Some might say this is an instance of kicking someone when they are down. Those people would be spot-on. That's not to say that I disagree with Geno Smith's decision to beat a horse that's so handicapped that you'd think Craig Carton placed a fruitless 6-figure wager on it. In fact, I'm actually happy that he learned how to throw a proverbial jab after becoming a literal punchline by failing to defend himself against one. After all, there's no telling how much air time the public figure turned professional scam artist devoted to crapping all over the eventfully infamous career of a Jets' quarterback that absolutely refused to suck in silence. This series of tweets is just an example of long-belated vengeance, and who doesn't like to make light of the misfortunes of people that have spoke ill of them?! That said, let not the magnitude of the crime that made Geno Smith finally feel free to fire back fall completely by the wayside here. You have to consider that, at one point or another, almost every person that's been tasked with objectively analyzing the sport of football has said something at least mildly derogatory about Geno Smith, and this is the first time (that I can remember) that he felt comfortable offering a rebuttal? I guess what I am trying to imply is that professional shortcomings - like everything else in this world - are relative. The fact that it took millions upon millions of dollars in ticket fraud and the accusation of running a "charity" solely to fund gambling debts for Geno Smith to publicly point down at someone else really speaks to the the shortness of the tree stump that he's using as a pedestal. Especially since he did his best to make the hypocrisy sound worse by sneaking in a (potentially fictitious) allegation of casual racism like the only person that would take notice was too busy prepping himself for life behind bars....
Again, I have no problem with Geno Smith kicking dirt on Craig Carton's grave, but we probably shouldn't forget that he sorta had to come back from the dead to do so.
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I don't want to start pointing fingers here. For one, I'm pretty sure that Jim Mora informing his anchor that he's completely full of shit through a third party was the most entertaining part of that post-game coverage. Also, that one obscenity wasn't anywhere near as appalling as the performance of the team being covered by the person who accidentally used it. However, if we are going to start distributing blame then the two people sitting next to an 82 year old man with his head - almost literally - in the clouds are going to have to bear the brunt of a relatively harmless, live expletive. I don't know if there is some "on-air" tell that was missed, but something tells me that Jim Mora officially stops taking hints at 9:45PM. That's why his co-panelists should have been more wary of their co-worker's level of disengagement before casually asking him a question in a conversational tone. Considering the fact that Fletcher Mackel was reacting to the "shit" before it even made it to the airwaves, I am pretty sure Jim Mora responds to 95% of statements with which he disagrees by telling the source of them that they are full of feces. That's why it's on Fletcher Mackel to make sure that the senior citizen seated next to him doesn't get caught off guard once the cameras start rolling. I don't know what age it becomes socially acceptable to mentally check out while on the clock, but you can bet your sweet ass that it's under 82.
Do we still need more proof that sometimes - just sometimes - cops only see skin color? Because if this circumstance is being used as evidence then it seems like a pretty open and shut case. Never mind that the police instinctually decided to pin down a black man and put a firearm to his head when there were surely people of every race, color, and creed fleeing the scene, because it's the particular black man they chose that really serves as their smoking gun. I suppose I shouldn't assume that every person carrying a badge is an NFL fan. But - Christ Almighty - for multiple officers to look at a easily recognizable public figure who stands 6'4", 275 and see "big, intimidating black man" instead of "that football guy from the TV that keeps saying we occasionally suck at our jobs" is a pretty big tip-off that sometimes - just sometimes - they really, really do suck at their jobs. Associating gunshots and African Americans is bad enough, but not even having a wherewithal to handpick one of the hundreds of African Americans that doesn't have a cult-followed social media account and a nationally broadcasted sideline to display his displeasure? That's not just inexcusable racial profiling, it's unforgivably piss poor facial recognition. Granted, I don't demand that those who are sworn to serve and protect be able to pick a professional defensive lineman out of a line-up. However, if they are going to bitch and moan that said professional defensive lineman knelt in response to their "occupational hazards" then they should probably summon their photographic memory to make sure he doesn't unlawfully become a victim of one of them. If not because they are supposed to be legally bound to preserve equal rights then because it puts a pretty big chink in the armor of those who argue that black people can't be discriminated against once they reach an arbitrary income threshold. Le'Veon Bell Is Now In A Rap Beef With Teammate Bud Dupree As He Holds Out For A Long Term Deal8/31/2017 Initial diss by Bud Dupree: Le'Veon Bell's response:
Bud Dupree's response:
For the most, I'm pretty sure this is all in good fun. After all, what's a couple mildly derogatory bars between buddies? I'm not exactly sure that Le'Veon Bell was laughing when Bud Dupree's punchline undercut his importance in the offense, but I also don't think a lighthearted rap beef is going to cause some massive divide in the locker room. Simply put, this offense vs. defense battle isn't exactly as irreparably detrimental to the Steelers' team chemistry as the infamous east coast vs. west coast battle was to the livelihood of hip hop. I do, however, take umbrage with the fact that the only people that should have Le'Veon Bell's back in his extremely one-sided contract negotiation are the people who are publicly pressuring him to get back on the field. It's one thing for management or fans to not understand where an athlete is coming from when he demands a long term monetary guaranteed when his line of work lends itself to career crippling injuries, but his own teammates? They should know that you risk getting stuck in a rotten situation when you're a running back with a loose expiration date at the age of 30. Now, Le'Veon Bell might want to see a neurologist and get himself checked out for that CTE stuff if that '17' refers to the amount of millions he's looking for per season. The NFL should take precaution and mail '26' another drug test, because he may have dabbled in a different kind of green if he thinks that even the most "savage" player at a position as replaceable as running back is worthy of that type of money. Still, I find it insanely disingenuous that Antonio Brown, who not-so-coincidentally just received 17 million per over a four year extension, is the one filming freestyles aimed at shaming a teammate into a precarious situation that lacks long term security. The Steelers' wide receiver has made it pretty clear he has absolutely no filter when it comes to differentiating what should stay in-house. However, if he were anywhere near as self aware as he is shifty then he'd realize that even the most delusional of NFLers need to stick together when (often fruitlessly) attempting to force the greedy hands of those that exploit them physically and financially.
Well, well, well...would you look at that? All the Tampa Bay Rays organization had to do was offer up a safe building to play some ball in, and they come away looking like their front office values their place among the MLB community above all else. Never mind that a vast majority of said front office probably wasn't in attendance because the actual occupants of the stadium were on the road in Kansas City. Doesn't matter that they may not have had a choice in the matter after the league set it up. All it took was a video montage for a displaced visiting team, a moment of silence, and some proceeds going to help those whose lives have been uprooted, and the Tampa Bay Rays walk away looking like a selfless franchise! Oh well, it's not like the Texas Rangers could have known how easy it would be to navigate an unfortunate situation without making themselves look like money hungry assholes. I'm sure in the moment it felt right to make the underwater city of Houston take their home games on the road, even if it meant acting as the pariah by responding to a request to switch series in such a socially awkward fashion that it would make Jerry Seinfeld want to bury his face in Kesha's hair. In fairness, who would have guessed that even appearing to sacrifice your own best interests while opening your doors for those in need would be so widely praised? Sigggggh, it's really a damn shame that Texas Rangers' management missed out on suuuuuuch an inconspicuous opportunity to look like decent human beings. But hey - look on the bright side - at least they didn't miss out on the all-important revenue stream that they'll get from three home games that will be played well after their team has mathematically eliminated from the postseason!
It's not particularly funny that Kansas City Royals' pitcher, Danny Duffy, was arrested last night for a DUI after passing out in the Burger King drive-thru. There is nothing inherently hilarious about endangering the lives of others by getting behind the wheel after drinking so much that you can't even keep your eyes open long enough for your chicken nuggets to finish frying. That said, the the visual of a professional athlete crying to coax civilians into taking the fall for him after being absolutely conked while trying to have it his way, combined with the fact that the Royals haven't scored a single run in 43 consecutive innings was basically begging for one-liners that bordered on the offensive. That's where a tweeter that forgot to switch away from the 'Fox 4 News' account he contributes to comes in....
— Kyle Coffey (@kylecoffey11) August 29, 2017 You know, this person is probably going to lose their job for tweeting out something that is wildly inappropriate considering the handle that it came from, but there is bright side to this. At least the joke that he was so anxious to get off before he forgot the punchline that he didn't check what he was logged in under will see more eyes now. I wouldn't consider it a tweet that was so funny that it needed multiple hashtags, but the person who crafted it was obviously pretty proud of it. To each his own, as they say. The soon-to-be unemployed dude behind the keyboard might be searching for work very shortly, but you can't say he hasn't found his 15 minutes of fame. Even if everyone that doesn't have an underdeveloped sense of humor would more accurately refer to them as 15 minutes of shame. Update: Turns out it was an anchor who apparently has enough job security to not care whether or not his over-the-top jokes are all that funny before sending them out to the entirety of the internet. I'm honestly more disappointed in the fact that someone with a blue check fell so short of the mark in reaching for laughs then the fact that they reached for laughs on the company account. In my eyes, distasteful becomes unforgivable when it lacks this much wit...
Oregon State Called A Play Using 'Crying Jordan' And Immediately Proceeded To Turn The Ball Over8/29/2017
Just who in the hell does Oregon State think they are? I'm all for incorporating some popular culture (no matter how nauseatingly outdated it might be) into college sports, but we are talking about a team that was starting on the road while coming off a 4-8 season. What in the world made them think they had what it takes to play chicken with the internet gods by putting themselves at risk of becoming a meme at the hands of a meme that is synonymous with abject failure? Fumbling away the 'Crying Jordan' play was nothing more than an ironic coincidence, but has the Beavers offensive coordinator ever heard of that thing people call an "omen"? Considering his team wasn't even favored against Colorado State, it might not have been the greatest idea to bust a visual representation of embarrassment to alert his team of a play that had the potential to end in complete embarrassment. Not saying it inspired his receiver to drop the ball, but it definitely inspired the internet to take notice and make fun of how goddamn awful Oregon State has become when he did.
You know, I honestly expected more. As far as I am concerned, this is still preseason-level spite from the type of chick that could take a funny pic between famous friends to the next level with one seductive side glare. Seriously, I think we should wait until the season starts before we start calling this an act of trolling. If a woman can cause an irreconcilable rift between you and your immediate family just by dating you then she's capable of much crazier shit than posing with a fan of the enemy after you call it quits. I wouldn't be surprised if we toootally candidly catch Olivia Munn at the tailor using a hair flip and a lip bite to convince Sam Bradford to get his sleeves sewn slim during rivalry week. Maybe her public image precedes her, but if she's as petty, vindictive, and cruel as I think she is then I wouldn't say it's out of the question for her to release a sex tape with Mitch Trubisky if her ex is putting up MVP-quality numbers. I don't even know who the Packers backup quarterback is, but he better turn off his DM's if he doesn't want to end up as a pawn in Olivia Munn's vengeful chess game aimed at keeping her former mate in check. There's no such thing as an amicable split when you spend years with the kind of broad that can get ex-communicated from your Christmas card with one rye smile. Aaron Rodgers should have known that when he decided to date the type of bad bitch that it (potentially literally) too cutthroat for 'The Bachelor' bullshit. Ryen Russillo Got Arrested For Being Super Drunk And Very Naked In A Wyoming Condo That Was Not His8/23/2017 JHNews- According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Jackson Hole News&Guide this afternoon, Ryen Russillo was found naked in a stranger’s condo around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Officers were called to a condo in the 500 block of Snow King Loop for a report of a “highly intoxicated male who was refusing to leave.” “Officers found the defendant, later identified as Ryen August Russillo, lying on the bed in the south bedroom naked except for his pants around his ankles,” the probable cause affidavit states. A condo resident told police he heard someone come in and assumed it was a family member but a few moments later Russillo walked in the bedroom with his pants half down. “He was obviously intoxicated and the only thing he said was that he was getting his stuff,” records state. ----- Tough break for Ryen Russillo. I suppose he only has himself to blame for getting so incoherently drunk that he "decided" to saunter into someone else's dwelling in his birthday suit. However, if there were state where you might be able to get away with doing some criminal shit while unclothed and intoxicated then it absolutely has to be Wyoming. Granted, I have never visited before, but something tells me (probably the fact that the apartment he walked into was clearly unlocked) it's one of those flyover states whose residential landscape makes it extremely difficult to truly inconvenience others. I guess I have never put all that much thought into it until now, but any place that sounds like a decent spot to start up a meth business seems like a pretty good place to drunkenly hobble around with your pants around your ankles free of prosecution. It's sort of like a "tree falls in the forest" situation: If an ESPN radio host blacks out and pulls out his penis while in the Great Plains but no one is around to see it, did it even happen? Obviously someone did see it and therefore it did happen, but that's only because - I would imagine - Ryen Russillo was staying at the only condo complex in a 100 mile radius. The only benefit to vacationing in Wyoming is not having to deal with all that many other people, but - unfortunately for The Worldwide Leader's resident meathead - the drunken brain will always find the nearest bed...regardless of who it belongs to. First and foremost, I just want to bid farewell to Bill O'Neill's season. Can't believe it's already over before it actually started. Six months seems like a pretty excessive recovery period for hurt feelings, but 70 year old white men are definitely more likely to become hypochondriacs that let the perception that their privilege is being strained keep them out of the luxury box for longer than necessary. Hopefully the Browns are able to plug someone into his cushy, empty seat at 'The Dawg Pound', and not experience too much of a drop-off in fan support. Again, it sucks that Bill O'Neill is going to have to miss out on yet another disappointing season in Cleveland, but at least he got to go out on top...with a preseason victory. When you think about, this whole scene really is pretty despicable. The gall of a bunch of properly-compensated, supremely talented babies exercising their freedom to protest the race-driven wedge that continues to divide this country? Don't they know their time could better spent at home kissing their wives and babies goodbye after being summoned to serve their country by a military-supplying mechanism that ended well over two decades before most of them were born? Admittedly, I had no idea that veterans were overseas fighting for America's right to play football, but shame on a bunch of professional athletes for disrespecting all their hard work via group prayer for a more unified tomorrow. All due thanks and respect to Bill O'Neill for serving this country. However, I can't help but find it incredibly hilarious that the white dudes that hold similar office are - statistically speaking - infinitely more likely to be old and entitled enough to hop, skip, and pay their way out of their call to service than NFL players who were 50 years away from owning their own cell phone. Like, it seems like a much more natural progression to criticize the U.S. president who actually dodged the draft instead of the football players whose Constitutionally-enabled free expression is - at the very least - an indirect product of his divisive campaign. The Cleveland Browns in question may not have been lining up for their university's ROTC program, but they were very much present for the only draft they were eligible for. h/t Deadspin
LBS- ESPN confirmed on Tuesday night that they moved an announcer named Robert Lee off the Virginia-William & Mary football game on Sept. 2.
“We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. It’s a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play by play for a football game has become an issue,” ESPN said in a statement shared with Larry Brown Sports.
Trust me, I'm well aware of how ridiculous it seems that a multinational corporation reconfigured their broadcast lineup to avoid one of their employees being thrust into a polarizing, race-based regional debacle because he's the unintentional namesake of a disgraced confederate general that's been dead for damn near 150 years. It's not lost on me how absurd it is that one of these guys is a posthumously affecting the livelihood of the other... Unfortunately, the only thing that it more absurd than that is the fact that coincidental reminders that white supremacy is apparently still a relevant ideal outside the walls of particular college football stadiums are even possible in the year 2017. I'm not one of those "stick to sports" people, but - for the sake of almost everyone involved - I think I can understand ESPN wanting to create a clear and distinct separation between college football and neo-nazi-related irony. Of course you'd have to an overly sensitive asshole to find yourself offended by the fact that there are living, breathing Robert Lee's that didn't fight for the right to own black people in every city in America. However, let's consider that no one on the planet would give a shit who calls the Virginia-William & Mary game on ESPN3 otherwise. When you look at it that way, I think even the only truly affected party would agree that it's not in his best interest to be on the ass end of internet jokes (that have a longer shelf life than "this is why Trump got elected!" outrage, mind you) due to a random association with the some guy that probably would have supported putting his great-grandparents in internment camps. I understand why the Clay Travis' of the world would take this opportunity to run around calling everyone that has even the remnants of a Barack Obama sticker on their bumper a "snowflake" while trying to banish them to their safe space, but this isn't about people being too easily offended. This is about making professional life easier for a young, upstart announcer - whose parents probably didn't major in American history - by having him work in a state that didn't just host city-wide civil disobedience over a statue bearing his name. The only mistake ESPN made is letting this news get out, and thus adding fuel to the fire on the tiki torches that the alt-right uses to protest that certain aspects of society - including sports entertainment - lean too far left.
And Here We Have Ezekiel Elliott Prepping For The Appeal Of His 6 Game Suspension...On A Party Boat8/22/2017
TMZ- Ezekiel Elliott ain't letting his off the field issues keep him from having a good time -- the embattled running back partied on a Texas lake the day after the Cowboys' 2nd preseason game.
TMZ Sports has pics of Zeke partying Sunday afternoon on Lake Lewisville in North Texas -- a notorious party spot located about 20 miles from Dallas. Multiple lake sources (yeah, we got those) tell us Zeke was just chillin' on a couple different boats and talking to friends. No one saw him drink any alcohol or get into any kind of negative situation. A rep for Elliott says Cowboys players had the day off -- so it's not like he was doing anything scandalous. It's almost like Zeke's sending a message that he refuses to lay low in the days leading up to his appeal hearing -- in which he'll fight the NFL's 6-game suspension from the domestic violence investigation. The hearing is set for August 29 and we're told Elliott's team is gearing up for a battle. ------ I want to make it clear that there is nothing illegal about spending your off day catching some waterside rays while helping yourself to some eye candy. I respect Ezekiel Elliott's right to hang out with a bunch of young, white women that are surely positive influences that want nothing but the best for him. However, I also want to make it clear that you can't possibly be considered an intelligent person if you choose to do so a week prior to an independently-run hearing that - at the very least - is a product of repeatedly making bad decisions that put you in precarious situations. I don't know whether Ezekiel Elliott is truly guilty of violently putting his hands on a woman, but I do know that making himself a part of this 'Boats And Hoes' visual a week prior to his appeal is yet another example of why using the defense that he's too smart to do so is officially off the table. One weekend. One weekend of chill-free Netflix and the general public could have kept a mildly open mind about the character of a guy who is trying to avoid domestic abuse-related discipline, and he couldn't even do that without ending up on TMZ. Now, that's partially because TMZ's business model is incredibly intrusive and somewhat reliant on making public figures look bad, but I'm pretty sure the guy who couldn't possibly look worse after the last few months should already know that. I said it before, and I'll say it again...Ezekiel Elliott has earned this suspension from a league that isn't constrained by the "innocent until proven guilty" slogan of the criminal justice system. Even if he didn't commit the felony in question, he literally can't stop, won't stop hurting his image when public perception is quite obviously the thing that his employer values the most. Not giving a fuck about horrific allegations might not be punishable in the court law, but -unfortunately for Zeke - that's not who is determining his Week 1-6 availability. Your Move, NFL Ownership: About A Dozen Browns' Players Kneeled In Prayer During The National Anthem8/22/2017
Quite honestly, I'm stunned that this is how things are playing out. I thought that collectively (and cowardly) shunning a qualified quarterback due to his interest in a cause as benign as equality would completely and totally suppress the support of that very same sentiment throughout a league that's largely African American. Granted, the reemergence of motherfucking neo-Nazis hasn't exactly done too much to quell the overarching fear felt by people of color, but who could have possibly predicted the continued widening of the racial divide when Donald Trump took office? I simply cannot believe there's more than one single black athlete that is willing to risk his livelihood on behalf of the safety of those that share his skin color, never mind the fact that one of their white peers also feels compelled to recognize his inherent privilege by way of taking a knee! It's just shocking stuff. You really have to feel for the wealthy NFL owners that desperately want their employees to go out there with little-to-no job security and risk their long-term health free of public, politicized opinions that really shouldn't be considered political in nature. They thought they nipped this in the bud and that everyone would go back to "sticking to sports" after they did their part in making an example out of one guy who is undoubtedly deserving of a roster spot. At the risk of comparing proud, progressive NFL players to 8-legged freaks, a bunch of billionaires basically tried to stomp on a spider while ignoring the sac full of babies on it's back. Suuuper surprising that that resulted in the rapid spreading of the belief that black people are inherently marginalized amongst members of a league whose business model inherently exploits the efforts of predominantly black rosters. Also, don't think it's lost on me that some of those people who were overly critical of Colin Kaepernick's decision to bring "politics" to the field by taking a knee will use the Browns' bringing the religion of their choice to the field by taking a knee as a way to view that gesture in a more positive light than this gesture.... The irony (and hypocrisy) run deep when asking those who entertain you to cease from having thoughts simply because those thoughts don't mirror your own...
I don't know if there is anything that can compare to the hardships of an unemployed, disgraced sports reporter choosing to stay informed on sports despite harboring an irrational disdain for one of uber-talented individuals playing it. However, it's tough to argue that an athlete being asked to stand next to a man that is just days removed from justifying the actions of a hate group that nonsensically thinks said athlete is somehow genetically inferior wouldn't face an eerily similar internal conflict. Let's forget, for just one second, that Donald Trump literally created a new term (alt-left) on a whim so as to rationalize the discriminatory ideals of people that were walking around with NAZI paraphernalia in 2017. Not because it's not crucial to this story, but because thinking that a White House photo-op is the event that will turn the tides of the racial tsunami that is washing over this country in the wake of an election that was won by a person who used prejudice as a campaign promise is just as fucking stupid. Attractive blondes have got to be pissed that Britt McHenry just substantiated every intelligence-based stereotype they have spent their lives battling in search of a little attention, because I refuse to accept that she's not intentionally stirring the pot so as to stay mildly relevant. No one - regardless of appearance - could be dumb enough to believe that the spectacle that is a championship team's trip to the White House has the potential to turn into an assuring, mutually productive sit down. Britt McHenry is clearly not dealing with a full deck of cards if she thinks this is the best way to get a job. That said, she definitely has a joker in hand if she's playing up a black athlete's ability to unite the country by showing up to shake hands with a president that can't even properly condemn white supremacy. Simply put, there is no amount of coy hair flips that can get me accept the air-headedness required to suggest that an NBA player can inspire widespread change by holding up a basketball jersey with a fake ass, 'Get Out'-style smile on his face as genuine. Even if the comparison of watching the NBA Finals to playing nice-nice with a bigoted buffoon for the sake of the camera was a tooootally rational way to start her "argument". Marshawn Lynch Gave A Predictably Absurd Answer When Asked About Sitting During The National Anthem8/17/2017
Welp, you heard the man. He'd love to answer to his "unpatriotic" display of apathy that took place on the same day in which an American city was fighting over whether or not people that look like Marshawn deserve to be Lynch'd. Unfortunately, it appears that a failure to properly exterminate the room had that motherfuckin' mastodon checking out of it before it even made it's inevitably polarizing presence felt. Man, what are the odds?! Finally got that damn elephant to make an appearance for the first time since Saturday, and all the sudden a mouse comes along and scares it away before Marshawn Lynch even has a chance to address it in a totalllly original way that deffffinitely would have opened the minds of those that have been so incredibly accepting of multi-cultural ways of thinking in the past. In all honesty, I love the visual of a Raiders' PR director running up and telling Marshawn Lynch that he should have a response prepared for when the media undoubtedly asks him about sitting during the 'National Anthem', and Marshawn Lynch being like "eh, I think I'm just going to deflect blame onto an invisible rodent". May not be the most professional or powerful of messages, but it brought a pretty swift end to the "distraction" that has cost Colin Kaepernick a job. There definitely aren't too many players other than 'Beast Mode' that can get away with that answer, which really just goes to show that you're probably better off making it known that you don't give a fuck if you're going to do something that pisses a bunch of people off.
Huh. Who knew that neo-nazis marching around town using fire sticks as their weapon of choice while preaching about a "master race" and promoting a regressive set of societal beliefs in the year 2017 lacked originality? Honestly, I'm stunned that the people that have been patiently waiting in their parents' basements for abject racism to resurface while projecting their hate for themselves on people of differing races, colors, and creeds aren't the most creative bunch. When I saw that a group of white supremacists had adopted someswatstified version of the Detroit Red Wings' logo I figured that they were just too lazy to come up with their own brand recognition. Now that they have also attempted to re-inappropriate the Detroit Lions' logo there is only one thing that could possibly be true. The alt-right hasn't taken a hard left outside of the self-promotional box they use as their sounding board since they first decided to embrace the ideology of a long deceased German dictatorship. Stealing trademarks has only become their schtick because it falls in line with the fact that innovation isn't exactly their thing. Of course white nazionalists have incorporated the intellectual property of proud sports' franchises that have been around since before Hitler started thinking for those that would eventually ended up missing the bus to the 21st century. What else were they supposed to do? Generate their own thoughts and ideas? You do realize we are talking about the same folks that still use the word "tradition" as a crutch while continuing to salute a flag that became obsolete for over a century and a half ago, right? I can't believe it took us this long to realize they came up with their "coat of arms" while squinting at the television of Sunday afternoon and actively trying not to root for the black players on their favorite team. Annnnd here's the end result when you watch 'Get Out', and think "hey, that scene where they sold off the black guy's athletic ability to the highest of extremely white bidders would play great on our nationally broadcasted Fantasy Football special!"...
Seeing as I don't think that ESPN stands to benefit from airing a segment that serves as ode to the days of slave labor, I'm going to go ahead and say that this idea was just as innocent as it was stupid. I'm not so sure the worldwide leader in forced entertainment needs to be offering any public apologies because you'd really have to be asshole to think that their intentions were as questionable as their execution, but - with that said - I do have one question... Where are all the minorities? I know that Bristol, Connecticut isn't exactly a hub of cultural diversity, but if you're going to hold up the face of an African American for auction then it might be wise not to restrict your invitations to people that just waltzed off the 18th green. I don't know if the country club vibe is what was solely responsible for making this whole scene more cringeworthy, but I can't imagine that subbing out Sperry's target demographic for some sneakerheads would have hurt this extremely unfortunate optic. I admittedly play fantasy football with a predominantly caucasian group of friends, but generally our drafts don't look like a company-wide conference at Dockers. Shit, even Tommy Hilfiger would have known to call up his "black friend" to keep things a bit more colorful if he knew there were going to be cameras around. Undoubtedly, a vast majority of fantasy football auctions are going to have a bunch of white dudes giddily bidding on Odell Beckham. However, when that auction draft is being held on cable television, the key is to mix in at least a few people that don't look like they would predominantly use his ridiculous hands to help clean their summer home. h/t TheBigLead
Look, there's nothing funny about attributing a fake quote to a professional athlete. Especially when the professional athlete in question happens to be African American, and the fake quote is in reference to a polarizing, racially charged subject. It's honestly depressing that someone writing under the cowardly pseudonym of a fictitious hockey player turned golfer that pioneered the idea of taking off his skate in an attempt to stab an opponent was able to so easily spread such a blatant lie. That said, the thought process that allowed him to do so is at least mildly - if not morbidly - funny. I mean, just take a second to stop and think why James Harrison - of all people - was used as the target of this online deception. I definitely don't want to put myself in the mind of someone that cares so strongly about athletes taking a seat in the name of equality that he mocks up baseless articles in hopes that old white people that aren't familiar enough with the internet to accept it's content as anything less than gospel share it. However, based on my familiarity with ignorant idiots like him, I think I am at liberty to say that there's a reason why he chose the black athlete that's most capable of putting the fear of god in every single one of his peers. There's no chance an NFL player would have their convictions swayed by something they came across on the petri dish of prejudice that is Facebook, but - if they were so inclined to do so - then the most effective threat would probably come from the guy that dick presses 600 pounds during the offseason. Honestly, if there is something that could undo the entirety of a grown man's potty training then it's one scowl from a pissed off James Harrison. That's why an NHL analyst whose loose lips might as well be attached to an uncontrollable bladder wants faux-James Harrison on his team of "Super Patriots" that are more annoyed by peaceful protests than they are by violent, neo-nazi gatherings on American soil. I feel pretty confident in saying that because the alternative is that Jeremy Roenick actually wants to play alongside a guy that is willing to hypothetically hospitalize his teammates for having a differing opinion, and - based on his track record of spewing stupid shit - I doubt that would work out in his favor. Jeremy Roenick and his braindead band of retweeters believe that black athletes don't have the right to express their displeasure with the state of race relations in this country while also believing that they have the right to use the made-up words of the biggest, most intimidating black athlete to scare them into standing up straight. If you don't consider that hilariously hypocritical then I would imagine you're capable of getting baited by the very same bullshit.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 12, 2017 There are far too many unenviable jobs to go as far as claiming that public relations is the most thankless profession. However, I can certainly think of at least one person that could formulate a pretty compelling argument that covering the tracks of an extremely successful, well respected organization is something that isn't for the faint of heart. Seriously, imagine being tasked with relaying to the public that the professional hockey franchise that's older than all-but-three in the entire NHL is - in fact - not related to the group of neo-nazi's running rampant through a fascist gathering with signs depicting a similar, yet bastardized version of their logo. If that's not enough to make you reconsider your career path then it's clear that you chose the correct one. Admittedly, I don't know who conjured up this statement. Regardless, I am fairly certain he/she choked on his/her breakfast when their summer Saturday was interrupted by their employer calling to tell them they had to promptly extinguish an unfortunate affiliation with a group of people that are convinced they are the modern day reincarnation of the 'Hitler Youth' before it set the internet ablaze. I only took an introductory course in PR, but I would venture to guess there is no amount of 'Higher Learning' that can adequately prepare you to distance your company's insanely recognizable emblem from the white supremacists that are using it to turn the name of their racist cult into a pun. The author in question probably considered the job of being a metaphorical fire fighter for an NHL team to be a dream gig, but he/she damn sure didn't realize those fires were going to be attached to the end of Tiki torches held by the people that were using a proud franchise in a predominantly white sport to proudly declare white dominance. I don't want to speak for the nameless person behind the abject dismissal of white supremacy, but I'm confident that - in the moment - they damn sure didn't consider being given the responsibility of carefully crafting it a white privilege.
USAToday- Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said he was unaware Lynch would sit for the anthem, but added that the two spoke afterward and described the running back's action as a "non-issue" to him.
"He said, 'This is something I've done for 11 years — it's not a form of anything other than me being myself,' " Del Rio said in a postgame news conference. "I said, 'So you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem, but I'm gonna respect you as a man. You do your thing, OK, and we'll do ours.' " The moment came on a day in which a car hit peaceful protesters, killing a woman and injuring at least 19 people, after white supremacists and counter-protesters clashed at a rally in Charlottesville. ----- Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Can you believe that an oft-controversial, African American athlete chose to casually sit and have a snack without even removing his cap for the saluting of the country in which he's lucky enough to earn his market value of millions of dollars to display his talents? Just plopped right down on his keister for some sustenance like he was feeling light headed and needed a potassium boost after a long walk in the park when he was supposed to be doing his civic duty by standing upright? Ugh, completely and utterly disgraceful if you ask me. I'm sorry. I support the freedom of free protest and all that happy horse shit, but if someone is going to be that apathetic towards an unlawful squabble that revolves around a flag then it should be the President of the United States of America! Honestly, sit (or stand, doesn't really matter to me) there and tell me that Marshawn Lynch is un-American for choosing to rest his legs during a song while the country that it represents was currently serving as the unwilling host to a racial supremacy riot. Please, concoct a narrative in which a peaceful (if not entirely uninterested) protest for something that is inherently positive should be viewed more negatively than people angrily taking to the streets with fucking shields of armor and lit Tiki torches ready to commit vehicular homicide on behalf of their undeserved privilege. I'd be genuinely curious to see if someone could logically argue that the American flag truly symbolizes "freedom" when the removal of a Confederate flag that - like it or not - serves as a symbol of an oppressive history is still capable of being the catalyst for a citywide, neo-nazi-led 'Civil War'. Admittedly, I have some pretty strong doubts that a star running back with a polarizing personality has been sitting out the 'National Anthem' for 11 years. I know we are a hell of a lot more hyper sensitive to how people choose to recognize the 'Star Spangled Banner' than we were when Marshawn Lynch was last on an NFL sideline, but there's no way he lasted over a decade on his asscheeks without drawing public ire. He's being disingenuous - if not completely full of shit - in acting like he didn't know what he was doing in the moment. However, since what he was doing is a wee bit more harmless than a public promotion of a "master race" that turned deadly, I think I am at liberty to say that what he was doing wasn't all that bad regardless. Marshawn Lynch may not have made the most agreeable of spokesperson since he didn't even own up to a cause and his posture served as the biggest of middle fingers to every hypocrite that thought his unspoken cause was the most obscene thing that happened on American soil this weekend. Not that the type of stubborn jackass that would be overly critical anyway needs my blessing, but I suppose you could chastise him for delivering his message a little more indirectly, yet explicitly than we have come to expect. That said, if you're under the assumption that he and Michael Bennett acted under the same pretense then you're going to have a pretty rough time blindly (and deafly) disagreeing with this sentiment without sounding like a racist asshole that's incapable of comprehending English words and undeniable truths... Michael Bennett: "With everything that's been going on the last couple of months, and especially after the last couple of days seeing what's going on in Virginia, and earlier today in Seattle, I just wanted to be able to use my platform to be able to continuously speak on injustice." "First of all, I want people to understand that I love the military. My father's in the military. I love hot dogs like any other American. I love football like any other American. But I don't love segregation. I don't love riots or oppression." "I just want to see people have the equality that they deserve. And I want to be able to use this platform to continuously push the message of that." "I'm being vulnerable right now. There's a whole bunch of people sitting at home judging me, but they will never get to this point where they can be vulnerable. Let people attack me because they don't believe what I believe in, but at the end of the day, I'm being vulnerable to show every person that no matter [what] you believe in, keep fighting for it. Keep fighting for equality. Keep fighting for oppressed people. And keep trying to change society."
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