Things are just different now. That said, things are quite a bit (for many different reasons) for Boomers and Gen X’ers these days.
We look around and see how media and technology has changed behavior, attitude and perception and wonder if how we did things — and had things done to us — was just flat out wrong, or part of life’s evolutionary process. Sports, being a huge part of American life over the past fifty years, is just as full of seeming obvious yet radical changes. Do you mean that when coaches withheld water breaks as punishment, that was borderline cruelty? Oh, so now you tell us…
Back in the day, being able to take a verbal ass whoopin’ was part of the deal. If you couldn’t handle getting the business from opposing fans, players or your own teammates, you had no chance of being able to deal with what your coach had in store. His (and it was always a male coach) job was to break you down to build you back up. To make a man out of you along with making you a better player. Unless he was a sadistic bastard. Then he just enjoyed watching you suffer under his thumb. Now that I think about it, maybe there was some sadist in the man-making process too…
Now-a-days, coaches don’t yell, scream and torture as much as they used to. Teammate hazing is looked upon as barbaric, and with social media, the individual player has a louder voice. What took place in the shadows can now be illuminated with a single post. What had to be endured can now be battled with a simple tweet. Times, attitudes and technology has changed everything.
That’s why JaVale McGee went thermonuclear on Shaquille O’Neal.
Not too long ago, if an established player set his sights on a younger, less established player for an old fashioned verbal (or in this case visual) noogie, young fella had to take it. The older players felt that it was their right (or duty) to give younger players the business because that’s what was done to them. No harm, no foul, because if the OG dealt with it, young guy can too.
But if the target isn’t down with the joke, he (or she) doesn’t have to take it. The target doesn’t have to fake it. The target can speak up, speak out or lash out. If someone doesn’t want to be made fun of (even if the intent isn’t actually to make fun), the request should be honored. Hopefully that request doesn’t turn into a demand. That’s how you get the word “coon” thrown around. Emancipation can be messy like that sometimes.
If JaVale McGee isn’t down with being part of Shaq’s Cavalcade O’ Fun, he has every right to express his displeasure. Of course, Shaq has every right to tell him to chill out. What McGee shouldn’t have to do is “get over it” and be part of the joke. JaVale McGee might be an athletic freak of nature and sometimes prone to interesting decisions on the court but first and foremost, he’s a person with pride and feelings — not to mention play that is a significant improvement over his Denver and Washington years. If he wants out of Shaq’s mirrored fun-house, that’s cool. That doesn’t make him humorless, thin-skinned or soft. It actually makes him human. And that’s okay.
Now, the part about the respective mothers of McGee and O’Neal (two basketball players or Irish boxers? You decide) getting involved, you ask? That deserves to be made fun of. Without mercy.