Even MORE Sports: Eddie Johnson(s), The Racial Angle (From a 40 year old white male)

Most sports fans are aware now that Eddie Johnson, a 6-1 or so point guard who played at Auburn in the 70's and mostly with Atlanta in a fairly long NBA career, has been charged with sexually molesting a young girl.

There is another Eddie Johnson, 6-7, of Chicago, the U of Illinois, and a longtime NBA standout at the 2/3 spots, who has been in the news for basically (IMO) being a black guy named Johnson. They all look alike to the Chicago Tribune (apology for fingering the wrong black dude here). THIS Eddie Johnson is one of the most respected ex-NBAers around, from what I gather. Does some broadcasting, some PR, whatever, to make a buck and do some good at the same time, while assumedly living off his pension and many millions earned in The League. The Trib couldn't wait to put it to the black dude they ASSUMED was the only Eddie Johnson ever to play in the god damn NBA. Well, shiiiiiiiiiiit. Chicago ain't got nothin' on Beantown for racial profiling.

Any NBA fan from the 70's on asked themselves ONE question when reading the headline a few days back that (paraphrasing) said "Eddie Johnson arrested for sexual molestation of a young girl". And that question was WHICH Eddie Johnson is it? The one from the South ("Fast Eddie") or the one from Chicago (the man could SHOOT)? The 20 something staffers (hopefully) at the Trib jumped in with both feet, assuming there couldn't be TWO black/colored/negro dudes named "Eddie Johnson" with longtime NBA careers. No way. Would be too much of a coincidence. Like having two tall black guys named "Cliff Robinson" having long careers in The League: couldn't happen! Well: #1 and #2.

Fuck you very much, Chicago Tribune. You have done a great disservice to both journalism and the false hope that all black people DON'T look alike to white copy editors. An apology? Man, you owe more than that.