http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/1739910 By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Shaquille O'Neal's explanation is that he's "an idiot prankster." That, of course, makes him half right. There was a time when maybe most of mainstream America would have laughed, or at least snickered, at O'Neal's comments to an Asian reporter about Yao Ming. There was also a time when Amos 'N' Andy was broadcast on national TV. Times change. It's about time Shaq did, too. Most of those who have come to O'Neal's defense bang away at the notion he is simply an overgrown kid. No. He is a 30-year-old married man, the father of two, with another child on the way. "Tell Yao Ming, `Ching chong yang wah ah so,' " Shaq said. No one is suggesting he is a racist, but ignorance is an attribute that also needs light shined upon it if we are going to move forward. Maybe Trent Lott didn't understand the full, dark meaning of his fateful words when he spoke them. But that makes them all the more insidious if the beliefs are so ingrained. The same applies to 7-1, 315-pound centers, especially a pop icon whose reach extends far off the court -- to movies and rap albums and product endorsements. If Shaq is to represent the NBA in its new-millennium bid to be the world's game, where jump shooters and slam dunkers come from every corner of a shrinking globe, he should step forward with something more than a cavalier mea culpa, a shrug and a return to business as usual. The ripple effect of O'Neal's remarks is that it caters to the yahoo element that makes up so much of the demographic target of talk radio and what passes for comedy on TV. The panel on FSN's Best Damn Sports Show, Period used them as a springboard to trot out every Asian joke or slur they could remember. Why? Perhaps because the Asian community is a small minority in the United States and is not generally inclined to express displeasure, let alone outrage? Let's face it. If the hightop had been on the other foot and Yao or any white player in the NBA had cracked wise about an African-American -- while using Ebonics -- in an interview, putting out the resulting firestorm would have required Red Adair. The irony of the situation is that Yao, a 22-year-old rookie who has lived in this country for all of three months, has displayed more maturity and aplomb than an 11-year veteran and former Most Valuable Player, as well as a better grip on the mix of cultures than the league office. The NBA likes to brag about how many countries receive live TV broadcasts of the All-Star Game and Finals, and it crowed about the launch of a Chinese-language Web site. Then commissioner David Stern described Shaq's "I'm a comedian" apology as "eloquent." Do you remember a few years back when Charles Barkley was called on the carpet by the powers that be in the league for making an off-color remark about then-NBC TV studio host Hannah Storm? Never mind that those words were part of a private conversation recorded by a weasel who secretly left a tape recorder in Barkley's locker. Barkley was strongly urged by the commissioner's office to apologize to Storm before a national audience, and so he groveled. Apparently, it matters if you insult the network TV rights-holder. Whether Yao was able to shrug it off is not the point. There are many in the Asian community -- some new to the NBA because of Yao -- who might have been offended. And either way, it's not right. This isn't political correctness run amok, just the global times in which we live. It is also merely the latest example of Shaq's showing us that although he is one of the biggest, baddest players on the planet and wears a superhero tattoo on his biceps, he can be quite small. He is a magnificent player, a wonder to behold. But he doesn't handle defeat well. He points fingers at his teammates, at coaches, at referees. After the Lakers lost Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in Sacramento last spring, O'Neal took the podium and said: "Those who know and understand the game know what really went on tonight. There's only one way to beat us, and it starts with a C and ends with a T." When asked to cite an example of cheating, he replied, "Don't put words in my mouth. I'm a grown man." Again, half right.
