Post by theexorcist on Jun 7, 2007 12:01:28 GMT -5
HealyHoya, I received an identical response from SI.
I'll be clear that my concern here is more with SI praising the caption rather than words written on a white board (college students get more of a pass, and may be too young to appreciate Georgetown's "rep"). But, as Locker pointed out, stereotypes of Georgetown cause some problems.
Here's my logic train on signs or yells that say that players aren't smart enough to run a specific offense.
If Duke did this against Cincy, it would work - Cincy basketball players don't have a great academic reputation. A comparison is GU taunting Seton Hall as a "safety school".
Against UNC or UVA, it would work - both schools are in approximately Duke's/Princeton's league, and so then it becomes ironic (the joke of the saying the smart school really isn't that smart). The best version of this is against Harvard - it's a ribbing. It also works with every single sport at Georgetown but basketball. A comparison would be GU taunting Virginia as a "safety school". Hipsters who listen to Arcade Fire would love chants like this if they followed college basketball because it's ironic on about six levels.
Against a HBCU, it's tasteless. No matter what the school - Howard or Morehouse at the pinnacle of HBCUs, or Morris Brown (which recently lost their accreditation) at the bottom, it smacks of racial stereotypes.
As said above, for most Georgetown sports, the joke works. Georgetown basketball is a special case because of the John Thompson era, though. And while III has slowly moved the program from under his dad's shadow, it still has a stereotype associated with it.
That may be selective logic on my part, since I'm being very defensive of the one Georgetown team that I really like. But it's my logic. And it's why I can understand a split-second decision to put that on a sign, but why I don't feel comfortable with SI highlighting and praising it.
I'll be clear that my concern here is more with SI praising the caption rather than words written on a white board (college students get more of a pass, and may be too young to appreciate Georgetown's "rep"). But, as Locker pointed out, stereotypes of Georgetown cause some problems.
Here's my logic train on signs or yells that say that players aren't smart enough to run a specific offense.
If Duke did this against Cincy, it would work - Cincy basketball players don't have a great academic reputation. A comparison is GU taunting Seton Hall as a "safety school".
Against UNC or UVA, it would work - both schools are in approximately Duke's/Princeton's league, and so then it becomes ironic (the joke of the saying the smart school really isn't that smart). The best version of this is against Harvard - it's a ribbing. It also works with every single sport at Georgetown but basketball. A comparison would be GU taunting Virginia as a "safety school". Hipsters who listen to Arcade Fire would love chants like this if they followed college basketball because it's ironic on about six levels.
Against a HBCU, it's tasteless. No matter what the school - Howard or Morehouse at the pinnacle of HBCUs, or Morris Brown (which recently lost their accreditation) at the bottom, it smacks of racial stereotypes.
As said above, for most Georgetown sports, the joke works. Georgetown basketball is a special case because of the John Thompson era, though. And while III has slowly moved the program from under his dad's shadow, it still has a stereotype associated with it.
That may be selective logic on my part, since I'm being very defensive of the one Georgetown team that I really like. But it's my logic. And it's why I can understand a split-second decision to put that on a sign, but why I don't feel comfortable with SI highlighting and praising it.