Effing Michael Wilbon

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

The only people upset are the 22 racing fans that frequent these boards that heard it. The reality is that racing is VERY LOW in the rankings of what sports fans watch and care about the most and what he said is true. Racing IS a joke and all of us here know it. Getting upset at him saying it is the same as when we can talk about our own family.....but let someone outside of the family say the same thing and it's grounds for a fight.

I've always thought that Wilbon is one of the most well-rounded sports journalists out there. Very educated and articulate. There probably aren't 100 people watching that show that give a damn about horse racing. I'm not sure there are 100 people in the country that do.

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

[TitanSooner]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

Why do you say that? I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that accusation leveled at him before.

As for Wilbon's comments on the show, I didn't see this episode but in years past I always get the feeling that every time the TC season rolls around, Kornheiser acts like he really cares about horse racing, and Wilbon acts like he hates it. My guess is that it is just part of their schtick, and neither really cares, although I don't really know.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Why do you say that? I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that accusation leveled at him before.

As for Wilbon's comments on the show, I didn't see this episode but in years past I always get the feeling that every time the TC season rolls around, Kornheiser acts like he really cares about horse racing, and Wilbon acts like he hates it. My guess is that it is just part of their schtick, and neither really cares, although I don't really know.

Wilbon may not be racist in an overall context, but when he discusses racing -- going back to Kornheiser having including Secretariat in his Top 10 of the Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century Poll -- his rhetoric is tinged with an obvious view of horse racing as a bastion of white, elitist privilege. He has no cultural tie to the game and obviously no interest in its' gambling aspect, so he simply relies on his instinct to dislike the sport because of who and what it historically represents in his mind. I doubt he knows much about how the game was dominated by afro-american trainers and riders during from the post-Civil War until the Gambling Blackout (1908-1910).

That's fine. At this point it's become a schtick on PTI, and every time he says anything about the sport, he just displays a small-mindedness. I stopped watching the show in 2006 when I started doing ATR full time 4-7pm, and even though I'm available to watch now, the two of them have become such caricatures of themselves that I find it difficult to sit through.

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon may not be racist in an overall context, but when he discusses racing -- going back to Kornheiser having including Secretariat in his Top 10 of the Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century Poll -- his rhetoric is tinged with an obvious view of horse racing as a bastion of white, elitist privilege. He has no cultural tie to the game and obviously no interest in its' gambling aspect, so he simply relies on his instinct to dislike the sport because of who and what it historically represents in his mind. I doubt he knows much about how the game was dominated by afro-american trainers and riders during from the post-Civil War until the Gambling Blackout (1908-1910).

That's fine. At this point it's become a schtick on PTI, and every time he says anything about the sport, he just displays a small-mindedness. I stopped watching the show in 2006 when I started doing ATR full time 4-7pm, and even though I'm available to watch now, the two of them have become such caricatures of themselves that I find it difficult to sit through.

He's obviously never seen this board before!

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon may not be racist in an overall context, but when he discusses racing -- going back to Kornheiser having including Secretariat in his Top 10 of the Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century Poll -- his rhetoric is tinged with an obvious view of horse racing as a bastion of white, elitist privilege. He has no cultural tie to the game and obviously no interest in its' gambling aspect, so he simply relies on his instinct to dislike the sport because of who and what it historically represents in his mind. I doubt he knows much about how the game was dominated by afro-american trainers and riders during from the post-Civil War until the Gambling Blackout (1908-1910).

If this is his assertion, wouldn't there perhaps at least be some truth to it in the game today? Or at least, even if it isn't true, I'm not sure it makes someone a "racist" if they wanted to make that argument. Sure things were different in the nineteenth century, but so what?
For example, I think today's Republican Party is also a "bastion of white, elitist privilege." Now, during the 1850s and 1860s the Republicans were the antislavery party and the Democrats were the conservatives. But I don't see how that's a particularly relevant point when discussing politics today. Wouldn't the same be true for horse racing?

On the whole, however, I continue to doubt whether Wilbon gives horse racing enough thought to really hate it for any particular reason. A year or two ago when the topic of Zenyatta was brought up he said something about only caring about her if they were serving up some tasty Zenyatta burgers (or something like that). Now, does he really want to eat a horse burger? I doubt it.
I think its just what passes for comedy on that show.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

the two of them have become such caricatures of themselves that I find it difficult to sit through.

On this point I certainly agree with you.
When it first came on I watched it two or three times a week.
Now I probably watch it two or three times a year.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

I understand.

It's their thing is correct. Kornheiser brings it up whenever there is a big race where the nation (outside of the 100 of us regs) might be watching and Wilbon gives his "who cares" answer.

Or, he's a racist.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I understand.

It's their thing is correct. Kornheiser brings it up whenever there is a big race where the nation (outside of the 100 of us regs) might be watching and Wilbon gives his "who cares" answer.

Or, he's a racist.

See above for the racial context regarding Wilbon.

You keep repeating (taunting really) the assertion that racing is of interest to some tiny fringe population.. I know you're anxious to produce reaction, but what's your point saying that in a place where nearly 1,000 people regularly engage over their shared pleasure in the sport? If racing's such a joke as you said earlier, move on to so more important avocation and let the rest of us enjoy it.

[dino]

Wilbon is definitly a RACIST but I think his distain for racing is more centered around it not being a "cool" sport. He is more into sports where the athletes beat their wives and make the english language sound more like pig latin than english. Maybe racing needs more hip hop

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by dino

Wilbon is definitly a RACIST but I think his distain for racing is more centered around it not being a "cool" sport. He is more into sports where the athletes beat their wives and make the english language sound more like pig latin than english. Maybe racing needs more hip hop

Perhaps Robby albarado is really a black basketball player masquerading as a jockey.

[3kings]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Perhaps Robby albarado is really a black basketball player masquerading as a jockey.

He didn't say black, he said Pig Latin speaking.

[pointman]

Personally, I stopped watching PTI a long time ago. If I want to see clowns, I just go to the circus.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by dino

make the english language sound more like pig latin than english. Maybe racing needs more hip hop

Yep....its clearly Wilbon who is racist.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by dino

Wilbon is definitly a RACIST but I think his distain for racing is more centered around it not being a "cool" sport. He is more into sports where the athletes beat their wives and make the english language sound more like pig latin than english. Maybe racing needs more hip hop

Nothing like countering racism with racism.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

hes no vince scully

[The Devil]

If racing's such a joke as you said earlier, move on to so more important avocation and let the rest of us enjoy it.

Blackball him

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

I'm not sure you have to be a racist to hate horse racing. Just like every major sport, I'm sure there was a massive amount of racism involved in it through the history of America. the dominant jockeys of the late 19th and very early 20th century were African American and that completely disappeared pretty, pretty quickly. The Jimmy Winkfield biography was an interesting read. Perhaps he does have disdain based on racism, but I think it's fairly legit most likely. Is it racism or merely backlash?? Of course today, there would be zero holding back a successful black trainer, owner, jockey etc and the lack of involvement today is more likely circumstantial more than anything.

I see no evidence however Wilbon is a racist, I don't know the man so I guess anything is possible.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by horseofcourse

I'm not sure you have to be a racist to hate horse racing. Just like every major sport, I'm sure there was a massive amount of racism involved in it through the history of America. the dominant jockeys of the late 19th and very early 20th century were African American and that completely disappeared pretty, pretty quickly. The Jimmy Winkfield biography was an interesting read. Perhaps he does have disdain based on racism, but I think it's fairly legit most likely. Is it racism or merely backlash?? Of course today, there would be zero holding back a successful black trainer, owner, jockey etc and the lack of involvement today is more likely circumstantial more than anything.

I see no evidence however Wilbon is a racist, I don't know the man so I guess anything is possible.

Those roles of trainer/jockey disappeared quickly because every state in the country except Maryland and Kentucky banned gambling (1908-10) and the industry shrank to nearly nothing. White trainers and riders got the edge under that scenario, which in that era, you can comprehend easily. Wilbon resents the erroneous image he holds of the sport, and that image has racial undertones.

[Patrick333]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Wilbon is a racist and his disdain for racing is rooted in his racism.

Great post. This could be the post of the year.