Thread: Shoulda Oughta Knew Better...Raffi Torres.

Originally Posted by Kubrick

Bill Plaschke also took the pulpit.

Bill Plaschke: Raffi Torres in blackface is a disgrace to the NHL - latimes.com

So. . .two white guys so far have said it's racist.

Originally Posted by SmytheKing

So. . .two white guys so far have said it's racist.

Ok, so I dress up in a banana costume and throw a Simmonds jersey on? Is that racist or am I simply lampooning a ridiculous incident. It's all about perception. The point I keep trying to make is that Torres should have known better. If it's Edgar and Johnny Winter alone claiming racism that's enough. It's just another potential(sorry) black eye to the league that allows you to continue drawing a paycheck. As a representative of a sport that(as Plascke says in the article) stiil deals with black players facing fans and players tossing n-bombs at them, it's in extremely poor taste. Freedom of expression is supposed to be guided by common sense. Torres showed none of that. Take your own righteous indignation out of it and simply look at how poorly conceived it was as an idea.

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Ok, so I dress up in a banana costume and throw a Simmonds jersey on? Is that racist or am I simply lampooning a ridiculous incident. It's all about perception. The point I keep trying to make is that Torres should have known better. If it's Edgar and Johnny Winter alone claiming racism that's enough. It's just another potential(sorry) black eye to the league that allows you to continue drawing a paycheck. As a representative of a sport that(as Plascke says in the article) stiil deals with black players facing fans and players tossing n-bombs at them, it's in extremely poor taste. Freedom of expression is supposed to be guided by common sense. Torres showed none of that. Take your own righteous indignation out of it and simply look at how poorly conceived it was as an idea.

It's a costume. On Halloween. I don't have any indignation at all. I think anyone who is offended by this is hyper-sensitive and needs to re-evaluate their priorities. The only reason that it's even being DISCUSSED (and that Torres should have known better) is because of those hyper-sensitive people. Not because there is anything at all wrong with what he did. I state again, it's a costume. On Halloween. Done in tribute. It's the same as if he dressed up as Bozo The Clown.

By the way, so far each of your examples, nothing wrong with them. Same feelings on the subject.

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

You guys just aren't getting the point. He is a public figure. I am not saying he shouldn't have the right to do it, just that he should be smart enough to know it's a bad idea.

I don't know how many pro athletes you have been around, but you are expecting too much. Let's take Doughty for example. If he did not have any athletic talent, and you had to guess his occupation, would you guess McDonald's fryboy or astrophysicist?

Originally Posted by Jeffrock

I don't know how many pro athletes you have been around, but you are expecting too much. Let's take Doughty for example. If he did not have any athletic talent, and you had to guess his occupation, would you guess McDonald's fryboy or astrophysicist?

Ok, so your argument is that he is an idiot who is exonerrated because he is too dumb to know better. Ok, thanks for weighing in. So from here on out all athletes are not responsible for bad decisions because they are dumb. Hear that Dany Heatley, you are off the hook son.

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Freedom of expression is supposed to be guided by common sense.

What?! Since when????

Apply all of your outrage and comments in this thread to a film that some critic decides is too violent, too graphic, too tasteless or any other "too" and see if you still feel the same way.

Originally Posted by Dr. Naysay

What?! Since when????

Apply all of your outrage and comments in this thread to a film that some critic decides is too violent, too graphic, too tasteless or any other "too" and see if you still feel the same way.

Your argument is baseless Doc and the same tired rehash of trying to undermine every post I throw out by trying to apply some overriding formula to all of my opinions. Different situations with different importance Doc. Try to argue based on what I have posted here instead of just applying some algebraic hypothesis that all my opinions should have to follow. Let me put it in terms that may give you a better understanding. Suppose that Torres had dressed as an Hassidic Jew? Is that still funny? Is that another case of 'just get over it?' I am not outraged with what he did I am outraged at the dismissive attitude that people seem to have in regards to the fact that this was a boneheaded move and publicity that, regardless of how small, or from whom, is unnecessary and detrimental to the league.

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Your argument is baseless Doc and the same tired rehash of trying to undermine every post I throw out by trying to apply some overriding formula to all of my opinions. Different situations with different importance Doc. Try to argue based on what I have posted here instead of just applying some algebraic hypothesis that all my opinions should have to follow. Let me put it in terms that may give you a better understanding. Suppose that Torres had dressed as an Hassidic Jew? Is that still funny? Is that another case of 'just get over it?' I am not outraged with what he did I am outraged at the dismissive attitude that people seem to have in regards to the fact that this was a boneheaded move and publicity that, regardless of how small, or from whom, is unnecessary and detrimental to the league.

It's completely relevant.

You said that "Freedom of Expression is supposed to be guided by common sense".

That's bull****.

Freedom of expression isn't "supposed" to be "guided" by anything. It's "free". That's the point.

You can say Torres isn't an artist and he wasn't making any kind of artistic comment so therefore he's not comparable to a film maker making a film that other people will deem inappropriate.......

but I say he is and he was.

People may not like the statement he was making or they could say that as a public figure he was being short sighted in not anticipating any public backlash.... but I would say that he's a 30 year old man who can make his own decisions, the league and the Coyotes won't lose a dime over this and that the freedom with which he made this decision is a strong indication that the current and future generations are learning to move forward and not be hung up and live in fear of behaviors that may bear some resemblance to customs born out of a racist era that haven't been commonly practiced in 60 years or so.