Alabama Coach Nick Saban calls a ditch worker a "Coona**"

[footballfiji]

Audio File

Personally, I don't think its a big deal.

1) He was telling a story and adding some funny details. I don't think he meant anything derogatory.

2) For most Cajun people "coonass" is not a put down but rather a proud moniker.

[sscrunner06]

#2 is definitely true...but don't you still think the media is gonna blow this way out of proportion?

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

In the rest of the civilized country, calling someone a "coonass" IS a big deal. Especially if the state is paying you $4 million a year to represent its largest school.

Of course, judging by the above comments and "anti-PC" brigade to follow, having any kind of polite society standards in Alabama is probably too much to ask. Quite simply, the highest-paid member of the University of Alabama system (I'm assuming, but I can't imagine who would be paid more) should not be calling people racial/ethnic/Cajun/whatever slurs. It's just stupid.

[leedsunited]

Audio File

Personally, I don't think its a big deal.

1) He was telling a story and adding some funny details. I don't think he meant anything derogatory.

2) For most Cajun people "coonass" is not a put down but rather a proud moniker.

Yeah, but 3., he's not Cajun, and he's not paid like a countrified average joe.

He's a representative of a powerful state university and should be held to a higher standard. He's certainly paid to a higher standard.

Then again, from everything i've heard, Nick Saban is a complete a-hole.

[RickV]

My understanding is that around Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, that "coonass" is NOT a derogatory term at all, and in fact many of Cajun descent refer to themselves as "coonass". I know it's not the greatest source, but here's what Wikipedia has to say about the origins:

The most popular folk etymology, however, stems from late Louisiana congressman and cultural activist James "Jimmy" Domengeaux, who maintained that "coonass" derived from the continental French word "connasse," which he contended meant "stupid person" or "a prostitute without health papers" (dirty prostitute). He asserted that Frenchmen used the term in reference to Cajun soldiers serving in France during World War II, and that Anglo-American soldiers overheard the term, transformed it into "coonass," and brought it back to the U.S. as a disparaging term for Cajuns. Citing Domengeaux's etymology, Louisiana legislators passed a concurrent resolution in the 1980s condemning the word. (Contrary to popular belief, the lawmakers did not ban the term.)

Research has since disproved Domengeaux's "conasse" etymology. Indeed, photographic evidence indicates that the Cajuns themselves used the term prior to the period in which "conasse" allegedly morphed into "coonass." As a result, the origin of "coonass" remains uncertain.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

My mom, my dad, and myself always have called cajun's coonasses. It's not a big deal. Being upset about this is like being upset at "Redneck" "Yankee" or "Californian"

(Teehee)

[Guest]

I'm not a resident of Louisiana, so I'm not really in a position to say whether or not it's okay to call someone a coonass. However, I'd say you'd want to err on the side of caution with this one. I mean, one could easily misinterpret "coonass," and Saban doesn't exactly have a lot of personal capital right now.

[B-Rich]

My understanding is that around Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, that "coonass" is NOT a derogatory term at all, and in fact many of Cajun descent refer to themselves as "coonass". I know it's not the greatest source, but here's what Wikipedia has to say about the origins:

.......Research has since disproved Domengeaux's "conasse" etymology. Indeed, photographic evidence indicates that the Cajuns themselves used the term prior to the period in which "conasse" allegedly morphed into "coonass." As a result, the origin of "coonass" remains uncertain.

You're right, Rick, it's not the greatest source.... Once I went there to find out whether or not Colonel Sanders had been a real colonel, and Itheir entry on him (and I kid you not) stated that Colonel Sanders died when he was eaten by bears. (I wonder if that is still in there).

Regardless of what Wikipedia says, usage of the term is a tricky thing. It may be hard to fathom, but it is perhaps closest to the usage of the "n-word", in that while it may be commonly or colloquially used by those who ARE Cajun to describe themselves or other Cajuns in conversation or telling of jokes, and even may be advertised on bumper stickers/t-shirts, etc., a line is crossed when non-cajuns use the terms to describe cajuns or to CALL a Cajun by that term... Cyclopsis, your comment goes to show what I'm talking about. Substitute the "N-word" for what you just said and you see what I mean. TCR, you have the right idea....

Of course, as with anything there is a spectrum. Some south Louisiana folks would pick a fight if you called them a coon-ass. Some Cajuns are offended by the term "Cajun", as it is a bastardization of the term "Acadian", and prefer to be called that. Other people just don't give a hoot and fling the term about indiscriminately.

Best course is to not use it at all.....

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

Best course is to not use it at all.....

Especially if you're on state payroll and highly visible. Right?

[yh]

The most popular folk etymology, however, stems from late Louisiana congressman and cultural activist James "Jimmy" Domengeaux, who maintained that "coonass" derived from the continental French word "connasse," which he contended meant . . . "dirty prostitute"

Well, to be fair, "dirty prostitute" is an insult in Turkmenistan seeing as how they have the cleanest prostitutes in the region.

[footballfiji]

Judging from other boards I've seen talk about this....

There are three main problems (two I've seen mentioned here)

He's not from Louisiana. No matter how acceptable or unacceptable the word is in the south one of the problems is that HE used the word.

Also, he's the highest paid state employee now. He should have some civility and couth.

My biggest problem is this:

?My friends are okay with it. The rest of those guys? One of my, one of my guy on the board ? you guys won?t be able to put this on the thing ? was walking down the street, one of the Board of Trustees guys like these people around here and sitting up on the stage today at LSU, is walking down the street yesterday before the Sugar Bowl. He calls me. There?s a guy working in a ditch. One of those coon-ass guys that talk funny. I can?t talk like him but he can. Most people in Louisiana can. And he says, ?Hey, you see where Coach Saban signed up with Alabama?? You know however they talk. And the Board of Trustees guy says, ?Yeah, I saw that.? And he says, ?That son of a bitch. I feel like he?s f?king my wife.??

*translation from Every Day Should Be Saturday

I might be reading too much into this being an Auburn fan but I have a problem with the head coach of a school referring to Board of Trustee members as "one of his guys". It just doesn't sit well with me.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Well, as an Auburn fan, you're about as trustworthy as Osama Bin Laden.

[footballfiji]

Well, as an Auburn fan, you're about as trustworthy as Osama Bin Laden.

How so?

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Because, if you're anything like the Auburn fans I've met, you do your best to slam Alabama at every chance.

Sorry for being judgmental if you're not.

[leedsunited]

Because, if you're anything like the Auburn fans I've met, you do your best to slam Alabama at every chance.

Sorry for being judgmental if you're not.

In all fairness, Alabama's done all the slamming to itself lately.

[Seadragon76]

Good point.

Anyway, you knew this was going to happen sooner or later. It's like Alabama wants the public attention, weather it is positive or negitive.

Now, I want to ask this: What in the blue hell does coonass mean anyway? All I know is that it is a supposed Cajun slam. Is it like calling someone an a-hole or what?

[Guest]

I didn't know about the origins of the word "coonass" until now, so I thought that it was derived from calling black people "coons." Now if that had been the case, boy, Nick Lou would be in some hot water.

[winters in buffalo]

I had never heard the term before reading this thread, but as soon as I saw the word, I assumed it meant something offensive.

I can't say that any of the points posted here have been any help in clarifying whether it is, isn't or should be.

[whitedawg22]

I had never heard the term before reading this thread, but as soon as I saw the word, I assumed it meant something offensive.

This is the problem with lazy, reactionary media. Not to pick on you, but people are so sensitive to anything that might possibly be un-PC that they jump on things that have a chance at creating controversy before they even figure out if they're bad.

This incident reminds me of the similar incident in 1999 when an aide to the mayor of Washington D.C. was forced to resign after using the word "niggardly" in a budget meeting. Rather than look at the context of the word (which has quite a different meaning and etymology than the more offensive word it was mistaken for) and how it was used, they automatically assumed he was making a racial slur.

Saban should be smart enough not to use a word that could be reported like this and blown out of proportion, but jeez... the media should grow up a little.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

I had never heard the term before reading this thread, but as soon as I saw the word, I assumed it meant something offensive.

This is the problem with lazy, reactionary media. Not to pick on you, but people are so sensitive to anything that might possibly be un-PC that they jump on things that have a chance at creating controversy before they even figure out if they're bad.

This incident reminds me of the similar incident in 1999 when an aide to the mayor of Washington D.C. was forced to resign after using the word "niggardly" in a budget meeting. Rather than look at the context of the word (which has quite a different meaning and etymology than the more offensive word it was mistaken for) and how it was used, they automatically assumed he was making a racial slur.

Saban should be smart enough not to use a word that could be reported like this and blown out of proportion, but jeez... the media should grow up a little.

EDIT: I was going to write how we should be sensitive to offensive-looking words, but I don't want to cut off speech forever. I wouldn't use the word niggardly, or coonass, or tar baby (as Tony Snow did during his first week as press secretary) because you can easily substitute better words and phrases.

But that doesn't mean we should hold ritual sacrifice to anyone that does. You're right, people should know better. Especially Nick Saba. But sports media is absurd enough without creating the Outrage of the Day ®.