10069: Mushy Thinking From Mushnick.

Wanted to provide extra commentary on New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick and his remarks on Jay-Z and the Brooklyn Nets. In his Friday column, Mushnick wrote:

Nets on Jay-Z track

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!

When James King of the Village Voice criticized Mushnick’s rant, the veteran columnist responded as follows:

James — did you actually read what I wrote and what I’ve been writing for 30 years? I don’t call black men niggas; my kids never heard the word until folks such as Jay-Z came along. I’d suggest you talk to him about it. What I wrote today was on Jay Z’s artistry, and only the wishful and foolish would so badly misinterpret and mischaracterize it as you plan to do. Thanks — mushnick.

Guess MultiCultClassics should be categorized with the wishful and foolish, because it’s pretty clear that Mushnick is culturally clueless—and minimally a latent racist. Taking the Michael Richards-Don Imus-Laura Schlessinger route of dodging matters is getting a tad tired. One would think a professional journalist—even a journalist specializing in sports—would at least get his facts straight when fabricating excuses.

Jay-Z didn’t come up with the slur. People like Mushnick did.