In the heat of the moment, we sometimes say things we shouldn’t.
Racial Slur Isn't Right, But Shouldn't Get A Guy Suspended
Written by Hopper, Sunday June 14 2009
As was the case for Bryan Berry, crew chief of Brenden Gaughan’s #62 US Fidelis Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last Saturday night.
It all really began with the final cycle of pit stops which occurred inside 30 laps to go. Gaughan, running in the top 10, came down pit road behind the lap down car of 19-year old African American phenom Marc Davis. Gaughan’s pit box was just past the entrance to the garage area. An entrance in which, unbeknownst to Gaughan, Davis had all intentions of driving through.
Davis made a sudden stop and attempted to make the hard left turn right in front of the unsuspecting Gaughan, who plowed into Davis, all but destroying the right front fender of Gaughan’s car, and turning a would-be top 10 into a 25th place finish.
Following the race, Berry had a few things to say to Davis. On his way back to the garage, Berry let slip a racial slur, most likely beginning with the letter “N”. A few fans in the area heard it and reported it to NASCAR’s higher powers. One thing led to another, and before too long, Berry was suspended.
Now, I’d like to say a few things about this. First, whatever it was Berry said about Davis was, by no means right. I like Davis. I think he has tons of potential. And I’d like to see him do well in the sport.
On the other hand, it shouldn’t have got Berry suspended, and there are a few reasons why.
First, what Berry said he did not say in front of a camera. He did not say it on the radio. He did not say it to the public. This was a matter of a guy getting caught up in the heat of the moment, and letting a few words fly.
Second, and I will go on record by saying, if the guy Berry had been mad at was not black, Berry would not have been suspended. This is nothing against Davis, but I know this from experience. We’ve seen Robby Gordon go on air and call Michael Waltrip “Nothing but sh–,” and I know Tony Stewart has called people, “A stupid f—.” Neither one has been suspended for saying things like that.
These are not the only cases of drivers and crew members calling each other far worse things than what Berry called Davis, and I’m sure there have been a million more cases of drivers and crew members calling each other names that we haven’t heard about. Heck, we wouldn’t have heard about this one if the guy being called out wasn’t black.
Using a racial slur isn’t right, but it shouldn’t get a guy suspended.
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6 comments
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you would have to be black to understand! lol. good suspension in my book!
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No problem Bill. Comments on my stuff are few and far between, so I answer when I get the chance. Hope you enjoyed Part II: "Gaughan And The Davis Family Grow Even Closer"
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I understand what you mean, the world is not perfect. I get it. But that word can not be tolerated, period. Use it in private, where there are not ears that can get offended. He could not, he lost control at the wrong time. NASCAR had to show that it will not allow bigotry, at any level. Thanks for answering back, I will read the second part. Later
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First off Bill, I am not justifying anything, which is why the title says that what he said wasn't right, but he shouldn't have been suspended. Second, if you read the whole article, you can tell that I am most certainly not justifying the use of the "N" word, as I clearly stated that is was not right. However, he did not say it to the fans, and he didn't even say it to Davis. He said it on his way to confront Davis. And if NASCAR is going to have racism stamped to it because of a simple comment, doesn't that make the world racist because of all the racial comments that have been said? On that note, I thank you for reading and your imput, and open up the comment wall for further discussion. If you are interested in the sequal to this article, please stop by www.stockcarspin.com for a visit, and feel free to leave feedback.
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I'm not sure what you are trying to justify in this article, but I think that it is the use of the "N" word. There is a huge difference between calling someone sh*t and a "stupid f*ck". There should have been a suspension, and I agree with it, should be more as far as I am concerned. The "N" word has historic negative conotations, and the man knew what he was saying, and he said it to a young man. NASCAR is percieved as a redneck, southerner sport the last thing it needs is racist stamped on it to.
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You can change being "nothing but sh-" also, you can stop being "a stupid f-" but you can't change being a "N-". My opinion is that there is a difference in the kind of insult, when Bryan Berry insulted Davis, was insulting what he really is, not a figurative phrase of being constituted only by excrement, or being a gay person with low IQ.