Off-topic: Grant Hill responds to Fab Five

[playmakr]

The truth is Duke certainly doesn't recruit the inner city much, if at all. Certainly not like Bill Self does, as an example.

 

[MsProudSooner]

What do you mean? It was never presented as fact, simply as Jalen and his teammates' opinions.

Look, I don't see this as a big deal. First, Jalen never said anything about feeling that way no. He said that is how he felt when he was 18 years old. And judging from the smile on his face, you could kind of tell he was "hamming it up" for the show. That's tv. That's what sells.

You just described everything that's wrong with TV in 2011.

 

[WTSooner]

You just described everything that's wrong with TV in 2011.

I don't completely disagree. But there are a lot of younger people that enjoy that type of stuff.

 

[Tony]

You just described everything that's wrong with TV in 2011.

It was very compelling television. Honestly I don't think I've heard anyone, no matter what their opinion of the Fab Five is, that thought it was a poorly done show.

 

[soonernutt]

Personally, though I respect GH's right to say whatever he wants, I wish he'd just not responded at all.

First, assuming it was Rose's intention to call out Grant as an Uncle Tom, it isn't worthy of a rebuttal. It's a ridiculous charge, and a rebuttal simply makes it a ridiculous conversation that you have waded into.

Second, what's the point? If Rose was really your friend, pick up a phone and talk to him about it. Writing an article posed as a rebuttal to a friend makes you look like a windbag who just wants to show off.

Take the high road. Don't dignify ridiculous inanity with an argument against it. It argues against itself just fine.

 

[boksooner]

Personally, though I respect GH's right to say whatever he wants, I wish he'd just not responded at all.

First, assuming it was Rose's intention to call out Grant as an Uncle Tom, it isn't worthy of a rebuttal. It's a ridiculous charge, and a rebuttal simply makes it a ridiculous conversation that you have waded into.

Second, what's the point? If Rose was really your friend, pick up a phone and talk to him about it. Writing an article posed as a rebuttal to a friend makes you look like a windbag who just wants to show off.

Take the high road. Don't dignify ridiculous inanity with an argument against it. It argues against itself just fine.

Anyone that watched the Doc can infer that that was not Rose's intent. He was merely explaining his feelings about Duke as a 17/18/19 year old kid and his jealousy of Grant Hill's relationship with his father.

 

[red recluse]

Maybe I missed something while watching the episode. If I remember correctly, they were speaking to what they felt about them when they were playing against them and not what they think right now.

None of them ever said that Grant Hill and the others are uncle Tom's but that when they were kids they thought they were. Jalen specifically and bluntly stated he felt Duke did not recruit inner city kids and he did not like them for that. In fact Jalen said there was some jealously about not living a life with both his parents. He never said there was anything wrong with it and if anything gave Grant's father the upmost respect for being in Grant's life where as his father who also was a professional athlete was not.

For Grant and many others to pretend that this opinion is something that the Fab Five created is either naive or just fooling themselves. Kids have been saying these kinds of things in the inner city years before the fab five and they will be saying it long after the fab five. Not that it is right or wrong but that it is the perception of what types of players certain Universities recruit.

Like I said in the beginning, maybe I misunderstood what was said in the episode.

nope. you're on the money. i like jalen's rebuttal, that he understands now that duke is going to recruit kids that represent their university the right way, and wouldn't be selling their goods to make money.

love grant hill. but i have no problem with what jalen said about how he felt as a 17-year old. i appreciate the honesty and his ability to have grown since then.

 

[MsProudSooner]

"Duke doesn't recruit inner-city kids" has an entirely different connotation than "The black players at Duke were Uncle Toms."

I think Hill might not have said anything had the first sentence been used.

 

[oSuJeff97]

Personally, though I respect GH's right to say whatever he wants, I wish he'd just not responded at all.

First, assuming it was Rose's intention to call out Grant as an Uncle Tom, it isn't worthy of a rebuttal. It's a ridiculous charge, and a rebuttal simply makes it a ridiculous conversation that you have waded into.

Second, what's the point? If Rose was really your friend, pick up a phone and talk to him about it. Writing an article posed as a rebuttal to a friend makes you look like a windbag who just wants to show off.

Take the high road. Don't dignify ridiculous inanity with an argument against it. It argues against itself just fine.

Well, I think someone else pointed this out, but he's not just "rebutting" Jalen Rose here.

He's rebutting the idea that African-Americans who come from middle-class/upper-middle-class homes with two educated parents are somehow "sell-outs" or "Uncle Toms." Jalen Rose and his Fab 5 teammates certainly aren't the only people within that community who felt/feel that way.

The Jalen Rose thing provides the context, but he was using it to address a larger issue. JMHO

 

[boksooner]

"Duke doesn't recruit inner-city kids" has an entirely different connotation than "The black players at Duke were Uncle Toms."

I think Hill might not have said anything had the first sentence been used.

I'm not sure many 17 or 18 year old kids would understand, or even care about that distinction. This was a documentary about who they were then, not who they are now.

 

[boksooner]

Well, I think someone else pointed this out, but he's not just "rebutting" Jalen Rose here.

He's rebutting the idea that African-Americans who come from middle-class/upper-middle-class homes with two educated parents are somehow "sell-outs" or "Uncle Toms." Jalen Rose and his Fab 5 teammates certainly aren't the only people within that community who felt/feel that way.

The Jalen Rose thing provides the context, but he was using it to address a larger issue. JMHO

I think this is the whole point. This isn't a "Jalen Rose said the wrong thing" issue. This is about the societal pressures that made Jalen and the Fab 5 feel the way they did about Duke and Grant Hill.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I think this is the whole point. This isn't a "Jalen Rose said the wrong thing" issue. This is about the societal pressures that made Jalen and the Fab 5 feel the way they did about Duke and Grant Hill.

I bet there were a ton of single black mothers of the era who wanted their kids to emulate Grant Hill instead of Jalen Rose. He may be a wonderful role model right now. I don't know.

 

[NotsoyoungJeezy]

I had an Uncle Tom...he was a really good guy

 

[sdcloud9]

I took it that Rose felt that way about Duke when he was young, don't know how he feels about them now. I understand Hill's response, Rose basically told Hill he did not feel that way now, in as many words.

He also said disparaging words about Ohio State as well, kinda funny too.

I loved the show, it really gave an insight to what those guys were doing at such a young age. I would love to hear Chris Webber's take on all that. Maybe after 2013, he will say something about what happened.

 

[bocabull]

I have no plans to watch the fab 5 show. Who cares about a group of guys who never even won a conference title?

Most overrated media created group of clowns ever.

PS - Time OUT!!!! ha ha ha

 

[stoops4pres]

Hill really couldn't have formulated a better response. Very classy, plus a harmless, subtle jab at the end. I loved it.

 

[stoops4pres]

Well, I think someone else pointed this out, but he's not just "rebutting" Jalen Rose here.

He's rebutting the idea that African-Americans who come from middle-class/upper-middle-class homes with two educated parents are somehow "sell-outs" or "Uncle Toms." Jalen Rose and his Fab 5 teammates certainly aren't the only people within that community who felt/feel that way.

The Jalen Rose thing provides the context, but he was using it to address a larger issue. JMHO

This.

 

[GymClassHero]

I have no plans to watch the fab 5 show. Who cares about a group of guys who never even won a conference title?

Most overrated media created group of clowns ever.

+1

 

[jmizzy4ou]

Maybe I missed something while watching the episode. If I remember correctly, they were speaking to what they felt about them when they were playing against them and not what they think right now.

None of them ever said that Grant Hill and the others are uncle Tom's but that when they were kids they thought they were. Jalen specifically and bluntly stated he felt Duke did not recruit inner city kids and he did not like them for that. In fact Jalen said there was some jealously about not living a life with both his parents. He never said there was anything wrong with it and if anything gave Grant's father the upmost respect for being in Grant's life where as his father who also was a professional athlete was not.

For Grant and many others to pretend that this opinion is something that the Fab Five created is either naive or just fooling themselves. Kids have been saying these kinds of things in the inner city years before the fab five and they will be saying it long after the fab five. Not that it is right or wrong but that it is the perception of what types of players certain Universities recruit.

Like I said in the beginning, maybe I misunderstood what was said in the episode.

:clap:clap:clap


Very well scripted explanation. You could even use the old Magic vs Bird scenario. Casual fans who never even watched hoops got into the Magic vs Bird battles. A young black kid from the city( not Boston), was called the same things if he supported Bird over Magic.

Some of the perceptions in the inner city are as hard to break as KKK mindsets. Grant Hill was very classy in his response, as usual, but 25Mob nailed it describing Jalen and the Fab 5's mindset. Most of black America felt that way about Duke back then, and many still do....

 

[StatGeek]

When did the phrase "inner city kids" become synonymous with broken families? This is a slap in the face to all of the "inner city" families who work hard every day to provide for their kids and teach them how to take the right path in life. Jalen's comments are rooted in ignorance and it is a shame that he would frame a discussion in this fashion.

Side note: I haven't seen the film yet so I may have the context wrong.