Sport Matters by Kenneth L Shropshire

Author:Kenneth L Shropshire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wharton Digital Press
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Disrespectful Language as Everyday Language

After the Dolphins matter came to light, attorney Ted Wells of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison conducted and published an investigation on behalf of the NFL.97 Though by no means the primary focus of the report, one standout finding was the use by Dolphins players of the word nigger—specifically, the casual use of the word in this interracial setting. Putting aside the common usage of the word in the streets, music, and film, the Dolphins case provided an example of how the word is used frequently in real, day-to-day life. It was in some ways shocking, and the Wells Report therefore only stoked further an ongoing societal discussion about the word and its usage; indeed, as early as the 1960s comedian-activist Dick Gregory wrote a book titled Nigger in efforts to take the sting out of a word with such a negative history.

Nigger was hardly the only slur covered by Wells, however. His report also highlighted how slurs against people who are Asian or LGBTQ had become a part of the regular banter among the players in Miami. Illustrative of the extent of this particular workplace problem was the utterly distressing catalog of language regularly used in that locker room: nigga, dirty Pakistani, darkness, Chinaman, faggot, cunt, pussy, and Jap. Predictably, there was even more disrespectful language toward women. As the Wells Report noted: “We did not approach this assignment expecting to discover behavior that society might anticipate in, say, an accounting firm or a law office. For better or worse, profanity is an accepted fact of life in competitive sports, and professional athletes commonly indulge in conduct inappropriate in other social settings. We also recognize that good-spirited goading often contributes to team bonding. But limits should exist.”98

But what kind of limits? And what lessons can society really learn from the sports business workplace—or more specifically from a football locker room? Well, the answer is this: It is a unique venue but more ordinary than one might think. Over the past two years a series of events, some related, some not, have made sports the focus of debate regarding workplace issues such as offensive language and respect of an individual’s sexual identity. And in these events—how they unfolded and how they were handled—we can gain insights into how different segments of the Sports Power Matrix can leverage their unique power to create a more “respectful” culture.

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