ESPN - "Chink In The Armor"

[Bigoleballs]

Stop being so nig-gardly.

Is this OK guys? I'm not trying to be racist or anything. Really, I promise.

Right, it's like putting a picture of Kobe up there with the headline "**** ACTS COST THE LAKERS - Kobe goes 8/37 as the Lakers lose again." Actually, that's kind of distorting the meaning of the word, and it would befit a Jewish stereotype more than a black one, but you get the point. Somewhere in the writer's head, alarm bells have to be going off that this could be a bad headline to go with.

I've heard chink in armor used before. I've never seen anything called nig-gardly. No one uses it for that anymore. People are too sensitive it's a common phrase that happens to have a racial slur in it.

Stop being so sensitive! Look it up in the dictionary it's a real word that's different from the slur.

[KembaWalker]

the fact that ESPN has to issue a public apology for this is so depressing. this country is turning into a joke

[Parataxis]

People are so sensitive

Right, because if the N word was headlining ESPN, it wouldn't be a big deal at all

I personally don't think it's a big deal, but I can understand why people take offense to it.

It's really not remotely the same thing. A chink is an actual word, and chink in the armor is an actual phrase - with no racial connotations.

chink
1    [chingk] Show IPA
noun
1.
a crack, cleft, or fissure: a chink in a wall.
2.
a narrow opening: a chink between two buildings.
verb (used with object)
3.
to fill up chinks in.

Conversely, there is no non-racially charged definition for '****'.

[Don Draper]

Chink is as offensive to Asian people as the N word is to black people. Period.

Using it as pun doesn't make it okay.

[Bigoleballs]

Marco Belinelli is a WHOPPING good player.

Stop being so sensitive guys! I mean really.

[Bigoleballs]

It's really not remotely the same thing. A chink is an actual word, and chink in the armor is an actual phrase - with no racial connotations.

chink
1    [chingk] Show IPA
noun
1.
a crack, cleft, or fissure: a chink in a wall.
2.
a narrow opening: a chink between two buildings.
verb (used with object)
3.
to fill up chinks in.

Conversely, there is no non-racially charged definition for '****'.

Nig-gardly is a real word with no racial connotation it just sounds like the other word.

Also, look up what "double entendre" means.

[Parataxis]

ESPN had a poor choice of a phrase considering the amount of stupid people on the planet... but if you really want to grasp at straws Lin isn't even Chinese to begin with --- unless you believe Taiwan and China are the same country (debatable)

Actually, both China and Taiwan would insist that it is.

[Bertrob]

Marco Belinelli is a WHOPPING good player.

Stop being so sensitive guys! I mean really.

that was pretty clever actually

[WorldOfMing]

That's just (Please Use More Appropriate Word). How would the PR people not see the racial connection?

Exactly. Context is EVERYTHING. I could understand if they were doing live television and it just slipped out impromptu due to the nature of the programming, but a writer/editor not seeing the connection as they write it out is just irresponsible and shows a lack of good judgment. That's not the type of person you want working for you when you're trying to garner as many viewers as possible.

[Bigoleballs]

Ichiro nips the Yankees in the bud!


Not being racist at all! just sayin'

[C-izMe]

Chink is as offensive to Asian people as the N word is to black people. Period.

Using it as pun doesn't make it okay.

Because there is no chance that they were using it for the actual meaning of the phrase and that was an accident. Plus I don't care about the word iggardly now that I know it is a real word. I have no issue with it but considering the fact that I have never heard the word without racial connotation until now I would probably look at it sideways.

[KembaWalker]

im so disgustingly offended

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwoqzb5R6vw[/youtube]

[C-izMe]

Ichiro nips the Yankees in the bud!


Not being racist at all! just sayin'

I still don't see this as racist. Just a great pun.

[Parataxis]

It's really not remotely the same thing. A chink is an actual word, and chink in the armor is an actual phrase - with no racial connotations.

chink
1    [chingk] Show IPA
noun
1.
a crack, cleft, or fissure: a chink in a wall.
2.
a narrow opening: a chink between two buildings.
verb (used with object)
3.
to fill up chinks in.

Conversely, there is no non-racially charged definition for '****'.

Nig-gardly is a real word with no racial connotation it just sounds like the other word.

Yes, and I've seen nig-gardly used in my local paper. It's a perfectly good word with no racial connotations, and an entirely seperate etymology to '****' - it's not one that's often used in a sports context though, unless you're talking about cheap ownership.

ESPN isn't so destructive that they would purposefully cause offense to an entire group of people. More likely it was accidental, since the whole story-line up to this point was about his invulnerability and hot streak. A chink the the armor is an appropriate turn of phrase had it been anybody else. They just weren't thinking.

Never ascribe racist intentions when stupidity explains things.

[Reckless]

lawl

[Bertrob]

Ichiro nips the Yankees in the bud!


Not being racist at all! just sayin'

Well this would never make sense from a headline perspective in the first place
Did Ichiro shoot up all the Yankees prospects or something?

[Don Draper]

Chink is as offensive to Asian people as the N word is to black people. Period.

Using it as pun doesn't make it okay.

Because there is no chance that they were using it for the actual meaning of the phrase and that was an accident. Plus I don't care about the word iggardly now that I know it is a real word. I have no issue with it but considering the fact that I have never heard the word without racial connotation until now I would probably look at it sideways.

You are giving ESPN too much credit. They use puns like these all the time.

[richboy]

People will say it is a coincidence. Although perhaps we need to look where the word originated. Some words and saying started because of racial stereotypes. They last so long people almost forget. It is very possible that the saying "chink in the amor" started because of some stereotype of Asians.

This article will make you laugh on how words and phrases evolve. http://www.cracked.com/article_16967_8- ... y-day.html

[Wavy Q]

get over it

[Parataxis]

People will say it is a coincidence. Although perhaps we need to look where the word originated. Some words and saying started because of racial stereotypes. They last so long people almost forget. It is very possible that the saying "chink in the amor" started because of some stereotype of Asians.

It's not possible if you know your word-histories. 'Chink' (meaning a hole, crack, or fissure) predates 'Chink' (an offensive term for the Chinese) by about 500 years.