Writer Sorry for Saying Mayweather 'Shucked and Jived'

Sacramento Bee sports writer Paul Gutierrez covered the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight, and he wrote the following in his post-fight story:

In essence, Mayweather boxed his style he shucked and jived and danced and threw counterpunches with aplomb.

The phrase "shucked and jived," which originally referred to the way African-Americans could use false sincerity to deflect racism, drew angry responses from readers, such as this one:

"This is offensive to blacks, and I'm personally offended," said Edward Jefferson, a 58-year-old black man and Sacramento resident who is a performing and visual artist as well as a political activist.

"It's the equivalent," Jefferson said, "of saying (the N-word)."

Now Gutierrez is apologizing.

"Honestly, if there was one thing I could change, it would be that term. I wasn't aware of the origins of it," Gutierrez said.

"I do understand how it can be misconstrued and offend people, and I apologize for that."

To me, this is the test for whether Gutierrez was wrong to write what he wrote about Mayweather: Would he have used the words "shucked and jived" to describe a white boxer who fought the same way Mayweather did? I seriously doubt it, and for that reason, Gutierrez was wrong to use that phrase and right to apologize.