Terry Bradshaw, Reggie Bush, And A Bucket Of Fried Chicken

 

Terry Bradshaw has never been known for his self control when it comes to running his mouth.  This past Sunday was no different when Bradshaw described Reggie Bush’s 18 yard scamper to the end zone as “…chasing that bucket of chicken…”

This is not the first time that Bradshaw has opened his mouth and inserted his foot, but if you listen to more than the part of the sentence I isolated, you would hear that he was referencing a situation involving Jimmie Johnson, who also sits at the Fox Sports analyst table, and has a storied love of fried chicken.

Obviously, we do not know what the whole story entails, but here is the entire Bradshaw quote.

“Look at this Jimmy, like he was chasing that bucket of chicken that the wind was blowing the other day.”

When you take the sentence as a whole, it takes on a much different meaning than the stereotypical fried chicken reference.  It is much like the political ads that have been dominating our televisions and radio stations over the last month or so.  If you take just part of a sentence from any statement ever made, you can twist it to sound however you want. In this case, those just focusing on the bucket of chicken are only processing part of the sentence.  The rest of the sentence gives it context.

Now, even with the context of an inside joke in place, is Bradshaw in the wrong for making such an insensitive statement in the first place?

The fact is, Bradshaw is the face of football on Fox Sports, and as such he should be thinking before he is speaking.  Whether he meant anything negative by his bucket of chicken description, or not, really doesn’t matter.  It is about the people’s perception and the still relevant history of violent racism in the United States.  A person in Bradshaw’s position needs to be aware of how a statement like that will be taken and the fallout it will result in.

Personally, I feel that sports are one place in society where we can all come together and have a shared thought, regardless of color or creed.  It should be protected as such, and because of that, the people on the highest platforms need to use their voice responsibly.

I have never been a big fan of Bradshaw, but I do not feel their was any evil intent here.  It was likely just another moment where his mouth got ahead of his brain, and it probably won’t be the last time that happens.

What do you think?  Do you believe he was being a racist?  Stereotyping?  Ignorant?  Or was he just talking to Johnson and meant no harm?  Should there be any type pf punishment?  We would love to hear your thoughts, so please use the comments below, or chime in on twitter with the hash tag #RML.

 

Jeff Everette is a Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com, covering the NFL and NBA.  Follow Jeff on twitter @jeverettesports, like his page on FaceBook, or add his Google + to your circles for all of his latest articles, thoughts, and rants.