Saturday, August 04, 2007
'Boston and Race,' Part II
Adam Reilly noted the racial angle to this week's Kevin Garnett trade, something that Hub Blog addressed last month after a possible KG trade first surfaced. I didn't listen to the WEEI broadcast Adam was talking about. But I can just hear some talk-show callers indignantly saying about Garnett, 'How dare he bring up race in Boston!' Which Garnett didn't. Michael Wilbon did. Because he ended up signing with Boston, it's obvious Garnett's initial reluctance to come here was primarily because the Celts simply sucked. The Celts' Ray Allen trade changed the dynamics, as Garnett has acknowledged. But I find it hard to believe Garnett didn't think at all about Boston's racial history when deciding to come here, based on him being asked a specific question about race and his response that he had 'brutally honest' discussions with Antoine and Gary Payton (see articles here and here). But what's wrong with that? Why are talk-show callers, albeit misinformed talk-show callers, apparently indignant at the mere thought that race might play a role in such a decision? Such indignant fans remind me of those who were furious with Bill Russell for daring to point out Boston wasn't exactly a racially hunky-dory town when he played here in the '50s and '60s. Russell was practically ostracized in some quarters for saying what became all too obvious by the mid-'70s. Boston has changed so dramatically since then -- as Bill, Antoine, Doc, etc. will attest. But it's depressing to realize that we still have in our midst the same type of deniers who were in vehement denial about racism so many decades ago. ...
P.S. -- Hub Blog is glad to hear that KG is a big student of history. Kevin, in the unlikely event you're reading this, please scan the 'Boston Reading List.' Follow links to other bloggers with their own lists. Enjoy. And welcome to Boston!
P.S.P.S. -- The old axiom that 'good government is good politics' also applies to professional sports teams: a good team is good business. Bruins, take notes. ...
P.S.P.S.P.S. -- Of course Kevin can also read Greatest Boston Moments.
Adam Reilly noted the racial angle to this week's Kevin Garnett trade, something that Hub Blog addressed last month after a possible KG trade first surfaced. I didn't listen to the WEEI broadcast Adam was talking about. But I can just hear some talk-show callers indignantly saying about Garnett, 'How dare he bring up race in Boston!' Which Garnett didn't. Michael Wilbon did. Because he ended up signing with Boston, it's obvious Garnett's initial reluctance to come here was primarily because the Celts simply sucked. The Celts' Ray Allen trade changed the dynamics, as Garnett has acknowledged. But I find it hard to believe Garnett didn't think at all about Boston's racial history when deciding to come here, based on him being asked a specific question about race and his response that he had 'brutally honest' discussions with Antoine and Gary Payton (see articles here and here). But what's wrong with that? Why are talk-show callers, albeit misinformed talk-show callers, apparently indignant at the mere thought that race might play a role in such a decision? Such indignant fans remind me of those who were furious with Bill Russell for daring to point out Boston wasn't exactly a racially hunky-dory town when he played here in the '50s and '60s. Russell was practically ostracized in some quarters for saying what became all too obvious by the mid-'70s. Boston has changed so dramatically since then -- as Bill, Antoine, Doc, etc. will attest. But it's depressing to realize that we still have in our midst the same type of deniers who were in vehement denial about racism so many decades ago. ...
P.S. -- Hub Blog is glad to hear that KG is a big student of history. Kevin, in the unlikely event you're reading this, please scan the 'Boston Reading List.' Follow links to other bloggers with their own lists. Enjoy. And welcome to Boston!
P.S.P.S. -- The old axiom that 'good government is good politics' also applies to professional sports teams: a good team is good business. Bruins, take notes. ...
P.S.P.S.P.S. -- Of course Kevin can also read Greatest Boston Moments.
