The 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 featured more drivers leading the race (15) than any in history. Although it was a very slow moving race due to several cautions, and the long depth of the stoppages, it was still a very exciting race. New ground was broken when former Formula One driver Takuma Sato took home the checkered flag, thus becoming the first Japanese winner in history.
Seeing this special moment in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’s history transpire, one felt compelled to make a Tweet that although totally falling on deaf ears at the time, ended up being rather prescient and completely relevant.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/869025602967359488
Sato’s win prompted Terry Frei of the Denver Post to tweet this:
“Nothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend.”
Frei later deleted his tweet, due to the harsh, and very well-deserved backlash that it created.
However, he later made another #AmericaFirst #MAGA style Titter offering that, in some ways, could be construed as even more racist than the original post.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/868897866760286210
“THIS is what Memorial Day is about. Dave Schreiner’s death in Battle of Okinawa. Not for squeamish or ‘sensitive,’” he wrote.
There’s just no helping some people. Why even bother trying? All he’s doing is doubling-down on his bigotry. As this is a holiday weekend, and one which has seen social trail blazing, it’s difficult to devote time to being outraged to this.
Frei’s behavior makes it that we have to be though. He wasn’t done embarrassing himself in the moment of Takuma Sato glory.
Frei screwed up his apology even worse than his attempt at attempting to retract to his original deplorable message.
First he tweeted nothing more than “I apologize,” thus taking the laziest path of least resistance. He later followed up with a more detailed explanation:
https://twitter.com/TFrei/status/868983753892401153
https://twitter.com/TFrei/status/869036468429127680
NBC 9 Denver writes that Frei went on to point out that his father flew recon missions over Japan during World War II in a plane with no mounted guns. Around the time he posted the racially-charged tweet, Frei says he was on his way to visit his father’s grave at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
Of course, what that has to do with Takuma Sato, or how in any way Takuma Sato achieving the biggest moment of his life should make Frei feel sad remains a mystery.
That mystery is solve quite easily- he’s racist.
The Denver Post apologized as well, saying on Twitter that Frei’s words do “not reflect the standards and values of our organization.” Late Monday morning, they fired Frei.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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