Phil Mushnick, a curmudgeonly sports columnist for the New York Post has long sense been openly critical about Jay-Z’s role as a minority owner for the newly re-named Brooklyn Nets. He seems more dismayed than usual in a post this week following the reveal of the team’s uniforms, which were designed by the rapper:

“As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new “urban” home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment?

Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N——s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B—-hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way.” 

In response to the swift outcry from readers and other news outlets, Mushnick replied:

“Jay-Z profits from the worst and most sustaining self-enslaving stereotypes of black-American culture and I’M the racist? Some truths, I guess, are just hard to read, let alone think about.”

Well now. While criticism about the messaging in hip-hop is certainly fair game, few would hesitate to say that Mushnick displayed some major ‘habitual line-stepper’ tendencies by tossing the n-word out there casually (not to mention refusing to allow Jay-Z to transcend his storied past and move on).

If you want to let Mushnick know how you feel about his article, we’re sure he’ll appreciate your comments: [email protected]. Feel free to CC his editor as well: [email protected]