MovieChat Forums > Jerry Maguire (1996) Discussion > Was Cushman's dad racist? Or just greedy...

Was Cushman's dad racist? Or just greedy?


I don't understand why Mr. Cushman screwed Maguire? Because he was representing Tidwell? Did he think that he could get a better offer by dealing with both Sugar and Maguire. Sorry for my ignorance on sports matters?

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a lot in sports. in recruiting at the high school level and then in negotiations with an agent later on. it's called being naive. it happens to the best of people. they get swept up in the moment. you could see mr. cushman was sort of lost in the whole process and didn't get the magnitude of what he had just done.

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My take on it was that he was a West Texas never was that was living vicariously through his son and got upset that he wasn't getting all of Jerry's undivided attention on the eve of the draft.

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...and to a "BLACK FELLAR", no less.

dimwits

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[deleted]

I'm not sure, but "The black fella" line left a bad taste in my mouth.

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I dont think he was either. It says in the film he just wants whats best for his son.

The whole point was that Bob Sugar done what Jerry's "mission statement" was against. Sugar manipulated Cushmans dad into believing that Denver would only deal with him and not Jerry, it was all to do with Sugars greed (or the agencies) Cushmans dad was niave enough to believe it and fall for it.

With regards to the racism personally i think he was annoyed with Jerry because Jerry had shouted at him and he had now realised that he had been manipulated so he brought the fact that he was with Rod up and the reason he said Black fella was to highlight that his son was the most important person (No1 draft) and Jerry had basically been with a nobody, someone whose name wasnt woth remembering.

Just my tuppence worth.

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[deleted]

In my vieiw it was a racist comment which is why Jerry gives him that funny look and walks away.

O that blue, blue shirt of yours

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The reason Jerry gives him a "funny" look wasn't because of the "racist" comment... It was because he was thinking "damn, if I had been here instead of trying to help that nobody (Tidwell), I would have kept Cush".
Why would Jerry even CARE if Cushamn's dad made a racist comment? At that moment, racism was the least of his concerns.

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Maybe Jerry is the kind of guy who doesn't rank racism higher or lower depending on what else is happening in his life. Maybe it just seriously puts
him off. That's what makes Jerry such an engaging character - he's out for himself but has a moral core that he can't override no matter how much he'd like to.

O that blue, blue shirt of yours

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Why is it just because he used the word "black" to describe Tidwell make him a racist??? Last time I watched the film Tidwell was black.

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There was obviously a hint of racism in that line. It was obvious that Mr. Cushman was pissed that Jerry was not treating his son as the #1 client he wanted him to. And probably in his anger he simply referred to Tidwell as "the black fella" as a way of downplaying his importance.

Before people get on my back about this, people use terms like these to denounce someone else's importance otherwise you'd refer to them by their names, or by another characteristic that isn't so obviously meant as a way of showing that they're different from you.

So referring to someone as "black" is not racist alone. But IN MY OPINION, coupling that with a tone and the story behind it (the one that Mr. Cushman was obviously trying to downplay Tidwell's importance) has a slight hint of racism behind it.

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I don't think "racism" played any part in Mr. Cushman's betrayal of Jerry. Sugar represents many black players himself. Do you believe Mr. Cushman is not aware of this fact?

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WRONG, Mr. Cush was taken back by Jerry bringing up his "oak" PROMISE, and then instead of taking responsibility, he instead rejected his guilt and it as an "accusation" by having the audacity to show that he was simply insulted his son-- Jerry's "star" player, ("basically") his only player-- took a "back seat" to a black man no less.. for only a few minutes in a lobby no less. His true colors came out, so to speak. Replay the scene again and watch his reaction.

That was the real intention of the scene, and no matter how you spin it or want it to be that is the truth. You're only deluding yourself if you think it wasn't. And by far, most people would see that and agree; they just aren't the ones acting like children in denial about it in this thread.


the irony is this is probably one of the MAIN reasons this is rated at a goddamn pitiful 7.2 rather than an 8.2 (which is what it clearly is more like); the portrayal of hicks, which is what they were. And of course they wanted to be in nowhere denver, instead of California.

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I agree that's the intention of the scene.

Jerry: "tell me you didn't sign. Because I was really moved by your "my word is strong as oak' thing."

Mr Cush: "we signed an hour ago. While you were in the lobby with the black fella."


He didn't say "sorry Jerry, I know I promised, but Sugar said Denver only deals with him." Or "I wanted to talk it over with you, but you were not available." No, he is defiant and said we signed while you were in the lobby with the black fella. The fact that the dad is defiant and uses the word 'black' instead of Rod's name or simply "the other fella" indicates that the 'black' aspect is relevant to him.



You must be the change you seek in the world. -- Gandhi

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For a Colorado Avalanche fan, you seem to resent Denver alot. Didnt you know they played in Denver? It says Colorado on their jerseys and that's the biggest city in that state, dude. That's where they play their home games. DUH!

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WRONG, Mr. Cush was taken back by Jerry bringing up his "oak" PROMISE, and then instead of taking responsibility, he instead rejected his guilt and it as an "accusation" by having the audacity to show that he was simply insulted his son-- Jerry's "star" player, ("basically") his only player-- took a "back seat" to a black man no less.. for only a few minutes in a lobby no less. His true colors came out, so to speak. Replay the scene again and watch his reaction.

That was the real intention of the scene, and no matter how you spin it or want it to be that is the truth. You're only deluding yourself if you think it wasn't. And by far, most people would see that and agree; they just aren't the ones acting like children in denial about it in this thread.


the irony is this is probably one of the MAIN reasons this is rated at a goddamn pitiful 7.2 rather than an 8.2 (which is what it clearly is more like); the portrayal of hicks, which is what they were. And of course they wanted to be in nowhere denver, instead of California.
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^^Agreed! It was the way he said it. Cushman's dad was racist, his true colors shined when Jerry brought up the 'oak' quote.

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit' me!" Hudson in Aliens.

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^ ya he was just greedy... he obviously wanted his son to go #1 in the draft, and to Denver

and of course, with Bob Sugar yacking off that Denver only deals with him, could have added to his decision

"Make like a tree and get out of here!"

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ya!

idiots.

What else was bob sugar yacking off about to them do you think? "Look at jerry hanging around there with that black fellar instead of you"

see both here
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/board/thread/96516448?d=135048922&p=2#135048922

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/board/thread/96516448?d=126840182&p=2#126840182

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Such an ambiguous and wide-open scenario since the filmmakers didn't explain exactly why... which is just the reason I like open-ended reasons. So my take is, it depends on the viewer. A hundred people have a hundred different possible responses as to what went on inside Cush's mind, depending on the obvious (what he said), to his body language and the reaction to his comments. My own take? That's my own personal thing, which doesn't have to be shared, unless someone truly is clueless or confused.

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I've noticed that Hollywood films will often stick a racist line into the mouth of an unsympathetic character just to make that character seem even more despicable. The main point of this sequence is that Cushman's dad is an opportunist, not that he is a racist. But the line adds a new dimension to the situation. If he hadn't said it, some in the audience might have concluded that he's an okay guy despite his disloyalty to Jerry. But since the film is a feel-good movie about the importance of loyalty, the filmmakers didn't want to distract us with complexities, such as the idea that a disloyal person might otherwise be a good person. So they had Cushman's dad make this out-of-left-field slur against a character we already like, and thus he comes off as not just dishonorable, but unlikable as well.

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[deleted]

True enough. It was also a matter of "what have you done for me lately", in my opinion. Clearly, Jerry thought he had Cush "in the bag" as they say, and hence spent the time he would have otherwise been recruiting a top draft pick with Rod. Having seen that, the father, who is being hounded by Sugar all the while, gives in, basically because Sugar has been there in the most crucial moments, the days leading up to the draft, to position himself firmly within the circle of trust. Either way, any father willing to just switch a commitment as important as that, the way he did, was truly despicable. But these things happen all the time, Crowe was just writing from real life experiences through his research.

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your post is a seriously flawed interpretation of nearly every scene you mention past the 2nd sentence.

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to quote someone else on this forum; you really wear your insecurities on your sleeve. "out-of-left-field-slur", lol, get over yourself.

You're right, the line does add a "new dimension". It went over your head apparently:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/board/thread/96516448?d=135048922&p=2#135048922

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116695/board/thread/96516448?d=126840182&p=2#126840182

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Saying someone is black, when clearly they are, is not racist. It has nothing to do with being racist. If someone has ginger hair and you describe them as having ginger hair, is that discriminatery? No, it's just a description!

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>Saying someone is black, when clearly they are, is not racist.

It depends on the context. If the person's race is relevant to the conversation, that's one thing. But just bringing up a person's race out of the blue while criticizing or dismissing them, when it has nothing to do with the subject at hand, is a way of implying there's something wrong with the person's race.

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Absolutley agree with the context point, but in the case of the scripture in the film "the black fella", for me, not racist.

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Then why did he mention the guy's race? How was it in any way relevant to what they were discussing?

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[The main point of this sequence is that Cushman's dad is an opportunist, not that he is a racist.]

Agreed.

[ the filmmakers didn't want to distract us with complexities, such as the idea that a disloyal person might otherwise be a good person ]

Complexity?

Someone who breaks a promise that involves millions of dollars and someone’s career is not “disloyal.” He is a despicable POS.

So you think if he drops a few coins in the Salvation Army cup at Christmas or adopts a stray dog he would still qualify as “otherwise a good person”?

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