What’s in a name? The complex dynamics of “Hey, Juwan.”
A topic of great interest to me came up recently over at UMHoops, and it feels germane to MGoBlog, to Michigan fandom and to the sports world writ large. In press conferences and in print (i.e., written articles), Coach Howard is very commonly addressed by his first name. Most media members in post-game press conferences begin their questions by address him with a friendly-sounding, “Hey, Juwan.”
This rankled me when I first heard it, as it felt a little disrespectful, even if unintentionally so. I’m a guy in my 40s who was raised by Black Southern parents, so for me —professionally, at least— everyone is addressed by their title unless and until they introduce themselves otherwise. Despite his long tenure and our presumed familiarity with him, I don’t recall seeing or hearing Coach Beilein referred to by his first name. I didn’t do an exhaustive search for confirmation, but I did look at a couple old pressers from the 2013 and 2018 NCAA tournament runs for some quick reality testing (and to relive old glories, of course).
As a person who trained as a shrink, I tend to follow up on my feelings. “Rankled” is a mild member of the “anger” category of feelings, the natural response to perceived injustice, and a powerful, innate, protective motivator. But why would I feel a need to protect someone who 1) I don’t know personally, 2) has made $200 million dollars and 3) may or may not care about being called by his first name in a professional context?
After some thought, I arrived at a few ideas. Besides the cultural variance in standards of respect, to which I alluded earlier, there are several factors at play in how we address Juwan Howard:
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Coach Howard played here, and his career has been familiar to the public, the media and Michigan fans for 30 years. This is similar to Coach Harbaugh, who has been referred to as “Jim” in some pressers. Contrast this with Don Brown, who was almost never called by his first name.
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As many of us Black people do, he has an uncommon first name coupled with a common last name. Coach Beilein had just the opposite. It’s natural to attach to the most unique aspect of anyone. That’s why we know about Coach Howard’s grandmother and his hardscrabble upbringing.
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I try not to jump to conclusions, but I’m always sensitive to potential subtle slights to Black people in leadership positions. I’m a physician by training, and when I was in practice, it was annoying if a patient called me by my first name in that context. Using a first name in an overfamiliar way can push some buttons on long-held insecurities. Particularly as a young doc, I was always on the lookout for someone who might undermine my fragile sense of authority.
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Related to #3, I am also sensitive to the idea that Coach Howard is not an Xs and Os Coach, and the idea that he is “just letting his players play.” His sets are often a thing of beauty, and he generates a ton of open looks off horns, double drags, and other action. He was always the most fundamentally sound of the Fab 5, and the least bouncy; those traits often make for good coaches.
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Finally, he has an appealing, attentive, avuncular, authentic relational style that makes him feel knowable, and he has created a family atmosphere around the team. Beilein’s public persona was more pedantic.
While we certainly can’t afford to be paralyzed by constant constraints on what’s appropriate, neither can we afford to ignore the complex realities that silently govern our everyday decisions, like how we address others. Even those decisions say something about what we value. Perhaps using Coach Howard’s first name is a simpler calculation for others. But perhaps it shouldn’t be.
December 27th, 2020 at 11:12 AM ^
I enjoyed this diary, and though I hadn't quite thought through all of the implications you have, I have been aware of the phenomenon and appreciate your perspective.
I couldn't conceive of addressing any professional contact by their first name upon initial meeting, and though I think the Michigan media contingent likens it to calling Harbaugh Jim, I'd feel uncomfortable hearing any non local reporting entity do it to either. More so with Juwan, for obvious reasons, including those you mention.
Fundamentally, Howard is such a self-confident guy that I doubt he gives a moment's thought to these things, but I do think it's important that we as a society acknowledge and talk through these observations as they occur. There is something there, to be sure.
Thanks for writing this, OP.
December 27th, 2020 at 3:47 PM ^
"I couldn't conceive of addressing any professional contact by their first name upon initial meeting. ." Agree. However, many assume it is proper to address a celebrity or public figure by first name, as if they know the person solely through their public persona. Also, it is a double-edged issue, as in "Throw a chair Bobby, throw a chair. ."
December 29th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
I just saw this and had to add it:
January 4th, 2021 at 9:43 AM ^
I couldn't conceive of addressing any professional contact by their first name upon initial meeting
This absolutely depends on the context and industry. In my line of work (management consulting), it's common to refer to C-suite executives by their given names. Only in certain industries do we use titles (military and medical, for example). We also take cues from company cultures. I've talked with CEOs of major banks and used first names during our first interactions because that's the company culture. I've also seen their directs refer to them as "Mr" or "Ms" so-and-so and taken those cues to do the same.
I would not be surprised for the local beat reporters who have known Coach Howard for years or who have developed the relationship since his return to refer to him as "Juwan." The same could probably be said for national reporters who have developed a rapport with him through his NBA playing and coaching careers. And then you probably have those who see the familiarity with which some interact with Juwan and take those as cues to do the same, and those who don't.
At the end of the day, it probably isn't anything more than "Hey, I feel like I know him well enough to be on a first name basis, and he also isn't the type to project that 'you better call me coach' attitude" type of dynamic rather than a racial slight. But it is still good to be thoughtful about the interactions and how they could be perceived.
December 27th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
I appreciate your insight on this topic and it is interesting. I once approached Juwan in downtown Birmingham when he and his son were sitting outside a coffee shop. I am trying to remember how I addressed him when asking for a quick photo. I'm guessing I said Juwan.
Another piece to this puzzle for me was I was a senior at U-M when he was a freshman, so he is very much a generational peer of mine. I think that also factors into whether we think of him as Coach Howard or Juwan. He is also a former player with a long career, and has been a household name for the past ~30 years. Most of us have no clue who Mike Krsyzewski was before he was Coach K, and he is older than 90% of us, so we only think of him as a coach and use the Coach title. I'm also thinking about MLB pressers where it seems to me the reporters always call the manager by their first name.
With all that said, I think having read your post, I will likely refer to him as Coach Howard in the event we cross paths again. He is well on his way to being thought of as Coach.
December 28th, 2020 at 9:29 AM ^
Agree. If LeBron James ever become a head coach, I doubt the media would call him Coach James. They spent too many years calling him LeBron. This started when he was drafted out of high school, where you don’t typically call a kid “Mr.”
December 27th, 2020 at 11:30 AM ^
My take is that our coach is a great x's and o's guy and that Erik Spoelstra might be the very best BB coach in the US. The fact JH came out of that program offers a great pedigree when combined with his own on the court exploits.
I understand how you might believe referring to coach by his first name could be taken as a sleight but, remember, many of us remember him as a fresh-faced 18 year old who has been representing our U extremely well for decades.
Whatever I might call him please remember that my belief is we are very lucky to have him and that he will do great, great things at UM. I note with irony that he comes on the scene at a time a lot of blue bloods have gone hurtling into the wall this year.
The torch is there for Coach Howard to take IMO!
December 27th, 2020 at 5:47 PM ^
Juwan's (yep that's what I call him) history as a player is mentioned as item 1 among reasons people may use his first name. So I think it's safe to say OP remembers that and remains rankled by the possibility race is a factor in some cases.
December 27th, 2020 at 11:23 PM ^
GGL, to clarify, I think I was probably more rankled by how much the first-name familiarity in pressers goes against my own training and traditions. But you’re absolutely correct that race needs to be considered as an often-unacknowledged contributor to these dynamics (edited).
December 29th, 2020 at 7:01 AM ^
Gulo, a while ago, someone tipped me off to the way different people are addressed so I've been paying more attention to that for the last year or so. I live in Portland so I dont run into many Black people, but I have noticed a real discrepancy across genders. I am a high school teacher and my female colleagues are frequently called girl teachers by our students while I've never heard boy teacher once.
Also, my wife is a doctor and she has several stories of patients, nurses, strangers, etc. eschewing the norm and calling her by her first name at work.
Anyway, my point is that I was a little incredulous of these kinds of things until I started keeping an eye out for them. In the big scheme of things, its not the end of the world that many people refer to him as Juwan or my female colleagues as girls, but its my personal opinion that we should analyze why those things feel comfortable.
December 31st, 2020 at 10:34 AM ^
You make a good point here. I didn't think about it until you mentioned it, but I have noticed many instances of female professionals being called by their first names, whereas male professionals at least get a "Mister."
I'm also a former teacher, and I discovered that people tend to call you whatever they are comfortable with. For example, when I was 26 I taught English and American History in an adult education program. Most of the students were high school kids who were trying to make up classes that had failed during their four years.
On the first night of class, I told them my full name, and said to call me whichever name they wanted. If they were more comfortable with calling me Mr. Smith, that's fine - but my name is John, so please feel free to use it. I was always surprised by how many kids called me "Mr. Smith" by their own choosing. For whatever reason, it fit their comfort level. (And most of them were boys. The girls didn't seem to have any trouble using my first name. I'm not sure what that signifies.)
December 27th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Some of my students recently asked me to do a brief lesson on what cognitive bias is. What we see from research is that small behaviors (like using someone's first name instead of their title) cause people to change perceptions of actions and comments from that person. One relevant study I just learned about showed that dark skin tone would cause the amygdala to become active. This then alters how a person would respond to or interact with that person unless corrected by the prefrontal cortex. This is part of the reason we see such large hiring discrepancies towards Black people who have similar (or identical) resumes to white candidates. Unfortunately we have a resilient set of talking points that prevent people from learning about this and altering their behaviors.
December 27th, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
Good post and a good reminder that Coach Howard is the rare unicorn of an excellent X’s O’s as well as players coach.
Naming in sports is hard because you get used to the name which can easily identify you. I have a difficult last name to pronounce so every coach I had called (yelled) at me by my first name while most others on the team were called by their last name.
As for Coach Howard, I will forever know him as Nookie.
December 27th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
I think it is mostly #1 - players are generally addressed by their first name by the media ("Hey LeBron, do you have a minute?") so it may be a holdover from that, but it is interesting to think about.
If I personally (as a fan) were to meet him I'd definitely call him Coach Howard.
On #4, yeah, he was instantly labeled a "recruiter" or "players' coach" before he'd coached a game. I've scanned rival message boards and a lot seem to think Phil Martelli is secretly running the show.
December 27th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
Interesting take on things.
I was raised by southerners in Michigan then lived in Georgia for nearly twenty years. I too get a little rankled when I see informality in personal interactions and I see it all the time.
In my life experiences I haven’t noticed more based on race, but haven’t really paid it much attention. I was raised to address strangers or elders like “Miss Deborah” or “Mr. John”. Or even more formally using their last name.
I think our culture in general has become way more informal in many things like writing style (I refuse to use tho over though), dress, workplace, and general interaction. I have a little daughter and have made it clear to my wife that politeness and respect is a very important trait that I want to pass on to her.
I guess in the end our culture’s move to more informality is more of a general nuisance for me.
January 1st, 2021 at 12:21 AM ^
I agree completely. I wasn't raised southern but I am old (yeh Boomer). Our society has become much more relaxed and informal. Respect for others, particularly respect for authority, has vastly deteriorated. When I was young we would never have thought of calling our neighbors or the parents of our friends by their first names. It was always Mr. or Mrs. And teachers were always as Mr., Mrs. or Miss. Even after I was a very mature adult, when I saw these people I still addressed them that way. Male teachers wore a coat and tie, females the equivalent. It was truly another world. By basic nature, I am actually very casual. But I believe that there are some situations where a more organized, formal environment yields better general results. (Go ahead and neg away!)
December 27th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Excellent post. I've noticed this trend myself and have wondered about if and when he will permanently "graduate" to Coach Howard to most UM fans and the media. Like others above, I attended UM at the same time as him, so my first instinct is to refer to him as Juwan. That being said, I would definitely refer to him as "Coach Howard" if I ever met him in person. It's a sign of respect that he warrants, and it's natural for me to think that way as a former athlete. I would do the same for Jim Harbaugh or any other coach. So I would also add another possible dynamic to your list - athletes that previously interacted with formal coaches versus those who have never competed in that setting. But that doesn't fully explain the "Coach Beilein" mentality adopted by the press versus Coach Howard.
My spouse is also a physician. Like you, some patients (mostly men) have weirdly referred to her by her first name, usually when meeting for the first time. I don't understand the psychology of those interactions, but it wouldn't surprise me if latent misogyny or a desire to usurp perceived power in the relationship is a driving factor. I'm sure a similar racial power dynamic occurs under similar circumstances, and that stinks. I hope you are universally referred to as "Dr. Joby", especially in professional settings - it's a deserved title of respect. Social situations can sometimes be awkward, but my instinct is to always refer to someone as "Dr." or "Coach" when first meeting or introducing someone. They can deflect the title as warranted in social situations - I do this all the time (I'm not an MD, but have a doctorate). Bottom line: Coach Howard deserves similar respect.
December 27th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
For comparison look at Pep (don’t call me Alfonza) Hamilton. Coaches, players, staff members (including me) all just called him Pep. Can’t address pressers without google searches similar to you. Unique first name, common last name, pretty casual, friendly demeanor similar to Coach Howard.
Others given the same treatment in the athletic department include Jamie, Lloyd, Jalen, Cazzie etc. all with very unique first names.
December 27th, 2020 at 3:40 PM ^
I do think uniqueness has something to do with it -- on this message board, for example, Joe Milton is far more often "Milton" than "Joe." McNamara and McCaffrey are mostly referred to by their last names, whereas Shea Patterson was more often "Shea." Juwan Howard and Desmond Howard being on campus at the same time as students may also have had something to do with them both being universally referred to by their first names by Michigan fans of a certain age.
Then again, when Denard Robinson became the starter, he was the first QB I saw play whom we casually called by his first rather than last name (Grbac, Collins, Dreisbach, Griese, Henson, Brady, Navarre, Henne, Sheridan, Forcier), and likewise Devin Gardner was probably "Devin" more often than "Gardner." Hard not to notice the pattern there. (I'm not old enough to remember Dennis Franklin - was he "Franklin" or "Denny" to the broadcast media?)
So even in what I just wrote, one can find at least one example one way or the other. As with most issues around bias, it's often easy to rationalize why any one particular example does or does not fit a pattern or speak to a deeper issue (with the rationalization in turn often reflecting the speaker's "meta-bias" about whether or not bias is likely at play!). This is where I love your closing paragraph. Maybe this particular case is an example of bias; maybe not. But it's worth being aware of, and discussing, the possibility.
December 27th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
Don't quite agree with a few of those.
Elvis Grbac was regularly called by his first name while he was playing here. ("C'mon Elvis, didn't you see that safety in the middle of the field!") It was only later on that he consistently became "Grbac" to fans, probably because as time went on, the memory of him wasn't as fresh and if you spoke of Elvis, people would think of that . . . other guy who made music.
"Tate" was absolutely a thing while he was our starter and the "Weapon of Choice". He was only downgraded to "Forcier" after he lost the job.
Gardner was called Gardner most of the time when he was playing, and certainly is now. If you now speak of a "Devin" who played QB here, I think a lot of people would have to stop and think for a minute before they remembered whom you were talking about.
Denard Robinson OTOH was consistently called by his first name, and still is. If you speak of a "Robinson" playing QB here, people would also probably have to think for a minute.
December 27th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
Exactly. This is a tactful musing on what I'd call "microaggression" if it weren't such a trigger word. OP accounts for several factors, none of which seem like mere fodder to scream "racism." Nonetheless, asking us to consider this observation has generated instinctive denials.
December 27th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
This feels like an important post.
I read somewhere that part of the problem the press had with the great ballplayer Dick Allen—and partly the reason he's not in the Hall of Fame—is that he insisted on being called Dick, not Richie, and they didn't respect him enough to change what they were used to.
About #3, and "potential subtle slights." It feels, Joby, as if you're being diplomatic. We all see ourselves as good people. So if we say or do something that we're used to, and someone else objects, it's easy to decide we're right. After all, I know I'm a good person, so how could what I'm used to be wrong?!
From there it's a short step to deciding the person pointing out the problem is wrong. They misunderstood, or are being too sensitive, or seek an advantage in an argument. It's only another short step to see ourselves as victim of their point.
December 27th, 2020 at 3:46 PM ^
Bo
with genuine respect, I think you are overthinking the issue. Juwan is an extraordinarily open, upbeat, friendly guy. It has nothing to do with his melanin content.
(And props for using the word avuncular)
December 27th, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
I found the"more unique name" and "former player" arguments compelling in this case. But I also think OP is right about race/gender and how people are addressed. So there's no reason to doubt it's an influential factor for a handful of media. That doesn't mean it's the only factor, or even a particular strong one, much less one with any ill intent. But it's there, and I understand why it rankles those who've experienced it or seen it happen to others.
December 27th, 2020 at 11:10 PM ^
XM, I appreciate your input and props. I almost always enjoy your posts. I tried to capture your sentiment about Coach’s personality in point #5. But I do disagree with you on two fronts.
First, I only cite race as a potential associated factor, not a cause. But when you’re Black, you have to at least give it a think-through, and hopefully there are less problematic factors at play. I hope your son and my son develop elegant ways of doing this think-through. At some point, they’ll have to. We all do.
Second, when you were an officer, could you imagine any civilian calling you “Xtra” and not at least “Officer Xtra” when you were wearing the uniform, no matter how open and friendly you were? My mother would have my hide if I did something like that.
You do raise a question, though: should it be Coach Howard’s qualities that determine the rightness or wrongness of using his first name? Would the calculus change if he were an introverted, persnickety, malcontent? Or should it be OUR qualities that guide that decision— our sense of respect, propriety, place and context?
December 28th, 2020 at 9:44 AM ^
i am leery of writing a book on this topic so will try to keep this short. the ultimate conclusion is that the specific context of the contact is what matters, not the race*. i'll separate out sports from professional life. in my experience the use of a first name basis is virtually never, ever used in sports by a player to a coach. no player of mine has or would ever, ever call me 'xtra'. they call me either 'coach' or 'coach melanin'. either is absolutely fine. other coaches call me 'xtra' if we're just talking, but if we're at practice and one of them calls me over it'll be like the players - 'coach!' or 'coach melanin, can you give me a hand over here'.
another example: chris webber stopped by our tailgate last season. i had not met him before, but i'm older than he is and it was an informal setting. i called him chris, but my childern who were in attendance called him mr. webber without me having to say a word: "children, this is chris webber. he was one of the greatest players to ever play at U of M, a member of the fab five, and had a great pro career, too". they shook his hand and said, 'nice to meet you mr. webber'.(i have pictures...). the same with dhani jones, mike martin, jamie morris, etc. if juwan had showed up i suspect the intro would've been nearly identical.
in my professional life it also depends on what your context is. the most important factors being age (i.e., are you older or younger than me, and by how much), are we in court (everybody is mr./ms. X, or judge y), or if it's an employment situation- am i your boss or are you mine, or maybe you work at another company and this is our first meeting. lots of factors at play having zero to do with race. the last factor is what i mentioned earlier - the personality of the person being addressed. juwan radiates 'very good dude' , not 'stodgey sour puss'. he'd be juwan unless we're in a formal setting or if i was lucky enough to be playing for him.
*i'll make allowance that i'm sure there are some contacts that one person calls another by their first name and it is intended to show disrespect - and sometimes that's because of race. in other words, its not like it never happens, but i just don't see it in my life and i don't know that i've ever noticed in the media setting you have started your OP with.
December 27th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
This is a really interesting post, with equally interesting responses. Some healthy discussion here. One comment - perhaps, unbeknownst to us, Coach Howard has encouraged the members of the media to call him by his first name, and it is just that simple. Or, his being known by his first name as a player is just being carried over. If Peyton Manning became a coach I wouldn’t automatically think to say Coach Manning.
December 27th, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
Interesting discussion.
Doubtless, there are many reasons why people might prefer formal (Coach Howard), or informal (Juwan) address, and some have been raised in this thread.
Unless one has been invited to, I personally consider the use of the first name to be rather condescending, but I recognize that has much to do with my age and more formal background. Others have been shaped by different experiences.
One factor that might be at play here is personality. As an introvert, I prefer to use formal address, particularly with strangers, but I notice that my much more gregarious and extrovert daughter-in-law is much quicker to use first names.
Regardless of the label others use, Coach Howard has my admiration and respect. He has earned it.
Go Blue!
December 27th, 2020 at 5:35 PM ^
Thanks for this thoughtful post. All of these probably come into play, especially #1 and #2. I don't think #3 is the reason in this case, but who am I to say it is not a factor. I do tend to refer to him as "Juwan," but if I met him in person, I think I would address him as "Coach Howard."
I don't buy into the notion that he's not an X and Os coach, so that would not be a factor for me. Of course, that misperception can have a racial element as well.
I want to say I recall media members addressing our last football coach as "Brady." Can anyone confirm or deny that?
December 27th, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Good diary. I wasn’t aware that people weren’t calling him “Coach Howard.” Perhaps sports media people are always trying to plat the chummy angle, even if they haven’t earned that level of relationship.
Reminds me of the time I was stopped at a traffic light in Chicago and spotted Tex Winter (then with the Lakers) walking by on his way to the pre draft combine at the Moody Bible Institute. I gave a cheerful “Hey Tex!” holler out the window, and he smiled and waved back.
Take this as some random minutiae, but it felt natural at the time. (And no, Tex certainly had no idea who I was.)
December 27th, 2020 at 6:30 PM ^
I met Lloyd Carr and said at one point, "Thanks Lloyd". He gave me a curious look -- I suppose I should have said Coach Carr but ...
December 27th, 2020 at 6:56 PM ^
As others have mentioned, I think his time as a player, a FAMOUS player, has the media on a more familiar basis with him. Players are always addressed by their first names.
Now, SHOULD people give him more deference and call him "Coach Howard"? It would probably be the more respectful thing to do, but I don't think any lack of this is coming from a place of lack of respect or racism. If anything, I think Coach Howard is GREATLY respected, especially by the home town media.
As for his coaching ability, Anyone watching his team whip the ball around finding great shots against Nebraska who says he just rolls the ball out and lets the players play is a fool. His players are making extreme efforts to make not only the extra pass, but sometimes two or three extra passes. The Dickinson to Livers to Wagner play was magic. That is coaching drilling it into their heads to find the guy with the better shot, and running sets where people are constantly working to get open. By this time in year two it isn't an accident--Coach Howard is doing a GREAT job of coaching as well as recruiting.
I think we lucked into a home-run hire, with it only being luck because it is his first head job. I just hope he is having enough fun with it that he wants to stay a long time.
December 27th, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
I dunno. I was a student when the Fab 5 came on the scene, and in a certain way would still view Juwan Howard as a fellow student/maize 'n blue brother. Also, two had "uncommon" first names and will always be known by fans of a certain age as such: Jalen and Juwan. The 3 others had more "common" first names (Chris, Ray, and Jimmy) and were known more generally as Webber, Jackson, and King respectively.
December 27th, 2020 at 7:00 PM ^
Great post.
Any chance there are members of the media who were actually around when Coach Howard was a player at Michigan and referred to him as Juwan then and continue to do so? I know it's been nearly 30 years, but there might be some carryover.
I am surprised that in a media setting he isn't referred to as Coach Howard, or Mr. Howard for that matter. That doesn't seem professional to me. Individual interview or small informal group setting in the office is a time for less formality.
December 28th, 2020 at 9:27 AM ^
Wojo, Angelique Chengelis and Mitch Albom were around then.
December 27th, 2020 at 7:20 PM ^
I was raised to use the titles Mr. or Coach so I am with you.
Perhaps we are both looking forward to the day when he has too many National Championships or at least Big 10 championships for anyone to not use a a more formal title.
He is our coach and we want the world to respect him/us.
On a slightly different note, I recall hearing Kirk Gibson saying he found it annoying when a stranger pounded him on the back and started a conversation by calling him Gibby.
December 27th, 2020 at 8:37 PM ^
I would imagine Coach told the familiar media to call him Juwan,maybe doesn't wanna feel old.
December 27th, 2020 at 10:27 PM ^
I’m really impressed with the level of quality discussion about the topic. Thanks for the synergy, everyone. You left this post better than you found it.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:08 AM ^
Some of the responses here think the explanation has to do with his being a former player. This should raise the question why the media thinks it's ok to call players by their first names.
Re: doctors: I also have a degree that technically makes it correct to call me Dr. Jon06. So I feel extremely justified in calling doctors by their first names if they address me by my first name. Of course they have no reason to know to call me Dr. Jon06, and I don't ask anyone to do that anyway, but if I'm not at least Mr. Jon06 to them, I don't see why they would be Dr. something-or-other to me.
December 28th, 2020 at 10:04 AM ^
It would be interesting to know how many doctors (Phd/MD) are on mgoblog, and how many were drawn to this discussion. Occasionally comments do reveal fields of expertise, often helpful when assessing their value.
December 28th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
My kids go to the first racially integrated school in DC. All the teachers and administrators go by their first names precisely because of the legacy of using titles in a discriminatory fashion. Some outsiders find it very jarring when the students refer to their elders at school by their first names, but the students know and understand that it was a conscious choice made for a good reason, and it works well. (In our experience, students also don’t find it challenging to use titles in other settings where they are preferred.)
As far as “Juwan” vs “Coach Howard” goes, 100% of the time I say “Juwan,” often preceded by “I love.” Like many in this thread, I attended U of M during the Fab 5 years, and he will always be “Juwan” to me (just like Jalen will always be “Jalen”). Getting him back as our coach was like a homecoming, reminding me of those great years. So, it’s not meant to be disrespectful at all—quite the opposite. But if he told me he preferred to be called “Howard,” I’d of course go with that. (For a point of comparison, didn't people call Bo “Bo” instead of “Coach Schembechler?” That was a little before my time, but I would have thought so.)
December 28th, 2020 at 1:01 PM ^
I really appreciate your thoughts on this issue.
It really seems like it really is a combination of the observations you've made. The familiarity of a 30-year relationship and his open personality/style of communication on one hand...and maybe a tinge of racism/disrespect.
I've noticed a similar issue with women in positions of authority and leadership. There's much more of a tendency to address them by their first name rather by their title.
Anyone who denies that this type of subtle racism/sexism exists is deluding themselves.
It would be interesting to know how Coach Howard would be more commonly addressed if he hadn't played at Michigan...and if his personality/communication style was less open.
December 30th, 2020 at 6:14 AM ^
Except it is seen with white males as well.
December 28th, 2020 at 2:45 PM ^
Great diary. I've quietly wondered the same thing. Black athletes/coaches are typically referred to by their first names -- a practice that tends to be paternalistic -- whereas whites tend to get the more deferential surname reference. To wit: Michael Jordan, who had a remarkably bland name, was called Michael or Mike or MJ more than Jordan. Nobody called Bill Laimbeer Bill.
December 28th, 2020 at 11:45 PM ^
I don't think with athletes it is a racial thing. Larry Bird was always called Larry. Tom Brady is referred to by the media as "Tom" quite a bit. Peyton Manning was "Peyton". Your example of Laimbeer might not be fair--I think even his teammates called him "Laimbeer" or "Lambs". Plus, he wasn't the friendliest of guys.
I think reporters, especially the home town ones, are trying to be friendly with the players, and if they are on a "first name basis" with them it seems more like they are trying to be friendly and not just doing a report on them.
Now, this may be completely true for coaches (black vs white that is). But I think players in general are treated more informally by the press, regardless of race.
January 2nd, 2021 at 3:48 PM ^
While I don’t entirely disagree with the point you are trying to make, I don’t think you could have chosen a worse example. Michael Jordan was/is known as and referred to as Mike or MJ in no small part because of marketing, which leads to a false sense of familiarity, and his place at the center of the American sports universe at the time. Do you think “If I could be like Mr. Jordan” has the same ring to it for a marketing campaign? Come on.
December 29th, 2020 at 11:09 AM ^
Thanks for this post. I've noticed some of this when scanning MSU's message boards for schadenfreude after their basketball losses. In particular that they'll talk about how they could at least respect Beilein and that he was impossible to hate... as if Coach Howard isn't deserving of that same praise? They'll also talk about how he's just a recruiting wizard and has no X's and O's acumen, even though he played and coached under maybe the best coach in the NBA for a decade while also getting NBA head coaching looks. The final one is the most damning... that he's somehow involved in dirty recruiting tactics which is how he's landing these great recruits. Funny how they don't believe this is the case for Izzo who's also been landing pretty heralded recruits in the last 5 years.
December 29th, 2020 at 11:46 AM ^
Thanks for thoughtful piece.
I remember more than 20 years ago, during my first year of med school, my Black female attending (senior doctor) asked us to retrace our steps all the way back to her office to get her white coat before going in to see a patient, even though we were already almost at their room. She told me that she always wears “ultra professional clothing”, white coat and introduces herself as “Dr.”, and otherwise many patients (white and Black) will assume that she is a janitor or nurse... even after she corrects them. (Obviously, no ding against our great Env services or RNs but as Dr. Evil said, he didn’t go to 4 years of evil medical school to be called Mr. Evil).
Whereas, even as a know nothing M1 wearing scrubs without a white coat, many patients assumed that I was an attending (Asian male).
A few years later when Race/privilege became a common term, I always thought about this. I still think about this as I can still go into any patient’s room in scrubs, no coat, introduce myself by first name only...
December 29th, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
Great post, thank you.
It's a clear microaggression. It's not up to the microaggressors to look deep down and figure out if there was any bad intentions behind their comments. Instead, they need to understand the cultural context they live in. In this case, it is as you said, Black people are often not afforded the proper respect that comes with their positions. Within that context, it is clear that they should default to making an effort to afford that respect. If Coach Howard asks to be called Juwan, they can adapt to that preference.
December 29th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
I tried to list several potential factors in understanding why the media calls him Juwan, precisely because I don’t think it’s “clear microaggression.” It certainly could be a contribution: after all, microaggressions (a glitchy term, at best) are usually not done with ill intent, just lack of awareness. But other, more innocuous factors do seem to be at play, as I have tried to make clear.
What I’ll say is that the racial dynamic is the salt in a gumbo of several ingredients that gives off an unpleasant taste in excess. But it’s always an ingredient, and always exerts at least some influence on the gumbo’s flavor.
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