If you're reading this website, presumably you're a sports fan. And as someone who follows events in world of sports, you likely already knew that ESPN NFL analyst Michael Irvin has had numerous drug-related problems in the recent past. You've probably seen him doing his job as an NFL analyst on ESPN, too. And if you're like most people, you think he comes across as a clueless, buffoonish loudmouth.
For those two reasons alone, Michael Irvin should be "forcibly retired" from his broadcasting career. But now there is another, even more important, reason to can him:
Michael Irvin is a racist.
On Monday, Irvin was on Dan Patrick's radio program and had much to say about Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo:
He doesn't look like he's that type of an athlete, but he is. He is, man. I don't know if some brother down in that line somewhere, I don't know who saw what or where, his great-great-great-great-grandma ran over in the 'hood or something went down.Let's try to break down and "analyze" Irvin's semi-lucid rant:...
If great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma pulled one of them studs up out of the barn, "Come on in here for a second," you know, and they go out and work in the yard. You know, back in the day.
• Tony Romo doesn't "look like" a great athlete (because he is white)
• But Tony Romo is a good athlete
• Therefore, Tony Romo must be at least part-black
• And Irvin feels this is a reasonable assumption because people who are 100 percent white are incapable of being good athletes
• BONUS RACIST/SEXIST STEREOTYPE: Romo's supposed black ancestry must have come about from one of his female ancestors having sex with a black man on the side. It is not plausible, nor even thinkable, that one of Romo's male ancestors would have voluntarily had sex with a black woman.
Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder was fired from his job as a football analyst at CBS for similar comments. Rush Limbaugh was forced to resign from his job at ESPN after making comments that some people interpreted as being racially-insensitive. Just this year, Steve Lyons was fired from his job as a baseball "color" commentator at FOX because of racially insensitive comments.
Clearly, the precedent has been well established: If you make a racist comment while working as a sports broadcaster, you lose your job. Michael Irvin has made an overtly racist comment. Therefore, he needs to be fired.
Feel the same way? Then contact ESPN.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Barn? Stud?
Sounds to me like Irvin's implying Tony Romo is part-horse.
2 - RJ Elliott
Sadly, that will probably be how he attempts to defend himself, if the MSM actually bothers to report on this...
3 - jar jar binks
whiner.
4 - RedTard
Do you believe that african americans may have a leg up, for whatever reason genetic or otherwise, in athletics where speed/quickness are required?
A large percentage of the population does although due to PC suppression they can't openly admit it. Irvin said out loud what many people believe in secret. I wonder how many of those are the ones 'offended' by his comment. Would the actor who plays Kramer have been 'offended' before last week?
That out of the way, the whole barn/stud thing was a little over the top in my worthless opinion.
5 - RJ Elliott
"Do you believe that african americans may have a leg up, for whatever reason genetic or otherwise, in athletics where speed/quickness are required?"
Maybe, maybe not. But let's reverse the roles here. Let's say a white commentator had suggested that the reason a black quarterback was so good at calling timely audibles was due to a supposed white ancestor. If that had happened, that white commentator's comment would be on the front pages of every newspaper in the country, and he would have been fired in a millisecond.
Michael Irvin's comments do not offend me personally; after all, he's a complete moron, so anything that comes out of his mouth is likely worthless. What bothers me is the obvious racial double-standard at work here.
Doesn't that bother you?
6 - RedTard
"What bothers me is the obvious racial double-standard at work here."
The simple answer is that there is more liability from a business standpoint in letting a white person make those sorts of remarks. Extortion lawsuits from the race industry salesmen (Jackson, Sharpton, et al) are real threats to businesses from an image perspective. Minimizing themselves as targets of race smears and getting rid of the problem is in their best interest.
7 - RJ Elliott
I agree. You are correct in pointing out the way things presently work. But wouldn't you like to change the way these things work, when obvious racial double-standards are at play?
You can only effect change when you try. You can try by clicking the link provided in the article and giving ESPN a piece of your mind.
8 - MCH
"And if you're like most people, you think he comes across as a clueless, buffoonish loudmouth."
I still think he's ten times better than Rush Limbaugh was.
9 - alessandro nicolo
Personally, I have grown weary of the double-standard all around. If we're going to let them speak let them ALL speak. I agree. His comments don't bother me at all but if it were reversed it would be a bigger issue.
10 - RedTard
The double standard in the NFL is much more than that. I was just watching the pregame show praising and fawning over minority coaches in a special 10 minute segment. A representative of one of the organizations let go of this little gem "our preference was to hire a minority candidate".
Now last time I checked racial preferences in hiring were unconstitutional. Little things like that don't matter these days as long as it's in the favor of minorities. I know I have to suspend my limited right wing sense of logic and just accept things for how they are. There is a double standard and fighting against it will only get me labelled with the new scarlet letter, racism.
11 - Matthew T. Sussman
Went back and listened to the clip. Patrick and Olbermann were so not touching that response. It was extremely funny.
Back to what other said, firing him basically justifies the canning of people like Steve Lyons, who was just making a bad joke. If making bad jokes are grounds for firing from network TV, well, then count me out from a career in analyst work.
By the way, if Troy Smith is such a great passer, then one of his great great grandaddies must have gotten down with a fair-skinned Buckeye cheerleader. There, I said it. What're they gonna do, fire m+++++ NO CARRIER +++++++
12 - alessandro nicolo
Funny, Suss. Don't get me going on Lyons. Fox ain't so clever for doing what they did.
13 - matt
Oh please..
Are you just looking for things to complain about. Prediction. Keep up this attitude toward everything the slightest bit "Un PC" and you will end up as one of those old bastards who used to yell "You kids get off my lawn" from a closed living room drape. Who cares what MI said.
He isnt the sharpest tool in the shed and as a white man (as I am as well) did you take real offense or are you just sick of feeling persecuted. Feeling bad for Kramer ??
I dont believe one word of your angry rant against him.
14 - Timmy
Don't be a hater. Mike is no racist. Everyone occasionally says something that doesn't come out the way they intended it. It just so happens that Mike is on TV more than you so more people hear his inane remarks.
Irvin forever!
15 - RJ Elliott
Great column by Mike Freeman with CBS SportsLine...
16 - Robert
This is a classic example of what is happening at every level of journalism across this country. I
call this "cut and paste" journalism. This is when
someone does a "cut and paste" of what another person said and essentially extracts a phrase or
sentence of what someone said and then attempts to
build a case around and "extracted" statement to
support their argument. When this is done it can entirely change the meaning and context in which the statement was made. I just happened to be listening to the "conversation" between Dan Patrick and Keith O. when Michael Irvin made those comments... Dan, Keith O. and Michael were
playfully joking around taking light-hearted shots
at each other when the comments were made. This
was not a serious conversation. It was lockeroom jabber. But right after Michael Irvin said this, Dan Patrick asked him jokingly... "Is that the only he could be a good athlete?" To which Michael Irvin said...
"No, it's not the only way, but it's certainly one of them".
17 - Ken Smith
Please do not compare Micharl Irvin to Jimmy the Greek. What Irvin said was in jest, and Jimmy the Greek said was the focal point of a very bad point. Also, why do you not address how dan patrick handled that comment. How he prodded him along? How he talked and laughed about it later in the show?
18 - buzmeg
Yesterday (11/28) on The Dan Patrick show, Irvin was very contrite and aplogized for his remarks of last week regarding Tony Romo.
19 - todd priest
Oh geez.save it.There is nothing racist about his comments at all.get over yourself.
20 - sgrivette
By the way, in September, Michael Irvin, on the Dan Patrick Show, said that NFLer Chris Hovan is being pumped up by the media because he is white. Didn't Rush Limbaugh get fired for saying basically the same thing??????
21 - Matthew T. Sussman
No, Limbaugh said the media wanted to see a black quarterback -- not a white lineman -- succeed. HUGE difference.
22 - OJ is innocent
Why isn't Jesse Jackson calling for Irvin to be fired? He's the biggest racist double-standard-promoting idiot here.
23 - OJ is innocent
oh, and by the way, STEVE LYONS was joking when he made those remarks to Pinella on the air too, and his employer wasted NO time in firing him.
I hope this Irvin situation starts a new presidence in that people are LESS pc out there and look at the context in which statements are made before making rash decisions like in the Lyons fiasco.... in a perfect world, maybe...
Whatever. Double standard.
24 - VIP
I cringed when I heard Mike Irvin make those comments live on DP's show. They were wrong. However, they were not worth being fired over & the person mentioned (Tony Romo) was quoted as saying that he wasn't offended. It's not the same as Jimmy "The Greek" or Rush Limbaugh's comments (which he shouldn't have been fired for either). Don't believe me...look at the transcripts. This delayed blow up, is about a bunch of self righteous people who don't like espn's monopoly of sports and how it's presented. There is also a thinly veiled personal contempt for Irvin's position as an ESPN analyst. This being said, there are double standards across the board in media and sports so let's not just talk about it when it's convenient for your point.
25 - Rich
Remember when Mexican President Fox said Mexicans take jobs not even blacks take. You had Jesse Jackson flying to Mexico City to call for his resignation. Definitely a double standard.