General Baseball Chit-Chat Thread

[Sammy Sofa]

How this thread is going:

 

[philosophizer75]

This whole thing does just smack of hypersensitivity to me. I'm not going to try to discount systemic racism or stand here and pretend that race isn't a colossal issue for our country and for the world to try and hurdle.

 

But I also don't think calling a hair net a durag is indicative that someone is a full blown, outed racist. Even in the video from Survivor that CL Smooth posted, it just seems like a guy calling a hair piece a durag.

 

Maybe all I'm doing here is proving myself to truly be blind to my own privilege despite years of feeling like I'm pretty self aware about things of such a nature. But this situation right here still strikes me as ridiculous to be upset about. Like NOLA said, I believe these sorts of reaches distract from more serious instances of racism.

[javy knows my name]

This is the Daddest of all Dad jokes and a lot of moderate Dads are jumping in to defend it with their life.

 

I found it offensive, personally, but all that really matters is the POC targeted was offended. The end.

 

And give me a horsefeathering break with the "focusing on cases like this detracts from the real racism" horsefeathers. No, hand-waving micro-aggressions because they don't rise to the level of outrageous is the far more insidious problem.

[WrigleyField 22]

This whole thing does just smack of hypersensitivity to me. I'm not going to try to discount systemic racism or stand here and pretend that race isn't a colossal issue for our country and for the world to try and hurdle.

 

But I also don't think calling a hair net a durag is indicative that someone is a full blown, outed racist. Even in the video from Survivor that CL Smooth posted, it just seems like a guy calling a hair piece a durag.

 

Maybe all I'm doing here is proving myself to truly be blind to my own privilege despite years of feeling like I'm pretty self aware about things of such a nature. But this situation right here still strikes me as ridiculous to be upset about. Like NOLA said, I believe these sorts of reaches distract from more serious instances of racism.

Uh, wow this take..

 

It's not just that he uttered the word. Also what in hell is the "full blown outed racist" crap? The line isn't "not racist" and "KKK".

 

He's going to undergo sensitivity training. He isn't losing his job.

[CoolHandLuke]

We are at a point in time where comments can be interpreted as racist, sexist, Anti-semitic, etc. depending on the circumstance and the listener.

 

Yes, especially when the circumstance is that someone says or does something that is racist, sexist, or anti-semitic.

[philosophizer75]

There are people calling for him to be fired for this. Aramis literally said he should be fired for this.

 

I'm not saying we should wave away microtransgressions. I'm saying I don't understand how this particular instance even clears that bar.

[chopsx9]

Not gonna lie, I really really don't get how what Brenly said can be taken as racist unless you're just looking for something to be upset about... It just seems like a dumb joke? Maybe I'm just oblivious to how it is being construed in such a way as to piss people off. Is the word du-rag a slur?

 

Long story short: Brenly was using “durag” as a derogatory comment since wearing a durag is conceived by unintelligent racist white people as something a poor black person wears.

 

Jamal from Survivor breaks it down better than I could. Watch the video I posted.

 

Gotcha'. Was completely unaware that there was a negative connotation with "durag". I live in Canada and have heard people - white, black, asian, indian - use "durag" pretty frequently - guys wear them for weekend softball, football etc. - not most, but it's certainly not uncommon. I shall make note for when the border re-opens.

[CoolHandLuke]

Do you think it would have been ok if he called him a thug, even if he was joking? This seems like maybe a quarter step away from that.

 

And he's not getting fired. He is hopefully just going to learn about how what he said is offensive and then maybe he'll be more thoughtful in the future?

 

And if he does get fired, so what. Maybe a poc or a woman will get the chance at a job that they historical were never allowed to have?

[jersey cubs fan]

Jesus the horsefeathering ignorance in this thread is truly remarkable

[jersey cubs fan]

There are people calling for him to be fired for this. Aramis literally said he should be fired for this.

 

I'm not saying we should wave away microtransgressions. I'm saying I don't understand how this particular instance even clears that bar.

 

Bob Brenly spent a decade railing against every micro-transgression any hispanic player on the Cubs made. Ramirez was a particularly obvious target of his during that time. Brenly is the epitome of the racist uncle that the collective We allowed to say what he was going to say because that is just the way he is. It was wrong of all of us to excuse that ignorance back then and if you're at the point of actively defending him now, you're part of the problem.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

If we were talking about Len or someone making this statement (who would never in a thousand years say that) this thread would be worth discussing. But we are talking about Bob horsefeathering Brenley, which is precisely Aramis's point. He's been doing this for decades, and it's ridiculous it's taken this long for any repercussions.

 

Just IMAGINE taking Brenley's side over Aramis for anything, let alone this. Wtf is going on!?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If we were talking about Len or someone making this statement (who would never in a thousand years say that) this thread would be worth discussing. But we are talking about Bob horsefeathering Brenley, which is precisely Aramis's point. He's been doing this for decades, and it's ridiculous it's taken this long for any repercussions.

 

Yep. In the moment I was more confused by Brenly's comments than anything because even as something that was insensitive it didn't make its point very clearly to me. But the most charitable interpretation is that it was insensitive, and Brenly has a long history of being on the wrong side of this line without repercussion, so something should be done even if you zoom all the way in to this incident it could be seen as overkill.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Not gonna lie, I really really don't get how what Brenly said can be taken as racist unless you're just looking for something to be upset about... It just seems like a dumb joke? Maybe I'm just oblivious to how it is being construed in such a way as to piss people off. Is the word du-rag a slur?

 

Long story short: Brenly was using “durag” as a derogatory comment since wearing a durag is conceived by unintelligent racist white people as something a poor black person wears.

 

Jamal from Survivor breaks it down better than I could. Watch the video I posted.

 

Gotcha'. Was completely unaware that there was a negative connotation with "durag". I live in Canada and have heard people - white, black, asian, indian - use "durag" pretty frequently - guys wear them for weekend softball, football etc. - not most, but it's certainly not uncommon. I shall make note for when the border re-opens.

Durag is not a derogatory term. But when you comment that past white players would never have worn one, what is it you are trying to say? What's the point? If you've been obviously and weirdly critical of Hispanic players for your entire announcing (and prob coaching) career, the implication is pretty obvious: it was better when we didn't have ethnic players around with their flamboyant eye sore clothing and accessories. I'm stumped why we shouldn't be "sensitive" to horseshit like that. It isn't even subtile enough to be a dog whistle, ffs.

[squally1313]

It took reading a few times for what he said to click and all it reminded me of is how casual that kind of stuff is. I’m mostly sick of how long that crowd is keeping their jobs, buzz off already like you can retire comfortably (maybe the last gen with that opp) so dooooo

Yep. Oh no, Bob Brenly, 9 year MLB player, 4 year MLB manager, and like 20 year broadcaster who, as an example, signed a 4 year deal with the Cubs for $3.5m in 2008, might get fired at age 67? Whatever will he do, besides stiff caddies at his country club and yell at waitresses for taking too long to get his bottle of wine.

[philosophizer75]

My intention wasn't ever to defend Brenly. I was 10 when he was doing his thing here for the Cubs and the only context I had for any of his past was the story I read earlier with comments from Aramis.

 

I was confused about where the anger was stemming from with regards to his current comment about the durag. It didn't strike me as anything but a dumb joke, but if Stroman took offense to it then that's what matters.

[UMFan83]

[muntjack]

It didn't strike me as anything but a dumb joke, but if Stroman took offense to it then that's what matters.

 

 

I don't see how this is difficult AT ALL to understand. Brenly used a White, Hall of Fame pitcher to compare, the "joke" being that Seaver would never wear a Durag and he was great and white, implying that Stroman wearing one is a step down.

[chopsx9]

 

Long story short: Brenly was using “durag” as a derogatory comment since wearing a durag is conceived by unintelligent racist white people as something a poor black person wears.

 

Jamal from Survivor breaks it down better than I could. Watch the video I posted.

 

Gotcha'. Was completely unaware that there was a negative connotation with "durag". I live in Canada and have heard people - white, black, asian, indian - use "durag" pretty frequently - guys wear them for weekend softball, football etc. - not most, but it's certainly not uncommon. I shall make note for when the border re-opens.

Durag is not a derogatory term. But when you comment that past white players would never have worn one, what is it you are trying to say?

 

Didn't he say it was the same one that Seaver did wear? The guy in the Survivor video got upset over the use of "durag" though. Again I don't live in the US and there doesn't seem to be the same connotation here in Canada so I wasn't understanding the reaction.

[philosophizer75]

Alright, I think I get it now. The "joke" is saying what he did with the implication that Seaver would never have worn one so Brenly was just making fun of Stroman for wearing one and the racial issue follows.

 

I was taking his phrase literally, without the implication and was really confused.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

 

Gotcha'. Was completely unaware that there was a negative connotation with "durag". I live in Canada and have heard people - white, black, asian, indian - use "durag" pretty frequently - guys wear them for weekend softball, football etc. - not most, but it's certainly not uncommon. I shall make note for when the border re-opens.

Durag is not a derogatory term. But when you comment that past white players would never have worn one, what is it you are trying to say?

 

Didn't he say it was the same one that Seaver did wear? The guy in the Survivor video got upset over the use of "durag" though. Again I don't live in the US and there doesn't seem to be the same connotation here in Canada so I wasn't understanding the reaction.

[imb]

wtf is wrong with you all

[minnesotacubsfan]

I'm white and wore durags all the time when I worked construction. Lots of white people do.

 

The only way I can read Brenlys comment is with undertones of racism.

[minnesotacubsfan]

And yes, we called the "durags". I hated that term because it felt like I was in a production of West Side Story or some horsefeathers, but not because I felt it wasn't for white people

[Banedon]

Just gonna put this here.

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

“wild reliever throws fastball on 3-0” doesn’t require a secret code, imo