July 12, 2010: Jesse Jackson's "slavery" comments

 

;;;;GREATER BOSTON

 

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON" T THE

REVEREND JESSE JACKSON

CLAIMS THE OWNER OF THE

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS IS

TREATING LEBRON JAMES LIKE A

RUN AWAY SLAVE.

PLUS UNDERWATER IN

SOMERVILLE, MAYOR JOSEPH

CURTATONE AND THE

DEVASTATION IN HIS CITY

AFTER THIS WEEKEND'S RAIN.

AND EXTRAORDINARY SKULL TUP

TURE.

JARED BOWEN ON THE WORK OF

CHAKAIA BOOKER.

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

GOOD EVENING.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE

BROUHAHA OVER CHIEF

CHRAND-- CLEVELAND

CAVALIER SUPERSTAR LEBRON

JAMES SKIPPING DOWN TO MIAMI

WAS ABOUT TO DIE DOWN, ALONG

COMES THE REVEREND JESSE

JACKSON.

HE CLAIMS THE CAVALIER'S

OWNER DAN GILBERT'S SENSE OF

BETRAYAL OVER JAMES' DEPAR

TURE IS LIKE A SLAVE-MASTER

MENTALITY.

A COMMENT THAT'S TO THE

GOING DOWN WELL IN ALL

QUARTERS.

JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.

>> Reporter: NBA SUPERSTAR

LEBRON JAMES'S ANNOUNCEMENT

THAT HE IS LEAVING CLEVELAND

FOR MIAMI WAS A CASE STUDY

IN SELF-ABSORB HYPE.

>> AND THIS FALL, AND THIS

IS VERY TOUGH, THIS FALL I'M

GOING IT TO TAKE MY TALENTS

TO SOUTH BEACH AND JOIN THE

MIAMI HEAT.

>> Reporter: IN RESPONSE,

CLEVELAND CAVALIER'S OWNER

DAN GILBERT FIRED OFF AN

E-MAIL SLAMMING JAMES'

COWARDLY BETRAYAL OF HIS

HOME STATE.

HE ALSO CALLED HIS FORMER

SUPERSTAR A QUITTER AND

VOWED THAT BAD KARMA WOULD

FOLLOW JAMES TO FLORIDA.

CLEVELAND COACH BYRON SCOTT

SAYS GILBERT HAS EVERY RIGHT

TO BE ANGRY.

>> DAN GILBERT I THINK IS

FANTASTIC.

I THINK HE SHOWED LAST NIGHT

HIS PASSION TO WIN.

>> Reporter: BUT OTHERS

THINK GILBERT WENT TOO FAR,

ESPECIALLY THE REVEREND

JESSE JACKSON WHO SAYS

GILBERT'S REMARKS SHOW A

SLAVE-MASTER MENTALITY AND

JEOPARDIZE JAMES'S SAFETY.

>> LEBRON JAMES HAS BEEN A

DECENT, UPRIGHT CITIZEN.

HE HAS DONE SUMMER CAMPS FOR

CHILDREN.

HE HAS HAD GOOD PUBLIC

DEPORTMENT.

HE IS A GREAT ATHLETE.

HE DOES NOT DESERVED TO BE

DEMEANED AND DISCREDITED IN

THIS WAY.

>> Reporter: NOW COMES THE

INEVITABLE JESSE JACKSON

BACKLASH BROUGHT TO YOU IN

PART BY WEEI'S-- CALL HAND.

>> THE NAUSEATING CATEGORY

IS LEAD BY, I GUESS, JESSE

JACKSON'S PATHETIC ATTEMPT

TO APPEAR RELEVANT AS IT

APPLIES TO DAN GILBERT BEING

THE SLAVE AND PLANTATION

OWNER TO LEBRON'S WHATEVER

RUN AWAY SLAVE, I THINK IS

WHAT JESSE CALLED HIM.

>> Reporter: WHICH MEANS A

FEW PORE DAYS OF ALL LEBRON,

ALL THE TIME.

>> Rooney: JOINING ME NOW IS

PETER ROBY, NORTHEASTERN

UNIVERSITY'S ATHLETIC

DIRECTOR, JAMARHL CRAWFORD

OF PROPHECY COMMUNICATIONS

AND "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"

SENIOR WRITER IAN THOMSEN,

WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE

JESSE JACKSON COMMENTS?

>> WELL, I AM DISAPPOINTED

THAT WE HAVE TO START BY

TALKING ABOUT THE JESSE

JACKSON COMMENT WHEN I

REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TALK

ABOUT THE DAN GILBERT

COMMENTS.

>> Rooney: THAT IS OLD NEWS.

>> THOSE ARE THE ONES MOST

INAPPROPRIATE.

SO YOU KNOW, JESSE JACKSON

HAS HIS OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT

HE THINKS IS GO ON.

AND I CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF

WHAT HE IS SAYING.

I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH WHAT

HE IS SAYING WITH RESPECT TO

HOW LEBRON JAMES HAS CARRIED

HIMSELF AS A SEVEN YEAR

PROFESSIONAL COMING OUT OF

HIGH SCHOOL AT 18.

HE WAS MORE MATURE THAN HALF

THE GUYS IN THE NBA WHO HAD

BEEN IN THE NBA FOR TEN

YEARS.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT --

>> SPEAK TO DAN GILBERT FOR

A SECOND.

BECAUSE HE USED CHARGED

LANGUAGE BUT NOT RACIALLY

CHARGED LANGUAGE.

SENSE OF BETRAYAL, HE DIDN'T

SAY YOU OWE ME.

HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE

BETRAYED THE FANS.

I MEAN IT WAS MARKETING IN A

SENSE.

IT WAS ALMOST PLAYING TO TO

THE FAN BASE.

>> OF COURSE, HE NEEDS TO

SAVE FACE AND MAKE SURE THE

FANS CONTINUE TO COME TO THE

GAMES.

BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT IS A FACT IS THAT

LEBRON JAMES MADE DAN

GILBERT A LOT OF MONEY.

HE FILLED HIS ARENA, HE SOLD

MERCHANDISE.

HE HAD THEM ON NATIONAL

TELEVISION ALL THE TIME AS

RESULT OF HIS ABILITIES AND

BROUGHT HIS TEAM TO THE NBA

FINALS.

SO YOU KNOW, LEBRON JAMES

DID NOTHING MORE THAN ADHERE

TO THE RULES OF THE NBA WITH

RESPECT TO FREE AGENCY.

AND DECIDED TO GO ELSEWHERE.

MANY TIMES ATHLETES HAVE

BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING

CONCERNED ONLY ABOUT THE

MONEY.

AND IN THIS CASE, HE LEFT AS

MUCH AS $30 MILLION ON THE

TABLE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE

TO PLAY WHERE HE THOUGHT IT

WAS IN HIS BEST INTEREST.

SO WHY DAN GILBERT HAS AN

ISSUE WITH IT OTHER THAN THE

FACT THAT HE'S NOT PLAYING

IN CLEVELAND, I GET THAT

PART OF IT.

BUT TO BE PERSONAL LIKE HE

HAS BEEN IS JUST

INAPPROPRIATE.

>> Rooney: IT WAS OKAY IF IT

WAS PERSONAL.

DOES ANYBODY THINK JESSE

JACKSON HAS A POINT?

I MEAN YOU LOOK AT MOST OF

THESE TEAMS, THERE IS A

WHITE OWNER, THE MAJORITY OF

THE NBA PLAYERS ARE BLACK.

BUT THESE ARE HIGHLY PAID,

EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE CHUMPS

MAKE $2 MILLION.

I MEAN THESE PEOPLE, ARE YOU

KNOW, LEBRON JAMES IS GOING

TO MAKE 14 MILLION PLUS.

DOES ANYBODY THINK JESSE HAS

A POINT?

>> I WOULD SAY A VERY SMALL

POINT.

IN THAT THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A

SENSE OF RACISM, WHITE

SUPREMECY, WHITE PRIVILEGE

THAT PERMEATES ALLARIES OF

AMERICAN CULTURE, SO IN

SPORTS WHY WOULD IT BE ANY

DIFFERENT.

PARTICULARLY IN CITIES THAT

I THINK ARE EVEN MORE

FANATICAL ABOUT THEIR SPORTS

THAN OTHERS, BOSTON, NEW

YORK, CHICAGOS, SO ON,

CLEVELAND AS WELL.

I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS

THERE IS SOMETHING THAT

TAKES PLACE IN ALL

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS WHERE

YOU HAVE MOSTLY THE

OWNERSHIP AND THE MANAGEMENT

IS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE AND

THE PLAYERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY

BLACK.

SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING

THAT HAPPENS IN BOXING,

BASEBALL, FOOTBALL,

BASKETBALL, SO BE AND SO

FORTH.

I DON'T, HOWEVER, THOUGH, TO

REALLY SPEAK OF THIS MAN

THIS OWNER AS A SLAVE MASTER

AND TO CHARACTERIZE LEBRON

AS A RUN AWAY SLAVE I THINK

IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A

STRETCH, PARTICULARLY WITH

THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT

ARE ON THE TABLE.

BECAUSE THE SLAVERY, THERE

WAS NO PAYMENT.

>> Rooney: AS PETER POINTS

OUT HE LEFT 30 MILLION ON

THE TABLE.

>> EXACTLY.

FROM THE SOCIAL ASPECT, AND

AS I'M SITTING HERE BETWEEN

TWO SPORTS PROFESSIONALS AND

I'M A GUY THAT IS NOT THAT

MUCH INTO SPORTS BUT LOOKING

AT THE SOCIAL KIND OF ASPECT

OF IT, WHAT REALLY BOTHERS

ME IS IT JUST DIMINISHES THE

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY OF SLAVERY.

SO IT TO COMPARE IT TO THAT,

I KNOW MYSELF, I STRIFE, IF

I NEED A SANDWICH, I DON'T

LIKE TO SAY I'M STARVING.

BECAUSE IT REALLY DIMINISHES

THE MIGHT OF STARVING PEOPLE

ACROSS THE WORLD WHO REALLY

ARE STARVING.

SO I DON'T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE

COMPARE SLAVERY TO ANYTHING.

BECAUSE REALLY, IT'S

INCOMPARABLE.

>> Rooney: IAN WHERE ARE YOU

ON THIS?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF

THE REASONS THE NBA IS NOT

MORE POPULAR T IS THE NUMBER

THREE SPORTS LEAGUE IN

AMERICA.

IS BECAUSE I THINK IT

REPRESENTS SO MANY OF THE

ISSUES THAT HAPPEN IN REAL

SOCIETY MUCH MORE SO THAN

THE FANTASIES OF THE OTHER

LEAGUES.

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT

WATCHING SPORTS AS AN ESCAPE,

IT'S HARD TO DO THAT WHEN

YOU WATCH THE NBA.

BECAUSE FOR A WHITE AUDIENCE

TO WATCH THE NBA ARE YOU

CONFRONTED WITH

AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE.

AND YOUTH CULTURE.

AND WHEN YOU WATCH THE NFL

YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK

ABOUT THOSE THINGS.

ALL THE PLAYERS ARE WEARING

HELMETS.

IT IS A TEAM MENTALITY.

IT IS WHITE OWNERS DON'T

LIKE A PLAYER, THE WAY THE

SALARY STRUCTURES ARE SET UP

IN THE NFL, THEY FIRE THAT

PLAYER.

IN THE NBA THERE IS MUCH

MORE PLAYER POWER.

AND I JUST FIND THAT A LOT

OF MY FRIENDS, MIDDLE-AGED

WHITE GUYS, THEY GET TURNED

OFF WATCHING THE NBA BECAUSE

I THINK THEY ARE CONFRONTED

WITH ISSUES THAT THEY WANT

TO GET AWAY FROM WHEN THEY

WATCH SPORTS.

THEY DON'T WANT TO THINK

ABOUT REAL LIFE.

THAT TO ME IS A HUGE

STRENGTH OF THE NBA.

JUST LIKE IT IS A STRENGTH

TOWARDS SOCCER, THE WORLD

FOOTBALL, WHY THE WORLD CUP

IS SO POPULAR AROUND THE

WORLD IS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN

IDENTIFY WITH IT.

BUT IN THIS ISLAND THAT WE

LIVE ON IN AMERICA, WE LOOK

AT SPORTS MORE AS A FANTASY

AND THAT IS THE DIFFICULTY

FOR THE NBA.

>> Rooney: IT IS NOT LIKE

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME

SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS

HAPPENED.

STEVEN MOAKLEY, JOHNNY DAMON,

ROGER CLEMENS WAS KIND OF

RUN OUT OF TOWN.

BUT WAS IT BECAUSE, AND I

ALSO DAN GILBERT ACCUSED

LEBRON JAMES OF THROWING

GAMES.

AND THAT TO ME IS A FAR MORE

SERIOUS CHARGE THAN

ANYTHING.

YOU KNOW, BETRAYAL OR

ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THROWING GAMES.

HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROOF OF

THAT.

GI BACK TO WHAT I SAID

EARLIER.

AREN'T TEAMS MORE LIKE TO

BUILD UP THE INTEREST IN THE

TEAM, HE HAS TO KEEP FAN

BASE COMING.

THAT HE DID IT FOR THAT

REASON AS MUCH AS ANY.

HE KNEW THERE WAS A 50/50

CHANCE HE WAS GOING TO LOSE

HIS PLAYER, AS THE RED SOX

DO YOU KNOW, DID WHEN JOHNNY

DAMON JUMPED SHIP.

I MEAN HAD TO BE MORE THAN

THAT.

>> I THINK PART OF THE

DIFFERENCE IS THAT LEBRON

JAMES IS FROM THAT AREA.

AND HE KIND OF PERSON FIND

THAT CULTURE IN CLEVELAND,

HARDWORKING, BLUE COLLAR

FOLKS.

AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS GIVING

THE CITY OF CLEVELAND A

REASON TO FEEL PROUD ABOUT

THEIR TEAM.

BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS

HAD THE EASIEST TIME OF IT

WITH THE BROWNS, AND THE

BROWNS MOVING AND ART MODDLE,

AND WITH THE CAVALIERS

BEFORE WITH MICHAEL JORDAN,

BECAUSE YOU KNOW, DOING ALL

KINDS OF THINGS TO THEM.

AND THE INDIANS NOT REALLY

BEING A FORMIDABLE TEAM

RIGHT NOW.

SO HE WAS THE ONE SOURCE OF

PRIDE FOR MANY PEOPLE IN

CLEVELAND.

AND THE FACT THAT HE'S NOW

LEAVING IS A HUGE BLOW.

AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE

FANS WOULD BE UP SET.

BECAUSE THEY WOULD WANT

THEIR HOMETOWN GUY TO STAY.

BUT IT WAS SUCH A JUVENILE

APPROACH BY THE OWNER THAT

YOU KNOW, I WAS HOPING THAT

DAVID STERN WOULD SPEAK.

>> Rooney: .

>> I WOULD HOPE THAT DAVID

STERN WOULD COME OUT AND SAY

SOMETHING AND I WAS

DISAPPOINTED THAT HE DIDN'T.

BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT

THE ISSUES AROUND THE OWNERS

BEHAVIOR TO GET DIMINISHED

BY WHAT JESSE JACKSON IS

SAYING IS.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL

THESE THINGS THROUGH THE

PRISM OF OUR COUNTRY'S

LEGACY AND HISTORY-- HISTORY

AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF

WHAT JESSE JACKSON MAY BE

REFERRING TO BUT I AGREE

WITH JAMARHL THAT YOU CAN'T

MINIMIZE THE ISSUES.

>> Rooney: WHY COULDN'T

DAVID STERN, THE NBA

COMMISSIONER FIND-- PLAYERS

GET FINED ALL THE TIME FOR

INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS AND

THAT KIND OF THING.

WOULD THIS HAVE FALLEN INTO

THAT?

>> I THINK HE WILL.

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HE

DIDN'T LIKE IT HE THOUGHT IT

WAS A STUPID THING TO DO.

BUT PART OF THIS TOO IS

DRIVEN BY THE WAY LEBRON

JAMES MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

THAT WAS A VERY JUVENILE WAY

TO DO IT.

>> Rooney: IT WAS CLEVER.

>> IT WAS CALL OUST.

HE HAS BEEN SEVEN YEARS,

SEVEN YEARS IN CLEVELAND.

>> Rooney: THE REST OF THE

COUNTRY LOVED IT.

>> THE REST OF THE COUNTRY

HATED IT.

>> Rooney: I DON'T THINK SO.

THEY LOVED IT.

>> I THINK WATCHING THAT

SHOW, PEOPLE, HE HAS FAR

FEWER PEOPLE CHEERING FOR

HIM AFTER THAT SHOW THEN HE

DID BEFORE.

AND IT'S BECAUSE I THINK, MY

IMPRESSION IS HE WAS THERE

FOR SEVEN YEARS.

ONE OF THE MOST DEPRESSED

PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

HE WAS FROM THERE.

HE WAS THE FRANCHISE.

AND HE CREATED THIS

IMPRESSION BY SAYING, BY

GIVING ALL THESE SIGNALS HE

WAS GOING TO COME BACK.

AND THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE

HE HOLDS THIS KIND OF

REALITY TV SHOW TO ANNOUNCE

THAT HE'S WALKING AWAY FROM

HOME.

IT CAME OFF AS A VERY

CALLOUS PRESENTATION.

>> Rooney: NOW YOU'VE GOT

JESSE JACKSON LIONIZING HIM

SO IT DOESN'T MATTER, DOES

IT.

THE PENDULUM TURNS THE OTHER

WAY.

>> I THINK WITH LEBRON, TOO,

HIM GOING TO -- BEING SO

YOUNG AND THE FACT WE DO

LIVE IN THIS VERY REALITY TV

TYPE OF CULTURE T I THINK

THAT THAT FILTER IS JUST

OFF.

AND SO IT'S LIKE HEY, I CAN

PROMOTE MYSELF, YOU KNOW,

IT'S MARKETING.

AND DO THIS 24 HOUR BUILDUP,

OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO I MEAN WAS IT A GOOD

MOVE.

PROBABLY NOT.

BUT I CAN COMPLETELY

UNDERSTAND HOW IT HAPPENED.

MUCH LIKE THE GESTURES THAT

MANY OF THEM MAKE, YOU KNOW

SO, ON AND SO FORTH.

>> I CAN TELL YOU LOOKING

BACK ON T I'M SURE HE VERY

MUCH REGRETS THE TV SHOW.

>> Rooney: REALLY?

>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, HONESTLY,

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE

BACKLASH THAT HE IS GETTING

FOR TELEPHONE.

HE HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE-- .

>> Rooney: I DIDN'T WATCH IT

I WASN'T THAT INTERESTED.

>> I-- LET ME TELL YOU, I

MEAN THE GUY HAD DONE NO

WRONG FOR SEVEN YEARS.

AND HE WAS UNIVERSALLY

LOVED.

AND NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF

PEOPLE THAT ARE CHEERING FOR

HIM TO LOSE.

IT'S A MATTER OF HOW YOU SAY

THINGS THAT MORE IMPORTANT

THAN WHAT YOU SAY.

HOW HE SAID IT WAS A-- HE

MADE A TERRIBLE PUBLIC

RELATIONS DECISION.

>> Rooney: I'M LOOKING FOR

THIS STORY TO GET THROUGH

THE 24 HOUR CYCLE.

>> TELL ME ABOUT IT.

I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FOR TWO

YEARS.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS TONED.

>> Rooney: IAN THOMSEN,

PETER ROBY, JAMARHL, THANK

YOU SO MUCH.

WHEN WE CONTINUE,

SOMERVILLE'S MULTIMILLION

DOLLAR DOWNPOUR.