Why is there a double standard when it comes to "political correctness" and discriminating against Mormons?

I'll give you the straight scoop that is not acceptable to anybody but those that know it for what it is.

Good people don't fight back and bad people always fight back. It is in the nature of spiritual behavior to follow good practices or bad practices. Thus, bad people have no problem dumping on the good people because good people make them feel guilty and tearing them down, as they suppose, makes them feel better about themselves, even though they know deep down that they are misbehaving. Extending that even further, Satan will always exert his greatest efforts against the bearers of truth, thus the attacks on the LDS. The good people will always be confronted with opposition because it is the nature of Lucifer and his followers to oppose all that is good. So we see that the upholders of marriage and morality will always be attacked by those that don't think marriage and morality are all that important. Having fun without alcohol will always be attacked and mocked by those that think partying includes alcohol as an essential ingredient.

You get the picture. We are the easy target for all that is wicked in the world. We shine the light on their wickedness and they don't like it.

If a bully is running around your school, that one girl is not the only one that is being persecuted!! Tell the teachers, or wait until they come after YOU, to do something!! As for the general population, people are Always running off at the mouth, about things that they don't understand! Whether they know what they are talking about or not! Which happens a lot on THIS site, especially about Mormons! Man judgmental, know it alls, know nothings, are so amusing! And the less they know?, the more they run their mouths! Methodists, Protestants, Baptists, and basically any Fundy church will speak out against the LDS, IN their churches, by their pastors,ministers, and reverends! And they call themselves>>> christians????? They sure are all inspiring!! The LDS don't do that! They simply say that they have the true gospel!! But, they don't go into other churches to preach that!

Some of the answers you've already been given are answer enough, sadly. A few of the people who replied immediately became defensive and started listing off all of the offenses we've supposedly committed, or even just listing the things we do that they disagree with personally, using that as justification for their own bad behavior. This is what people do. As long as they're politically correct about some groups, they feel they can be obnoxious towards others. Most of them have probably never even met any actual Mormons. Those who have probably came into contact with them for a whole thirty seconds...but that's enough to make a judgment, apparently. It's hypocritical and ignorant, but it's also human nature.

I do think there's a little more to it than just hypocrisy, though. Those commentators were probably penalized because the owners or whoever were afraid of being sued. That's what political correctness really comes down to. It's not about rights or teaching the public to be careful not to let their biases affect their behavior. It's about getting money or avoiding giving money. Someone complained about those commentators, and the owners took steps to avoid a potential lawsuit.

...which is why nobody did anything for the Mormons. Nobody was afraid that the Mormons would sue, because that's not our way. We believe in forgiving, in turning the other cheek, not in seeing dollar signs in hateful people. We can let it go, because we don't have to use the hate others show to justify that behavior in ourselves.

You're comparing fans to announcers.

And about that you're right, both are held to different standards. The thing is fans can be dismissed as anonymous hecklers that do not represent the views of any organization, while someone in a more formal position (coaches, players, announcers, referees, and so on) are more accountable because their views can and will be held against anything they're suggested to represent.

If an announcer were to make a joke about Mormons, they'd get the same treatment, I'd wager.

The rest of that b-ball conversation:

Lawler: "There aren't any Iranian players in the NBA,"

Smith: "He's the only one."

Lawler: "He's from Iran?"

Smith: "I guess so."

Lawler: "That Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "The real Iran?"

Smith: "Yes."

Lawler: "Wow. Haddadi - that's H-A-D-D-A-D-I."

Smith: "You're sure it's not Borat's older brother?"

Smith: "If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I'm going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part."

Lawler: "Here's Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball."

Smith: "Especially the post players."

Lawler: "I don't know about their guards."

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the suspension wasn't due to a pronunciation error.

People ridicule Mormons because they know little about the religion but half-truths and down-right ridiculous rumors that get passed around. If I wasn't Mormon, and believed the same stupid things that people say about them, I would probably ridicule Mormons, too.

I get what you're saying, though. I take the Salt Lake Tribune--newspaper editiorials routinely insult Latter Day Saints, blatantly and boldly. If it was any other religion--the newspaper would have been sued and shut down by now.

Announcers are different from fans. Fans are not paid by the broadcaster, and so free speech applies (within reason). If they were unruly, they could have been asked to leave. That is not up to the network, it is up to the staff of the arena.

Wow. I can't believe that because someone pronounced Iranian wrong they took such measures. That's a complete joke.

You certainly have a good question. How can people be so irrespectful to one group and then end up intentionally walking on eggshells around another?

Well honestly I think it's because LDS are encouraged to not take OFFENSE from others and turn the other cheek as we have been doing now to our continual naysayers and bashers for 150+ years... WHEREAS political correctness is obviously a far more personal and touchy area for 'other nationalities', races and religions etc....

It was stupid and overly politically correct to suspend them, but you aren't telling the whole story.

They were not suspended for pronouncing it "eye-ran." They were suspended for making jokes about an Iranian player, suggesting he looked like the Sasha Baron Cohen's character "Borat."

Of course it's still ridiculous to suspend them for such a lame and innocuous joke, but it wasn't just for mispronouncing "Iran".