Bruton's North Cuba remarks

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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I didn't notice anything posted on here about this and really thought it was a non-story but it's starting to get some people riled up. A little background for thouse of you that don't know or haven't heard. Bruton made some comments this past weekend about the final NASCAR race of the season should be run @ Las Vegas rather than 'North Cuba'. He later recanted and said that he meant to say north of Cuba. Lot's of people were none to happy with Bruton's remarks. One being Felix Sabates.....

Felix Sabates calls Bruton Smith's comments 'irresponsible'

Felix Sabates, a minority owner in Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, did not take too kindly to the comments made over the weekend by Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith. Smith has repeatedly said he doesn't think the Sprint Cup Series should end its season in Homestead, Fla., and this weekend repeatedly referred to the track as "North Cuba." You can read about Smith's comments here.

Sabates sent the following open letter to the Observer and ThatsRacin.com today in response to Smith's comments:

I am a very proud American that happened to be born in Cuba. America has been my home for over 50 years and America is the greatest country in the world - not even the politicians in Washington can screw that up. I love both countries and when I see irresponsible comments such as the ones made by my good friend of over 40 years, Bruton Smith (AKA Money Bags), it saddens me. He knows better than to take a swipe at a whole country (believe me I learned the hard way). He must be mad because he will never get the last race of the Chase. In fact, he used to have the last race of the season in Atlanta but lost it because he could not draw anything close to a full field.

Perhaps he is afraid that if the political unrest ever came to and end and Cuba was free again, then some of us Cuban born Americans might build a proper world class road course in Havana. A track specifically built for stock cars with all the amenities Las Vegas has to offer, plus white sand beaches and the cool trade winds of the Caribbean Sea. All of a sudden there will be no need for NASCAR to take our premier series to such far-away places like Sonoma. NASCAR teams will take just a short ride to a new Paradise with a track built specifically for NASCAR and where passing would be routine rather that the exception.

Anyway, Bruton be nice to your Cuban neighbors and friends. You are a great promoter and a great American success story. We might let you buy in for a little piece of our new race track in Havana. It won't hurt as much when you lose a date.

Your buddy.
Felix

PS, Cuban coffee is good for the soul.
 
I understand that words can sometimes sting but, IMO, what people say speaks more of them than anyone/anything else.
 
What Smith said was a bit insensitive and was bound to make some people feel insulted or annoyed. But was it really that terrible?

I grew up in an ethically diverse area of Long Island and we all used to constantly rag on each other over nationalities. It would be considered politically incorrect now but back then it was not a big deal.

As a person of Cuban heritage, I don't feel that what Smith said was all that terrible. I believe what he said the first time was what he felt and it wasn't a mistake in wording as he is trying to make it out to be.

Everyone knows about Miami being an area where Cubans migrated to and have settled. I love going there each November to enjoy the food, chat with some wonderful people and learn more about my heritage. There is a huge and loyal Hispanic attendance at the race in Homestead each year and again, I think what Smith said wasn't the smartest thing to come out of his mouth.

But it was no big deal and should not be made into a huge racial or ethnic incident.

If people feel so insulted about it, maybe we should get rid of terms like "Little Italy" and "Chinatown."

Sorry, I am not insulted nor am I upset about it in the least.
 
Smith made these comments a couple of months ago and the media is just now running with this. It really makes me wonder why this is being dug up now.
 
MRM said:
Smith made these comments a couple of months ago and the media is just now running with this. It really makes me wonder why this is being dug up now.
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I guess because he just made them again this past weekend @ Kentucky Speedway during his latest press conference.
 
I'm so confident that NASCAR is going to race on a road course in Havana one day:rolleyes:
 
Shoot, I lived in Florida almost all of my life (the last 40 years) and I think that sometimes I'm the one that needs the passport.
 
Got out of the service in '69 worked for a airline in Miami for a couple of years, 2 of my buddys moved down.

Sandy now speaks better spanish than he does english, albeit with a yankee accent.:D:)
 
Another example of how and why being "politically correct" sucks. I'm surprised Sharpton and Jesse Jackass haven't jumped on board with Sabates.
 
Let's see...??? Bruton calls Miami "North Cuba" and he gets verbally castrated. But, Cubanos (and about everyone else, for that matter) call the area between SW22nd St and I-95 "Little Havana," and that's perfectly OK? How's that work, anyway? Seems like verbal gerrymandering to me.

As we say back home, Felix, tiene malas pugas!. ( Note: That's a Spanish idiom. If you translate it literally, it makes zero sense
 
So i'm guessing Smith isn't onboard with the diversity program???:D
 
John Galt said:
Let's see...??? Bruton calls Miami "North Cuba" and he gets verbally castrated. But, Cubanos (and about everyone else, for that matter) call the area between SW22nd St and I-95 "Little Havana," and that's perfectly OK? How's that work, anyway?
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Good point, John.

Must have been a slow Nascar news day for them to dredge this up.
 
John Galt said:
Let's see...??? Bruton calls Miami "North Cuba" and he gets verbally castrated. But, Cubanos (and about everyone else, for that matter) call the area between SW22nd St and I-95 "Little Havana," and that's perfectly OK? How's that work, anyway? Seems like verbal gerrymandering to me
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It's just like how the African-Americans can call each other the N word but nobody else and the Mexican-Americans can say illegal and nobody else can ask.
 
mike honcho said:
It's just like how the African-Americans can call each other the N word but nobody else and the Mexican-Americans can say illegal and nobody else can ask.
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Or how white people call each other honkies and crackers than get offended when other people say it. Don't try to say it's everyone but white people, because whites are just as capable of being hypocritical as anyone else.

P.S. It's not "politically incorrect" when I hear white people everyday talk about how all THEIR personal problems are black peoples' fault or the Mexicans' fault... that's pure racism.

Anyways, a moderator might want to move this thread to The Podium before I chew people new ess wholes. :)
 
This country has completely lost it's sense of humor, 10 years ago people would have laughed at this remark even lots of those living in the Miami area.
 
blue92 said:
This country has completely lost it's sense of humor, 10 years ago people would have laughed at this remark even lots of those living in the Miami area.
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Meh, this isn't the first time he's said it though. It's funny the first or second time. But he's made these remarks repeatedly, and it's because he wants the season finale in Las Vegas (which will probably happen in the future).
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Meh, this isn't the first time he's said it though. It's funny the first or second time. But he's made these remarks repeatedly, and it's because he wants the season finale in Las Vegas (which will probably happen in the future).
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But Vegas is essentially more fun Sahara desert:D
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Or how white people call each other honkies and crackers than get offended when other people say it. Don't try to say it's everyone but white people, because whites are just as capable of being hypocritical as anyone else.

P.S. It's not "politically incorrect" when I hear white people everyday talk about how all THEIR personal problems are black peoples' fault or the Mexicans' fault... that's pure racism.

Anyways, a moderator might want to move this thread to The Podium before I chew people new ess wholes. :)
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Did I say it was everyone but whites?Get off your fu**ing high horse Andy.I was just giving a couple more examples.
 
White people are crackers.There you happy.I didn't know I would have to write the whole list of words.I figured a couple examples was enough.
 
mike honcho said:
White people are crackers.There you happy.I didn't know I would have to write the whole list of words.I figured a couple examples was enough.
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I'm just pointing out that whites ALWAYS pull this "Black people use the 'n' word" crap therfore it's not racist and "we should be able to use it to" but they get offended when black people use words they use all the time.
 
I could really care less what others call me.Cause what they have to say doesn't pay my bills.
 
John Galt said:
Let's see...??? Bruton calls Miami "North Cuba" and he gets verbally castrated. But, Cubanos (and about everyone else, for that matter) call the area between SW22nd St and I-95 "Little Havana," and that's perfectly OK? How's that work, anyway? Seems like verbal gerrymandering to me.

As we say back home, Felix, tiene malas pugas!. ( Note: That's a Spanish idiom. If you translate it literally, it makes zero sense
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:beerbang:

I am a "cracker". In my work I have been called this many, many times. I couldn't care less how people label me.

Bruton was spot on.
 
You know you're getting close to pay dirt when they start playing the race card, be it in sports, politics or in every day [real] life. Playing the race card is guaranteed to get a certain percentage of the people's throngs all up in a tight wad.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Why do white people always use the "blacks use the 'n' word" example but NEVER use the "we use the word 'crackers'" example?
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I've never called, been called or even heard a white person call another white person a "cracker". The bottom line is that somewhere deep down we are ALL a little racist. From blacks, whites, mexican you name it.
 
Stewart Fan said:
I've never called, been called or even heard a white person call another white person a "cracker". The bottom line is that somewhere deep down we are ALL a little racist. From blacks, whites, mexican you name it.
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yep, i've been called a lot of things by different ethnic groups but *cracker* isn't one of them. not to my face anyways. <g> agree also with your racist comment although i think race conscious would be a more apt description. racist has a negative connotation that doesn't necessarily have to apply when recognizing differences between ethnic groups.
 
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