Oklahoma City Thunder broadcaster under fire over 'cotton-picking' comment

Enfuego · Apr 12, 2018

An Oklahoma City Thunder broadcaster came under fire Wednesday night for using an old Southern phrase – with possible racial connotations – when talking about Russell Westbrook’s play.

Westbrook, who became the only NBA player ever to finish two seasons averaging a triple-double in points, was on fire in the second quarter, prompting play-by-play guy Brian Davis to say the superstar point guard was “out of his cotton-picking mind.”

The expression “cotton-picking” is used as a term of disapproval or to describe something that is troublesome or a nuisance, according to Phrases.org.

Davis, who has done play-by-play for the Thunder on Fox Sports Oklahoma for eight seasons, didn’t appear to use the phrase maliciously, but came under fire for using it anyway.

Former NFL running back LenDale White wrote on Twitter, “This man jus (sic) said that ‘cotton picking mind,’” accompanied with “#okc” and “wtf.”

“If you’re a white man in America, you should know better than to say ‘cotton picking’ referring to anyone of us,” another Twitter user wrote.

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If you’re a white man in America, you should know better than to say “cotton picking” referring to anyone of us.
— &#55358;&#56628;&#55356;&#57342; (@IbSkeeAlii) April 12, 2018

Davis is a veteran behind the mic. He started out calling Chicago Bulls games on the radio for the Michael Jordan-era in 1991. He eventually moved to cover the Seattle SuperSonics and then the Thunder.

HacheMan · Apr 12, 2018

That phrase has absolutely no connection to race or color.

It's can be used to describe anyone.

bigbet1234 · Apr 12, 2018

Any chance a racist gets a chance to stir shit, they will do it.

ca$hmoney · Apr 12, 2018

Hache Man said:
That phrase has absolutely no connection to race or color.

It's can be used to describe anyone.

huh? I guess so is spear chuckin...

Enfuego · Apr 12, 2018

ca$hmoney said:
huh? I guess so is spear chuckin...

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Cotton-picking'?

A general term of disapproval, of something that is troublesome or a nuisance.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Cotton-picking'?

It can come as as little surprise that the term 'cotton-picking' originated in the southern states of the USA, where it is usually pronounced cotton-pickin'. It began life in the late 1700s and differs from the 19th century Dixie term, 'cottonpicker', in that the latter was derogatory and racist, whereas 'cotton-picking' referred directly to the difficulty and harshness of gathering the crop. This didn't extend to the specific expression 'keep your cotton-picking hands off of me'. This no doubt alludes to the horny, calloused (and usually black) hands that picked cotton.

Of course, 'cotton-picking' must have been in use as an English adjectival phrase for as long as English-speaking people have picked cotton. There are numerous citations of 'cotton-picking' seasons/jobs/machines etc. since the late 1700s. J & E Pettigrew's Letters has an early example, from 1795:

'One of the students was banished... for going to a cotton picking after eight at Knight.'

Manual cotton picking was tough work. The southern expression 'cutting in high cotton', which means 'have it easy', refers to the relatively easy task of cutting cotton without having to bend down.

Our folk memory of grizzled cowboys in Hollywood B-features 'fixin to run that cotton-picking greenhorn outta town' etc., might give us cause to think that the use of 'cotton-picking' as a figurative term originated in the 19th century wild west. In fact, it didn't, and it doesn't even seem to have been spoken in any of Hollywood's numerous early cowboy movies. It isn't until the 1940s that the term began to be used in any other context than that of the actual picking of cotton. The earliest such reference that I have found is in the Pennsylvania newspaper, The Daily Courier, November 1942:

It's just about time some of our Northern meddlers started keeping their cotton-picking fingers out of the South's business.

Where memory doesn't play tricks is when recalling the works of the sainted Bugs Bunny. While not originating the term, Bugs can claim to have done more to fix it into the language than the rest of rabbitkind, especially in its most often used form 'Wait just a cotton-picking minute'. There's an example in Bully for Bugs, 1953:

"Just a cotton-pickin' minute, this don't look like the Coachella Valley to me!"

Greenbacks · Apr 12, 2018

“out of his cotton-picking mind.”

Nothing Burger

bigbet1234 · Apr 12, 2018

Its not the 1700's any more.....so many live in the past

Enfuego said:
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Cotton-picking'?

A general term of disapproval, of something that is troublesome or a nuisance.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Cotton-picking'?

It can come as as little surprise that the term 'cotton-picking' originated in the southern states of the USA, where it is usually pronounced cotton-pickin'. It began life in the late 1700s and differs from the 19th century Dixie term, 'cottonpicker', in that the latter was derogatory and racist, whereas 'cotton-picking' referred directly to the difficulty and harshness of gathering the crop. This didn't extend to the specific expression 'keep your cotton-picking hands off of me'. This no doubt alludes to the horny, calloused (and usually black) hands that picked cotton.

Of course, 'cotton-picking' must have been in use as an English adjectival phrase for as long as English-speaking people have picked cotton. There are numerous citations of 'cotton-picking' seasons/jobs/machines etc. since the late 1700s. J & E Pettigrew's Letters has an early example, from 1795:

'One of the students was banished... for going to a cotton picking after eight at Knight.'

Manual cotton picking was tough work. The southern expression 'cutting in high cotton', which means 'have it easy', refers to the relatively easy task of cutting cotton without having to bend down.

Our folk memory of grizzled cowboys in Hollywood B-features 'fixin to run that cotton-picking greenhorn outta town' etc., might give us cause to think that the use of 'cotton-picking' as a figurative term originated in the 19th century wild west. In fact, it didn't, and it doesn't even seem to have been spoken in any of Hollywood's numerous early cowboy movies. It isn't until the 1940s that the term began to be used in any other context than that of the actual picking of cotton. The earliest such reference that I have found is in the Pennsylvania newspaper, The Daily Courier, November 1942:

It's just about time some of our Northern meddlers started keeping their cotton-picking fingers out of the South's business.

Where memory doesn't play tricks is when recalling the works of the sainted Bugs Bunny. While not originating the term, Bugs can claim to have done more to fix it into the language than the rest of rabbitkind, especially in its most often used form 'Wait just a cotton-picking minute'. There's an example in Bully for Bugs, 1953:

"Just a cotton-pickin' minute, this don't look like the Coachella Valley to me!"

Enfuego · Apr 12, 2018

bigbet1234 said:
Its not the 1700's any more.....so many live in the past

It's an old saying that isn't racist in nature. It wasn't racist in the 1700s nor is it racist now either.

You do realize white and black people both picked cotton right?

REDEYE · Apr 12, 2018

I'd be more surprised these days if someone didn't have an issue with it.. any chance these fucks get to use race card , they do it

Coldweather · Apr 12, 2018

Liberals!

hno:

Mr_Mark · Apr 12, 2018

It sounded to me as if he used that phrase instead of dropping the f-bomb, which ironically would have probably caused less backlash. I had a feeling there would be an issue made of this

metro · Apr 12, 2018

Deputy Dawg used to say this almost every episode when muskrat would frustrate him

tatehill2000 · Apr 12, 2018

metro said:
Deputy Dawg used to say this almost every episode when muskrat would frustrate him

sadly metro,,, Muskrat was a black thief,, lololol

Please Imbed photo Below

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=deputy+do...bc/43/84/bc43840ed247c1143c26fe7951acfa89.jpg

festeringZit · Apr 12, 2018

busterhyman · Apr 12, 2018

RED EYE said:
I'd be more surprised these days if someone didn't have an issue with it.. any chance these fucks get to use race card , they do it

they we be playing that card- till the end of time

Enfuego · Apr 12, 2018

[FONT=&quot]The Oklahoma City Thunder just apologized for their announcer using the phrase “cotton pickin.” They said it’s offensive and racist. [/FONT]

Enfuego · Apr 12, 2018

Oklahoma City Thunder broadcaster under fire over 'cotton-picking' comment

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