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

[dinger]

oh come on. get real.

[Fletch17C]

I watched the game and I heard the Blank interview. I must have heard the phrase that's has offended some people, but I don't recall it. Perhaps if I were black, I might have noticed. I won't attempt to put myself in that situation.

The one thing we do know is that Arthur Blank was personally responsible for getting Michael Vick a $100-million deal with the Falcons -- even when many "football minds" said that Vick, although a good runner, was not a good enough passer to merit that kind of deal. We also know that when Vick broke his leg, it was Blank himself who came down to the field to escort him back to the locker room by pushing his wheelchair (a cynic may say he was merely protecting his investment, and yes, I'm sure on some level, that had something to do with it). We also know that when Blank asked Vick if he was involved in any illegal activity, Vick looked him directly in the eye and shamelessly lied through his teeth.

Blank has every right to hold Vick in utter contempt. I won't attempt to defend how he expressed it. All I know is that, as a white NFL fan, if the perpetrator of the cruelty had been been Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, or Tom Brady, I would have hated the creep every bit as much as I hate Vick. Some may say that the media would've handled such cases differently, and I would say you are probably right -- but I know I wouldn't hate the bastard any less if he were white.

[timm0]

OK, I'm white and realize that there is still plenty of racism in our society. However, dear author, YOU, a self-ordained defender of the abused, pump fuel into that smoldering fire with posts like this. The angry, hate-filled folks on both sides feed on this sort of hypersensitive overreation.

Let's face it, any food that this guy would have used as an example of poor nutrition while in prison would have tripped your alarm. Anything. You set relations back with many of your posts, and this thing you've flung out here for us is no exception. Standing the skirmish line to defend a morally depraved person who gets his rocks off on the misery and helplessness of any creature is a lonely, lonely place, isn't it sir?

[chamberslee]

For those who don't understand, click on the link and read the arlicle.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20071212/cm_usatoday/blindedbyprejudice;_ylt=AhnpDqFw.eAGRKQIG0h.PwKs0NUE

[OrangeSam]

Of all the ways Arthur Blank could have made his point he chose that one!?!?! How stupid and how thoughtless!

[BJG]

How is equating fried chicken and Michael Vick a racial slur when if someone were to say Frank Sinatra adored his pasta any different? And certainly no one ever took offense to that. Puh-leeze, enough with the race card. This is exactly why such discord still exists.

[clr2]

Did I miss something or are you saying that Blacks are the only ones who eat fried chicken and fries? How could you interpret this to be a "racial slur"?

[akhmed]

I will laugh out loud if it's discovered that Mr. Vick invited Mr. Blank to "Michael Vick's Annual Fried Chicken & French Fry Fest," or something similar. I'm hoping, because it is funny when a "racist" statement turns out to be factual.

Barring that, it is probably racist.

[JimR]

"(He doesn't even know that Vick likes or eats fried chicken, he might prefer a French or Italian cuisine)."

Right. So I guess Blank should have said "If he doesn't watch himself and eats a lot of foie gras and fettucine alfredo in prison, comes out 215 pounds he's not going to be the same athlete he was." Clearly, that would have made much more sense.

And why do you assume Blank doesn't know what Vick likes or eats? He was Vick's employer for years, all NFL teams put out buffets for their players, and it's quite likely Blank had dinner with him on occasion while trying to convince him to stay with the team long-term.

[Beaux510]

So, what, Michael Vick doesn't like fried chicken?

I know he doesn't like dogs, but fried chicken?

Is he nuts? Fried chicken is de-lish.

Jesus Earl, let it go already.

[JGL58]

I am white and two of my favorite foods are fried chicken and french fries.

What up, Earl?

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

I can't believe some here don't get Hutchinson's point. You can't say "fried chicken" in reference to blacks without it being a stereotype. It's like references to watermelon. Blank could have said "burgers and fries" or something like that and been okay. The white majority can be so belligerent when it comes to racially insensitive remarks-- it's pretty easy just not to say them, and yet *we* get pissed off if we made the mistake of saying them.

[ScreenName55]

You've GOT to be kidding. I LOVE fried chicken. Does that mean I'm African-American? Does that mean that, because of an "offensive stereotype" African-Americans can't enjoy fried chicken?

Be real here: A diet of fried chicken and french fries would pack on the pounds. All the guy meant was that Vick needs to watch his diet if he has any hopes to return to the NFL.

It's unfortunate that some foods the guy thought of as fattening are being twisted to mean that he insensitive to race.

[Ayarkay]

Huh? As a Southerner, I think friend chicken is just a generic unhealthy food, not something that only black people eat. French or Italian cuisine, if not served at Olive Garden, is usually healthier than fried chicken and french fries, so maybe Mr. Blank was actually suggesting he enjoy reasonable amounts of Italian and French cuisine during his incarceration.

[hopeless277]

So, by your logic, if I were a waitress at a resturant, and the special was fried chicken, and I went up to a black family and informed them that today we had a special on fried chicken, I would be a racist? How ridiculious. How about soul food resturants? Racist also? Geeze, Louise, I LOVE good fried chicken. I can't eat it though. Know why? It puts the pounds on me. Just like it would Michael Vick.