Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Football pundit Ron Atkinson resigns from ITV Sport after making a racist comment. Well I didnt know he did and thats because it was off-air but some middle-easten countrys heard it as they where contining a live feed.

What was the comment, I mean saying a 'racsit comment' doesnt answer that and leaves us wondering how bad what he said was. After all it may have just been un-pc instead of rascit or something.

I think he should have been punished but since it was in his own time (it was off-air as far as the filming was concerned but the middle-east didnt cut off until much later) i dont think he should lose hes job

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I'm just grateful that I won't have to listen to the rubbish that he talks anymore.

Just hope that he doesn't turn up on another channel.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

oh I agree with that, he was a dolt

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Inciting racial hatred is a criminal offence. If he was doing this (and we don't know if he was or not) then it is right that he should be sacked. Check the policy on racism where you work, because i know most companies don't tolerate it at all.

If it was merely 'not pc' then i am sure the guy will be able to pick up another job with no problems at all, and he might have a case for unfair dismissal against his employer.

can't really say much without knowing more about what he said though :shrug:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Wasn't he in hot water a while ago for a similar thing on a radio show? Might have been someone else though?

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I thought he resigned

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

He described the player as "an f****** lazy n****r"

Frankly I think the comment was just stupid, rather than deliberately racist, but he should have had more sense than to make it at all.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

If that is what he said, he deserves everything coming. He could have just called him ****ing lazy, no need to bring the n-word out :shocked:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

How do you know that for a fact?

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Oh Come on Graham!!! I would hardly think that it was just a "stupid" comment.....possibly if he had said stupid lazy ba**rd then yea....stupid but to say what he did??.

Appalling.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

He called Totti a t**t before. it was the same thing, it was off air on ITV but other countries were still getting the feed.

I think his comment was, "he looks like a little t**t, that Totti"

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I don't think it was "inciting Racial hatred" or anything like that.

Ron obviousley thought the guy was not pulling his weight and he also happened to be black. He could have chosed his words better but would anyone be making such a fuss if it was any of these variations?:

The lazy ginger get
The lazy scottish git
The Lazy scouse b@stard
The lazy ****ney ***** (londener)
The lazy paddy git

I'm not advocating any of the above but go to any footbal match, Premier league to Sunday league and you hear it all the time but would you call any of those variations racist?

Is callng a scouser "a thieving scouser" racist or just insulting?

Whenever someone makes a derogatory remark about another they will pick on the most obvious thing about that person. In this case his colour.

I think it is the word "Nigger" that is distastful and insulting, but unfortunately Ron comes from a generation were the use of that word was more prevelant.

But if he had said the "lazy black bast@rd" would that have been racist?

What I am trying to say is I don't think we cantar him with the same brush as combat 18, I don't think he is a maliceous racist he just couldn't express himself in a more PC manner.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

i to belive its blown up because hes black and ron is white. i work with a couple of nice lads who happen to be black and every 10 mins they are saying the word that ron said and they dont mind me saying it to them, they dont see it as a racist term this isnt 1920's Mississippi.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

apparently Atkinson said: "He's what is known in some schools as a ****ing lazy thick nigger."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...200304,00.html

but then again it is only a press report

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Plus it was on the 10.30 news last night. They put it up on screen with **** in the relevant places for viewers to read.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Yes

I didn't know scousers were a racial group.

O.k. so he's black, I fail to see how being black is something to be insulted over.

That's hardly an excuse, he's old enough to know better.

Of course it's racist.

I'd at least agree with the first part of that, and as for the older generation using the term 'nigger', I've never noticed that, in my experience they tend to err towards different phrases, a bit like the ones Warren Mitchell would use.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

i think he's timed it right so he can go sit in the sun and turn ORANGE again!!

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Aside from any racial discussions, it's plain unprofessional. I've been involved in plenty of live broadcasts over the years, and if there's one golden rule to remember...it's that if you're in front of microphone (whether you think it's live or not) you treat it as if it's live.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Being a scouser myself I'd say no. But they are as much a racial group as the Welsh, Scots and Irish. They are all white european.

I personally do not think calling someone from Ireland a thick paddy is racist, in the same way if someone called be a thieving scouser I am not mortally wounded or offended. It may be insulting but it is not racist.

It's not. but people will use your appearance to express their insult. Not just a thick get- but a thick ginger get. Not just a ba$t@rd - but an "ugly" ba$t@rd, or a "big nosed" ba$t@rd, or a Black ba$t@rd.

Is it though? is calling someone a thick ginger get. Gingerist ?

or an "ugly" ba$t@rd, Uglyist

or "big nosed" ba$t@rd, noseist.

Why does it have to be racist, can it not be just an insult?

If you give a white person a job over a black person just because of their colour - now that's racism. Beating somebody up because of their colour - that's racisim.

It's a fine line. Just going up to someone in the street and calling them a black B@stard for no reason is obviously not acceptable. - and that too is racism.

But if you are involved in a discussion or argument and say a "throw away" comment/insult with no real malice behind it. Is it worth all this exposure.

I'm not condoning what he did I'm just trying to put it into context.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that calling someone a lazy nigger is a "throw away" comment. Let's not start comparing a comment like that to calling someone a ginger ******, he made a racist comment, calling someone a big nosed ******* is also not racist, insulting yes, but not racist. Racism involves descriminating against people based on their race, not the size of one of their appendages (bad example) or the colour of their hair.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

That's why I referred to the comment as "stupid". (And I found out the wording by a quick google for news reports)

Someone else has said he could have used the word "ba$$$$d" instead, but not that long ago that word was just as offensive as the "n word" because being of illegitimate parentage could mean complete social exclusion.

It's only that ba$$$$d has now become acceptable and is considered fairly mild (English law no longer recognising the concept of ba$$$$dy) [I've just had to re-write that because even though it's a perfectly legitimate(hah!) English word, it got censored!) that he could have probably used it with impunity.

The point, however, is that he was stupid to use such a "loaded" word in a place where it could be over-heard, however from what I've seen, Atkinson has never shied away from using black players, so claims that he's actually racist are, IMO, wrong.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I will miss his commentary though.

No more "Jinkers" or "Fliers". No more "lollipops" or "Watching Cartoons" and of course no more of "The little ginger fellow"

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Big Ron: The Whole F***ing Transcript

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Is this really racist though. I mean I've heard coloured people calling themselves nigger. Is it okay that they call it themself :erm:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

oh come on, many people have used it as a derogitery term for years, were talking back to the days of white supremacy, your telling me its right to call someone that..... :confused: not in my book....... :mad:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Er did I say it was right :rolleyes:


I pointed out I have heard coloured people calling it themselve's with mates like hey nigger etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard colour people say this either so READ before jumping the gun please

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

thinks back to pulp fiction when the dark coloured person says to the light coloured person , 'hey my nigger' , ok so he shouldnt have said it , but ............ , would as much of a fuss been made if he said something about a white player :confused:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

no but it looked like you were looking to justify his comments...


and if i ever heard someone call me that i would kick off, im not prepared to be insulted by the usage of that word whether it be 'passive' or not......

at the end of it all, atkinson HAD to go, no commentator or media representative is allowed to be racist......

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Ok-bear with me on this one......

I am a fan of Actor/Rapper 'Ice Cube'. He is the lead in a lot of what I would call 'black' films-Friday/Barbershop/All About The Benjamins etc.

The rhetoric in these films is mainly between black guys, & they constantly refer to each other as 'nigger', as in 'yo nigger-how's it going?'

If you think back a couple of years ago to Denzil Washington's character in 'Training Day', he regularly referred to Ethan Hawke's character as 'My nigger'.......

It does seem a bit strange that there is almost a culture these days of black guys/girls referring to each other as 'nigga'

What's also strange, is that sometimes when they use the 'N' word it's in a derogatory fashion, & sometimes it's complimentary. :confused: :shrug:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

What if it was a friend of yours doing a Denzil Washington impression, a la 'Training Day'?

Absolutely, but I don't think anyone is disputing that. ;)

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

confuses me as well as for the correct usage of the word........

nig·ger ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ngr)
n. Offensive Slang

Used as a disparaging term for a Black person: †œYou can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a niggerââ‚Ã⠀šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ� (James Baldwin).

Used as a disparaging term for a member of any dark-skinned people.
Used as a disparaging term for a member of any socially, economically, or politically deprived group of people: †œGun owners are the new niggers... of societyââ‚à ‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ� (John Aquilino).

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=nigger

although:

WordNet Dictionary

Definition: [n] (ethnic slur) offensive name for a Black person; "only a Black can call another Black a nigger"

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/nigger

:shrug:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Well my point is if this word is offensive then the people who its offensive too should perhaps stop using it. I thought it was just common sense myself..

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I think its something to do with black people claiming a derogetary word that was used against them in the past.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Atkinson is a disgrace. I always thought he was above that kind of remark.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I think it should be left alone.
After all I walk down the street and hear racist remarks, If I go to a football match I hear racist remarks, If I go to th epub I hear racist remarks.

Provided they arent threats then why cant it be dealt with in an adult way?

Its cost him his job, well sorry but I hope the people that complained are ****ing happy they have done this.
If they have nothing better to do than cry foul because someone who is in the habit of speaking his mind does so then they should try living in the real world.
We cant wrap people in cotton wool, Perhaps atkinson shouldnt have said it, but he did, he is a man who speaks his mind and has NEVER minced his words.

You lot that complain and feign shock have destroyed a good mans career, I hope you can all sleep well at night.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Poppy****. The 'good man' in this instance has destroyed his own career by being damned stupid. Or don't you believe in personal responsibility? To come out with that particular line when in the heat of anger suggests that in his mind the word n*gger is associated purely with being a black person and nothing else.

Also, anyone with any interest in football (and even no interest at all, my other half has listened to him being interviewed on daytime TV and remembered his voice clearly) would know that Desailly, when not being a cheating disgrace, is particularly bright and articulate for a footballer. Some pundit calling him 'thick'.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

No, because words only have power over you if you *let* them.

I know gays who deliberately refer to each other as "queers".

If someone says to me "you make bondage gear, you're a pervert!" my response is "yes, and your point is...???" to which the response is generally silence because they have *no* comeback. The idea is that the *claim* is bad enough that nothing else is needed, but by totally failing to rise to their bait they are left with no other ammunition.

The problem comes when, with a word like "nigger" it becomes an "us and them" situation. It's may be ok for one black person to use it to another, but not for a white person, because that's just racist and we can't have that.

The Atkinson situation is unfortunately a classic example of this, as has been pointed out, if he'd have said "ba$$$$d" or "scouse git" or whatever, there wouldn't have been this outcry, but we now have a situation of effective *reverse* racism which is just as prejudicial and divisive as the original plain racism :(

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Correct I'm not one for letting words bother me either infact I like people trying to have ago. The problem here is there are people who dont like words, There are also people who dont like these words but use them themselve's :erm:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

They only have power over you if you let them but they have power over others. Someone calling you a pervert may have no 'internal' effect on you but it may well have an external effect through others. If the same person that had no effect on you internal was to go round your local community calling you a pervert, it might well affect how those people react to you in the future. Words are powerful things. They are expressions of peoples thoughts AND they shape peoples thoughts. We should all be careful what words we use and how we use them imo.

The same with the N word. You might choose not to let being called that affect you, but the perptuation of the denegration of someone because of their race and colour affects the whole of society and the use of this word perpetuates that idea. Words DO matter (imo)

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

To prove that this is being blow out of perportion is this:

He is still being hounded and his career distroyed because of one word he said when he thought he was off-mic

But richard glaszebrook edtior of the express started calling a german company nazis and walking around the board room bazil fawlity style. let he is not being hounded and some people in the media find it quite funny.

How come when someone in football says it everyone is shocked and systematly destory the man for one word that slipped out while the other guy has no such treatment

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Just a quick correction....It was Richard "Dirty" Desmond, owner of the Express group of papers (amongst other things...).

Labour Expresses 'Contempt' for Desmond"

And he has, justifiably, been criticised a lot for it.

But that whole incident could be the topic of a thread of its own...

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I dont condone what Big Ron said but as Timewarrior said, Ron has never been a guy to mince his words, theres a website dedicated to his gaffes. Give the man his due, he faced the press and cameras the next day and apoligised. I dont think his apology was to try and save his job, he`s got plenty of money and doesnt need to work. It`s blown up out of all proportion over a stupid remark.
I reckon he`ll be back with Sky or channel 5 when all this cools down, he`s too good a commentator to lose forever.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Compared to what this guy got richard desmond has gotten off lightly

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Apparently a load of footballers have come out and defended Big Ron and his comment. I know that doesn't emcompass all black people, but it is interesting nonetheless. Didn't get Desailly's thoughts on it though.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004182772,00.html

It does seem like, despite the comment, he really gets people's respect. Bearing that in mind, he must be one hell of a bloke in that case.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Ooops.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...287912,00.html

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

mega bump there :dozey: .


And he is caught again with his tounge... poor guy... :cool:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Perhaps he and Bernard Manning went to the same school :rolleyes:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

likely :LOL:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

They went to school ? :erm:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Wow, he made a joke about people from another country - like that's really rare. :rolleyes:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I seems to recall Prince Philip saying some rather uncomplementary things about the Chinese as well.

I'd be happy to forgive Ron's N-word slipup as well - if you feel that someone deserves an insult for their performance or actions (not just for being of another race), why is a racial insult worse than any other? I'm sure he'd say a lot worse in the changing rooms, if it was deserved!

And surely using an offensive word cannot be as serious as kicking a football boot at someone. Maybe we need our sportsmen to be cross when they lose, and our managers to be free with both praise and criticism - we might actually win something!

There's too much political correctness these days, next thing, we won't be allowed to tell the "Englishman, Scotsman, Irishman" jokes.

Or the one where two sharks are swimming along, and one says to the other "Fancy going to Morcambe bay for a chinese?".