Atlanta Falcon's Owner Should Apologize For His Foot-in-the-Mouth Racial Slur About Michael Vick

Atlanta Falcon's owner Arthur Blank was a guest on Monday Night Football December 10. He was asked about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and convicted animal abuser Michael Vick's future with the team. This is what he said: "There's a lot of roadblocks to Michael coming back and even playing in the National Football League, Tony. Let's assume he's out for three seasons, 07, 08 and 09. If he doesn't watch himself and eats a lot of fried chicken and fries in prison, comes out 215 pounds he's not going to be the same athlete he was."

The remark was racially insensitive and offensive. Blank's remarks continues a recent and deeply troubling pattern in which leading media and public figures from Don Imus to Dog the Bounty Hunter have routinely demeaned African-Americans with wise cracks, slips, gaffes and off-color jokes. Each time these public figures have been called on the carpet for their racial insensitivity, they have publicly apologized. Blank must do the same.

African-American fans and players, and that includes Vick, have played a major role in the Atlanta Falcon's financial success. They also are major patrons of Home Depot, co-founded by Blank. This makes it even more imperative that Blank publicly apologize for his remark.
Now that the call for a Blank apology has been made the predictable screech will be heard from the racial apologists that Blank's quip was just an off-handed, candid response to a question. And there was absolutely nothing racial about it.

Whether it's Imus, Dog the Bounty hunter, or any of the legion of other public figures that get caught with their dirty racial drawers hanging down, the racial boo birds instantly flock to the fore. They have more excuses than a punch drunk fighter trying to fumble out a reason for getting creamed in the ring for the umpteenth time as to why a blatantly racist remark or act is nothing of the kind. They move the heavens to downplay, ignore, shrug off, justify, and rationalize away a racially demeaning remark.

The other just as predictable tact used is to turn the tables, and play the Sharpton card and lambaste civil rights leaders for always yelling race about the most supposedly innocuous remarks or acts. The more brazen racial apologists out right brand those as racists that make an issue of the offensive remarks.

That will happen again with the call for Blank to apology. But the call still must be made. Blank fanned a vile stereotype with the fried chicken remark about Vick. (He doesn't even know that Vick likes or eats fried chicken, he might prefer a French or Italian cuisine). Blank can show some class and do the right thing by Vick and those offended by apologizing, and apologizing right now.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation between African-Americans and Hispanics (Middle Passage Press)
hutchinsonreport@aol

Comments

[gulopartisan]

I'm stumped. Fried chicken and French fries are soul food? And here I thought they were just one of the ubiquitous junk foods likely to cause obesity. Now, suddenly, I see the racism in my assumption!

[MARTYB]

I agree with LADYFRACTAL, she has broken it down. But i would like to say i did not even think about the "fried chicken" in terms of race. It was to me a clear reference to fried foods putting on the pounds and for an athelete who wants to play QB again this would be the kiss of death. Personally i am much more offended by the "McDonald's" commercials that have all those "happy black folk" acting like they never had anything better.

[MacD2B]

As far as I'm concerned Vick gave up all rights to decency when he tortured and murdered dogs! Who in their right mind would demand that someone of this caliber be treated with respect...give me an f-ing break!!

[MagisterLudi]

To satisfy this thin skinned blogger perhaps the owner should stated:"
If he doesn't watch himself and eats a lot of Boeuf-Bourgignon with Pommes Frites and 2000 Bordeaux in prison, and comes out 215 pounds he's not going to be the same athlete he was."

From here on, any KFC, Church's or Popeyes that DARES to use a black man or wommin in their ads should be immediately boycotted.

[MagisterLudi]

Certainly to suggest that African Americans may like fried chicken is deep insult.
One should be immediately fired for such grave verbal assault.

Mr. Hutchinson hereby suggests: nice pastrami sandwich (with pickles on rye), foie gras or perhaps nice dim sum.
The owner should stated:"
If he doesn't watch himself and eats a lot of Boeuf-Bourgignon with Pommes Frites and 2000 Bordeaux in prison, and comes out 215 pounds he's not going to be the same athlete he was."
----------------------------------------
From here on, any KFC, Church's or Popeyes that DARES to use a black man or wommin in their ads should be immediately boycotted by the righteous community under the leadership of this poster.
In fact if ANY company advertises: Root beer/Cool Aid/Cognac/Malt Liquor/Okra or black-eyed peas in the black neighborhood, we're talking riots and march on Washington...

Please call Mr. Hutchinson for a pre-approved list of foods allowed to be mentioned in conjunction with a name of a black celebrity.

[jhb90277]

Regardless of what Blank meant by the comment, he could have chosen his words more carefully. He should have known better.

Somewhat off topic, but a guy in L.A. is facing eight years in prison for stealing Yorkie puppies at gunpoint in a home invasion robbery.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7594191?nclick_check=1

Vick tortures and murders dogs, including death by gunshot and he gets sentenced to about two years.

You'd get a shorter sentence for fighting and killing dogs than you'd get for stealing them. Hmmmm.

[UncleDave]

My final take on the matter- I went to YouTube and watched Dr.King's 'I Have a Dream ' speech. Twice. So,Earl Ya wanna do your people some good? Make em watch that speech. twice. Ya know why? Because 90percent of the black folks living today wouldn't have an F en Clue about what that Great Man was sayin'. And Earl..? If some fried chicken statement from Arthur Blank gets your skirts all aflutter ....Then You people got more problems than You can solve by blamein whitey.

[Nommo]

Earl just likes baiting the racists and somehow he never fails.

[BillLumbergh]

I guess I didn't realize that fried chicken was now included with the "N-word" as things non-blacks can't say.
I'm sorry, but context is everything.

Just another example of Huffpo's continuous support of race-baiting bloggers.

[suki21693]

I can accept that this could easily be construed as a racially motivated remark. It is entirely possible that it was unintentional, but that is why a simple apology would probably suffice. This comment, on the surface of it, does not even begin to compare with "Dog the bounty hunter's" private attack on all black people or Imus' lame attempts at humor.

However, those people who defended Vick by implying that the vicious, criminal act of dog fighting was part of "black culture" also owe an apology to black people. What the hell kind of stereotype is that?

All in all, I would personally rather have people think I like yummy fried chicken than that I kill defenseless animals for entertainment.

[peaceandfreedom]

So I guess when Herbert Hoover, in 1928, said, "A chicken in every pot...!" he was just talking black people?

[T.Roll]

Remember the scene in The Blues Brothers where Jake and Elwood go into Aretha Franklin's diner? Jake asks if the fried chicken is any good. Aretha proudly tells Jake that her fried chicken is the best damn fried chicken in town, or words to that effect. Then Jake orders 4 fried chickens and a coke. I don't really have a point. I'm just sayin'.

[ang4ever]

.
Regardless that Vick would have preferred French or Italian cuisine, he ain't gonna get it. It's not a 5-star hotel. It's the prison system and they will not give him cuisine food.
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Instead, he'll be eating fries and fried chicken ! It's probably what they serve to animals like Vick, and boy - for what he did to the dogs, he should feel lucky, he is being fed.
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What I would prefer to do is this: feed him fried chicken and fries, let him gain weight and then get him ready for a fight with another prisoner. Let him suffer the same injuries those dogs suffered. Gouged faces, broken and separated jaws - for starter.
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That's what he did to the dogs ! That's what he truly deserves.
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And Earl, your long and useless diatribe tells me more about your encrypted hatred for white, than what you call "racist black stereotype".
.
Couldn't you have pick a better fight ?

[UncleDave]

Does Earl realise how much money Vick cost Blank? How much Vick cost His team mates? How much money Vick cost YOU THE TAX PAYER by lying to The Feds? How much money Vick cost His Family? How much money He cost His sponcers? Please let's talk about Blank and some Fried Chicken comment. Earl Grow Up.

[lisakaz]

I think you're just made Vick is in jail where he belongs. You've apparently forgotten that Vick enjoyed a good relationship with Blank until he lied to Blank's face. Also, would you not admit that eating fried foods of any kind are fattening? Is it a black thing to eat french fries, too?

Waaaa, poor Mikey. I don't feel sorry for him one iota. As the song said: don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Blank is right that Vick could be outta shape whenever he gets out. Other announcers suggested that offences change a lot in a brief period of time and Vick will suffer for not being "in the know" for months.

I only sympathize with the real victims: the dogs. That's it.