Okay, here's the precursor. Andrew Shaw acted like a complete buffoon last night. He took the dumbest of dumb penalties at the most pivotal moment of the series to this point. In fact, a strong case can be made that he cost a team as dangerous as the Blackhawks the game. Not only that, but he proceeded to act like a complete child afterwards. Flipping middle fingers. Spiking water bottles. He made a complete ass of himself, especially considering he was a bigger victim of his own decision making than he was of poor officiating. In short, there's a lot of things you can criticize Andrew Shaw for, but saying the word "faggot" as he was sitting alone in the penalty box is probably last on the list. I get it. That word needs to be phased out of society. I know that, you know that, and I am sure Andrew Shaw knows that. However, if we are going to put him through the ringer for using offensive language in the penalty box then we might want to 'Mic Up' the penalty box and give the general public a strong dose of reality. Maybe keep a camera zoomed in on the face of every player to serve an infraction for one full playoff series before we act like Andrew Shaw is a Bible thumping homophobe. This isn't Rajon Rondo maliciously hurling slurs in the direction of a man he knows is homosexual. This was Andrew Shaw letting his anger show through the use of careless, abusive language. Criticizing a professional athlete for what he says in the heat of the moment while sitting in a glass box is like criticizing someone for what they say when they are in their car alone sitting in traffic. They hardly even have control over their own words at that point. It's so engrained in the DNA of professional athletes to use inappropriate language when they are secluded and feel wronged that -as sad as this is - Andrew saying "faggot" was basically second nature. That doesn't make his use of the word in question okay, but it's certainly understandable. It might sound like a cop out, but Andrew Shaw is right. There is next to no chance he remembers what he said when he was taking his frustrations out on a referee. Does that mean he gets a pass for using a derogatory term? No. Does it mean he is alone in doing so? Far, far from it. Before we bury one guy - that already did a hell of a job of burying his own team - we might want to think about actually doing something to regulate such terminology in professional sports, because the problem most certainly doesn't begin and end with Andrew Shaw.
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SI- Toronto first baseman Chris Colabello showed up at his locker the morning after getting beaned by Steven Wright to find a present the Boston pitcher left for him.
''Steven decided that he was going to send over a gift,'' Colabello said, moving his clothes and uniform out of the way to show a large bottle of liquor underneath. ''He didn't have to,'' he said Monday as he was getting ready for the annual Patriots' Day game. ''I'm sure that's not cheap, too.'' On Sunday, Wright hit the infielder on the helmet with an 87 mph fastball, sending him to the ground. He sat on the ground for a while and was checked out by a trainer before getting up and trotting to first base. 'It's just more of a token of saying I'm sorry,'' Wright said. ''I didn't really want it to be a public thing because it was really between me and him. ''I know it's not a necessary thing. The gift was more for me than it was for him to kind of ease it for myself for what happened.'' Oh no. I don't like this at all. Nope, not even a little bit. For starters, you shouldn't be reimbursing your opponent for shit that just happens during professional sporting events. Sure, it sucks to take a wild pitch off the noggin, but that's we call an occupation hazard. Not all that bad considering baseball players get paid hand over fist to play a relatively non-contact sport. Baseball's hard. That's why you're forced to wear a helmet when they are being thrown at you. More importantly, I hate this move because it sets a terrible precedent. A guy takes one measly, incidental 87 MPH knuckleball off the dome and he gets a bottle of booze that the recipient himself described as "not cheap"? What happens when a guy intentionally guns a 102 MPH heater at a guy's temple to back him off the plate? What's that worth? A fucking steak dinner, a Johnny Walker variety pack, and a reach-around? Get the fuck out of here. This is a hard and fast rule that shouldn't be up for debate. Don't give gifts when gifts aren't required. You either force other people that are put into a similar situation to get a corresponding gift, or you make them look like an asshole for not doing it. Baseball already has too many unwritten rules. I don't need them doing a goddamn Secret Santa in the middle of July whenever someone takes one up and inside. Especially since it was just done to easy his own mind. Hey Steven, maybe stop being so selfish, and think about all the pitchers that have no problem sleeping at night after they are responsible for inducing a batter with the beginning stages of CTE. The only thing they want to do less than shell out a bunch of money for a properly aged scotch is to become the guy that doesn't shell out a bunch of money for a properly aged scotch. Every think about that you hero? This is baseball. It's a man's game. That's why you don't get your opponents presents every time one of your mistakes causes them the smallest amount of grief like they are a high maintenance girlfriend that can't see through fraudulently apologetic gestures. I'm all about taking accountability for one's actions. That's why I respect this guy for gathering up his belongings - including his ashamed girlfriend - and getting out of there faster than the underage kid at the busted college party as soon as he realized what he did wrong. That's called taking responsibility for your own stupidity, and I can appreciate that. What I don't appreciate is this guy being labeled as the sole villain when there were three other jackasses that would have snagged that ball had he not been there. This guy had to have a camera zoom in on his face and trail him all the way up the aisle when he technically didn't act alone. Taking the rap for everyone just because he has quicker hand eye coordination and the presence of mind to bring a mitt? That doesn't seem fair. That doesn't seem just. There's nothing worse than being the only person that gets in trouble when you were part of an entire group of people that did something dumb. The least the commentator's could have done was acknowledge that this guy wasn't the only idiot, he was just the only idiot worthy of a 'Golden Glove'. So disingenuous to blabber on and on about his his shoddy defensive awareness and his potential relationship status when they should have been calling out the Benedict Arnold in the 'Monster' hoodie or fucking Judas in the Giants windbreaker. Immediately cowering in their seats like the turncoats that they are. With friends/neighbors like that who needs enemies? He may have almost taken one from the team but he definitely took one for the team, and I think we at least need to give him some credit for that.
I know what you're going to say. "How could you question Johnny Manziel's ability to do something to tarnish his image?". Well, the answer is simple - I don't. I know he is capable of doing anything and every stupid thing possible to keep himself in the news, and I know Kirbie Johnson is a reliable source of celebrity gossip. I just can't help but think she got this one wrong. Not because I doubt that he poured a drink on someone, but because I doubt that he poured a drink on someone without being in clear shot of multiple cell phones and at least a half dozen recording cameras. I don't need to see Johnny Manziel do something to believe it because I'm skeptical. I need to do see Johnny Manziel do something before I believe it because doing things in a subtle fashion isn't his style. You show me a video - or even a picture - of a cocktail being poured from the hand of Johnny Not-So-Football and I'll be the first person to confirm the story, but until then this is just another meager attempt to drag down a man (Also See: Boy) that's doing a good enough job of that himself. I don't want to call into question the account of a dependable news source, but does it seem likely that Johnny Manziel could pour a FULL drink on someone when he's never had a completely full drink in his hand for more than half a second in his entire life? Exactly. Johnny might waste talent, but I am going to need further confirmation before I believe that he wastes booze. Especially since it goes against every other piece of visual evidence that I have ever seen. h/t Busted Coverage Here's a little piece of information for the ladies out there. I know men act like they know everything about everything, but the things we don't know about we REALLY don't know about. If we have done it once we have done it thousand times, but if we have never done it we are basically functioning retards that lose the ability to use common sense. Put us in unfamiliar territory and we become more paranoid than a conspiracy theorist whose pot brownie just kicked in. I think it's fair to say the "female maintenance" aisle is as unfamiliar as territory gets for the average male. Don't want to have a super long, super awkward conversation with your dad, boyfriend, or husband on how strongly the tides are turning down there then make sure you stock up yourself. It's either that or prepare to reciprocate the amount of emotional support that a man gives his pregnant wife. Do the ugly deed yourself, or be ready to talk your male confidant through the process more thoroughly than tech support trying to teach your Grandfather how to check his email. I can only speak for myself here, but the only thing I find more scary than the unknown is the bodily functions of females. That's why I can only imagine that this particular situation requires more TLC than an upset child lost in a department store. h/t Metro Metro- A teenager has said why she broadcast her friend’s rape live on Periscope, according to prosecutors.
Marina Lonina, 18, said that she ‘got caught up in the likes’ on social media when she decided to film the alleged rape. She has pleaded not guilty to rape and kidnap along with Raymond Gates, 29, who is alleged to have carried out the attack. The authorities learned about the alleged rape after another friend saw the images. She told police that she’d filmed the attack to help the victim. However, prosecutor Ron O’Brien alleged that she was heard ‘giggling and laughing’. He told WNCN TV ‘I have never seen a case such as this where you would actually live stream a sexual assault. Based on the video that I saw, it didn’t appear for the most part of it that she was attempting to help the victim.’ Her lawyer said she was trying to help the victim when she asked followers ‘What should I do now?’ Ahh, the old rock and hard place situation. You want to stop your friend from getting raped without anyone finding out, but you don't know how to stop your friend from getting raped unless you broadcast it to virtual "friends" online and ask for suggestions. It's not like they have step-by-step tutorials instructing people how to stop rape on YouTube. You almost have no choice but to ask the viewing audience. Everyone knows there is no expert on all things rape like someone that willingly chooses to watch a rape live on the internet. Maybe not the most time efficient way to put an end to a felony, but you know what they say - it's not how long it takes you to do something, it's about making sure you do it right. It's probably pretty rough to deal with having your traumatizing experience streamed to a bunch of strangers, but that's just what you get when you have friends as meticulous as Marina Lolina. Seriously though, I don't claim to know much about anything. I do know that the day that teenagers feel comfortable considering "I got caught up in the likes" a valid accuse for videotaping an ongoing rape is a dark one. Where does the undying desire for artificial acceptance through followers and 'favorites' go from here? Something tells me that road is just as dim as Johnny Manziel's career path. This girl literally sat there and asked for audience participation like she was that drug addict Steve from 'Blue's Clues'. She basically held an interactive live television show with nonconsensual sex as the backdrop. She "helped" this victim the same way that reporter "rescued" a man drowning in two feet of water. She let someone suffer from the most egregious of crimes just so she could get her viewership up, and if she didn't look like Satan's mistress I would use this story to justify never having children.
Call me crazy but I actually believe him, and it's not just because this accusation is being made via a cheaply pieced together Instagram post from a gossip website I have never even heard of. I believe him because he's obviously had this card in his back pocket for awhile now. I didn't know Shannon Brown was in a serious car accident. Did you know Shannon Brown was in a serious car accident? I went on the internet, and even Google didn't know that Shannon Brown was in a serious car accident. That means it had to have happened well before he was a public figure. I don't know what a car accident has to do infidelity, but I do know that this is the best hand he's got and that means that he would only play it in the most dire of circumstances. If you're actually cheating on your famous R&B singer of a wife then a couple of inconclusive DM's - that don't even mention sex - going public can't possibly be the worst case scenario. With the way D'Angelo Russell outted Swaggy P., I don't even think it's considered cheating for current or former NBA players unless they unknowingly admit to it on a candid snapchat that eventually gets leaked to the world. It's certainly not cheating if "the smoking gun" is a conversation that only reveals that the alleged cheater was merely thinking about cheating. Given the state of technology I have no idea if these messages are real. However, given Shannon Brown's decision to let the world know he survived driving into a tree (presumably) I have to assume that nothing ever came of them even if they are. That is, unless beating a terminal illness that we didn't know about is his real ace of spades. Nice try though 'The Industry On Blast'.... Are We Sure We Can't Let The Utah Jazz Sub In For The Houston Rockets The Rest Of The Series?4/19/2016 I know it's unprecedented and I know it seems like it trivializes the 82 game regular season, but can we all just agree that it's a mistake that the Houston Rockets are in the playoffs? Now listen, it doesn't matter who the Warriors faced in the first round, they were going to destroy them. It's not like the Rockets took a spot away from a team that was destined to make a run had they snuck in. Still, I can't help but think it would be beneficial for both parties if the NBA went to the bullpen and had the Utah Jazz called in for the next two games. The Warriors would get some real life professional competition to prepare them for the rest of the playoffs, and the Rockets can go sit in the corner and think about what they've done by finishing in the top 8 of the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors played without their leader and the best basketball player in the world last night and the game was never in doubt. Honestly, from the opening tip I was absolutely certain that the Warriors were going to win. How is that even possible? Educated NBA analysts picked the Rockets to be a championship contender before the season started, and they are have gotten battered by a largely Steph Curry-less Warriors team. Everyone is laughing at James Harden's paltry attempts at defense. Dwight Howard effort is being called into question (as if it ever wasn't). You have members of the opposing team comparing a game against one of the top 5 scorers in the league to a scrimmage, and I don't even blame him. Watching that game last night was like watching a preseason game. If I didn't know better there is no way you could have convinced me that was a postseason performance on behalf of the Rockets. Seriously, get a team in there that will respect the opportunity to play playoff basketball. The Rockets have been so lackadaisical, so disinterested, and so apathetic that it almost seems like these numbers should somehow be worse... Wait, Is Russell Westbrook Actually Offended That Some Mavericks Tried To Break Up His Choreography?4/19/2016
Pregame:
Postgame:
Wait, wait, wait, Russell Westbrook is the one that is upset about what happened pregame? The guy that did a full-on rendition of 'Stomp The Yard'? The guy who emasculated two grown men by violently tossing them out of the way to continue an obnoxiously long performance that had me checking the clock more often than my sister's second grade dance recital? He's pissed off about how that all unfolded? Listen, I understand that Charlie Villanueva and Justin Anderson intentionally got in the way of Russell Westbrook and Cameron Payne while they were smack dab in the middle of their interpretation of 'Footloose'. I understand that's probably frowned upon in NBA circles. However, isn't it also frowned upon to have a pregame routine that's more elaborate than the dance team's halftime show? That little number was so extensive that it made Cam Newton blush. If anything, Russell Westbrook completely showed up his competition, not the other way around. He's the one that danced right in their face and then gave them a "what the fuck you gonna do about it?" shove when they tried to subtly intervene. You can't shoot 8-22 in a playoff game after putting on your own pregame concert, and even think about mentioning the opponent after you lose. Not when you tried your damnedest to embarrass that opponent before the game even started. I love an overdone dance-off as much as the next guy. As long as the person doing it acknowledges that it's completely unnecessary and that he's kinda an asshole for making it a bigger story than the basketball game itself.
When I first saw this I was infuriated. How could someone that's running for President of the United States - and actually getting a substantial amount of votes - mix up one of the most tragic, unforgettable dates in American history with a fucking slurpy slinging convenience store? Then it came to me - they can't. There's simply no way way that Donald Trump accidentally said '7/11' when he meant '9/11' right before the NEW YORK primary. I legitimately believe it's impossible that a person could unintentionally sabotage their own campaign that badly. How many times has that date rolled off your tongue in conversation? How many times have you heard others reference it without a moment of hesitation? No one has EVER said a date other than 9/11 when they meant 9/11 - especially a date that's not a date at all, but rather a popular corner store that sells over the counter synthetic weed. Donald Trump may be a dumbass, but he's not that stupid. I'm calling bullshit. This has to be the culmination of the charade. Donald Trump went too far, showed his cards, and proved that this is just the most elaborate ruse in political history. This was all just his way of saying "I never really wanted to be President, I just wanted to make light of how broken the system is". He absolutely succeeded in that regard, but don't you dare tell me that a man getting the date of a notorious terrorist attack wrong was simply a slip of the tongue. Not when he didn't even acknowledge that he did so, or even think about correcting himself. Donald Trump is actively tanking the election because - surprise, surprise - even he knows he has no business being President. Even he knows that 95% of the shit that comes out of his mouth makes the average Alabama fan look enlightened. I am not even mad that Donald Trump said 7/11 anymore because I am 100% positive that he did it on purpose, but it's downright shocking that the people who support his beliefs haven't been able to see that yet. Or maybe, on second thought, it's not that shocking at all... I Can't Believe Philadelphia Fans Actually Managed To Outdo The Flyers Themselves Last Night4/19/2016
You know what the absolutely crazy part about last night's game was? The fact that Flyers fans were such classless, disrespectful dickheads that they overshadowed the disgraceful performance by their team. On a night meant to memorialize the person that gave them a hockey team to cheer for in the first place the fans did everything they possibly could to make people forget that the Flyers has 53 penalty minutes and basically gave up on playing competent hockey in the 3rd period. In a way, that's pretty commendable. All I have heard people talk about since the cringeworthy end of the game last night is Flyers fans throwing wristbands. Never mind that it only became out of control after Bellemare nearly killed Orlov with a hit from behind. Never mind the fact that Radko Gudas dropped his gloves and started widely swinging errant fists everywhere after his own teammate delivered one of the most illegal, dangerous checks you'll ever lay eyes on. The fans made asses out of themselves and flushed whatever was left of their city's reputation down the toilet, BUT they made the story about them in the process. The players may not have appreciated the fucking circus that took place in the Wells Fargo Center while it was happening, but they will when a couple of those interview questions are about the dumb drunken fans and not their own ineptitude. The Washington Capitals put up powerplay goal after powerplay goal while the Flyers made a complete mockery of their own home playoff game. Professional hockey players quit on their team when they were supposed to be playing in honor of it's late, great founder. A team that scratched and clawed it's way into the postseason once again reverted to 'The Broad Street Bullies' as soon as they faced a little adversity when they got there. Leave it to Flyers fans to put on such a downright embarrassing display that we aren't even talking about all that. Somewhere a Santa Claus just shed a tear, because pelting him with batteries is no longer the gold standard for scumbag behavior in the stadiums of Philadelphia. And after such a heartwarming Ed Snider tribute too? Would have been better off showing that on a night when the Flyers weren't playing. At least then the people there to witness it couldn't almost immediately ruin it. This Reporter That Barely Helped A Guy Escape A Flood Isn't Getting A Lick Of Praise From Me4/18/2016
Metro- One thing journalists are always told in training is never become the news.
But this reporter made the right call on this occasion when he was covering the heavy floods that hit Houston this morning. During a live broadcast for ABC13, Steve Campion spotted a driver attempting to swim away from his sinking vehicle during the storm. What’s even better though is he continues reporting on the floods like a complete pro – despite the brief interruption. Timeout, we aren't really going to act like this guy is some sort of hero, are we? The guy that stood around with his dick in his hand asking what he should do as a man nearly sunk to death in his car? The guy whose idea of helping was begrudgingly telling the man in said sinking car that he needed to get out of it? I am glad that he told the moron whose car was OBVIOUSLY a lost cause at that point to swim away from it, but I am going to stop short of giving him the key to the city for his work. I'm certainly not hating on him because I probably would have reacted the exact same way, but I would be ashamed of myself after and I certainly wouldn't let the video footage go viral. Especially considering that this guy didn't really leap into action until he realized he could get a hell of an interview out of it. Just look at the main difference between these pictures... Too deep to be carrying a microphone:
Just shallow enough to be carrying a microphone:
If there was no story to be had this cowardly fuck would have been standing there stuttering over his words watching that crazy old man choke to death on dirty rain water. Are we actually using the term "rescue"? This guys rescued someone the same way in which a frat guy rescues a blackout drunk coed by giving her a place to sleep. What are we even talking about? The last time I saw a vulnerable person get so blatantly taken advantage of was when Chaz Reinhold was crashing funerals. This was about as heroic as saving a cat from a tree...and then throwing it in a pit full of street rats. I'm glad this guy survived, but implying that this reporter had any hand in ensuring that happened is the equivalent of calling Roger Goodell a neurologist. I want to hate on this shirt so bad. I want to talk about how it doesn't make any sense at all. Point out the fact that LeBron James greatness has only been defined in June twice, and zero of those times were when he was wearing a Cavaliers jersey. Mock this Ohio-based company for completely ignoring the fact that the team that won 73 games this season is the very same one that popped celebratory bottles right under their nose last season. Call attention to how ridiculous it is to compare one player - whose made a habit out of losing in the NBA Finals - to an entire team's historic, season long feat. Unfortunately I can't do any of that. I know, I know. This shirt is so incredibly dumb that it deserves all the ridicule in the world, but I simply have too much of a heart to tell them. I may despise the entire premise of this shirt and the person that it irrationally glorifies, but I don't despise Cleveland. In fact, I pity Cleveland. All they have left is LeBron James. Kyrie Irving wants out and Kevin Love should want out. The Browns are the only team in the league that has/had one - never mind two - talented players that flat out chose a life of drugs and alcohol over an NFL career. The Cleveland Indians only make the papers when an ESPN analyst openly mocks their prejudice logo. Their entire wagon is hitched to the guy that only signs one year contracts, and subliminally suggests he's leaving town every 3 months or so. If I was a Cleveland sports fan I would probably suck the LeBron's dick too. I would probably think a t-shirt that features math that a dyslexic kindergartener would be able to tell you is wrong would be a cool thing to wear too. I would probably show my insecurity by downplaying all of Golden State's accomplishments too. They have no choice. It's either that or accept the fact that the Cavaliers have next to no chance to win a championship, and that would be an admission that they literally have nothing left to live for. I don't want that blood on my hands, I Need The Whole Story Behind This Mom That Mixed Up Waka Flocka Flame And Richard Sherman4/18/2016 Okay, story time. No more than a month ago I was sitting at a hotel bar in Florida watching a Final Four game and waiting for the rest of the bachelor party I was with to get ready to go out for the night. Anyway, in walks a familiar face and he plops right down next to me. At first I didn't know where I recognized this face from, but when he ordered a water (Spoiler Alert: pretty dedicated athlete) his voice was unmistakable. It was none other than the true star of last year's 'Hard Knocks', Charles James. Now, anyone that watched 'Hard Knocks' knows two things...JJ Watt is a total fucking loser and Charles James accent and style are - in a word - distinct. That's why I was about 95% sure it was him within 30 seconds of him taking a seat. You know how long it took me before I asked him whether he was Charles James? Well, I had a few beers in me (I'm a far less dedicated athlete) so I don't want to make any estimates on time, but it took one Google Image search, 5-6 awkward glances in his direction, and at least two instances of me staring straight ahead questioning my own ability to identify the easily identifiable. Basically I made sure I knew what the answer was before asking Charles James if he was him, telling him I enjoyed the show, and wishing him the best of luck with the rest of his NFL career. Moral of the story? You can't be going around thinking every in-shape black guy is an athlete you know. That's how people end up in viral videos on the internet looking unintentionally racist. That's why my one question here is whether or not this lady asked Waka Flocka Flame if he was Richard Sherman or if she just flat out called him Richard Sherman. If it was the former then Waka is kind of a dick for expecting some random suburban mom to not only know who he is, but be able to differentiate him from a loudmouth NFL cornerback. However, if it's the latter then this lady's ignorance is only surpassed by her cockiness. We can't have old white women going around assuming that every black guy with dreads and tattoos is the only football player with dreads and tattoos that they know by name, but we also can't have rappers with dreads and tattoos making curious housewives look prejudice every time they incorrectly inquire about a famous black guy with dreads and tattoos. Young black people can't publicly shame old white people unless said old white people are too forward in their speculation. I feel like that's a social contract that is fair for both parties involved. It's also pretty much the only option, because this wasn't all that bad of a guess for a woman that likely calls hip-hop "that damned ghetto music"... Brian Boyle Got Pelted With A Beer During A "Fight", And Probably Loved Every Second Of It4/18/2016
I don't like Brian Boyle. That's why I would love to sit here and say that I enjoyed watching him get showered with a beer. Unfortunately I can't do that, because he likely enjoyed it just as much as I wish I could have. Knowing that he laughed his way into the locker room smelling like warm Bud Light takes all the joy out of watching it get thrown on him. I bet Justin Abdelkader had more of an issue with the excess mist that sprayed his way, and his team won. Brian Boyle is a 4th line grinder. He's not in the lineup because there aren't more talented options. He is in the lineup because he can get under the opponent's skin without being a completely liability on the ice. Getting some crappy domestic brew rained down on his head may be a slight inconvenience, but more so it's a sign that he did his job to perfection. Not only did he flat out bully the Red Wings, but he made a fan - that should have been busy celebrating an imperative win - so mad that he felt compelled to get out of his seat, run down a few rows, and waste a perfectly good $10 beer on a utility player. There's only one winner in that situation and it's definitely not the loser in some gray alternative jersey that he found in a thrift shop who just sacrificed his buzz in an attempt to humiliate a shameless goon. No one is ever going to care about Brian Boyle enough to start a "Boyle Sucks!" chant. No one is taking the time to make snarky, belittling signs about Brian Boyle and his preference for the male reproductive organ. The best he can hope for as far as an opposing fan reaction goes is getting a cold one down his neck when he's not looking. For a player that's never winning any scoring titles, that empty cup might as well be a medal of honor for services rendered in his field. — Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 18, 2016
I understand how important it is to have a strong social media presence in 2016. I also understand that last night was just Game 1, and that the Portland Trailblazers twitter shouldn't be posting GIF's of someone jumping into a bathtub with a toaster quite yet. Still, if I were a fan of the team the last thing I would want to see while they were losing in grandiose fashion was their online representative making jokes. I am pretty sure that team twitter handles are primarily supposed to be used to engage their fans, and I can't imagine the fine people of Portland were in any mood to smile while that noncompetitive 4th quarter was being played. Their coach's decision to prolong a game that was all but over by fouling DeAndre Jordan shouldn't have been a laughing matter. I know that whoever is in charge of running it needs to remain light and positive, but maybe wait until the frustration has worn off before reminding everyone how poorly the game went. Trolling the Clippers with Chris Kaman's face would have been hilarious if that ugly mug wasn't - quite literally - the harshest of reminders that they lost by 20. Mocking Chris Paul for flopping is much more effective when he's not in the midst of putting up 28 points and 11 assists in an absolute rout. 'A' for effort, 'F' for execution, because the only people that got so much as a giggle out of those tweets were people that didn't have the best interests of Rip City in mind. Also, last night was a friendly reminder that professional athletes shouldn't agree to be cast as toddlers if one of their more accomplished peers is going to be the one playing 'Daddy'....
SeattleTimes- Schaffer said Sunday he had been talking to the Seahawks about a deal with Browner “for a while” with the announcement of the agreement coming the day before the team begins its voluntary nine-week off-season training program.
Schaffer said when he told Browner that the Seahawks were interested in bringing him back “I’ve never heard him happier. I really haven’t.” Indeed, Schaffer said that Browner in some ways still always felt like a Seahawk even while playing the last two years with New England and New Orleans. “He always stayed in great touch with Richard and Kam and Earl and Tharold (Simon) and he always considered himself a member of the Legion of Boom,” Schaffer said. “He never left.” Let me make one thing clear, I do not fault Brandon Browner for returning to the Seattle Seahawks. I honesty didn't care where he decided to play football next year as long as it was outside New Orleans city limits, and the franchise that tricked everyone into thinking he was a capable starting cornerback seems like a perfect fit for him. That being said, don't mistake this as Browner's attempt to resurrect his career, because it's merely his way of hiding the fact that it's on a sharp, SHARP decline. There certainly had to be other teams that would have offered him more money considering the fact that the Seahawks aren't in desperate need of help in their secondary. What those teams didn't offer him was a shutdown corner that would allow elite level safety help to focus primarily on covering for his mistakes. I'm sure he's happy that he's back in Seattle and he should be. He won a Super Bowl there and they are still very much a good, young team. However, he's also glad to be back in Seattle because there is next to no pressure on him to perform. I would "always feel like a Seahawk" too if the only time I wasn't getting chastised for taking personal foul penalties and giving up touchdowns on a weekly basis was when I was a Seahawk. I'm sure the 'Legion Of Boom' was a tight knit group, but I would maintain close personal relationships with the people that were directly responsible for getting me multiple ridiculously inflated contracts too. I don't wish him any luck in the future. Not only because I couldn't take myself seriously if I did, but also because he doesn't need luck when he's surrounded by a supporting cast that has already proven that can mask enough blemishes to put ProActiv out of business. Plus, these two are too perfect together to need my blessings...
My daughter @moneyyaya and I stopped to take a priceless photo, after riding in the Dubai desert until she was ready to go to the next destination. Anytime you're spending time with your children, is priceless. Always remember people die, photos live forever.
HA! And people mock Floyd Mayweather for being illiterate? Well jokes on you idiots, because he doesn't need to be able to read or write to churn out self reflective quotes about the fragile nature of human life. Turns out he just saves his insightfulness for spoken word that his security guard has to roughly translate into an Instagram caption. Granted, "always remember that people die" doesn't exactly tug on the heart strings, but counterpoints don't get much more perfect than "photos live forever". An international vacation with your teenage daughter seems like a strange time to be reminding everyone that death is imminent, but what the hell do I know about raising children? You gotta have that talk at some point, right? It might as well be while your mumbling through head wraps as you sit atop a dune buggy in the middle of the desert. A desolate plain of nonexistence actually seems the perfect setting for such a bleak convo. It's not like he's wrong. Humans inevitably pass away, and photos - for better or worse - are most certainly immortal given the current state of the cloud. Sometimes you just got to cut away all the fluff and get straight to the point. After all, Hallmark cards only fit so many words. You can knock Money Mayweather for a lot of things, but you can't say he doesn't know how to capture conflicting emotions in a concise manner. Not only did he move everyone from suicidal to spirited in only seven words, but he left plenty of room for any personal message you might want to use to explain why you choose such a grim birthday card for your Grandmother. I agree that it seems a little dark, but that's what you get when you look to this guy for a little perspective... You know what? As far as full-on line brawls go that seemed fairly casual. It resulted in damn near a quarter of a thousand penalty minutes and it somehow appeared to develop out of nowhere. It's almost like it was a melee that stemmed from boredom rather than frustration. Don't get me wrong, it had everything you would want out of an uncontrollable hockey fight. You had random camera cutaways to players that were already mid-punch. The best players were smack dab in the middle of the action (shoutout to Damon Severson and his surprisingly heavy right hand). Shit, even the coaches had to be held back after having a water fight and pretending they had any interest in hand-to-hand combat. I suppose that the 12 minor penalties and 2 major penalties that happened prior made for quite the contentious environment, but things still seemed pretty calm, cool, and collected the moments that immediately preceded hell breaking loose. I guess this is just the type of thing that happens during a game that means next to nothing. There will plenty of time for skillful hockey in the postseason, but a game that was relatively out of hand score-wise and had absolutely no implications is the perfect time to take out every one of your grievances on your opponent. Hell, the entire situation was basically a powder keg that was only a couple of beer bottles away away from resembling a good old fashioned bar room brawl. One post-whistle shove proved to be the match that this flammable compound needed. You know what they say, boys will be boys when silly things like playoff positioning aren't at stake. h/t BarDown LeBron Is Getting Way Too Much Heat For Prematurely Celebrating This Kyrie Irving Missed Three4/18/2016 Guys, guys, take it easy on LeBron. Yes, he looked like an idiot sprinting down the court with his finger in the air like he had a sizable lead in the last leg of a marathon as the ball clanked violently off the front rim. However, it's not because he was preemptively celebrating a three pointer that wasn't, it's because he was simply happy with his drive through four defenders and his ability to find the open man. Come on, since when do we just assume that LeBron truly cares about finishing the job? He is concerned with himself and only himself. It's not about winning, it's about making sure he does enough that losing won't be considered his fault. Sure, he's a great passer that makes the players around him better, but that's only because assists are a highly valued statistic. LeBron wasn't just being an insecure child that was trying desperately to mimic a move made famous by the more popular Steph Curry. He was just making sure people knew it was him that effortless sliced through the defense and made a selfless play for his teammate. He doesn't commend the accomplishments of others, even if those accomplishments in turn help his team win. If he starts acting like his scapegoats are fulfilling their roles on the team then who will he blame when he finally completes his fistful of NBA finals failures come June? LeBron has never truly had any confidence in his teammates. Am I supposed to believe that he suddenly developed some in the guy he has been subtweeting on a bi-weekly basis all season? No sir. He was just confident that he did everything in his power to put points on the board during that particular possession, and he let that confidence show with a triumphant march back down to the defensive end. We should still criticize him for looking downright foolish, but not without recognizing that it definitely, definitely wasn't his fault. |
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