Open Mouth, Insert Foot (or in this case click on keys, create a firestorm)
CNBC.com’s Darren Rovell apologizes for making some not at all PC remarks about the men’s winner of the New York City Marathon…(via TVNewser)
I said that Keflezighi’s win, the first by an American since 1982, wasn’t as big as it was being made out to be because there was a difference between being an American-born product and being an American citizen. Frankly I didn’t account for the fact that virtually all of Keflezighi’s running experience came as a US citizen. I never said he didn’t deserve to be called American.
November 3, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Darren Rovell SAID what I suspect 65% of those who follow sports were THINKING. Many people I know still consider the current Governor of California and Henry Kissinger to be “foreigners” because they have an accent.
November 3, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I’m in the minority. That I’m American-born with a noticeable Brit accent might have something to do with that, of course.
November 3, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I don’t know who Darren Rovell is but what I do know is that I’m tired of people being forced to issue apologies over opinions that are expressed. They hyper-sensitive attitudes of all the gotcha players out there is tiresome. Too many people out there seem to be in a race to see who can play the offended card first. Don’t these “victims” have anything better to do?
Although I said before that I don’t know who Darren Rovell is, I would assume he’s leans right politically. I only say this because it’s usually people on the right who are forced to apologize while lefties generally can say what ever they want.
November 3, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Generallize much, LS?
November 3, 2009 at 5:55 pm
A few times I’ve walked into an Iranian or Mexican, Polish,… a Jordanian… whatever establishment (not my first time, so they recognise me) and I ask straight-out, “So, are you American?”
Over ten years only once has anyone reacted negatively, and he was probably having a bad day. Usually the response I get is a great big smile. Recently an Egyptian immigrant gave me that smile and said, “Two weeks. My children are taking the day off school so they can be there with me.” Then he went on and on about what he’s learned in his classes about American history, the Declaration of Independence, etc., and he was very excited to finally be able to vote.
No, I don’t think an American with a foreign accent is somehow still a “foreigner”. They’ve worker harder than most of us for the honour of citizenship, most have had to learn English, and they’re proud of their new country. I’m glad Mr. Rovell apologised.
November 3, 2009 at 6:04 pm
And they, quite often, appreciate it more than we do. They can answer questions that high school-students can’t.
November 3, 2009 at 6:43 pm
There’s nothing wrong with generalizations, Joe. Generally, they’re spot on. Oh, I crack myself up. Sometimes they cause people to whine about pc this or pc that but that’s not my problem.