Last night, ESPN’s mobile site used a headline with a racially charged double entendre to describe Jeremy Lin’s game against the Hornets. This morning they have ap0logized and are promising a review of the process that lead to the insensitive headline:
Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.
ESPN.com editor in chief Rob King offered a strong statement on Twitter:
To be sure, the headline is a double entendre. “Chink in the armor” is a perfectly legitimate term to express vulnerability. But when you use the term to refer to someone of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, it takes on a whole new meaning.
Longtime Outsports reader Canmark shared this on our previous story:
As someone who’s been called a chink (many years ago), I’m not getting too excited about this. The phrase “chink in the armor” isn’t in itself offensive. For example, I recently saw this headline: “Santorum’s victory may expose chink in Romney’s armor.” Now, applying the “chink” phrase to someone who is of East Asian descent is questionable, but I’m willing to give the headline writer the benefit of the doubt (I don’t think there was any negative intent).
The phrase was also uttered by a SportsCenter host earlier in the day (below). Saying it off-the-cuff on live TV doesn’t bother me personally, given that it is a legit term; But somebody should have caught it, sitting at a desk carefully considering a headline, before publishing it on the Web.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 12:15 PM
The sport press has been riddled with racist puns. Asian Americans semm to complain less about such things than other minorities or vilified groups.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:08 PM
plain and simple, it’s worse than calling a black person, nigger… other black people call other black people nigger… u will never hear another asian call another asian chink… it’s that offensive… nothin cool about it… pure racism… that person should get fired… think about it… what if when lebron lost in the finals last year, and they would have the title, nigger in the armor… think about it… how big of a deal that would have been… not only that person will get fired for sure… and he’ll never get a media job in his forseable future also… (wonders if he’s going to get just a slap on the wrist) that’d be a true travesty, shaq…
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Now we know that ESPN and Fox are both racist jerks.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:18 PM
I agree, this was very very stupid of ESPN. Hey i used to like this station and now i will be watching less of the programs aired by ESPN. What an idiot!! I am sure they could of found another adjective.
Richard Fox
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:19 PM
i love espn… how can they let that slip away… that word was created out of racism only… it’s a word that u use only to entice a fight with asians or say that word in a malicious way about them… in no other context that word can be used… look it up in wikipedia… seriously, someone needs to get real, most horrible line i’ve ever seen in my life (racial wise). i’m 33 years old, i thank God i wasn’t around during the harder times of our fathers… but still, in this day and age?
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:29 PM
I recognize that “chinck” might be offensive to some Chinese (I wouldn’t call them that), but I seriously doubt the headline writer even thought about that. “Chink in the armour” is a common phrase with a totally harmless meaning. Whatever, everyone should get over it. If someone has complained, ESPN is probably doing the right thing by apologizing. As a white person, feel free to call me whitey, honkey, cracker, whatever you wish, it isn’t going to bother me, and in today’s society, calling us caucasions by any name you want is apparently acceptable anyway. I swear I think people just sit around looking for stuff to complain about.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Nice catch outsports.com
Never would have caught that. I agree they should think before they talk and print.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:53 PM
We keep preaching about racial equality, name calling, etc. That’s why we can never progress to an undevided America because of editorial such as this one. It makes me sick!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:54 PM
I am asian and I am deeply offended!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:11 PM
Sportinlife – You obviously know very little about Abercrombie and Fitch.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Reading the comments isn’t surprising. Most are against the headline.
Now, something homophobic…gay bashing galore.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:34 PM
“Asian Americans semm to complain less about such things than other minorities or vilified groups.”
Ironically, Koreans and Vietnamise are the most anti-gay minority groups in the US. They are absolutely against any gay equality at all.
But, maybe that’s okay with you. Some gay men are step n’ fetch.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:34 PM
**Vietnamese
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Hey Honkey Mike or Fat Ass Mike, doesn’t sound good does it?
Unless you have been subjected to racism do not try to water down this issue. Just as I expected coming from a white man!
Just trying to prove my point.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Cyd,
Are you really going to say ,”Saying it on live TV doesn’t bother me personally, given that it is a legit term; But somebody should have caught it before publishing it on the Web.”? Maybe it doesn’t bother you because you aren’t Asian. It is like saying dropping the N bomb is ok, because all the rappers are saying it in their songs?
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 6:14 PM
Interesting how a story about racism brings out the racists on the comment section. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves for that headline. It was racist pure and simple.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 7:19 PM
It is racist plain and simple. For all the apologists who call it a legitimate phrase, they somehow have eliminated words such as”niggardly” and “faggot” which are also “legitimate”. I am Asian and have corrected people who claim innocence when using double entendre words or phrases under the pretense of being educated.
They know exactly what they are doing.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 7:35 PM
not easy to resist the open jaws of clever.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:03 PM
Lol Ace, are we reading the same comments section? I love, LOVE how you interject that racism in the comments section is just as as bad as the homophobia. It is NOT!!!!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM
There are tons of apologists on this web sit. Cud Ziegler is not an apologist.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:27 PM
Kyle don’t be logical enough to question the double-standard of homophobia and racism in this country. Don’t equate your sin with their skin. You walk into a room, nobody knows you’re gay. A person of color walks into a room, everybody knows what race they are. You need to learn to be subordinate.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:38 PM
@Kyle so you question my comment but not Tray’s or Sportinlife’s?
When did I make a comment about racism in comments section being just as bad as the homophobia? Seems to me as though you’re just like those bible thumpers who just pick and chose what they want to read and then add something to it that wasn’t even there.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:40 PM
@john so you think that being gay is a sin, how dare you.
See how easy it is to put words in people’s mouth.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 12:42 AM
dumpass Mike, of course it isnt racist for you cuz your a dumbass white trash
how does the above comment make you feel? I dont think anything of it, whats the big deal?
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 5:29 AM
“Chink in the armor” maybe be an oft used phrase, but it’s intent was undeniable as the author used it for a story involving someone of Chinese descent. There are other phrases that could have been used, but he chose one with the word “chink” for a reason. Maybe he thought it was funny or clever, but what it shows is extremely poor judgement at best, or racism at worst, on the part of the author.
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 12:24 AM
chink is a small crack or fissure a weakness in someone or somethings armor. This is just another example of the speech police ruining somebodies career. This guy did not mean any harm even Lin said he didn’t think it was intentional
on Feb 29th, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Definition:
chink
1. crack, cleft, or fissure: a chink in a wall.
2. narrow opening: a chink between two buildings.
You really think that anchor would be dumb enough to say the phrase “chink in the armor” as a pun? To try to be funny? Watch the clip once, nobody involved even flinches. Because they KNOW it is legitimate phrase that made sense within the context of the conversation. Lin’s turnovers were described as a chink in the Knick’s armor. Period. Nobody called Jeremy Lin a “chink,” ok? Nor was it meant with any sinister double entendre.
Only after the fact, did the public outcry lead to unfair punishment for this guy. He did nothing wrong. The word “chink” and the slur “chink” did not even originate from the same place! Just because they are pronounced and (often) spelled the same, they are totally off limits now? Good lord people, calm your tits.