Brandon Meriweather: Boston Fans 'Not At All' More Racist Toward Athletes Than Other Cities
BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston is under attack yet again for being an overtly "racist" city compared to others, this time from an Atlanta sports radio host who was responding to a Dan Shaughnessy article in the Boston Globe. Shaughnessy's column concerned the lack of excitement surrounding the Patriots playing the Falcons in the Super Bowl, as opposed to the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, or New York Giants. Leave it to Shaughnessy to bring out the worst in people without even trying.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich asked former Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather about the latest controversy concerning supposed racism in Boston. Meriweather denied that the fans in New England were any worse than the fans anywhere else - but acknowledged that it could be a different experience for famous athletes as opposed to ordinary citizens.
"No, not at all," said Meriweather when asked if Boston was more racist than other cities he played in. "But at the same time, Boston loves its sports. ... I wouldn't necessarily know because everywhere I went, everybody knew me. ... It could be completely different for someone who grew up in Dorchester."
Still, this particular issue is about racism among sports fans. Meriweather cited West Virginia as a place where the fans were blatantly racist toward him and his teammates when he played at the University of Miami.
"They were brutal," said Meriweather. "West Virginia might have been the worst racist place I've ever been in my life. ... They throw stuff at you, they call you the N-word walking in and out of the tunnel, they call you 'boy,' they do all the little racist stuff."
Of course, you can find racist people in any city where you look. But Boston's unfortunate history has long labeled the city unfairly compared to others in recent decades, especially when it comes to sports. The latest accusations will only perpetuate this inaccurate notion, no matter how much Meriweather and other pro athletes who played in New England deny them.
