A double standard on slurs?

Is the allegation by the Warriors' Stephen Jackson and Jason Richardson that they encountered taunting with a racial slur in the EnergySolutions Arena dead now as Game 5 returns to the scene of the alleged insult?

Jazz officials conducted an investigation of the incident last week, interviewing security guards, ushers, arena personnel and game officials. They found no corroboration to support the incident, massive publicity aside.

Still, if Jackson and Richardson heard such insults, the use of that six-letter word, it is unacceptable and disgusting and has no place in an athletic arena in America or anywhere else inhabited by a civil society.

Which brings us to the question: What is the difference between racism and bigotry?

In light of the firing of radio shock jock Don Imus over use of controversial statements in describing the Rutgers women's basketball team, and the recent apology of Rev. Al Sharpton to the LDS Church over his remarks that implied that Mitt Romney, a Mormon running for president, was not a true believer in God, well, it is a timely debate.

Words get folks in trouble. And where do we draw the line or place blame and who should police it — society, the media?

Which is the worse offense: racial slurs from a nameless, unidentified person in a crowd, or a block of students at the University of Arizona stadium yelling in unison, "---- the Mormons, ---- the Mormons."

The dictionary defines racism as "prejudice or animosity against people who belong to other races" and bigotry as "intolerance toward people who hold different views, especially on matters of politics, religion or ethnicity."

Someone explain to me the difference between Imus, Sharpton, an unidentified patron of the EnergySolutions Arena, and a collective block of fans at a football game either being racists or bigots.

And is the amount of publicity associated with the offense the determining factor in how serious it is? I may be wrong, but it seems so.

DOWN THE HALL: Mike Hall, a former MWC defensive player of the year for the Cougars, says he expects a contract to continue playing basketball in Europe. He will marry Payson's new girls basketball coach, Tara Swift, in June. His proposal to the former BYU coed took place publicly in the Marriott Center this past season. "I'm looking at possibly playing in Finland, but my agent is from Spain, and I expect he will get me hooked up with a team in Spain," Hall said. "I want to play as long as I can."