September 10, 2022

It's hard to say a racist incident never happened, but why was it so easy to say that it did?

"Brigham Young University said Friday that it had completed its investigation into accusations of racial heckling and slurs at a volleyball match against Duke University last month and found no evidence to confirm that the behavior took place."


Note the careful language — "no evidence to confirm." They don't and can't say that nothing at all happened. The language in the BYU statement is: "we have not found any evidence to corroborate" ("From our extensive review, we have not found any evidence to corroborate the allegation that fans engaged in racial heckling or uttered racial slurs at the event").
The Duke player’s father, Marvin Richardson, told The New York Times after the game that a slur was repeatedly yelled from the stands as his daughter, Rachel Richardson, was serving and that she feared the “raucous” crowd. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment on B.Y.U.’s findings on Friday. 

That link goes to the NYT story from August 27th, which begins:

A Duke University women’s volleyball player who is Black was called a racial slur during a game Friday night in Utah....

Boldface mine. The Times stated it as a fact. Now, the NYT is very precise and says "no evidence to confirm," but when the allegation was made, it wasn't equivalently precise. Was it careless of precision, or did it consciously choose to leave out the "allegedly" before "called"? Why stir up discord, when so often these allegations turn out to be false?

I see the name "Jussie Smollett" is trending on Twitter. It's the easiest snark in response to the BYU story.

Why hasn't the NYT learned — at the very least — to leave itself an out? Is it carelessness? Is it blinded by the perverse hope that racism — which must be simmering everywhere — will burst forth in a vivid incident? Boosting these stories so eagerly, the media is cultivating doubt.

Stop luring young people into tainting their reputation by concocting another one of these poisonous morsels you're so eager to serve to America!

91 comments:

love johnson said...

The whole thing was shady from the start. The "incident" came to light when the players godmother, who is running for office in Texas, tweeted about it. How did she even know it happened since she wasn't even there? Only AFTER her tweet did the player say anything, though she never said anything during the match. If every time she served someone was yelling a slur, you would think some Duke player or coach would react and say or do something, but crickets.

Humperdink said...

The lib playbook: Toss the grenade, create major discord, truth comes out days/ weeks later, ignore it, on to the next fabrication.

John Fisher said...

As usual, the demand for racist incidents by the left GREATLY exceeds the 21st century supply. I guess markets don't work for some things after all.

JAORE said...

Even an eight-year old's YMCA game has a huge percentage of spectators using video. One report said she was called the N word every time she served. So far no recording of the slurs.

Like John Lewis' claim.... odds say BS.

Lucien said...

Why didn’t the NYT leave itself an out? Stop treating it like a real newspaper.
It’s an anti-white woke partisan rag, that hires racists for its editorial board and knows it will never pay a price for lying in service of the narrative.

iowan2 said...

Yes Smollett has become a verb. That says a lot.

As insty posits.

Demand for acts of racism far exceed the the supply. As always, the lefts fall back, is always, 'Just because this didn't happen this time, doesn't mean it never happens, and besides it raises much needed awareness'

(shhhhh....ends justifies the means shhhh...)

tim maguire said...

As has been reported by people within the Times, the old-guard editors whose primary role is to protect the brand are not in control of the young Turks coming up from the journalism schools. My guess is one of their many activists posing as a journalist wrote the original story on a loose leash and was allowed to get careless with the caveats because the editors were afraid of being accused of racism by their own employees.

Now that there’s a walk-back and a different sort of reader is paying attention, people higher up the chain are reviewing the stories and making sure the proper language is used.

wendybar said...

Because she was conditioned to believe that all whites are RACIST by the Democrats since Obama proclaimed it every chance he got, and the media ran with it.

Kevin said...

The demand for racism in America greatly exceeds the supply.

iowan2 said...

But this racial slur (non)event, up against The Prof twitting out her vile swill of wishing pain on the final hours of Queen Elizabeth.

There is a coarsening of attitudes happening. I'll attribute it to the breakdown of the family.

Our kids were in school (rural) 30 years ago. At that time, a full one/third of the students came from home where parents that were re-married, or single parent(mom) homes. The boys that acted out in class overwhelmingly came from those homes.

My point, family is where manners are taught and modeled. Wishing ill of the dead would have earned me a teeth jarring dope slap. Same as not standing and removing my hat during the presentation of the American flag. As a youngster, people did not earn a child's respect, it was mandatory. I know the elites won't accept it, but overt racism was NEVER accepted by my parents. That was back in the 60's, in Iowa, at least a 45 minuted drive to the nearest POC. As a child all were to be treated with respect. A slip in judgement was delt with swiftly and painful, only partially physical.

Today 20 somethings have no filters, they all think they are autonomous and free from sill notions of propriety. Their opinion supersedes all else in society.

The Duke incident is just as bad, no matter which side started the racist taunting. The fan, or the player. Exactly the same lack of respect, my parents demanded I exhibit, always

James K said...

Was it careless of precision, or did it consciously choose to leave out the "allegedly" before "called"?

Of course it was a conscious decision. They protected themselves with the passive voice: The player "was called a racial slur." No individual can claim to have been libeled by the NYT, though in reality the entire university, or at least everyone attending the game, was damaged.

Richard said...

The absence of evidence response is more than it looks like. The longer reports indicate pretty aggressive investigation. Includes surveillance footage, witnesses, so forth. When nothing turns up, you've pretty much proven a negative.

The other issue is that any college with the slightest, teeny-meeyist excuse to demonstrate its wokeness and commitments to social justice would turn itself inside out showing off. See University of Michigna and the infamous fisherman's knot. Or Indiana U issuing dire warnings when a friar was mistaken for a KKK guy with whip.

That BYU did not means they had considerably less than zero here. Part of it was that the accused was not actually in the stands at the time some of the slurs were reported to be happening.

It was obviously a fraud from the get-go. Universities will usually turn on the OH NO alarm for pretty much any fraud no matter how transparent. But that BYU didn't meant this fraud was more obviously fraudulent than pretty much any seen before.

Richard said...

The absence of evidence response is more than it looks like. The longer reports indicate pretty aggressive investigation. Includes surveillance footage, witnesses, so forth. When nothing turns up, you've pretty much proven a negative.

The other issue is that any college with the slightest, teeny-meeyist excuse to demonstrate its wokeness and commitments to social justice would turn itself inside out showing off. See University of Michigna and the infamous fisherman's knot. Or Indiana U issuing dire warnings when a friar was mistaken for a KKK guy with whip.

That BYU did not means they had considerably less than zero here. Part of it was that the accused was not actually in the stands at the time some of the slurs were reported to be happening.

It was obviously a fraud from the get-go. Universities will usually turn on the OH NO alarm for pretty much any fraud no matter how transparent. But that BYU didn't meant this fraud was more obviously fraudulent than pretty much any seen before.

Jersey Fled said...

To the Left, the belief that something is true, or maybe even might be true if it meets their preconceptions, is enough to makes it a fact. No further questions required or even tolerated.

rwnutjob said...

The demand for hate crimes greatly outstrips the supply.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Problem is it doesn't "taint their reputation" with half the country. Jesse Jackson, the Obamas, Joe Biden, ... The list is endless.

gilbar said...

Now do 'Trump's baseless accusations that the anonymous reports of hearsay against him were not true."

Wilbur said...

Where's there's no evidence an incident or incidents occurred, it's still incumbent on the deplorables to prove a negative, i.e., prove that something did not occur. Welcome to Inga's world.

John Borell said...

As Glenn Reynolds quipped, the demand for racist incidents far exceeds the supply of racist incidents.

Floris said...

Those familiar with Duke know that it is among the wokest of woke universities. Recall the men's Lacrosse scandal, for which Duke paid a reported $70,000,000 in legal judgements, and for which it has to this day never apologized. These folks make Oberlin deans look like amateurs when it comes to inflaming hatred against imagined oppressors.

Minority and female students are baptized in a culture of victimhood from the first day of Freshmen orientation. It is no wonder that an African-American female among the scary Christians could hear a random sound and interpret it as a racial insult.

jaydub said...

Well said, Althouse! That a racial slur was yelled from the midst of a crowd and no one could be found to confirm it is not that newsworthy because there is a much stronger demand for racism than there are racists to supply it. It would only be newsworthy if it could be confirmed, because the N word is now just as taboo among whites as it is among blacks. With the exception of rapsters I haven't heard it used within my earshot in years.

Gusty Winds said...

Notice these race hoaxes always seems to happen on college campuses.

A google notification on my phone this morning directed me to the UW Madison Chancellor’s statement addressing the anti-Semitic chalk writing discovered on campus last week. Although anti-semitism is popular in liberal communities because of hatred of Israel, I would bet this is a hoax too. But, like race hustling Duke, UW is all in on the fake crisis du jour.

White BYU...such and easy target for the false accusation. And nobody likes a fake race hoax crisis more than Duke. But colleges encourage this type of hoax and are easily played. You can get 88 PHDs to sign a letter no problem. The outrage and virtue signaling are culturally rewarded in those bubbles. Being a victim is a red badge of courage.

The racial division is necessary or Stacey Abrams might lose a percentage of black male voters she needs. People might start thinking for themselves, which is the antithesis of University culture. Colleges have become a main cultivator of racial division, just as teachers unions promote systematic racism for their own benefit and self-preservation. It brings in $$$ and provides a fake moral high ground the credentialed can use to look down upon everyone else.

It also allows them to wag their bullshit shaming finger at everyone else. I have a suggestion as to where they should stick that finger.

Randomizer said...

In the final paragraph, NYT thought it was appropriate to include the superfluous information about BYU that "The student population is predominantly white and Mormon. Less than one percent of students are Black." No mention of the Duke Lacrosse team and the eagerness at Duke to accept scurrilous accusations. Even when the accusations can't be confirmed, some level of punishment remains in place.

Lilly, a dog said...

The racist words were obviously magically delivered into Richardson's ears so that only she could hear them. A white supremacist wizard lives in Utah who has the ability to do this.

Ann Althouse said...

I see a parallel to Trump's claim that the election was stolen. Of course, the mainstream press never believed him, but they won't say there's "no evidence to confirm" his claim. They say he *falsely* claims. That is, the NYT is partisan in the way it gets precise or imprecise about evidence depending on what they want to the facts to be. And I think they *wanted* there to be racists at BYU.

R C Belaire said...

When was the last time a claimed "incident" such as this one turned out to be true?

lgv said...

One thing I have been waiting for is the questioning of other Duke players. Where are their statementes? If the black player heard it, then the other players on the court, especially the Duke players on the court at the time, would have heard it. Where are all their public statements confirming the claims of racial slurs?

Temujin said...

This is from the same people who hold the top positions in our Government and stand before the American people telling us and the world that the number one danger to the US is White Supremacists. The FBI and DoJ are looking for White Supremacists all over and, if they cannot find them easily, which they cannot, they create their own. They'll hunt down a disgruntled white man or two and pretend they too are disgruntled and try to talk them into kidnapping the Governor of Michigan.

This is who the Democratic Party has become. Remember when Nancy Pelosi and John Lewis walked through the Tea Partiers gathered to protest (without violence) the ramming through of Obamacare? Lewis told the world he was called a n***** and spit on. Pelosi confirmed it for him. Yet, with videos of the entire thing from all angles, no one could hear any names or see any spitting.

We have universities crammed to the gills with Diversity officers and Diversity directives who's sole goal is to promote racism within the university. How do you think young people get to see the world this way? This young woman wanted to believe that a predominantly white culture (Mormons in Utah) were all born racists. So...she was having a bad game and...racism had to be declared.

We've had years of fake racial hoaxes. As has been said, we have a much higher demand for racism than we do an actual supply of it. And the supply we have comes mainly from the Left, and often from Black America itself.

It's shameful. Those who actually fought to gain freedom would be vomiting at the sight of these people 'playing racism'.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Everybody has a video camera in their phones. Where are the films?

ga6 said...

Wisconsin residents can feel less racists today:

28 Wisconsin Sites Renamed by Government to Remove Derogatory Word
Published September 9, 2022 • Updated on September 9, 2022 at 5:39 pm

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/28-wisconsin-sites-renamed-by-government-to-remove-derogatory-word/2936045/

Curious George said...

Duke is doubling down.

"Duke AD King on Friday expressed the university's support for Richardson and all members of the school's volleyball team. The 18 members of the Duke University volleyball team are exceptionally strong women who represent themselves, their families, and Duke University with the utmost integrity," King said in a statement. "We unequivocally stand with and champion them, especially when their character is called into question. Duke Athletics believes in respect, equality and inclusiveness, and we do not tolerate hate and bias."

Not really a "we believe Rachel Richardson" though.

Her race hustling godmother is too:

"BYU's statement today does not change my position," Pamplin said in a statement. "In fact, the statement and the 'findings' are in keeping with what I -- and many others -- anticipated.

Daily across America, the burden of proof -- in instances like these involving people of color, as well as marginalized people, economically disadvantaged people, and disempowered people -- is shifted unfairly and without hesitation."

She wasn't there, and again, not I believe my god daughter, but white people bad!

In the original post I simply commented "She's lying." Why? Not because these are always fake...and they always are. Because there is absolutely no way a fan could shout a racial slur...even once...and get away with it in this day and age.

I wonder if that asshole Stephen A. Smith will apologize for his rant smearing BYU.

Jussie indeed.

Buckwheathikes said...

"And I think they *wanted* there to be racists at BYU." - Althouse

ann, the NYTimes doesn't CARE if there are, or aren't, racists at BYU.

They will claim that there are whether they exist or not. The actual presence of racists is not a requirement for what the NY Times is attempting to do, which is to keep black people on the Democrat Party plantation. It's a very well-tested method to control black people. It works 100% of the times it's been tried. That's why they keep doing it: It keeps working.

Roger von Oech said...

Back in 1995, I watched the Pan Pacific swimming championship swimming meet on TV. The women’s 100 fly was a particularly close event with an Australian women defeating an American by 0.2 second. The American was interviewed after the race and was asked about the winner. “Well, she’s a Nazi — you’ve got to expect that,” the American replied. I was shocked!

A few days later, I talked to the American swimmer’s coach and told him about the remark, and how unsportsmanlike it was. “You misheard her,” he said, “what she said was ‘she’s an Aussie.’” It turns out that my thinking had been primed: at that time, I was in the middle of reading a history of World War II in Europe and “Nazis” were in the forefront of my mind.

Creola Soul said...

The claim is obvious BS, from the start. Can you imagine any venue, with black and white spectators, sitting by idly while someone shouts the N word, loud enough to be heard on the court? Surely someone would have it on video, at the least, or the vigilantes would take the person down. This story never passed the initial threshold of credibility.
I have no idea her motivation for such a false claim. She has now discredited herself, her school and the media that immediately backed up her story. These things should be investigated of course, but with care not to damage others reputations.

Bob Boyd said...

Zoinks! It's like a Scooby Doo cartoon except every week someone fakes a racism incident instead of a paranormal incident.
The NYT is supposed to be the meddling kids, but no. Their reporters get a pat on the head and a Scooby Snack every time they find a way to push the narrative.

n.n said...

Trump's claim rests on documented irregularities, fraud, steering, and mainstream braying of misinformation and disinformation the gerrymandered democracy at the twilight fringe.

NYT reports on a faith and incorporation of diversity [dogma] not limited to racism, sexism, ageism, transphobia and other social disorders through projection. Another back... black hole... whore h/t NAACP incident. Perhaps a group rape event, a lynching, a hazing, an oral emission, etc. uncorroborated in time, space, forensic and human witness.

Curious George said...

"BUMBLE BEE said...
Everybody has a video camera in their phones. Where are the films?"

The review all the private as well as BYU video. Nothing of course.

n.n said...

NYT contributes to an Oberlin overture of Diversity [dogma], Inequity, and Exclusion (DIE).

CWJ said...

"That is, the NYT is partisan in the way it gets precise or imprecise about evidence depending on what they want to the facts to be. And I think they *wanted* there to be racists at BYU."

Absolutely! BYU was a Trifecta - representing flyover, white, and Mormon. How could it not be racist as well? Classic Eastern elitist bigotries. In their search for bigotry, all they accomplished was displaying their own.

Maynard said...

Everybody has a video camera in their phones. Where are the films?

One of the more egregious racial hoaxes was when the TEA party was smeared as racist for allegedly spitting and swearing racial epithets at Black Caucus members as they entered the Capitol. There were dozens of cell phones filming the event and no one captured spitting or swearing.

stlcdr said...

But now…it’s a conspiracy theory. All those white people must be covering it up. White supremacy goes further than you think…

I’d like to add a sarcasm tag, but I’m sure there is a growing segment that truly believes this.

hawkeyedjb said...

"We do not tolerate hate and bias."

Lying, well that's another subject. Let's talk about hate and bias.

rhhardin said...

It's a derivative problem, a solution causing another problem.

The right solution is not caring about racial slurs. The default now is by contrast that you don't hear them because they're severely punished and who would be surprised if one slips out.

I'd say you wouldn't hear any even if nobody cared.

I'd shout "You unwelcome flower bowl of polluted bonito defecation."

Big Mike said...

How does one stop this sort of hoax? What level of punishment should be levied upon this volleyball player and/or the entire Duke team to bring an end to the fake racial incidents? Because the problem isn’t that Jussie Smollett or Jonah Sampson or Rachel Richardson creates a fake racial incident, the problem will come if someday the racial incident is real, but gets lost among the hoaxes.

Aggie said...

If the article had been written properly, it would have said something like: "the student made claims, without evidence, of racist epithets being called during the game". The most-likely stretch that investigators found is that somebody heard calls for the mascot - 'Cougars' and misinterpreted based on the final syllable. Oh wait....Democrats are involved.

Still only a few are noticing that the real pot-stirrer here is the player's Godmother. She's running for office of judge in Texas, and not only that, she has a long history of anti-white, racist behavior with an equally long compiled record of it on Twitter. 'Whypeepoe' is one of her favorite calls, applicable in almost any newsworthy context, in her past threads. So it's another case of race-hoaxing-to-power, on display for all to see, and nobody to talk about.

n.n said...

Allegations of diversity [dogma] (e.g. racism, sexism) normally exceeds its supply. Even in its haydays, diversity is more often indulged, engaged, advocated by a minority who exploit it for leverage, and not the general population where bias is an artifact of Nature, but prejudice is not a progressive condition.

Christopher B said...

"Proving a negative" is not the same as disproving a positive.

If you ask me what I was doing at some random but specifically defined time last week, I probably have nothing to back up what I would claim. My word against yours. If I do have some proof, however, that would presumptively defeat your claim that I was doing something else. That's how an alibi works.

There's plenty of evidence that defeats the specific claim that a certain word was audible at a specific time in a specific place.

Tim said...

Never happened. Just another black racist.

iowan2 said...

the mainstream press never believed him, but they won't say there's "no evidence to confirm" his claim. They say he *falsely* claims.

There evolved a more nuanced response to all the election fraud.

"There was not fraud to effect the outcome"

Finally admitted "evidence" existed.....but just a little cheating....was investigated. Of course you don't have to manufacture 2 million votes. Just a few thousand in targeted precincts. Not surprising, those exact precincts are usually the last to finalize votes.

On the overnight cafe, someone posted the number of Wisconsin counties won by the last ~6 presidents. Interesting, or informative?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Those Duke snowflakes should take a real close look at what American hero Jesse Owens endured while representing our country in the Olympics. Maintaining dignity AND winning on the field is how you make history. Having a racial meltdown and declaring the team will never play BYU again is so pitiful that the Duke program should be sent down to club league. So the NCAA has no nad left either it appears or this story would have died in 24 hours.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Until we start punishing the fakers to the same degree we do actual use of racist words we will get more of this.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

The whole reason we still debate the Wisconsin Senator McCarthy is because it used to be a horrible thing to label someone a Communist without proof. Even though proof later emerged McCarthy is held in contempt by many who believe he wrongly smeared innocent Americans because there did exist a consensus of fairness in the American character. Too many of low character like to ascribe I’ll will to others and so use “racist!” instead of “Commie!” as their weapon.

Achilles said...

Democrats need events to justify their hatred and violence.

There are not enough of these events in reality.

So they make them up.

These racist hoax attacks are vile and they are 100% in control of the people that are making them. They incite violence against white people and purposely damage our society.

The democrat party and the people that own them and the people that support them actively support these hoaxes. They actively use them to justify calling their political opponents racists.

It is evil. The party is evil. The people that support it are vile and disgusting.

Every time this bullshit hoax racist garbage happens they are directly inciting violence and hatred.

It is not enough anymore to snidely joke about the "Demand for racism greatly exceeds the supply."

"Cruel Neutrality" just means you tacitly accept this activity.

Everyone that supports this must be called out and driven out of our society. They are a cancer and have already resorted to violence.

Sebastian said...

"It's hard to say a racist incident never happened, but why was it so easy to say that it did?"

1. Black privilege. 2. Because it's useful to keep The Narrative alive. 3. Because it's easy to put the burden of proof on the white raaacccisssts.

"They don't and can't say that nothing at all happened."

Well, they could. But they don't want to. Messes up The Narrative.

A Duke University women’s volleyball player who is Black was called a racial slur during a game Friday night in Utah....

"did it consciously choose to leave out the "allegedly" before "called"? Why stir up discord, when so often these allegations turn out to be false?"

Why, oh, why? Why do progs do the prog thing? Why do they not care about fair and accurate reporting? It's almost as if they want discord, believe in discord, think discord is good and useful. As long as the nice women of America are in denial, they'll keep at it.

"Why hasn't the NYT learned — at the very least — to leave itself an out? Is it carelessness? Is it blinded by the perverse hope that racism — which must be simmering everywhere — will burst forth in a vivid incident?"

Sure, there's that hope, but it's not at all perverse--for progs, it's hard-nosed realism in the pursuit of social justice. Pushing the story is simple prog cost-benefit analysis: the benefit in promoting The Narrative is great, it ties raaacccissst BYU in knots, it sells to prog true believers, it makes a refutation difficult (see the careful phrasing). The cost is minimal: short of Smollett-level malfeasance, no one dares accuse a black player of making a false accusation, no reporter loses a job for inaccuracy, and no NYT reader besides Althouse lowers her opinion of the paper, which was fighting the good fight.


"Boosting these stories so eagerly, the media is cultivating doubt."

So what? There's always a next story, taken just as seriously, giving credence to the next accuser, requiring just as much investigation. And even the resolution leaves doubt on the other side: something could have happened, you know, there's just "no evidence to corroborate."

"Stop luring young people into tainting their reputation by concocting another one of these poisonous morsels you're so eager to serve to America!"

Progs! Stop being progs! Althouse told you! Listen up! But among progs the accuser's reputation is just fine: she is now a double victim.

Achilles said...

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Until we start punishing the fakers to the same degree we do actual use of racist words we will get more of this.

There will never be punishment until we destroy the illegitimate regime that is fomenting and supporting this bullshit.

Ancient Mariner said...

To quote Instapundit: The demand for racism in America so far exceeds supply that more must be fabricated.

hombre said...

"Why hasn't the NYT learned — at the very least — to leave itself an out? Is it carelessness?"

No. It is shamelessness.

DKWalser said...

We don't have to believe that Richardson lied to believe that her claims were false. It is possible that she simply misheard what was being shouted. The Smith Fieldhouse is VERY loud. The night of the match, they had a record crowd. It's possible that the place has never been louder than during that match. Richardson herself said (paraphrasing), "When I first went back, I said to myself, 'Wait. Did I just hear that?' So, the next time, I paid attention. And, yep, I heard that." So, given the noise, it is very possible that Richardson simply misunderstood what she had heard. Add in the fact that the Duke team had attended a seminar on anti-racism in which they were taught to look for and root out racism, and I think it is probable that Richardson misheard.

But, is it even possible to mistake one word for the n-word? Of course it is! Just over a year ago, a fan at a Colorado Rockies game was accused of repeatedly yelling the n-word at a player on the Miami Marlin's team. Several fans in the stands complained of this racist behavior. Upon investigation, which included review of video and interviews with witnesses, the Rockies concluded that the fan had been trying to get the attention of the Rockies' mascot and had been yelling the mascot's name: Dinger. Those close around him heard 'Dinger'. Those farther away heard something else. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31993131/colorado-rockies-say-fan-shouted-mascot-dinger-use-racial-slur

n.n said...

Handmade tales are conceived, evolve, and then brayed in progressivo... progressiva... progressivX until they are no longer viable... politically congruent... convenient to their mothers... birthers... consumers.

Duke Dan said...

How big of a crowd could there be at a womens college volleyball game? I’m sure everyone would have been able to hear a mouse fart.

Yancey Ward said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

The Times stated it as a fact. Now, the NYT is very precise and says "no evidence to confirm," but when the allegation was made, it wasn't equivalently precise. Was it careless of precision, or did it consciously choose to leave out the "allegedly" before "called"?

We all are supposed to think that the Times is our society's reliably truthful "GATEKEEPER" of information.

The Times is a bunch of partisan hacks. It is our country's Pravda in 2022.

Yancey Ward said...

Given that the investigation seems to have included video footage of the event in question, I would say that BYU did about well as can possibly be done to prove the negative in this particular case.

When I first read about this claim, my natural reaction was "never happened" given that the initial claim didn't have video support. When I found out the initial claim came from a third party running for some office in Texas, I knew it was false with about 99.99999% certainty.

Jupiter said...

"They don't and can't say that nothing at all happened."

Yeah, well, I can and do. This child got a free ride at Duke because she has long, brown legs. Good for her. But apparently she served two balls into the net, which is exactly the wrong thing to do. She felt defensive about fucking up, as who wouldn't. So she decided to blame imaginary racists. Hey, she didn't invent imaginary racists! She has been hearing about imaginary racists since before she could talk. Her "Godmother" blames imaginary racists when one of her nail extensions breaks. It just seemed natural and convenient to blame them for her mistakes. Gremlins made me do it, right? Knock on wood! A little harmless superstition.

What's telling here is that her own teammates, a fine collection of long-limbed white girls with long, blondish braids, are tight-lipped. Tight. Lipped. I imagine things are just a wee bit tense around the old Duke locker room these days. Kind of like if everyone went to shower after practice, but Lia Thomas was in there playing with himself. Best to wait until he's done, you know? But shit, I wish my boyfriend took this long.

Coach is really glad she recruited this little race riot. Wait until somebody's MAGA boyfriend calls her a liar to her face. She'll be lucky to have a starter left. Her season, and her career, are hovering over the toilet, but if she so much as casts a doubtful glance at this little Rachel cupcake there's no telling what lunatic accusations her trash family will come up with next. And we all know that everyone at Duke will take them very, very seriously.

Mike said...

A favorite trope of the lefty press (but then I repeat myself) is to write "without evidence Trump claimed" X or Y.

Now in the Jussie Smollett Duke Volleyball player world, one can say "without evidence Xe or Xer claimed a racial attack or racial slur". Sauce for the gander, sauce for the goose.

Curious George said...

"It is possible that she simply misheard what was being shouted."

LOL. Sure.



Jupiter said...

"Even though proof later emerged McCarthy is held in contempt by many who believe he wrongly smeared innocent Americans because there did exist a consensus of fairness in the American character."

I'm sure you find that a comforting thought, but the reality is that McCarthy was right, but the Commies won, with the very considerable assistance of large numbers of useful idiots. Shove your fucking "fairness" up there with your "civility".

Joe Smith said...

I am against all hate crime laws.

But if you're going to have them, and if you're going to punish people for wrong-think, then false allegations should carry the same penalty as the allegation itself.

campy said...

"Why stir up discord, when so often these allegations turn out to be false?"

Because the democrats thrive by exploiting racial discord.

William said...

DK Walser's scenario above is credible and likely....The beat goes on. Perhaps her unease among white Mormons and distrust of them contributed to her picking up on the n-word among crowd noises....There's a cautionary tale here and maybe she's the one in need of cautioning. If she's hostile to whites, she will soon encounter a lot of hostile whites....I lived and worked among Black people for most of my childhood and adult life. I've worked with some Black people who didn't have any huge grudges, and we got along just fine. I've also known some Blacks who were deeply suspicious and hostile to whites, and it was tough sledding having to be around them.

Michael K said...

Duke is kind of ground zero for racial hoaxes.

Godot said...


Perhaps the crowds' constant refrain of "Cougars!"
became something else in Ms. Richardson's mind?

Rory said...

"BYU was a Trifecta - representing flyover, white, and Mormon. How could it not be racist as well?"

It seems there is some movement in academia to boycott schools athletically if they're not sufficiently prog, and that BYU is a choice target. The women's basketball coach at South Carolina, referencing "the incident", has cancelled games between the two schools.

https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2022/09/02/womens-basketball-to-change-opponent-for-home-opener/

Jupiter said...

"Those close around him heard 'Dinger'. Those farther away heard something else."

If you can hear the whistle, you're the dog.

rob5819 said...

This is a perfect crossover event, racial slurs being hurled and . . TikTok.

Duke women's volleyball TikTok account at https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dukevolleyball

Scroll down, but do NOT watch https://www.tiktok.com/@rachrich03/video/7134461808999566638?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 unless you want to see the Duke women allegedly dancing along with a racial epithet being hurled/sung. Allegedly.

n.n said...

Perhaps the crowds' constant refrain of "Cougars!"

Homonyphobia. An epithet sung in harmony. An example of the left/right-handed swastika, a thumbs up or down, an "ok" or diversity's preconceptions.

Jupiter said...

For our hostess, who, as I recall, doesn't do naked links (ahem), here is what rob5819 was referring to.

mikee said...

Hearing voices that aren't there deserves investigation, I think there are even medical specialists trained to look into such phenomena.

Dude1394 said...

Another smear by the democrat NYTimes. Need to hire a lawyer and get after them.

Jim at said...

How big of a crowd could there be at a womens college volleyball game?

Thousands, in this case. BYU packs them in.

GrapeApe said...

These race-mongers have never heard or maybe have forgotten the story of the boy who cried wolf. They and their ilk are running out of benefits of the doubt.

loudogblog said...

Since we're constantly being told that white racists are everywhere in our society, it's not surprising that the woman misheard something and assumed it to be a racist slur. What is surprising is that BYU did an extremely thorough investigation, involving multiple people, and didn't find any evidence supporting the claim, but these educated people simply dismiss that. What they don't realize is that this actually hurts their cause. For so many academics to put blinders on and dismiss the facts, tells the American people that they can't be trusted to make the correct decision based on the facts. They have made their bigotry quite obvious.

Jim at said...

and I think it is probable that Richardson misheard.

OK. Let's say she misheard.

Now that the facts are out, here is a perfect opportunity for her to step and say something along the lines of, "I thought I heard something and it's clear now that I didn't. And for that, I'm am sorry.

"I'm also sorry to the players, coaches and staff of the BYU volleyball team. I am also sorry to the fine university that is BYU. You've been unfairly targeted and I accept responsibility for that."

etc.

The fact she hasn't yet - and most likely never will - tells you all you need to know about her motives and intentions.

She made it up.

Narayanan said...

is there transcript of investigation proceedings?

I have nothing to say otherwise

Narayanan said...

"Cruel Neutrality" just means you tacitly accept this activity.
==========
professora and others have invoked "Cruel Neutrality"

I am yet to learn just what it means

somebody please oblige.

in matters of life and death is this appropriate

Bunkypotatohead said...

It is up to the woman and her supporters to prove it happened...not BYU to prove it didn't.

Browndog said...

Oh, well.

Next.....

Richard Aubrey said...

It is the habit of universities to jump on such accusations with all eighty-four feet, making the biggest fuss possible, to demonstrate their commitment to progressive thinking with regard to the terrifying fishing line knot.
See Bowling Green and a piece of lab equipment with a sheet...KKK
Indiana U... a friar in his robe and with a rosary was a KKK dude with his whip. Dire warnings across the campus.
If BYU couldn't make something of this--such as happened with Bubba Wallace's garage door pull--the evidence was horrifyingly negative. There was no hope of looking even as serious as Indiana U or U-Mich.
That they couldn't see their way clear--see the USAF Academy and the hoaxes there--to be SERIOUS YOU GUYS--there was not "nothing", there was "something" proving "nothing".
Too bad. Maybe next time.

Richard Aubrey said...

It is the habit of universities to jump on such accusations with all eighty-four feet, making the biggest fuss possible, to demonstrate their commitment to progressive thinking with regard to the terrifying fishing line knot.
See Bowling Green and a piece of lab equipment with a sheet...KKK
Indiana U... a friar in his robe and with a rosary was a KKK dude with his whip. Dire warnings across the campus.
If BYU couldn't make something of this--such as happened with Bubba Wallace's garage door pull--the evidence was horrifyingly negative. There was no hope of looking even as serious as Indiana U or U-Mich.
That they couldn't see their way clear--see the USAF Academy and the hoaxes there--to be SERIOUS YOU GUYS--there was not "nothing", there was "something" proving "nothing".
Too bad. Maybe next time.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Rachel Richardson is the Jussie Smollet of Bubba Wallaces.

Unknown said...

Whoever hollered

"Couger"

Should be sent to

Martha's Vineyard

With the rest of the racists