Sports writer Phil Mushnick under fire for suggesting new team be named 'New York N-----s'
New York Post sports columnist and out-of-touch old white dude Phil Mushnick has sparked internet outrage for suggesting in his latest missive that the new, Jay-Z-owned Brooklyn Nets basketball team rename themselves using street language that sometimes crop up in rap lyrics.
The phenomenally tone deaf sentiment was expressed, fittingly, in a column titled Don't rely on media to evaluate bad behavior.
The pundit's spurious logic hangs on the fact that the new logo is black and white, which strikes him, for some reason, as overtly "urban", an ugly code word for black:
As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots – what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new "urban" home – why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment?
Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!
Jay-Z is, of course, is one of the most popular hip-hop artists in history. He is also a producer, entrepreneur, and former chief executive officer of a major label with a net worth of over $450m. But for Mushnick, to be "Jay-Z hip" means acting like a thug.
Mushnick, who did not return a call from the Guardian, joined the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper in 1973.
Twitter was not amused.
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But not everyone was shocked.