Filed under: Football
Bad move buddy, bad move.
There isn't much to say about Dan Hampton other than the obvious. It didn't take him long to realize that it might be inappropriate to make jokes about an event that led to the death and displacement of tens of thousands of people. Hurricane Katrina affected real lives in a very real way, and Hampton needs to understand that. Additionally, invoking Katrina into the fantasy world of professional football is only productive to the extent that the success of the Saints has helped to heal the hearts of New Orleans residents who've lost everything. So, if you can't bring Hurricane Katrina up in a positive and uplifting way, please don't bring it up as a joke.
Even going further on that point, for Hampton to make a joke about Katrina would be like making a joke about September 11th. Katrina was our 9/11, and although our nation doesn't talk about the pain of New Orleans residents anymore, the struggle continues. In fact, the suffering is likely magnified in light of recent numbers showing that black unemployment rose by 700 percent more than white unemployment during the month of August. Many of the faces of Katrina are black, and the suffocating grip of racial economic oppression is rarely stronger than it is in New Orleans. While Dan Hampton is not responsible for all the world's agony, he should realize that his platform should be used to support and uplift NFL fans, and not remind them of the most horrible experience of their lives.
Dan Hampton, I forgive you. But you should certainly be suspended and encouraged to get some sensitivity training. You also owe the people of New Orleans a sincere apology. Football might be a game, but Hurricane Katrina is not.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.