Click Here

Bonnie Bernstein vs. Jemele Hill double standard?

By
Viva Shetty
on July 1, 2008 3:17 PM | | Comments (93) | TrackBacks (0)

bonniebernstein.jpg

I'm sure you are well aware of the article I wrote about Jemele Hill's ill-advised comments where she made the comparison of rooting for the Celtics the same as rooting for Hitler. As expected, she received backlash and was suspended by ESPN over it. While I could see why it was in bad taste I was more bothered by her editor not being held accountable for allowing it to be posted on the website if it was known to be offensive. I guess it only mattered when people, namely Celtics fans, cried foul(pun intended) over it.

However about a couple weeks later Bonnie Bernstein, also employed by ESPN, was on Mike and Mike in the Morning talking about a high school player who plans to play professionally in Europe. She made a comparison of this to Palestine Suicide Bombers.

Here's the transcript:

It's sort of like, you know, and this isn't -- I'm prefacing this by saying this is in no way an analogy to sports because I know we live in a hypersensitive society -- but I remember a while ago I was reading an article in the New York Times about Palestinian suicide bombers and I just remember being struck by the notion that from the point of birth, people in Palestine are taught to think that dying in the name of God is a good thing.

They grow up wanting to be suicide bombers. So bringing it back to sports -- and again, I'm not making the comparison or the analogy -- if a young talented basketball player is being told at an early age that they are destined, it is a good thing to focus on basketball and not worry about what's going on in the classroom, why are any kids going to be worried about what's going on in the classroom?


I don't know about you but if she knew this was going to be offensive why say it in the first place? Of course she did get some backlash from Ray Hanania, of the National Arab-American Journalists Association

http://aams.blogspot.com/2008/06/arab-american-protest-racism-on-espn.html

He was right this was an inappropriate reference and something I found far more offensive than what Jemele Hill said about rooting for the Celtics.

She then of course later apologized on air:

"Hi, this is Bonnie Bernstein, and I'd just like to take a minute to apologize for making a connection this morning on Mike and Mike between Palestinians and the adults who influence the thinking of many young NBA prospects. I was a student athlete who was lucky enough to have part of my college expenses paid for by a scholarship, and so I've always embraced the importance of higher education.

That said, it upsets me greatly -- as I think you can tell, if you heard the interview -- when I hear about adults telling impressionable kids, 'Don't worry about school, your future is in the NBA.' These stories just lend credence to the notion one is often a product of his environment, and while I emphasized that twice during our discussion, in hindsight I realize it was simply a mistake to bring Palestine into the discussion at all, and for that, I apologize again.

Lesson learned: Religion and politics have no place on public airwaves at a sports network. That's definitely a credo I will live by from this point forward. Thanks and have a great day."


I don't know about you but this reads more as damage control rather than a sincere apology. If anything this just glosses over the fact that she knowingly made an inappropriate reference between high school players going pro and Palestine bombers. Look religion and politics are a part of our everyday world to say it does not have an affect on the sports world is being naive. The 1980 Olympics were proof fo that. Yet Ms. Bernstein is able to skate after all this and Jemele Hill gets suspended for what she said about the Celtics? I don't think so unless you apply the same rules to all employees of ESPN this is nothing short of a double standard.

Written By Viva Shetty
viva.jpg

Categories:

Tags:

0 TrackBacks

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Bonnie Bernstein vs. Jemele Hill double standard? .

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://blacksportsonline.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/236

93 Comments

By Frank on July 1, 2008 3:56 PM

I don't think Jemele should have apologized

By harry on July 1, 2008 6:13 PM

Black woman/white woman any questions?

By Antario Holmes on July 1, 2008 6:37 PM

Berstein? Last name? She also offended Arabs, not Jews! Not condoning it but it's kinda obvious who owns Disney/ABC/ESPN and who runs it!

Not a stretch at all!

By john on July 1, 2008 9:44 PM

what did she say that was not accurate?

By DaMoFo on July 1, 2008 10:43 PM

Oh yes, it must be white racism and pandering to Jews, not the fact that she made a clear analogy of comparing cheering the Celtics to Cheering for Hitler. Also, nice of one poster to assume her last name kept her from being fired. At least we know anti-semitism isn't dead yet. Bernstein was making a serious point about kids being brain washed into a certain mindset. Hill also called for Don Imus to be fired for his dumb comments when he also made a joke. If she thought Imus should be fired, why would she think she should not be? Is Hill applying her own double standard? When will Hill appear on the Don Imus show to apologize? Had a white reporter written a "An Open Letter to Young black men" putting all black men in the same catagory like Hill did in her Open Letter to Young White men, they would be fired promptly.

By MODI on July 1, 2008 11:09 PM

DaMoFo,

-- Hill's analogy was anything but clear, and any clear reading would tell you that it was nothing more than a case of "hyperbole-gone-wild". (unlike say, Marge Schott). That is precisely why no Jewish groups complained (unlike say, Schott)

-- It is not ant-semitic to believe that who Bernstein is and what group she was targeting influenced her punishment. That makes no logical sense.

-- The Imus analogy is completely and utterly absurd.Imus made a direct bigoted statement, targeted it at specific and real individuals, and has a long documented history of bigotry. None of this is true for Hill.

-- your only valid point is your last one about her "open letter to black men". Yes, she and her editors SHOULD have been punished for this. The only reason she wasn't was because of her target. THAT is the real story there.

-- A more comprehensive look at this hypocrisy: http://sportsonmymind.com/2008/06/30/hitler-sports-pt-1-media-hit-job-on-jemele-hill/

By f350 on July 2, 2008 1:53 AM

I DON'T GET WHEN PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF JEWISH PEOPLE AND SAY ALL THESE JOKES ABOUT THEM THAT THEY DON'T GET ALL TOGETHER AND COMPLAIN ABOUT CUZ YOU KNOW THATS WHAT BLACK PEOPLE DO. IF YOU SAY SOMETHING RACIST ABOUT US WE ARE GONNA BE IN YOUR ASS. SO YOU BETTER WATCH OUT CUZ WE GOT REV AL SHARPTON. CAN ANYBODY SAY DON IMUS AND WITH MS HILL did NOT SAY ANYTHING BAD IN MY BOOK SO IM NOT COMPLAINING BUT "DaMoFo" IF YOU THINK SHE SAID SOMETHING BAD THEN PROTEST THE HELL OUT OF ESPN CUZ IF THIS STORY GETS TO OUT OF CONTROL SHE WILL GET FIRED JUST LIKE DON IMUS DID. BUT I DONT SEE THAT HAPPENING CUZ IF SHE GETS FIRED THEN THATS GONNA BE REAL PROBLEM AND WE WILL BE GETTING REV AL SHARPTON A CALL.

f350 via out

sorry mr.littal

By Bean on July 2, 2008 10:05 AM

MOFO is a MOFO

By lchtkr kqxtvr on August 14, 2008 12:45 PM

qcfskuzj rnvp edps jexv icqxahyzk rucdhkxf wquh

By iklq ipmvq on August 14, 2008 12:46 PM

krgsvhma emktwgrp rljpati xqzef ewpmjzaur gaol xtkw http://www.bdgpvco.pejihrmv.com

By program va year on August 15, 2008 6:52 PM

dluhfaw qavp ueavf qcmsoaf
http://mistyboyce.prv.pl/sitemap.html program va year

By nursing8204 on August 22, 2008 1:54 AM

xpsgcrk pcwibqm kcpzext vwgrp
http://riodiaz.rack111.com/nursing8204.html nursing8204

By saskTodeReadO on September 5, 2008 5:36 PM

SexSleergeMog [url=http://google.com]google[/url]
AssecyEress Wheecticy http://google.com

Leave a comment

September 2008

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
  1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30        
BSO Home Page
Click Here

Contact Webmaster
If you have any immediate questions for the webmaster of BSO, please feel free to drop an email and get instant feedback.

 

Wanna be a Writer?
Do you feel like you have what it takes to be a BSO Writer? If so, drop us a line and introduce our staff to your writing skills. We take all applicants seriously, no matter what their background may be.
Email Us For More Information

 

Join The New Infamous BlackSportsOnline Forum

 

Donations are appreciated. All Money Goes Back Into Site. To Make It The Best Experience For You The Reader.

Register to Vote: The Student PIRGs, powered by CREDO Mobile

Categories

GOT A TIP?
We Are Looking For Exclusive Info About Sports Personalities. Pics, Videos, Rumors & Gossip if the story is broken on BSO you will get full credit and if you have a site we will link it back to you so our 500,000 readers know who supplied us with the info. We Will Make You InFamous just ask D Wade.

Email Us With Your Tips

 


Bookmark Black Sports Online

 

Editor's Desk Notes

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Viva Shetty published on July 1, 2008 3:17 PM.

LEBRON JAMES WILL BE A BROOKLYN NET...BSO EXCLUSIVE was the previous entry in this blog.

CHECK OUT DIMEWARS.COM .. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.





Sports Top Blogs
BSO Partners In Crime

Deadspin

The Big Lead

HotForWords

DC Pro Sports Report Mock Central

Pigskin Loving Lady

Sports Burn

Pro Football Talk

Young Black & Fabulous

Live Soccer

Concrete Loop

SportBloopers.net

Hip & Pop

Crunk & Disorderly

Amber Fox

Vickie6

Dime Wars

When The Whistle Blows