listen to what he said on Wednesday.At a news conference in suburban Seattle, he brought up a word that has been used too easily and abused too much.That word is "thug.""It seems like the accepted way of calling someone the n-word," Sherman said. 
Richard Sherman will be a media attraction during Super Bowl week. (AP) He might not be exactly right, but he's close enough. Too often "thug" is a cleaner version of a racial epithet, directed at African-Americans (sometimes by other African-Americans). That word was attached to Sherman almost immediately after he called out 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree following his game-saving play in the Seahawks' 23-17 victory over San Francisco.By contrast, Tom Brady left the field screaming at a referee after a controversial call in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in December. Brady didn't slow down to congratulate anyone on the other team. He could be heard using more offensive language than Sherman did on Sunday.Not many called Brady a thug.The word has been bastardized and adulterated for years, even centuries. According to Urban Dictionary, a thug is "someone who is going through struggles, has gone through struggles, and continues to live day by day with nothing for them. That person is a thug, and the life they are living is the thug life. A thug is NOT a gangster. Look up gangster and gangsta. Not even CLOSE, my friend."Sherman, a Stanford graduate with a big bank account, is not going through struggles. Not in that sense, anyway.The colloquial (or "urban") definition comes from the late rapper Tupac Shakur. The actual definition, from the dictionary, is even further removed from how it's being used now. A "thug" in the literal sense is a "violent criminal."Sherman is hardly a violent criminal. Calling himself the best cornerback in the NFL is not the trademark of a violent criminal. Nor is insulting Crabtree in a televised interview with Erin Andrews. Nor is yelling. In that sense, Rep. Joe Wilson is a "thug" for screaming, "You lie!" to President Obama during his State of the Union address in 2009.Wilson is not a thug. Brady is not a thug. Sherman is not a thug.Let's go further back, to the origins of "thug.""Thuggee" referred to an Indian network of gangs known for brutal robberies in the 17th century. It's unlikely anyone called Sherman a thug as a callback to the Hindi roots of the word. (Though if you're calling Sherman a "thug" for robbing Crabtree of a touchdown catch, then maybe you've got a point.) Sherman raised the point on Wednesday that an NHL brawl broke out over the weekend between Vancouver and Calgary, and still he was called a "thug.""There was a hockey game where they didn't even play hockey, they just threw the puck aside and started fighting," he said. "I saw that, and said, ‘Oh man, I'm the thug? What's going on here?'" But the hockey players aren't really thugs, either. They're just hockey players.The word shouldn't be used at all, really. It's ugly. It's borderline racist. And in pretty much every case, it's the wrong word. Do a web search for Trayvon Martin. The word "thug" will likely come up. That's a clear but tragic example of how "thug" is too often used.This isn't to say Sherman shouldn't be criticized. His "choke" sign was classless and inappropriate. His use of the postgame platform to settle an old score rather than credit his teammates wasn't all that admirable either. And his pat of Crabtree on the backside was a taunt, and beneath him.Many words can apply to those actions: obnoxious, annoying, rude, selfish, tasteless, unprofessional.Just not thuggish or thug-like.Perhaps Sherman's comments will start a national discussion of the word "thug," and all its connotations. Many in the African-American community have detested this word for years. What Sherman said Wednesday may be surprising to some, but it's obvious to others.Super Bowl week has a rare power. Last year's big story involved a homophobic comment from 49ers defensive back Chris Culliver. That turned into a lesson for a lot of athletes in the NFL and elsewhere. Nobody likes the P.C. Police, especially during events where many just want to focus on football, but would the world be worse off if "thug" was discarded?Sherman knows everyone is watching, and listening. He's not holding back. Maybe that makes him a rabble-rouser. Maybe it makes him a leader. Maybe it makes him an opportunist.It sure doesn't make him a thug.
So stupid, only black people are thugs, right? Infact, our asian indian population should be offended, since the word thug ( thugee ) derived from India.Knowledge!
Everything is racist. You just have to look hard enough.
This media week before the SB is better than Sherman could've ever hoped for
I know for a fact that I have called white people thug before. This is a stupid stretch.
Tom Brady is a thug.
Everything is racist. You just have to look hard enough.
Or in Bootz's case , just glance.
How can it be racist? The ones being called thugs pretty much are the ones acting like thugs or want to look like those who act like thugs. It's kind of universal ain't it?
I stopped reading when the writer quoted an Urban Dictionary definition. Care to look up what their definition of Strawberry Short Cake is? Might as well have quoted the Onion.
It's not the word, it's the use of the word. It's the fact that people often use the word thug to side step the "n" word. The harm is the use and intent, not the definition.
It's not the word, it's the use of the word. It's the fact that people often use the word thug to side step the "n" word. The harm is the use and intent, not the definition.
It must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way.
People called Sapp a thug quite often , but never once was Derrick Brooks called a thug ....how can that be if it's just a racial slur. Two guys of the same race , yet the term applies to one and not the other.....how can this be ?
It's not the word, it's the use of the word. It's the fact that people often use the word thug to side step the "n" word. The harm is the use and intent, not the definition.
It must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way.
Its not a Southern thing...or at least not just a Southern thing. Although I use the term, its not a replacement for the "n" word...its used when I am describing someone who dresses and acts like a thug. I use it for white, black, and brown people just the same...so its not a replacement when its an accurate depiction of someone's appearance.Â
It's not the word, it's the use of the word. It's the fact that people often use the word thug to side step the "n" word. The harm is the use and intent, not the definition.
It must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way.
Its not a Southern thing...or at least not just a Southern thing. Although I use the term, its not a replacement for the "n" word...its used when I am describing someone who dresses and acts like a thug. I use it for white, black, and brown people just the same...so its not a replacement when its an accurate depiction of someone's appearance.
Left field for $200 Alex. We're talking about using it as the 'n' word. My reply was direct at that. Everyone uses the word like you describe but we're not talking about that. I'll say it again but spell it out in black and white this time. Using 'thug' to mean the 'n' word must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way. (Hopefully that's clear)
It's not the word, it's the use of the word. It's the fact that people often use the word thug to side step the "n" word. The harm is the use and intent, not the definition.
It must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way.
Its not a Southern thing...or at least not just a Southern thing. Although I use the term, its not a replacement for the "n" word...its used when I am describing someone who dresses and acts like a thug. I use it for white, black, and brown people just the same...so its not a replacement when its an accurate depiction of someone's appearance.
Left field for $200 Alex. We're talking about using it as the 'n' word. My reply was direct at that. Everyone uses the word like you describe but we're not talking about that. I'll say it again but spell it out in black and white this time. Using 'thug' to mean the 'n' word must be a Southern thing. It isn't offensives at all in New England here. It means what the dictionary say it means and it's used that way. (Hopefully that's clear)
No...it was perfectly clear the first time...and while I wont say it doesnt happen here I know it happens everywhere, even up in the New England area. I travel a lot for work and have heard that connotation everywhere...but it is also not always easy to tell when it is being used in place of another word and when it is accurately describing someone.