NFL Penalizing for Racial Slurs

[chad steele]

So I guess a player would be penalized every time they say "Redskin"?

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10...al-slurs-games

[Dan Drives a Van]

I don't ever see this happening. Enforcement would be a continuous messy shit-show. The head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance expects it, but the Fritz Pollard Alliance is not the NFL.

[harls]

I don't ever see this happening. Enforcement would be a continuous messy shit-show. The head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance expects it, but the Fritz Pollard Alliance is not the NFL.

I could see a rare call for it. But how often will someone say it that the ref will be able to Identify who said it?

[Dan Drives a Van]

I could see a rare call for it. But how often will someone say it that the ref will be able to Identify who said it?

Exactly. Enforcement would be messy and controversial every time it is called. I doubt the NFL would want to put in effect a rule that would actually increase racial controversy.

[IronEagle]

I'm ok with the idea. The question is the implementation.

Is this just gonna be another way for Roger McMahon to influence the outcome of games?

Anybody who thinks that racism is over in this country is wrong.

[Dan Drives a Van]

Anybody who thinks that racism is over in this country is wrong.

I totally and wholeheartedly agree. However, I don't see how a few 15-yard penalties are going to combat the systemic prejudices and euphemism-heavy racial discourse that is perpetuating racial inequality.

If anything, I could see it making things worse. White refs throw flags against black players and a mostly white audience at home gets to sit smugly and smirk at the 'thugs.'

As a teacher in a predominantly black all-boys school in a tough neighborhood, I basically have to tow this line every day. It's complex enough in a classroom correcting adolescents. If an argument arises, my trump card is that my principal makes the rules and he's black. Enforcing this with grown men in front of a national audience is problematic for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Roger Goodell is white.

Just today I saw parts of an 'Outside the Lines' on just this very issue. Definitely worth taking a look at. As Michael Wilbon said on the program, as a white man, I 'don't get a vote' in this issue, but the possible negative consequences make me nervous.