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Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:11 pm
by Optimus_Steel
Seven words nearly ruined his life.
Seven stinking words.
"Hey, Dikembe, you look like a monkey!"
"I never knew seven words could lead to so much ugliness," says Hooman Hamzehloui.
You probably don't recognize the name; you just know him as the racist fan who was banned by the NBA and the Orlando Magic for a full season after a heckling incident two years ago.
This is a story about how the worst night of Hooman's life turned into the best thing that ever happened to him. It's a story about how his heckling and harassing words turned into inspirational and invigorating ones. It's a story my old high school coach would have loved because he used to tell us this about the game of football and the game of life: "You're going to fall. Just make sure you fall forward."
Hooman has certainly done that since the transcendent moment in October 2006 when he transformed from obnoxious heckler into a motivational speaker.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/o ... umn?page=1Interesting how one low moment, one wrong phrase can destroy your career.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:00 pm
by MagicMadness
Most will likely disagree, but I think the man got too much flak for his comment.
It's obvious (then and now) that he didn't realize it was a racist remark at the time.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:19 pm
by Dome
Despite the argument on whether or not he knew what he was saying at the time, the whole story itself shows he didn't make the remark to be a racist, he made it to heckle Mutombo.
I can 100% understand all the crap he got poured over him afterwards. Heck, I think I've said some bad things about him myself after the incident happened. Regardless, I think all that crap that got poured all over him far outweighed the original intent of the remarks, considering he (most likely) made the remarks 'just' to heckle Mutombo, not to insult him in a racial way.
It's great to read the man turned his life around, though. Even more surprising to see a POSITIVE article coming from Mike Bianchi about it!
I think this is the first ever piece that I read coming from Bianchi that I enjoyed. It's just raining positivity today, isn't it?
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:30 pm
by MoGrAdY
My take hasnt changed since the night it happened. Dude was having fun and the situation got blown out. Who gives a crap if he called Deke a monkey? I can pretty much guarentee Deke has been called things much worse and has simply ignored it. Hell last yr as a season ticket holder I heard much much worse then monkey. I understand the logic to a point but how in the hell is monkey even racist? Jus because monkeys are brown? Is it racist if someone calls me tissue? If the guy wanted to be racist I think we all know he easily could have. Its terrible to hear that he had to take so much crap for the entire thing, I hadnt realized how much trouble he actually went through after the incident. Glad to see hes back on his feet though.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:49 pm
by craig01
Not a normal Bianchi article.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:04 pm
by EasternMagic
dude no joke i was talking to a kid who was at that game and was sitting right next to the guy who said it...he said he was sitting right in front of the guy and mutumbo looked at him and he pointed backwards to him. he said mutumbo looked like he was gonna murder him
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:29 pm
by damo[23]
"scam artist, a racist and an Iranian who . . . sends his money to fund terrorism."
Nice to see that in an article about racial ignorance they managed to slip that in without so much as batting an eyelid.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:38 pm
by mhectorgato
MoGrAdY wrote:My take hasnt changed since the night it happened. Dude was having fun and the situation got blown out. Who gives a crap if he called Deke a monkey? I can pretty much guarentee Deke has been called things much worse and has simply ignored it. Hell last yr as a season ticket holder I heard much much worse then monkey. I understand the logic to a point but how in the hell is monkey even racist? Jus because monkeys are brown? Is it racist if someone calls me tissue? If the guy wanted to be racist I think we all know he easily could have. Its terrible to hear that he had to take so much crap for the entire thing, I hadnt realized how much trouble he actually went through after the incident. Glad to see hes back on his feet though.
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 12:45 am
by MoGrAdY
^^ Clearly
Re: Biotchi: Disgraced fan learns tough lesson
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:52 am
by christian72589
honestly... i really just wish that somehow some way we could all put our guards down and let words be words and forget about the ignorant people in the world. It seems to me that the best way to handle that kind of stuff is to simply ignore it altogether. by the way... i personally don't think the guy really is a racist. Think about it, if he were a racist, why would he be at a game supporting african american athletes financially? Lets get real... professional b-ball in the US is played predominantly by african american athletes, so it's not like he wouldnt know that. This is a classic case of people being WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too sensitive about race guys, and THAT is what hurts is all as americans that need to be unified to raise our quality of life. If dude X is a racist and wants to shout it from the rooftops, then let em go ahead... the worst thing to do is pay attention. He can be asked to leave a public place or w/e, but ignore his ass and he will either shut up or go away.