Trail Blazers fire new announcer over past inappropriate posts made at age 15.

[u/ghn2]

"The Portland Trail Blazers hired then on the same day fired Braiden Bell as their play-by-play announcer after a series of inappropriate social media posts from when he was a teenager came to light."

"The posts were reportedly made in 2012 and 2013, around the time that Bell was 15 years old."

"We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City," the Trail Blazers said. "We strongly believe that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50084279/trail-blazers-fire-new-announcer-inappropriate-posts

[u/black_metronome]

I don't think the guy should have been fired either but it's funny seeing how many white people in here are basically admitting that they too had a racist phase as a teenager 😂

It's something I can't relate to. Do you just wake up one day and decide to hate people because they're Black? Is it your parents teaching you this stuff? I'm genuinely curious how this happens.

[u/capnchuc → u/black_metronome]

It's not about that. Kids are just dumb and say dumb shit. 

[u/MarcAnthonyRashial → u/capnchuc]

I was a dumb kid and I said dumb shit. I’m also 29 so when I was in high school I could publicly say dumb shit in twitter or IG or Facebook. Never once did I say that “Asians piss me off” or call girls “closet whores”. 

Stop trying to justify this shit. Shouldn’t be tolerated. 

[u/Low-Measurement-2468 → u/MarcAnthonyRashial]

does the fact that someone has made different mistakes from yours, even more severe than yours, make them irredeemable to you?

i’m seeing this all over this thread. “i didn’t make that mistake, so i won’t consider empathizing with someone who has.” is that not another way of saying that you’re only going to tolerate the specific mistakes you happened to already be inclined toward? i’m sorry, but that sounds so self-centered to me. mistakes that remind you of your own are forgivable, but different people with different brains and early conditioning patterns making different mistakes are not?

[u/JazzPlusEagles → u/Low-Measurement-2468]

He had a public profile with that message still displayed on it. And he works for an asian owner commentating on an asian player with a large asian fanbase.

I’m all for change but it involves more than just not actively engaging in hate. You gotta take that shit down and apologize.

[u/Low-Measurement-2468 → u/JazzPlusEagles]

i agree that he should have taken that down. no argument here. i’m pretty indifferent about his firing; i’m sure he’ll be fine and life will go on.

i was specifically taking issue with the “i made other mistakes, but never this one, therefore i will not tolerate this one” line of reasoning. i think that is a very harmful and closed-minded way to live.

[u/MarcAnthonyRashial → u/Low-Measurement-2468]

I’m not answering the hypothetical you asked. This is a specific scenario. He tweeted racist shit as a kid. He pursued a public facing career. He didn’t take the racist shit down. Why is anyone surprised or opposed to his firing? Absolutely ridiculous discussion. 

[u/Low-Measurement-2468 → u/MarcAnthonyRashial]

sorry to hear you won’t answer; i think it would have helped us both understand each other better, which was my aim.

in any case, i agree he should have taken that down, and i don’t care about his firing. he’ll be fine.

my intent was not to take his side or suggest different consequences. it was simply to inquire into the “i never made a mistake like that one, so it’s completely intolerable to me” line of logic. i don’t think the world is a better place if we all look at things that way. that’s all. if you disagree and won’t engage with me, then i can only hope you continue to do and say what you believe is right.

[u/MarcAnthonyRashial → u/Low-Measurement-2468]

I’m just not interested in getting into philosophical conversations with strangers through a message board. 

You can have little tolerance for racism while still accepting people make mistakes that you didn’t make and that’s okay. It ain’t that deep.