Posted by:
steve benson
(
)
Date: March 05, 2013 11:31PM
I mean, what would expect from a guy who wouldn't pass Mormon dress standards? :)
When then-coach of the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson, brought his team to Utah for the NBA finals, Rodman called Mormons names for flipping the bird at him. Jackson defended Rodman by pointing out that Rodman might not have known that "Mormons are a cult or a sect."
Oops.
Not only were Mormons not impressed, neither was the NBA. For Rodman's unkind remarks, it hit him with a 50K fine--at that time, the biggest slap ever.
But who can blame Rodman for popping off?
After all, he was complaining that in order to have a good time, he had to keep flying out of Salt Lake City for better places elsewhere during the playoffs.
("Basketball's Dennis Rodman Fined $50,000 for Comments on Mormons," by Chris Sheridan, "Associated Press," 13 June 1997)
Rodman's rap against the Mormons made national headlines.
--The "Buffalo News" reported Rodman's unsaintly swipe and the NBA's swift sanction this way:
"Dennis Rodman, one day after receiving the largest fine in NBA history, said he's being singled out again by the league.
"'I don't think I should've been fined. I gave my apology,' Rodman said Friday, discussing his $50,000 fine for making insulting and profane comments about Mormons.
"Rodman was fined $25,000 and suspended 11 games earlier this season for kicking a cameraman, a banishment that cost him more than $1 million in salary. He also had to donate the salary from his next 11 games to charity. 'Look at all the things that are going on with me and the league, and every time they fine me it's like a record,' Rodman said . . . . "
("Everything's Just 'Fine' Again with Rodman," in "Buffalo News," Buffalo, New York, 14 June 1997)
--Vancouver, Washington's newspaper, "The Columbian," filed this account:
"Chicago--Dennis Rodman's vulgar remarks about Mormons turned out to be a costly mistake.
"Basketball's bad boy was hit with a $50,000 fine, the largest in NBA history, for his derogatory comments during the NBA Finals.
"The fine was announced Thursday, a few hours after Rodman publicly apologized for his remarks. 'If I knew it was like a religious-type deal, I would have never said it. I'm sorry about that,' Rodman said. Last weekend, Rodman used an expletive in describing Mormons, then added another vulgarity when asked about the subject on Monday and Tuesday. . . . "
("Rpdman's Anti-Mormon Remarks Cost $50,000," in "THe Columbian," Vancouver, Washignton, by Chris Sheridan, "Associated Press," 13 June 1997)
--The following was published in the "New York Times":
"Dennis Rodman is $50,000 poorer and Michael Jordan is still on a liquid diet. But both of them appeared in much better shape today than the Utah Jazz.
"Utah faces elimination Friday night after allowing Game 5 to slip through its grasp Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. Actually, the Bulls and a flu-ridden Jordan swiped it to take a 3-2 lead in the four-of-seven-game series, and they can win their fifth National Basketball Association title of the 1990's with a victory.
"But the reverberations of their weeklong visit to Utah were still being felt, as the league announced it was hitting Rodman with a $50,000 fine for disparaging comments he made about Utah's large Mormon population.
"The fine, which came after Rodman apologized for the remarks, was the largest against a player in the history of the N.B.A. and marked the third time the league has taken action against the flamboyant forward this season.
"Rodman, who has been relatively ineffective for the Bulls throughout the playoffs, was singled out by the league for twice using vulgarities when referring to Mormons earlier in the week.
"'I have indicated in previous actions that insensitive or derogatory comments involving race or other classifications are unacceptable in the NBA,' Commissioner David Stern said in announcing the fine. 'Dennis Rodman's comments were exactly the kind of offensive remarks that cannot be tolerated or excused.'
"In offering an apology earlier in the day, Rodman seemed to indicate that he was not aware that Mormons actually represent a religion.
"'If I knew it was a religious-type deal, I never would have said it,' he said.
"His coach, Phil Jackson, offered support for that explanation.
"'To Dennis, a Mormon may be a nickname for people from Utah,' Jackson said.
"The news about Rodman overshadowed, to some extent, the post-game clamor created by Jordan's out-of-this-world performance in Game 5, in which he overcame the flu and the Jazz by scoring 38 points, including the winning 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go. . . ."
("NBA Fines Rodman $50,000 for Remarks on Mormons," by Mike Wise, "New York Times," 13 June 1997)
--This snark came courtesy of Provo, Utah's "Daily Herald”:
“Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for slurs made in Utah about the Mormon religion.
“Too late and too little to avoid a big $50,000 fine imposed by the NBA.
“'I had no busines saying that, so I take it back,' Rodman said at a Bulls' workout before they tried to wrap up this final playoff with Utah. 'If I had known it was one of those religious-type statements, I would have never made it.'
“'But it was just a joke. I should have called them the Utay polygamists, because I was speaking about some of the people in Salt Lake City, the ones who curesed at me.' . . .
“Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who's known to dabble in mysticism, came up with an outer-space explanation for Rodman's behavior.
“'To Dennis, a Mormon may be just a person from Utah,' Jackson said. 'He might not even know the Mormons are a cult or a sect.'
“A few days later the Bulls were champs and all was forgiven.”
(“I'm No Mormon Menance--Dennis,” in “The Daily Herald,” Provo, Utah, 13 June 1997; quoted in “Bill Logan's Tales from Chicago Sports”)
--From the “Tucson Daily Citizen":
“Chicago--As expected, Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman was fined yesterday by the NBA for derogatory remarks directed at Utah’s Mormon population.
“His bank account will be $50,000 lighter, a record fine by the National Basketball Association.
“'I have indicated in previous actions that insensitive or derogatory comments involving race or other classifications are unacceptable in the NBA,' commissioner David Stern said. 'Dennis Rodman’s comments were exactly the kind of offensive remarks that cannot be tolerated or excused.'
“Before the fine was made public yesterday, Rodman issued a pseudo apology, saying his remarks weren’t directed so much at the religion but at the people of Utah.
”'I wasn’t directing it at the Mormon religion,' Rodman said. 'It’s the people; those people that give you the finger and things like that. They call me names, too. But that was a bad action on my part. I retract that.'
“Said Bulls coach Phil Jackson, 'To Dennis, the Mormon religion may just be a nickname for people from Utah. He may not even know it’s a religion, sect or cult or whatever it is. I don’t know what Dennis associates it with.'”
(“Rodman Feeling Fined,” by Steve Rivera, “Tucson Citizen,” Tucson, Arizona, 13 June 1997)
--As detailed in “Jet” magazine:
“Chicago Bulls controversial forward Dennis Rodman was fined $50,000 by the NBA, the largest fine in league history, for his derogatory comments about Mormons.
“After Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, Rodman said he played poorly in Utah because '[i]t's difficult to get in sync with all of the [expletive] Mormons out here.'
“Rodman, who said the fine was unjust, apologized for his comments and said he was not downing the religion; but he was addressing the fans in the Delta Center in Utah, who taunted him during Games 3 and 4. 'My comments were meant for the people, not for the Mormon religion,' Rodman said. 'Just the fans in the stands who were giving me the finger and things like that. If I knew people would take it as a religious thing, I would never have said that.
“'I'm sorry about that to the extent it was interpreted as knocking their religion.'
“It was Rodman's third fine of the season. Earlier in the season, he was fined $25,000 and suspended 11 games for kicking a courtside photographer. Rodman was warned at that time that further actions could get him banned from the league.
“Two months later he was fined another $7,500 for striking Milwaukee Bucks Joe Wolf in the groin.”
(“Rodman Fined $50,000 for Remarks about Mormons,: in “Jet,” Vol. 92, Issue 06/30/97, Vol. 92 Issue 6, p. 61)
--And, finally, this summary from "ModernMan.com":
"Insulting Mormons--Former Bulls forward Dennis Rodman was fined $50K by the league during the 1997 NBA Finals for his comments following a loss in Utah. 'It’s difficult to get in sync with all of the f***ing Mormons out here,' Rodman told the press. Later, coach Phil Jackson cleared up any confusion: 'To Dennis, a Mormon may just be a nickname for people from Utah.' Ah, makes sense. Thanks, P.J."
("13 Bizarre Ways Pro Athletes Got Fined," by Zack Zeigler, at ModernMan.com)
**********
Poor Dennis, the Mormon Menace.
Who woulda thunk? Speak your mind and you get dunked.
--But column writer Cliff Walker has another perspective. While Rodman has said and done some pretty bizarre things in his life, Walker comes to his defense on the Mormon issue, observing:
"Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman was fined a record $50,000 last month for saying something awful about religion and religious people. This is double what he was fined for kicking an arrogant photographer in the family jewels.
"Moral: Don't say anything bad about religion -- anything.
"Based on reports, Rodman said the following:
"'It's difficult to get in sync because of all the f***ing Mormons out here. And you can quote me on that.' This, he said, is why he flew to Chicago between games in Salt Lake City.
"Bulls coach Phil Jackson wasn't any more tactful:
"'To Dennis, a Mormon may just be a nickname for people from Utah. He may not even know it's a religious cult or sect or whatever it is.'
"Amidst a chorus of outcry by the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League, Rodman eventually waffled and said, 'That was a bad action on my part. So we retract that.'
"But wait--What does Mormonism say about Rodman? The Mormon God's main revelation, 'The Book of Mormon,' explains why Dennis Rodman and many other humans have dark skin.
"Alma 3:6 says, 'The skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and rebellion.'
"In 2 Nephi 5:21, Mormon scripture describes whites:
"'As they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome to come upon.'
"White skin is a reward from God; dark skin is a curse, the result of wickedness:
"'Their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites; And their daughters became exceedingly fair.' (3 Nephi 2:15-16)
"'O my brethren, I fear that unless you shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when you shall be brought with them before the throne of God.' (Jacob 3:8)
"Mormonism has a shameful history of white supremacist doctrines and practices. While I denounce anyone painting an entire group with a broad brush, neither should we allow ourselves to forget things like the history of Mormonism.
"I don't understand why the NAACP and B'nai B'rith are so bent over Rodman: These groups, if any, know about racist groups such as the Mormon Church. For the basketball league, the press, and especially the anti-hate groups to twitch about Rodman without once mentioning Mormon racism is irresponsible.
"Perhaps they know better than to say something bad about religion?"
("Did Dennis Rodman Have a Point?," by Cliff Walker, July 1997)
Edited 28 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 12:01PM by steve benson.