Racism is Alive and Well in Pittsburgh

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There will always be a few… and I’d expect that, especially when it comes to black hockey players, you’ll often be able to find at least some racist Tweets from fans of the predominately white sport. But, Penguins fans on Twitter took it to another level yesterday.

Over a dozen Tweets, all from different idiots, called Simmonds either a “nigger” or some variation of a primate. 

You can see them all after the jump. Feel free to respond, too.


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Kyle Scott
Kyle Scott
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.
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99 Responses

  1. You lost. Get over it. Get used to it. Only thing giroux has even accomplished over Sid is a video game cover. Sucks to be you guys.

  2. Can’t we just turn Pittsburgh into a parking lot or something? Making Pensyl-tucky proud, yinzer trash.

  3. Why tweet the n word and why give them attention you hack cut wayne some slack and don’t post this shit

  7. Yea and that last Stanley cup in 1975, but who remembers that either? That’s right no one.

  9. @Flyers Still Suck – sad for you – how long you been a Penguins fan? I assume since they drafted Cindy? You must be the most popular fanboi on the bandwagon.

  10. Yeah, and Pittsburgh had so few fans until the Crosby era, they were just about moved out of state. What’s your point kid?

  11. Clever Gray, and how long have you been a flyers fan? Since they drafted Giroux? That’s the only reason I can see even liking that disgrace of a hockey team. And no probably since the early 90s but since you’re probably 12 you weren’t even a swimmer in your dads ball bag then anyway, you probably should have ended in a blowjob anyway guess accidents in the trailer park do happen.

  12. They’re always gonna be out there, in every city, and always have a platform due to social media…How about we just ignore them instead of propelling their slime into a bigger spot light?

  15. Your fans would totally be saying the same shit too if we had a black guy on our team get off your soapboxes, your break at McDonald’s is over.

  16. @flyers still suck: grab ur ankles and bend over u little fuckboy… U sound like ur still salty from last yr’s playoff buttsex clinic the flyers put on those skating tampons… Almost as salty as Malkin’s crooked dick right before he finishes in Crosby’s mouth

  17. What a pointless blog post. Why is there no post with tweets from Flyers fans calling Crosby a “faggot”?

  18. No surprise from a fan base that is mostly composed of front runners who know little about hockey nor like it very much unless the team is good. Proof? Only reason they are good is 1,000 #1 picks from being terrible for so long. And how close did they come multiple times to losing the team to a move due to lack of support when they were bad? Says all you need to know about Pens “fans.”

  19. Wah wah wah, the bad people made fun of one of our players!!! That shit is mild compared to what you guys do to Crosby. Jealousy is a bitch we have the 2 best players in the world and you guys are pissed about a little racial slur, look at all the vulgar signs and everything you make to Our entire team. We’ll see who the real team is 2/20.

  20. Yep, “Flyers still suck” — you have two very good players. See my post above yours for the reason why. Why would we be jealous of that? We didn’t have to suck year after year to get good players. As for labeling racial slurs as “making fun” of a player and comparing it to what fans normally do, you truly are an ass clown.

  22. I love how this turned into an argument over the players, fan base and reputations of the teams instead of focusing on the real problem. There is no need to go free a player because of the color of his skin. He’s here doing the same thing as the rest of the players which is playing the sport he loves. There no need to use that kind of language or terminology in order to get your point across. It’s disrespectful and immature.

  23. Yea and there’s no racism in Philadelphia. Look back at your recent posts about Howard eskin. Scroll through the comments and see how many anti-Semitic Jew remarks are made. I don’t understand that hate on for Pittsburgh. It’s made up of a lot of working class steel mill, coal mine types. I guess we’re supposed to hold them to a lower standard then the welfare queens and illegals that make up most of Philadelphias population. Plus there’s the fact that Pittsburgh actually produces champions too. And I’m not talking about the 1 in a quarter of a century variety either like the great Philadelphia produces.

  24. I wonder how these Yinzers feel when they see Mike Tomlin and the majority of the Steelers team at Heinz Field. But yeah, I’d have to say that Philadelphia is probably just as racist. I’m sure there were a good amount of Philadelphians who thought or said the same kind of stuff about Simmonds when the Flyers first got him, they just weren’t as stupid or technologically empowered enough to tweet their thoughts.

  25. Pittsburgh fans do this, and we still get shit from the national media for throwing snowballs at Santa over 40 years ago.

  26. Truthshallsetyoufree I want to make one thing very clear here. I am not, nor will ever be one of the people to condemn someone on their skin color, hockey players or not. Just not me, that being said, what other fans do is none of my business. But I guaren-damn-tee you that flyers fans would be saying the same thing if we had a black player. As for sucking for how many years to get good players, you guys certainly have all the championships and cup victories to prove how much better you were in those years. Get over yourselves. And as far as telling us to stay classy, I didn’t know class involved making a paper dick and putting it into a picture of our captains mouth. If that’s not class I don’t know what is. Ironic that the pic they were putting the dick into was while Sid was lifting the Stanley cup too.

  27. Correction – some flyers fans would be making comments. Not all, just like all of us aren’t making racist comments. There’s racism everywhere like it or not.

  29. It’s ironic when you cry “inappropriate” at Howard Eskin’s comments and “racist” at Penguins’ fans’ tweets, yet you allow the white trash readership to post the most insanely racist/sexist/homophobic garbage in your comment sections on every single post.

  30. Pittsburgh had Laraque (spelling?) and loved the shit out of him…we hate Wayne Simmonds not because hes black but hes a flyer and a cheap shot artist. So Kyle get the cock out of your ass and wake up, racism is everywhere…for you to point it out only in pittsburgh is pathetic.

  33. because flyers fans have never used homophobic slurs about ANY player (especially crosby). fucking hypocrites.

  34. Wow…why post this. Yeah racism is only in Pittsburgh, nowhere else. And the few people that say this stuff represent our whole fanbase. Wake up. Get over the loss and cry about it some more maybe that will help. And all of the vulgar things your fans say about Sid should be ignored too right? Cryers fans say classy.

  35. kyle, did you deleted any comments today? Simmonds is a average player, a good player if grouped in he brother category

  37. @soapbox- if your fucking idiot fans want to publicly announce how fucking retarded they are, then yes, they deserve whatever type of feedback they get. Don’t try to defend the indefensible, you fucking jizzrag. I know that’s a hard concept for you to understand, ya know, with your parents being cousins and all that.

  39. As a lifetime Penguin fan of close to 40 years, I want to apologize for the ignorant comments posted by “Penguin fans” to Wayne Simmonds. They are not true fans of hockey or the Pens, but would rather spew hate than talk hockey. No matter what happens on the ice, there is no room or tolerance for those comments. I realize that all fan bases have bigots and idiots, but that is no excuse reading those Tweets. As a proud Pittsburgher and Penguin fan, please ignore the ignorance of a few that I wouldn’t consider a Pens fan or human being and accept my apology.

  41. We are talking about a Flyer player, dumbass! In 2013, he shouldn’t be putting up with crap like that. Get over yourself and grow the F up, you heartless POS.

  42. So why is this directed towards Pittsburgh? It’s been verified that they are all Pittsburgh/Pens fans? No, it hasn’t.
    So with this logic, when Flyers play Montreal, and the racial comments towards PK Subban surface, it’s safe to assume they are all from Flyers fans.

  43. And this differs from Philadelphia, aka the most racist city on the planet, how? If Simmonds was on the Penguins there would have been twice as many nasty tweets.

  44. Racism is never defensible, and as a diehard Penguin fan, I am very saddened to hear these remarks about Simmonds. Know that they are not representative of the opinions of anything but the tiniest minority of Pens fans — no more than the blatantly homophobic, anti-Crosby images/chants represent the majority of hockey fans in oh-so-enlightened Philadelphia.

  45. HA “the most racist city on the planet”. is it easier or harder o get along in life being that dumb

  47. it’s sad to see the spirit of the radical right wing alive and well and commenting on hockey, Darwin needs to do his job and weed these asshats out of the gene pool

  49. Its really not their fault. Its all about how someone is raised. If the parents/parent are ignorant trash then chances are their children will be the same. Lets just hope this current bunch have not reproduced.

  50. When did we return to the 1950s? Disgusting and cowardly words! And all because of a hockey game? Now you know why the call western Pan Pennsyltucky. I’m embarrassed for us all.

  51. Moved to Dover and am a hockey fan…It is because of fans like you, from the “City of Brotherly Scum” that I drive a further distance and have Caps season tickets…Why I will cheer for the Penguins (who both Lemieux and Crosby tormented) and Dead Wings over the Cryers and why you will always be second in the State of Pennsylvania for everything…Superbowls, World Series, Stanley Cups, etc.

  52. And these signs of a cardboard wang going into Sid’s mouth are the epitome of class. Every team is going to have fans like this, we should all be happy the season is back and the best damn sport in the world is back. It’s one thing to have a good rivalry, it’s a completely different ball game to have vulgar racist comments and signs such as the Sid picture. Seriously everyone grow up.

  54. It’s not just Yinzers it’s both sides of the table. Everyone that’s saying this stuff and making vulgar signs are just as guilty as the other. Every team has asshole fans it’s not just Flyers and the Pens. I know some caps fans that are just as bad.

  55. There will be no N-bombs on Twitter from Flyers fans when Simmonds goes to a rival team and scores a goal against you guys, right? I bet those bros holding the Penis in Sid’s mouth are just as racist as any of those tweeters.
    P.S. Kyle, I cannot believe that Bryce Harper went on Jimmy Kimmel this week and you did not post a worthless blog about something he said.

  56. There is no way to confirm who these comments came from? It was nationally televised right? Could have been anyone from any city (Pgh included). Or ant fans of any team. Sux either way…

  57. A Flyer fan pointing out vulgarity on the Internet is like Kate Smith becoming the next Weight Watchers celebrity endorser.

  58. Kyle you should work for Fox News. You have a talent for publicizing the scum of America for your own benefit. Your wife blew 12 guys in high school.

  62. Can’t wait to see Kyle and the rest of the Philly media blame these two losses on Bryz.

  67. Lifetime Philadelphian, straight, white and in my mid-30’s here. (Context is key)
    I am deeply saddened that there are (numerous) people out there so ignorant that they would refer to Simmonds using that hateful term – either in the privacy of their living room or to the entire world on Twitter.
    That said….
    To learn this on the same website that just devoted an entire post celebrating the homophobic comments/signs directed to Crosby is pretty hypocritical. Kyle – don’t champion the guys who think it is derogatory to Crosby to say he sucks dick (millions of men do) and illustrate it, and then turn around and demonize the people who use a different type of slur to one of our players. Both comments are hurtful to millions of people who were born they way they are, and should not be made to feel bad about it.
    Now on to the important stuff – can we get start playing with some fucking jam?

  70. Why don’t you show a little class and take this down?
    Did you want to make sure simmonds caught wind of these tweets? or did you just think giving the people who posted these a platform was a good idea kyle? take it down.

  72. Ever think that you’re not the only Edward Murphy in the world? If you have a problem with it, start up some stupid group and protest about it.

  74. You’re a fucking idiot Kyle. This post is so utterly and astoundingly retarded on so many levels.
    A) As other people have said, why even bring this up? These fuckin racist pukes exist everywhere, and unfortunately have a microphone to the world via twitter, to spread their filth…Why in the fuck are you putting their garbage in the limelight even more??? They put it online, so they obviously dont care about negative attention, in fact, they probably crave it…So thanks for giving them what they want. Awesome, Kyle. Just fuckin dandy.
    B) As a Philly fan who supposedly hates being painted with a broad paint brush, why the fuck do you make a post like this?? Have you ever heard of taking the high road? It would speak volumes of Philly fans if they didn’t do the very thing that they despise. If you had class, maybe you’d make the post about how this stuff happens everywhere and not just in Philly, while not completely bashing an entire city in the process. Have you ever met the average Italian South Philly male? They probably say the same shit about Simmonds for fucks sake.
    You only further validate the negative attention Philly gets by posting shit like this. Want proof? Just read PensBlogs reaction to this post. Not only are they right in exposing your hypocrisy with the homophobia points, but they think this is what all Flyers fans are like. They think we agree with you, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. So, thanks for that Kyle.
    C) You have no right to be posting about racism when you let it run wild and free on your own site. You make race baiting posts about any black athlete who publically engages in black culture every chance you get. For fucks sake, You call Andrew Bynum a loon in every post, simply for pumping gas, yet see no lunacy in stalking the man and putting pictures of him eating on the Internet. Not only that, you let racist, sexist, homophobic shitholes champion your comments section. You make money off the backs of pathetic racist trolls like Candy from the oak, and have the sack to write this trash?
    In short: Fuck you Kyle. You’ve embarrassed this city, once again, with retarded posts like this.

  75. Damn, Kyle got absolutely annihilated on that Pitt blog as a hypocrite and for assuming these people were from Pittsburgh. LOL. That Fox News comment was fucking dead on brah. This site is so trash anymore.

  76. HAHAHAH yeah philly isn’t racist at all, you dumb sh*t: go visit Fairmont on Halloween some time and check out the segregated Halloween celebrations that STILL happen today.
    That’s SEGREGATION like they used to have in the South in the 60s …
    Wow, your level of ignorance about your own city is amazing.

  77. I’m a Philly fan but I have to admit that I would find it absolutely hysterical if any athlete ever crossed paths with Kyle Scott and just beat the living shit out of him in public. And then read about it on 700 Level. Lol.

  78. Hey I noticed that the Pitt blog makes you actually log in with another public account like Facebook or G+. If CB did that he’d lose 3/4 of his comments immediately since it’s only a handful of idiots posting racist/sexist shit under different fake names.
    Maybe Pittsburgh is classier?

  79. Do you know why Kyle Scott posted this? Because all he cares about is locking in that next month of Drinkers $1 Hot Dog and $1 Taco advertisements as his readers slowly realize how awful this blog is.
    On the same day he implies Howard Eskin was being sexist and random Twitter users were being racist, Kyle is profiting from the controversy that a thoughtless and lazy blog post generated, while also being supported by the steady background levels of racism/sexism/homophobia of his white trash readership.
    But hey, compare this website to the 700 Level or say those awful Philly Phaitful t-shirts are no more than $15 jizz rags, and suddenly some comments will start disappearing.

  80. Yes, I think Pittsburgh is a dump and I hate the Penguins, but come on. There are idiotic racist (and homophobic) fans in every town. As much as I hate to admit it, that Pens Blog pointing out the homophobia if SOME Flyers fans in their tweets points out the hypocrisy of this post.
    But let’s be real. Kyle knows this is a bullcrap post that will incite a lot of comments and arguments between Flyers and Penguins fans. All he cares about are PAGE VIEWS and advertising revenue, not content quality.
    Kyle, I used to love this site, but it’s become TMZ-lite trash lately.

  83. Wow, “Embarrassed Philly Fan” totally nailed it! Well said, my man!
    Kyle CLEARLY is race-baiting with his constant Desean Jackson posts, and basically anything making a black athlete look bad. It’s so obvious what you’re doing, Kyle! If you want to run your site like that, you’re entitled to. And honestly, your anti-DJax posts are often amusing cuz he’s such an idiot and an unlikable guy. But don’t do it and then rant about another city for having some racist fans.

  85. Wow, after reading these comments I have to say.
    Pennsylvania sure breeds seriously ignorant fuck heads. I don’t care if it’s Philly trash or Pittsburgh trash. It’s all trash as far as I’m concerned.
    I just hope Simmonds has his head screwed on good enough so that he can take the trash talk for what it is considering the sources. White trash trying to make themselves feel better by showing just how white and trashy they can be.

  86. Wow, MLK is probably rolling over in his grave today. What a poorly timed post. Although I’m sure the timing is no coincidence. Kyle Scott, you are pathetic. I really hope that someone from CSN gets wind of this.

  87. Who cares, this is a great rivalry so shits gonna get said. Flyers outplayed the pens but didn’t get the result, they still own this team and it makes the collwctive yinz nervous. They should be.

  88. I love the moral outrage people are showing because someone (Kyle) dared to make a public blog post about something other people already made public.
    To the guy who said that Crossing Broad is racist because it makes fun of DJac, I guess you conveniently forgot about the +/- 3,000 articles making fun of Jason Babin.

  89. What’s ironic is that this really happened, unlike 90% of the “Doctor” “Martin Luther” King mythos. MLK is to African Americans as Rocky Balboa is to Philly sports fans. Don’t believe me try reading up on the fraud.

  90. What’s ironic is that this really happened, unlike 90% of the “Doctor” “Martin Luther” King mythos. MLK is to African Americans as Rocky Balboa is to Philly sports fans. Don’t believe me try reading up on the fraud.

  91. Racism isn’t confined to one city, give me a break. Using a few idiotic Twitter posts as a way to gage the level of racism of an entire city or fanbase is just plain stupid. Racism is alive and well and living in all of America. It permeates the soul of the whole country, not just Pittsburgh. By using it as a tool to attack one particular city/fanbase is ridiculous and self serving. Certainly, racism needs to be condemned, but don’t be so self righteous to think it only resides in Southwest PA.

  93. I’d like to see Kyle have the guts to post this about his own commenters. Just because you point out the classlessness of fans of teams you don’t like, well, turn that all-seeing eye inward to your own blog. Or moderate. Not everyone thinks the homophobia, mysogyny and the like here are funny.
    LOL & Embarrassed Philly Fan nailed it.
    +1

  94. I live in the Fairmount section of Philly and I have participated in both Halloweens. This is true. The locals have halloween on the sunday before because north philly is within walking distance and there have been altercations with the older kids from north philly stealing the younger kids candy bags. I take my son to both and double up on the candy and both groups think I’m supporting them. I don’t think its exactly segregation, but its close. With that being said, there was an outrage last year when some Flyers fan had a simmonds jersey but on the back it said “the black guy”. I thought it was hilarious but others did not. Racism is everywhere. Laugh and move on. Wayne Simmonds don’t give a fuck. He probably doesn’t even know most exist or better yet, play with some jam and win some fucking games.

  95. An awful lot of Flyers fans are forgetting what was said about Georges Laraque when he was with the Penguins. Did Pittsburgh call the entire city of Philadelphia racist because of a few morons? NO! You’re 0-2, and now you’re whining and crying…just like Crosby! Oh, the irony!

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