Flacco uses the R-word....great....

**callahan09** · 01-29-2013, 06:57 AM

Personally I don't like the use of the word gay as a synonym for "lame" (is that even politically correct, come to think of it?) because it implies a correlation between gayness and being bad or negative or unpleasant, which is not fair to those who are gay. I don't feel quite as strongly with using the word retarded to mean stupid because it doesn't necessarily undermine the population of individuals with actual mental retardation, since in essence you're still using a word that has a dictionary meaning that is close or the same as the meaning you intend by using it and you're not actually necessarily referencing a person or personal quality by using it. Gay, when used in that manner, does absolutely use a personal quality as a negative, but retarded does not, in my opinion.

**wickedsolo** · 01-29-2013, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Mista T

Whoa! Now it's not OK with the PCers to say "Gay"? That's fuckin' ridiculous! When I grew up, the correct term was "queer" or "homo" which somehow later were deemed to be offensive by Lefty. Then it turned to "gay" as the PC term, with "queer" and "homo" became the bad guys according to the pointy-headed Leftists who make up these rules.

All of you who support PC should read the book "1984" to get an idea as to why normal Americans resent PC's intrusion into our lives.

I kind of always preferred the term "dude-kisser".

**wickedsolo** · 01-29-2013, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

The HORROR! Next thing you know they're gonna tell me that pinching my secretary's ass and threatening to fire her if she tells me not to is wrong too.

As for this imagined "downward spiral" the country is in, I always laugh when I hear about it. In the 20's jazz and liquor were going to bring the whole country down. Then it was letting women vote. Then it was zoot suits and swing music. Then beatniks. Then rock and roll. Then Elvis' pelvis. Then hippies. Then integration. Then that new fangled Satanic heavy metal. Then no fault divorce. Then rap. Then the gays. Now it's "Political correctness."

Wonder what's going to be ending it all ten years from now.

Aliens.

**Dade** · 01-29-2013, 08:03 AM

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2012...-super-bowl-nj

Kinda puts his foot in his mouth.

**GOTA** · 01-29-2013, 08:08 AM

That game in Denver in 0 degree weather was pretty damn good.

**RAPHENS** · 01-29-2013, 08:10 AM

I don't understand why Joe would say something like that. Before and after the Denver game he was talking about how much he enjoyed it. Retarded? Definitely a poor choice of words.

**pslholder96** · 01-29-2013, 08:12 AM

Non issue in my opinion. There's some truth to what Joe said. People have been used to attending the superbowl in either warm weather cities or domes for years. It will be a little bit of culture for most fans having to endure the potential cold and weather elements. And let's be realistic the superbowl is often attended by many corporate types and fair weather fans with big wallets.

**Justlovemybirds** · 01-29-2013, 08:13 AM

**Ravenswintitle** · 01-29-2013, 08:13 AM

oh brother...

**pslholder96** · 01-29-2013, 08:14 AM

There's a difference between playing in cold weather (which Joe enjoys) and playing the superbowl in cold weather. I think is where Joe was trying to make the distinction that the superbowl has been played either in a warm weather city or inside a dome for years, why change it now? I think that's what he's questioning.

**Whitty Hutton** · 01-29-2013, 08:19 AM

America is soft as cupcakes. "Retarded" is offensive to people with mental disabilities, boo-hoo.
So by Flacco switching to calling it stupid, does that mean he's being intolerant of all the people who've flunked math class?

**NCRAVEN** · 01-29-2013, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by Whitty Hutton

America is soft as cupcakes. "Retarded" is offensive to people with mental disabilities, boo-hoo.
So by Flacco switching to calling it stupid, does that mean he's being intolerant of all the people who've flunked math class?

Originally Posted by pslholder96

There's a difference between playing in cold weather (which Joe enjoys) and playing the superbowl in cold weather. I think is where Joe was trying to make the distinction that the superbowl has been played either in a warm weather city or inside a dome for years, why change it now? I think that's what he's questioning.

**dweezil22** · 01-29-2013, 08:42 AM

As someone who has a child with an intellectual disability (that's the preferred medical term for "retarded" now), I feel I'm somewhat especially qualified to comment on this issue.

Am I glad that "retarded" is not considered a publicly polite word anymore? Yes
Am I pissed at Flacco or do I think he's a bad person for saying it? No
Did I cringe when I read that he said it? Yes

For better or worse (and I'm going to go ahead and say better, given my son's situation), "retarded" is considered an impolite term in today's world. Flacco saying that in an interview is just embarrassing for him and his media handlers on the Ravens. It's not a huge deal, but it's equivalent of him showing up for a formal dinner in a T-shirt, someone in his situation really just ought to know better.

It's true that all sorts of words aren't PC anymore, and some are better than others. I think words that have been primarily used in a derogatory way becoming not PC (N-word being the best example of all) is a good thing. I think other terms have become PC are just clunky and silly. And I think PC expectations vary from person to person and situation to situation. If I'm in a business meeting in NYC, I crank my PC meter up all the way. If I'm talking with the guy that works on my mower, I crank it all the way down (and I wouldn't be offended or surprised if that guy said "gay" or "retarded" in non-insulting ways). But you better believe that a press conference during Super Bowl week has the PC meter cranked to 11, and Flacco looks stupid for not realizing it. It's also not something that an "elite" QB would do, there's no way that Manning or Brady would have this problem.

**drunkmormon** · 01-29-2013, 08:42 AM

The best wording he could of used... no but he is a football player not a public relations consultant.

It may not be a rainbow world, but the simple fact is that people who are "different" are always going to get made fun of... especially as children. And I could easily defend the word "retard" Learn the roots of words, and compare what it means versus the alternates...

So let Flacco play football... !!!

**Flipping Birdie** · 01-29-2013, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by admartian

Non-issue really. He wasn't attacking anyone; not even an individual or group.

Unless of course there is an active group or PR person for "Sueprbowls of past and future for colder climates" representative that would want to comment....

No? Then the world moves on I guess.

It's a little bit of an issue. Hence, the R-word campaign and his fellow Blue Hen's involvement with that.

With that said, he caught himself, and corrected himself.

**redmike34** · 01-29-2013, 08:44 AM

Ran across this somewhere, and still haven't come up with a better descriptor:

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end."

**Flipping Birdie** · 01-29-2013, 08:47 AM

I should also point out that an evolving language and terms formally considered appropriate becoming impolite isn't what PC ever was about. When people accuse such examples as being PC, or a PC society run amuck, they don't really understand what PC is. Political Correctness, which was an academic issue in the 90's, was ridiculous. This isn't that.

**Flipping Birdie** · 01-29-2013, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by redmike34

Ran across this somewhere, and still haven't come up with a better descriptor:

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end."

That's all and good. But this isn't an example of Political Correctness.

**HoustonRaven** · 01-29-2013, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by redmike34

Ran across this somewhere, and still haven't come up with a better descriptor:

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end."

LOL. That's a good one.

Originally Posted by Flipping Birdie

That's all and good. But this isn't an example of Political Correctness.

I believe it most certainly is.

**RavenScallywag** · 01-29-2013, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by dweezil22

As someone who has a child with an intellectual disability (that's the preferred medical term for "retarded" now), I feel I'm somewhat especially qualified to comment on this issue.

Am I glad that "retarded" is not considered a publicly polite word anymore? Yes
Am I pissed at Flacco or do I think he's a bad person for saying it? No
Did I cringe when I read that he said it? Yes

For better or worse (and I'm going to go ahead and say better, given my son's situation), "retarded" is considered an impolite term in today's world. Flacco saying that in an interview is just embarrassing for him and his media handlers on the Ravens. It's not a huge deal, but it's equivalent of him showing up for a formal dinner in a T-shirt, someone in his situation really just ought to know better.

It's true that all sorts of words aren't PC anymore, and some are better than others. I think words that have been primarily used in a derogatory way becoming not PC (N-word being the best example of all) is a good thing. I think other terms have become PC are just clunky and silly. And I think PC expectations vary from person to person and situation to situation. If I'm in a business meeting in NYC, I crank my PC meter up all the way. If I'm talking with the guy that works on my mower, I crank it all the way down (and I wouldn't be offended or surprised if that guy said "gay" or "retarded" in non-insulting ways). But you better believe that a press conference during Super Bowl week has the PC meter cranked to 11, and Flacco looks stupid for not realizing it. It's also not something that an "elite" QB would do, there's no way that Manning or Brady would have this problem.

VERY good post. Said much better than my knee jerk reaction to it.

He caught himself, but only in the sense he knew that wouldn't go over well. I hope over time, he does work that word out of his vocab, but that's his prerogative. Knowing our owner and that John Harbaugh was hired because he was more of a "corporate coach"...I'm betting the Ravens have at least a quick conversation with him about it. Probably quicker than the one BA got, but still...

He's not a PR guru, but no football player is. Doesn't mean they won't get blasted and picked apart for what they say. That slip up might be relatively minor, but you saw what BA got last week for a series of simple tweets about Patriots offense being gimmicky.