Ink and ignorance.

Please believe I am bumming today. The folks who gave us Boardwalk Empire found it necessary to rub out one of my all time favorite television characters, Giuseppe "Gyp"Colombano Rosetti. (If Bobby Cannavale doesn't get serious Emmy considerations there ought to be a congressional investigation.)"Barney Google With the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes." Classic!

So anyway, I want to talk about this Sporting News columnist who found it necessary to rip -San Francisco 49ers QB- Colin Kaepernick because of all the ink that he is sporting. Yes, you read right; a sports writer criticizing an athlete, not for his play, but for his decision to wear tattoos.

Now, as is to be expected, the writer is being accused of racism by Dr. Boyce Watkins and others. At first glance it would seem that this is race neutral ignorance on the part of the writer. I mean wearing tattoos pretty much crosses all racial and demographic lines here in America. But then, after reading more of what he wrote, I might have to agree with folks accusing this moron of having a problem when it comes to matters of race.

"The column’s opening line, (written by David Whitley) makes an immediate comparison between Kaepernick’s ink and inmates at a California state prison:

“San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick is going to be a big-time NFL quarterback. That must make the guys in San Quentin happy.”

Whitley didn’t stop there:

“[Kaepernick] is the CEO of a high-profile organization, and you don’t want your CEO to look like he just got paroled.”

Whitley also draws a line between the tattoos of white quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Alex Smith and the tattoos of black quarterbacks Michael Vick and Terrelle Pryor:

“I realize not all NFL quarterbacks are pristine. Ben Roethlisberger has a “COURAGE” tattoo on the right side of his upper body. Smith has one honoring his Serbian heritage. They can’t be seen when the players put on their uniforms.

Then there are Michael Vick and Terrelle Pryor. Neither exactly fit the CEO image, unless your CEO has done a stretch in Leavenworth or has gotten Ohio State on probation over free tattoos.”

In other words, not all tattoos are created equal." [Source]

Actually, Mr. Whitley, all tattoos are created equal.

Still, I am used to folks like David Whitley making ignorant statements on matters of race. What I will never get used to are folks like David Whitley trying to justify it by playing the "some of my best friends", card.

"Shortly after the column was published, Jason McIntyre of influential sports blog The Big Lead tagged Whitley as a “racist” and nearly all hope for constructive criticism or discussion was lost.

Instead of acknowledging that his column was ill-informed, untimely and offensive to many, Whitley chose to deflect. Whitley chose to declare his non-racism.

Whitley chose to reveal he has two black daughters through adoption.
Finally, via Twitter, Whitley chose to sarcastically refer to himself as “David" Duke,” the former KKK grand wizard:

Actually, if i am going to be honest, I respect David Duke more than this clown. He wouldn't try to deflect from his ignorance by claiming that he has black friends or black adopted children. You know exactly where folks like David Duke are coming from. David Whitley, on the other hand, no so much.