Shani Davis's Gold Medal Makes Bryant Gumbel Look Even More Foolish

As reported by Dave Pierre of NewsBusters Thursday, HBO’s Bryant Gumbel made some truly absurd and obviously racist remarks recently on his “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” program. To refresh everyone’s memory, Gumbel was in the middle of a rant about why the Winter Olympics aren’t sports when he blurted out “So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention.” (Video Link)

This faux pas looks even more absurd given the gold medal that Shani Davis won Saturday night in speed skating, making him the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympics history. As reported by the Chicago Tribune:

Speedskater Shani Davis' victory in 1,000 meters makes him the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics.

However, at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002:

- Vonetta Flowers won gold as part of a two-woman bobsled team. She is an African-American. However, she won gold for a team event, not as an individual.

- Jarome Iginla, a black Canadian, won gold as part of Canada's hockey team.

Nice timing, Bryant. Do you need some help removing that foot from your mouth?