Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Going forward
One of the big things on the Extreme Skins message board has been the rest of the Skins season. And I have to be in agreement with just about everyone I've read on there, I don't care. Skins fans don't care if we lose out and don't recover or win out and bring home a trophy. I think that's why this is so tough now as opposed to Joe Kennedy's death or Darrent Williams death. It's the middle of the season and the players and coaches can't avoid it. They were expecting to see Sean this week, next week, and so on and so forth for at least 5 more weeks. This isn't something where they can just go home or on vacation and avoid the press. They're expected to go out and play and the fans are expected to come out and watch. And all that is going to do is be a big in-your-face reminder that #21 is really gone. It sucks. I want to watch the game but at the same time I'm going to hate it and I doubt I'll watch it all. I just don't care about it. Jack Buck gave an emotional speech following 9/11 about getting back out to sports and how it helps and it did and does (and I am in no way comparing Taylor's death to the death of 3000 in a terrorist attack). There sports were the escape. Piazza's walk off gave New Yorkers something to cheer. The Yanks had some November magic at home that, despite them being the Yankees, was really special and cool to see. But in this the tragedy is in the sport and going out there then just reminds you something's wrong. And I think it needs to be acknowledged. That's why I love this idea. Personally, I think the season's over. While it's only been 2 days, I know how I feel about it and I didn't even know Taylor. Portis may have a couple monster games, especially this Sunday, or he might have a couple bad runs, lose a fumble, and just not be in it. I wouldn't blame him at all and it wouldn't bother me a bit. So I like putting just 10 guys out there as a tribute. And quite frankly, I'd love for them to do it the whole game (and wouldn't care if they did the rest of the season). I don't know, maybe I sound overly dramatic or silly or whatever but that's just how I feel. And if the other fans aren't that concerned with the outcome of the game either, why not? You think Snyder cares if the NFL fines the team over something like this? All he cares about, all Gibbs cares about, all the players and fans care about, is that they/we've all lost a great person and teammate way too soon. I didn't even think about this until I saw someone's signature on an old post but now, there's no Area 51 for the Skins. And it sucks thinking about what might have been but it sucks way way way more thinking that #21 is gone and not coming back. It still hasn't sunk in all the way. I spent all Tuesday morning thinking maybe the media jumped to conclusion or made a mistake or something anything and Sean was ok. I kept thinking there's no way he's really gone. I still can't believe it even though I know it. Fuck...
Perfect timing
I publish the post below, check KSK before leaving for home, and find this gold mine.
Venting frustrations
These have been touched on elsewhere but I guess I just feel it needs to be beaten into the ground, dug up, and beaten in again.
This has been a tough week that's only been getting tougher. I'm a huge Redskins fan and Sean Taylor's death hurts. No I didn't know him, never met him. As a Virginia Tech fan, and because of UM's incredible teams when he was there, I'd seen him play quite a bit in college. He was part of all the excitement of Gibbs' return to coaching. He was an incredible athlete who could run and hit with the best of them. He was fun to watch and he gave it his all on the field. As With Leather put it, "I don't think Taylor understood not trying, and that's why NFL fans -- not to mention the Taylor family -- have lost something special. " That's why this all sucks. Sean Taylor was special. He was having a break out season that showed what an athletic freak he was and disciplined football player he'd become. He didn't understand not trying which is all fans want from athletes. Everyone on the team loved him. Just go read quote after quote from players and coaches. Gregg Williams could barely hold it together, Pierson Prioleau couldn't speak to reporters, Reed Doughty broke down mid-question, Snyder was so subdued in the press conference and looked absolutely devastated, it keeps going. This guy was a great football player, a great teammate, and a great person. I've gotten choked up quite a few times the past couple days, especially when someone at Extreme Skins directed people to the Cowboys' message board. Fans, coaches, and players around the league have all been supportive and it's one of the things that I think makes sports so special because we can put our "hatred" for the other team aside when something real happens.
But, as with everything, some people are fucks and there's no other way to say it.
The worst, and he's been lambasted all around DC, has been the Washington Post's own Michael Wilbon. He's been in DC longer than Sean Taylor so he has no excuse for being so wrong and out of touch here. He and Kornheiser are the two highest profile sports writers in the DC area but you'd think he was some morning sports radio talk show host with his ignorant comments (that he stands behind). Monday, before Taylor had passed away, Wilbon said in a WP chat:
You know what else has nothing to do with anything that happened in Miami? The 7 late hits Taylor has been fined for in 3 and a half seasons. But ESPN keeps including that stat with everything else (which is the only reason I know it) as if that had a role in Taylor's slaying. Maybe this is kind of nitpicky but if something happened to Roy Williams, John Lynch, Brian Dawkins, or Brian Urlacher or even say Kimo von Oelhoffen for his hit on Carson Palmer would late hits be an issue? Why can't the media show Taylor's turn around and how he was getting everything right in his life? This growth and maturing is part of why Redskins fans are taking it so hard.
David Steele's excellent read from Tuesday morning highlighted more concerns. Shrutebag and some other (different show) talk radio host were busy saying he was gunned down because he wasn't a good guy like Tiki or Tom Brady and that he's no different from Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson (to be fair to Tank my opinion of him has softened following the ESPN the Mag article). Apparently Tiki and Tom don't have to worry about home invasion and Sean Taylor was signed up for the next Wrestlemania while he rehabbed his knee. Why can't they focus on the good, at least when he's only been gone for a couple hours? And why all the focus on the negatives which you then wish to misrepresent? Everyone's pulling a Peter King here and saying, "We don't know what happened...buuuuut can we be surprised/he had this coming/he's a thug."
How about we start with the good, and if later it turns out he bears some responsibility for what happened we talk about it then, you know, more than 12 hours after he died? Is that too much to ask? There's plenty of positives to talk about between his play on the field, his work for charities, his work with fans and kids, the money he's donated to charities and places like his high school (where again, he went and talked with the kids there). Did he make some mistakes when he first got into the league? Yes. Did he learn from them? YES! He needs to be trumpeted as the model for what Pacman and Vick needed to do. Move away from rough neighborhoods and get rid of friends who will get you mixed up in trouble. Here's the poster boy of what you need to do and all the media wants to say is, "No you can't change, you're that way forever, you're a thug, a lowlife, a trouble-maker, and if you get shot? You're own damn fault." That's fucked up.
There's a reason DC and Miami are so torn up about all of this. And a lot of the fans around the league see it and know why. Sean Taylor was a man who was good at his job, that his co-workers respected and loved, and that anyone would be proud to call a friend. Why can't the media talk about that?
This has been a tough week that's only been getting tougher. I'm a huge Redskins fan and Sean Taylor's death hurts. No I didn't know him, never met him. As a Virginia Tech fan, and because of UM's incredible teams when he was there, I'd seen him play quite a bit in college. He was part of all the excitement of Gibbs' return to coaching. He was an incredible athlete who could run and hit with the best of them. He was fun to watch and he gave it his all on the field. As With Leather put it, "I don't think Taylor understood not trying, and that's why NFL fans -- not to mention the Taylor family -- have lost something special. " That's why this all sucks. Sean Taylor was special. He was having a break out season that showed what an athletic freak he was and disciplined football player he'd become. He didn't understand not trying which is all fans want from athletes. Everyone on the team loved him. Just go read quote after quote from players and coaches. Gregg Williams could barely hold it together, Pierson Prioleau couldn't speak to reporters, Reed Doughty broke down mid-question, Snyder was so subdued in the press conference and looked absolutely devastated, it keeps going. This guy was a great football player, a great teammate, and a great person. I've gotten choked up quite a few times the past couple days, especially when someone at Extreme Skins directed people to the Cowboys' message board. Fans, coaches, and players around the league have all been supportive and it's one of the things that I think makes sports so special because we can put our "hatred" for the other team aside when something real happens.
But, as with everything, some people are fucks and there's no other way to say it.
The worst, and he's been lambasted all around DC, has been the Washington Post's own Michael Wilbon. He's been in DC longer than Sean Taylor so he has no excuse for being so wrong and out of touch here. He and Kornheiser are the two highest profile sports writers in the DC area but you'd think he was some morning sports radio talk show host with his ignorant comments (that he stands behind). Monday, before Taylor had passed away, Wilbon said in a WP chat:
I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn’t surprising in the least, not to me. Whether this incident is or isn’t random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it. He ain’t the first and won’t be the last. We have no idea what happened, or if what we know now will be revised later. It’s sad, yes, but hardly surprising.As Chris Mottram at Mr. Irrelevant said, Wilbon sounds like he's saying Taylor had this coming. What it also shows is absolutely no shred of truth. The only violence Taylor embraced in any way was on the football field. Everything, EVERYTHING, about him has been that, between his daughter's birth and his no contest plea to misdemeanor assault 18 months ago, Taylor was a changed man. He moved his fiancee and daughter to a nice, safe neighborhood where, as his next door neighbor said in the Miami paper, they never had any problems there. As another blog noted, he had a machete for protection instead of a gun in following his probation (unlike say Tank Johnson). "Refused to divorce himself from it"? Bullshit. Then, Tuesday night on Sportscenter, that exact quote was brought up to Wilbon and he again said he believed and backed what he said 100%. Again, bullshit. That is out and out bullshit and you are a DC sports writer who should know better. Later, Wilbon had this exchange:
Columbia, Md.: What makes you think that Taylor was still embracing his old ways? Everything we have heard from the Redskins and Portis is that this is a new Sean. Apparently the birth of his child really helped to straighten him out. Is this contrary to what you know?
Michael Wilbon: Sorry, but I'm not in the habit of having companies with their own public relations agenda tell me about black men and what they feel or don't feel. Pardon me if I'm not that easy.
"Ever since Sean had his little girl, it was like a new Sean. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child. It was good to see Sean walk by smiling."Portis obviously got that line and others from the Skins' PR Dept. How does Wilbon know better than Taylor's best friend, his teammates, his coaches? He doesn't and he's full of shit. Still later he adds:
Again, I'm not the least bit surprised about the Taylor episode ... why would I be considering his history, even since he joined the Redskins?But you didn't consider his history since joining the Redskins. You looked at accusations which were dismissed from 2 or more years ago. You saw a DUI which a judge tossed out because he had passed the field sobriety test and assault charges that had no evidence, were dropped and led to a no contest plea to a misdemeanor and probation. What about his recent history? What about what EVERYONE WHO KNOWS HIM (unlike you) is saying? Mr. Irrelevant is right, there's a special place in Hell waiting for you if that's how you treat this and other situations.
You know what else has nothing to do with anything that happened in Miami? The 7 late hits Taylor has been fined for in 3 and a half seasons. But ESPN keeps including that stat with everything else (which is the only reason I know it) as if that had a role in Taylor's slaying. Maybe this is kind of nitpicky but if something happened to Roy Williams, John Lynch, Brian Dawkins, or Brian Urlacher or even say Kimo von Oelhoffen for his hit on Carson Palmer would late hits be an issue? Why can't the media show Taylor's turn around and how he was getting everything right in his life? This growth and maturing is part of why Redskins fans are taking it so hard.
David Steele's excellent read from Tuesday morning highlighted more concerns. Shrutebag and some other (different show) talk radio host were busy saying he was gunned down because he wasn't a good guy like Tiki or Tom Brady and that he's no different from Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson (to be fair to Tank my opinion of him has softened following the ESPN the Mag article). Apparently Tiki and Tom don't have to worry about home invasion and Sean Taylor was signed up for the next Wrestlemania while he rehabbed his knee. Why can't they focus on the good, at least when he's only been gone for a couple hours? And why all the focus on the negatives which you then wish to misrepresent? Everyone's pulling a Peter King here and saying, "We don't know what happened...buuuuut can we be surprised/he had this coming/he's a thug."
How about we start with the good, and if later it turns out he bears some responsibility for what happened we talk about it then, you know, more than 12 hours after he died? Is that too much to ask? There's plenty of positives to talk about between his play on the field, his work for charities, his work with fans and kids, the money he's donated to charities and places like his high school (where again, he went and talked with the kids there). Did he make some mistakes when he first got into the league? Yes. Did he learn from them? YES! He needs to be trumpeted as the model for what Pacman and Vick needed to do. Move away from rough neighborhoods and get rid of friends who will get you mixed up in trouble. Here's the poster boy of what you need to do and all the media wants to say is, "No you can't change, you're that way forever, you're a thug, a lowlife, a trouble-maker, and if you get shot? You're own damn fault." That's fucked up.
There's a reason DC and Miami are so torn up about all of this. And a lot of the fans around the league see it and know why. Sean Taylor was a man who was good at his job, that his co-workers respected and loved, and that anyone would be proud to call a friend. Why can't the media talk about that?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thanks Adam...
...for making me look like a real dumbass, as if I needed any help in that department, after your 1-3 performance.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
................He's joking right?
I don't know what to say about this. Can we stop pretending that Adam Vinatieri is a kicker? Are you shitting me ShruteSack??? Adam Vinatieri isn't good? Good, meaning satisfactory in quality, he's not good, he's not satisfactory. What the fuck did you wake up and smoke? Adam Vinatieri, who is a career 82.5% kicker, holds the record for most playoff FGs, points, and FGs in the Super Bowl while tied for most FGs in a playoff game (5) which he's done twice, is not even good. He's crap. Take him out back and shoot him. Never mind that he's a major reason the Patriots have two of their three rings and that Peyton finally got his, just last year even, he's garbage. He missed two kicks in crappy weather conditions. Should he have made them? Yes. Am I surprised he missed? Hell yes. And that's the thing. If he's a lot of other kickers you're not nearly as surprised because they're NOT AS GOOD AS VINATIERI. I would still consider Vinatieri one of the elite kickers in the league. But if you think he's gotten old and lost a bit in the leg I'd understand, but that's not enough to consider him less than good. He's still a very good kicker. Here are the only kickers I would seriously consider better than Vinatieri and would possibly, possibly, trust more to make a game-winning kick: Shayne Graham and Rod Bironas. That's it.
Best part of the article? Calling for Mike Vanderjagt. If you're saying someone is no longer good you go to Vanderjagt before Vinatieri. Vanderjagt is the one who missed by about half a football field against Pittsburgh in the playoffs the year before the Colts won the Super Bowl. Vanderjagt is the one who rubbed his fingers because he was so moneeeeeey before shanking a shot against New England in the season opener the year before that. If teams are going to bring back Morton Anderson and Martin Gramatica before trusting Vanderjagt, that should tell you something.
Adam Vinatieri...not "good." Fuckin' moron.
Best part of the article? Calling for Mike Vanderjagt. If you're saying someone is no longer good you go to Vanderjagt before Vinatieri. Vanderjagt is the one who missed by about half a football field against Pittsburgh in the playoffs the year before the Colts won the Super Bowl. Vanderjagt is the one who rubbed his fingers because he was so moneeeeeey before shanking a shot against New England in the season opener the year before that. If teams are going to bring back Morton Anderson and Martin Gramatica before trusting Vanderjagt, that should tell you something.
Adam Vinatieri...not "good." Fuckin' moron.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The Patriots are going to lose the Super Bowl
Wow, Tom Brady took pictures with a goat and was somehow named Best Dressed Man in the World or some shit. Thanks TMZ-Inside Edition-Entertainment Weekly-other random celebrity gossip shit that should never be on TV. Oh wait, I'm on ESPN...and it's Monday night...and there's a football game going on...and it's Monday Night Football....
You're Killing Me Smalls.
But you know what? I'm glad. I'm happy. Let ESPN's collection of windbags proclaim them the greatest team ever and a shoo-in for going 19-0, winning Super Bowl 42, and killing Osama bin Laden during the bye-week. You know why? They did the same thing two years ago for a certain USC team that featured two Heisman trophy winners. All I saw on Sportscenter around Christmas was segment after segment comparing this USC team that had yet to win a national title to all-time great teams. So what happened? They lost. They didn't win a national title. They weren't even the greatest team of their season, much less of all-time. Texas beat them. Reggie Bush fumbled and minus one run for TD was rather ineffective. Leinart did what he could but the USC D sucked. 2005-2006 National Champion? University of Texas. But hey, at least that USC team was better than just about every other team in history, that got them a trophy from ESPN right?
Fast forward one year. Surely ESPN has learned their lesson yes? Christmastime Sportscenters all proclaim Ohio State one of the greatest, if not the greatest, teams of all time. Heisman trophy candidate Troy Smith is unstoppable. Ted Ginn Jr. is electrifying. The OSU D is a beast. No one can beat them. Michigan came close but they fell short. Florida will be no match. Unlike Texas a year ago, this Florida team even has a loss. Some say they shouldn't be in the game. This has blowout written all over it. OSU is your national champion right? What, they got their asses handed to them? Ted Ginn Jr. was injured celebrating the opening kickoff return for a touchdown and his dad told him not to go back in the game? Troy Smith and the OSU offense was completely raped by the Florida D? UF's offense hung 47 on the vaunted OSU defense? You're joking right? OSU is one of the greatest teams ever. Who cares if they're not national champions. I bet they're just as good as last year's USC team who...umm...also didn't win.
There's a pattern here. ESPN loves to jump on the bandwagon. New England looks like a monster now. They look pretty damn good. They also have a lot of old linebackers. Laurence Maroney has already been (temporarily) bit with the injury bug and if you expect Sammy Morris to run like that on every defense then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to talk to you about. There are 12 more regular season and 3 playoff games left. Seen the Redskins' offensive line lately? Don't think a couple freak injuries to Matt Light and/or anyone else can't happen? Think their secondary can't breakdown again like in previous seasons? Think Randy Moss won't find a blue moon after a victory and toke up?
Fuck it, I'll say it right now. The Patriots aren't winning the Super Bowl. Period. I have zero scientific evidence to back it up. I have no proof or inside information. I don't even say it because I think they're going to miss the playoffs. Hell, I'll say they make the Super Bowl and Wes Welker returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown just so we can get every kind of symmetry involved here (see: 2007 National Championship game; Super Bowl XLI). But the Patriots are going to lose. ESPN will be apocalyptic for 3 weeks. Around the Horn will spend 90% of its time on it with 90% of that time focused on the Patriots and how they "screwed up," "got too cocky/complacent," and "lost the game" rather than whoever (Washington Redskins please, God) winning the game. It'll be called the biggest upset in history. Roll the requisite clips of Namath holding up his finger as he runs off the field of SB III, Villanova over Georgetown, and Buster Douglas beating Tyson. All because ESPN won't stop licking New England's nuts. Thanks ESPN, I'm glad you're fucking over someone like NE (and the Cowboys are about 2 wins away from being in the same position in the NFC).
You're Killing Me Smalls.
But you know what? I'm glad. I'm happy. Let ESPN's collection of windbags proclaim them the greatest team ever and a shoo-in for going 19-0, winning Super Bowl 42, and killing Osama bin Laden during the bye-week. You know why? They did the same thing two years ago for a certain USC team that featured two Heisman trophy winners. All I saw on Sportscenter around Christmas was segment after segment comparing this USC team that had yet to win a national title to all-time great teams. So what happened? They lost. They didn't win a national title. They weren't even the greatest team of their season, much less of all-time. Texas beat them. Reggie Bush fumbled and minus one run for TD was rather ineffective. Leinart did what he could but the USC D sucked. 2005-2006 National Champion? University of Texas. But hey, at least that USC team was better than just about every other team in history, that got them a trophy from ESPN right?
Fast forward one year. Surely ESPN has learned their lesson yes? Christmastime Sportscenters all proclaim Ohio State one of the greatest, if not the greatest, teams of all time. Heisman trophy candidate Troy Smith is unstoppable. Ted Ginn Jr. is electrifying. The OSU D is a beast. No one can beat them. Michigan came close but they fell short. Florida will be no match. Unlike Texas a year ago, this Florida team even has a loss. Some say they shouldn't be in the game. This has blowout written all over it. OSU is your national champion right? What, they got their asses handed to them? Ted Ginn Jr. was injured celebrating the opening kickoff return for a touchdown and his dad told him not to go back in the game? Troy Smith and the OSU offense was completely raped by the Florida D? UF's offense hung 47 on the vaunted OSU defense? You're joking right? OSU is one of the greatest teams ever. Who cares if they're not national champions. I bet they're just as good as last year's USC team who...umm...also didn't win.
There's a pattern here. ESPN loves to jump on the bandwagon. New England looks like a monster now. They look pretty damn good. They also have a lot of old linebackers. Laurence Maroney has already been (temporarily) bit with the injury bug and if you expect Sammy Morris to run like that on every defense then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to talk to you about. There are 12 more regular season and 3 playoff games left. Seen the Redskins' offensive line lately? Don't think a couple freak injuries to Matt Light and/or anyone else can't happen? Think their secondary can't breakdown again like in previous seasons? Think Randy Moss won't find a blue moon after a victory and toke up?
Fuck it, I'll say it right now. The Patriots aren't winning the Super Bowl. Period. I have zero scientific evidence to back it up. I have no proof or inside information. I don't even say it because I think they're going to miss the playoffs. Hell, I'll say they make the Super Bowl and Wes Welker returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown just so we can get every kind of symmetry involved here (see: 2007 National Championship game; Super Bowl XLI). But the Patriots are going to lose. ESPN will be apocalyptic for 3 weeks. Around the Horn will spend 90% of its time on it with 90% of that time focused on the Patriots and how they "screwed up," "got too cocky/complacent," and "lost the game" rather than whoever (Washington Redskins please, God) winning the game. It'll be called the biggest upset in history. Roll the requisite clips of Namath holding up his finger as he runs off the field of SB III, Villanova over Georgetown, and Buster Douglas beating Tyson. All because ESPN won't stop licking New England's nuts. Thanks ESPN, I'm glad you're fucking over someone like NE (and the Cowboys are about 2 wins away from being in the same position in the NFC).
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Who knew the ACL had such a profound effect on someone's memory?
I think Donovan McNabb has a touch of T.O. Syndrome. If his name isn't in the press or if the media isn't talking about him 4 or 5 times a day then he needs to fix that. Whatever the reason, the thinking behind his black QB vs. white QB treatment is asinine. Apparently, he has no recollection of this:
or this...
or thiiiiis....
or this....
Every other year the past 7 years, a black QB has been on the cover of Madden. For comparison's sake I'll go ahead and post all the white QBs (and heck all the white players) who have been on the cover of Madden:
That about wraps them up, almost too many to handle there. You know who the only white guy ever on Madden was? That's right, this guy:
The guy it's named after. Now, I'm not going to pretend there is no racism in this country. But honestly, who has received more criticism from the media the past ten years? Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, David Carr, Eli Manning, Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Jake Delhomme, Drew Bledsoe, Rex Grossman, Kurt Warner, Joey Harrington, Jay Fiedler, Chad Pennington, Kyle Boller, Jeff George pre-Super Bowl Peyton Manning, and past couple seasons Brett Favre? Or Donovan McNabb, Dante Culpepper, Vince Young, pre-dog fighting Mike Vick, Steve McNair, Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Akili Smith, or Kordell Stewart? McNabb may want to complain about the fans booing but it's fuckin Philly for Christ's sake, what's he expect? And did he miss Chad Pennington and the Jets week 1? What about how Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, David Carr, Jeff George, Joey Harrington all being labeled busts (most cases colossal)? Steve McNair being brought in to replace Kyle Boller? Heck, the whole Leftwich drama came about because the coach and player hated each other. The media was caught completely off guard when he was cut and then all the talk was, "How has no team signed this guy yet?" Why does Donovan feel the need to say this other than to get his name in the paper? Why does Larry Johnson go say, "I respect Herm Edwards and love playing for him, I hated playing for Dick Vermeil, black players can't play for white coaches"? What is the appeal of playing the race card? If McNabb was cut tomorrow, Chicago, Miami, both New Yorks, Buffalo, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Kansas City, and Atlanta would all welcome him with open arms with Cleveland and Arizona also inclined. No one is looking at him saying, "Oh he's black, maybe we wouldn't want him." The only reason a team might not want him is he's coming off knee surgery (see: Culpepper, Daunte 2006). The Redskins have been ecstatic with Jason Campbell since he was drafted despite the white QBs in front of him. All anyone can say is how poised he looks despite so little experience. Mike Vick found constant support before he decided flipping off fans, and then later killing dogs, was acceptable behavior for a team leader. Culpepper's struggles last year were attributed to his injury (despite the horrendous start sans Randy Moss the year before prior to his knee injury). Steve McNair claimed Tennessee treated him the way they did because he was black. Then shortly after his release, Steve Fisher and Billy Volek had a rather public pissing match that led to Volek being traded amidst claims he was lied to about his chances at earning the starting spot. Kerry Collins was brought in a for the first couple games then Vince Young was given the reigns. Despite less than gaudy stats, Young is this year's Madden Cover Boy and McNair was/is (barring injury) Baltimore's starter (over the white Kyle Boller who has received nothing but criticism in B-more). Even the most recent QB controversy with Leftwich in Jacksonville led to him being released so that the equally black David Garrard could start. You know what all of this looks like? Typical movement of quarterbacks regardless of race.
Even the media's response to all of this does little for McNabb's case. Blogs are mixed in reaction between indifference to mild support/rejection. Compare that to what Rush Limbaugh said in 2003:
"The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
They're comments are nearly identical. The only difference is McNabb says the media is tougher on black QBs and Limbaugh said the media was easier on black QBs. Limbaugh's comments caused a huge uproar that led to his resignation while McNabb hasn't dealt with any backlash other than a couple questions from reporters asking him to confirm he stands behind his statement.
You know who's looking at this the right way? Mr. Poise himself, Jason Campbell:
or this...
or thiiiiis....
or this....
Every other year the past 7 years, a black QB has been on the cover of Madden. For comparison's sake I'll go ahead and post all the white QBs (and heck all the white players) who have been on the cover of Madden:
That about wraps them up, almost too many to handle there. You know who the only white guy ever on Madden was? That's right, this guy:
The guy it's named after. Now, I'm not going to pretend there is no racism in this country. But honestly, who has received more criticism from the media the past ten years? Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, David Carr, Eli Manning, Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Jake Delhomme, Drew Bledsoe, Rex Grossman, Kurt Warner, Joey Harrington, Jay Fiedler, Chad Pennington, Kyle Boller, Jeff George pre-Super Bowl Peyton Manning, and past couple seasons Brett Favre? Or Donovan McNabb, Dante Culpepper, Vince Young, pre-dog fighting Mike Vick, Steve McNair, Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Akili Smith, or Kordell Stewart? McNabb may want to complain about the fans booing but it's fuckin Philly for Christ's sake, what's he expect? And did he miss Chad Pennington and the Jets week 1? What about how Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, David Carr, Jeff George, Joey Harrington all being labeled busts (most cases colossal)? Steve McNair being brought in to replace Kyle Boller? Heck, the whole Leftwich drama came about because the coach and player hated each other. The media was caught completely off guard when he was cut and then all the talk was, "How has no team signed this guy yet?" Why does Donovan feel the need to say this other than to get his name in the paper? Why does Larry Johnson go say, "I respect Herm Edwards and love playing for him, I hated playing for Dick Vermeil, black players can't play for white coaches"? What is the appeal of playing the race card? If McNabb was cut tomorrow, Chicago, Miami, both New Yorks, Buffalo, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Kansas City, and Atlanta would all welcome him with open arms with Cleveland and Arizona also inclined. No one is looking at him saying, "Oh he's black, maybe we wouldn't want him." The only reason a team might not want him is he's coming off knee surgery (see: Culpepper, Daunte 2006). The Redskins have been ecstatic with Jason Campbell since he was drafted despite the white QBs in front of him. All anyone can say is how poised he looks despite so little experience. Mike Vick found constant support before he decided flipping off fans, and then later killing dogs, was acceptable behavior for a team leader. Culpepper's struggles last year were attributed to his injury (despite the horrendous start sans Randy Moss the year before prior to his knee injury). Steve McNair claimed Tennessee treated him the way they did because he was black. Then shortly after his release, Steve Fisher and Billy Volek had a rather public pissing match that led to Volek being traded amidst claims he was lied to about his chances at earning the starting spot. Kerry Collins was brought in a for the first couple games then Vince Young was given the reigns. Despite less than gaudy stats, Young is this year's Madden Cover Boy and McNair was/is (barring injury) Baltimore's starter (over the white Kyle Boller who has received nothing but criticism in B-more). Even the most recent QB controversy with Leftwich in Jacksonville led to him being released so that the equally black David Garrard could start. You know what all of this looks like? Typical movement of quarterbacks regardless of race.
Even the media's response to all of this does little for McNabb's case. Blogs are mixed in reaction between indifference to mild support/rejection. Compare that to what Rush Limbaugh said in 2003:
"The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
They're comments are nearly identical. The only difference is McNabb says the media is tougher on black QBs and Limbaugh said the media was easier on black QBs. Limbaugh's comments caused a huge uproar that led to his resignation while McNabb hasn't dealt with any backlash other than a couple questions from reporters asking him to confirm he stands behind his statement.
You know who's looking at this the right way? Mr. Poise himself, Jason Campbell:
"As a player and as an African-American quarterback, sometimes you have to support other African-American quarterbacks in the league. At the same time, that is something I can't get caught up in. That's his opinion and some other peoples' opinions, but I look at everybody the same. I respect everybody the same, anybody who plays the quarterback position. It's the hardest position to play in professional sports. I support any guy that's in a starting position or getting playing time in the quarterback position. You get graded, you get rated differently than any other position on the field.
"For 90 percent of the game you have the ball in your hands, and everyone's watching you and all the mistakes that you make. Since you are in the spotlight, everything gets noticed. It's a tough position to play, but at the same time you have to have a short memory. I don't look at it as a color issue; I look at it as all of us in a brotherhood together."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Michael David Smith is a giant douche
Nothing fancy in this title but really, it needed to be said. The guy's a fucking douche. Why did AOL hire him? Everyone else there I love, enjoy, like or feel at least brings something to the table. This guy just lives to be a dick. He's the stereotypical sports radio talk show host but in the blogosphere. He's the Shrutebag of the Fanhouse. I'm not exaggerating here or trying to use hyperbole, the guy does nothing funny, productive, insightful, or smart. His only purpose seems to be to create controversy. That's it. And maybe that's not his actual purpose, but that's all he does in the Fanhouse. He takes something going on and then makes leaps saying, "Well if it's like this then so and so is just as bad," or, "If they do this then why won't they do that?"
Recent example: "Jon Gruden Stole Signs in the Super Bowl -- That Was OK, Bill Belichick Is Different"
"[A]nd in fact I believe the single greatest coaching job I've ever seen was done by Jon Gruden in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden had previously coached the Raiders, and the Raiders were continuing to run the offense Gruden ran in Oakland. So Gruden taught his Buccaneers defense everything the Raiders did offensively, including audible calls. That's a form of sign stealing."
You're killing me Smalls.
How on God's green Earth is that stealing? Stealing is taking something from someone that doesn't belong to you. Gruden gave the Raiders their offense and audibles. Guess what, Bill Callahan is a fucking moron for not changing them at all, especially in the week he had before the Super Bowl when he knew he going against his former boss and his team's former coach. I bet the Bucs switched up their signals, and Gruden hates changing anything about his offense (part of the reason he doesn't start Chris Simms is Sims is a lefty and Gruden doesn't want to change his entire offense to compensate for the reverse in routes/protection). Either way, it's not stealing. The audibles and plays were brought in by who? Jon Gruden. So how did he steal them? He didn't. He said, "Hey defense, if they say 'Blue 720' that means it's a run left."
Hypothetical situation:
Super Bowl XXXVII
Rich Gannon walks to the line. Dexter Jackson is 14 yards off the line, Derrick Brooks is playing a little deeper than usual, and the nickel back is in. Gannon audibles, "Running play to the left off tackle on 2...running play to the left on 2." Immediately Warren Sapp and Brooks shift to their right (Gannon's left), Jackson creeps forward, and Rhonde Barber steps in toward the line as Gannon gets under center. On the second "hut" Sapp gets a monster jump and the whole D converges at the Oakland left tackle. According to Michael Douchebag Smith, the Bucs stole signals. No, fuckhead, that's called using common knowledge (and common sense) to improve your situation. And everyone on the Raiders staff knew who the Tampa Bay coach was and knew he knew the audibles from the previous seasons. Belichick deliberately broke league rules (misinterpretation my ass) and videotaped the opponents' signals to sync up with their defense and wired his defensive linemen like an FBI sting operation to record offensive audibles to again sync up with their plays. It's clearly stated to be illegal and it's cheating. That is stealing signals and in no way is it similar at all to what Gruden did (or really, what Callahan didn't do). A real world example would be insider trading. If it's public knowledge that a company is about to declare bankruptcy then it's legal to sell off the stock as soon as possible to maximize gain/minimize loss. If you're the accountant for your company and you realize the company is about to declare bankruptcy in the next couple months so you sell off all your stock weeks before the report is public that is insider trading and your ass is going to jail (ask Martha). But don't tell that to Shrutebag lite. The ol' pot stirrer decided he needed to make a little noise and used a shady headline with the express purpose of causing controversy.
But hey, lest he stick to ridiculous comparisons, he can get quite melodramatic. Apparently if your big rival decides to jump into your stands, you should welcome him with open arms.
"I know a lot of people will say Johnson got what was coming to him for jumping into the stands at the opposing stadium, but there's no excuse for fans dousing a player in beer, and if those fans can be identified, the team shouldn't allow them back in Cleveland Browns Stadium."
You're fucking right he got what was coming to him. Now I don't think he should have been hit or injured, spit on, anything like that but what did you want the Cleveland fans to do? They can't exactly all just move out of the way and even if they could, why should they? They're in the seats they paid for. That is the fans' area, the field is the players' and coaches'. I love the Lambeau Leap and if I played for the Packers and could actually jump (which if I played for the Packers I imagine I could) I'd do it. But I wouldn't go jump into the crowd at Soldier Field, Ford Field, or the Metrodome (or anywhere else). A fan threw beer on him? Big whoop. It isn't something I would do but then again, if I had front row seats at FedEx and fucking TO jumped into my lap...I don't know, maybe I would. If that fan had been removed from the game, I would have understood. The fact that he wasn't I understand as well. "Shouldn't allow them back"??? Pretty extreme there. At most, I would say if they took away one, maybe two games, I'd be ok with that. Either way, I think everyone handled it fine. Chad had his fun and jumped up by a Dawg Pound guy he'd apparently been talking to for a couple seasons. Fans got to "get back" at a rival's star player. No one was hurt, none of the parties involved had anything bad to say after the game, everybody goes home happy...except Michael David Smith who is never happy unless he is stirring up a hornet's nest.
Then, as I was finding these two stories in the backlogs of the Fanhouse, I come across one of the more recent examples of Michael David Smith: Moral Authority. ShruteSack, yeah I've decided that's the appropriate descriptor for the Shrutebag imitator, loves to get his righteous indignation on a couple times a week (see Michael Vick story when it became a couple times an hour).
"Merriman says that in his rookie year, he spent $32,000 on a dinner for the whole team. That is absolutely insane. Even if every single player on the 53-man roster showed up, that's more than $600 a man. Sure, he could afford it shortly after signing a five-year, $11.3 million contract, but that's just stupid."
First, if you can afford it, why is it stupid? Kobe spent $21,000 on Cristal just to put an uppity poker player in his place, who gives a fuck other than it's a funny anecdote (I wish Jordan had been there because I bet that wouldn't have ended until MJ bought several of the wineries in Champagne, France...or Charles Oakley slapped Kobe, that seems to be his preferred method of ending any arguments, and hey, it works). These guys have tons of money and a one night "splurge" that still doesn't equal a significant portion of their salary is hardly something to make note of, much less get all self-righteous "I don't care how much he makes, it's stupid." Second, "that is absolutely insane"? Ok, ShruteSack, go to NFL.com, go to Redskin videos, and watch the interview Joe Theismann gives about taking his linemen to dinner each week. 7 or 8 guys put down several thousand dollars in food (I think averaging close to $1,000 per head) and they did it weekly (and was 25 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if it came close to $32,000 in today's money). So they spent a lot, they probably went to a fancy restaurant, ordered a ton of alcohol, and I bet none of it came from plastic bottles. Basically, ShruteSack needs to realize we're here for news, humor, and the breaking stories (and no, letting everyone know that nothing new has developed in the Vick case in the past half-hour does not count as a breaking story). ShruteSack thinks he's here to be the Shrutebag of the interwebs.
Recent example: "Jon Gruden Stole Signs in the Super Bowl -- That Was OK, Bill Belichick Is Different"
"[A]nd in fact I believe the single greatest coaching job I've ever seen was done by Jon Gruden in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden had previously coached the Raiders, and the Raiders were continuing to run the offense Gruden ran in Oakland. So Gruden taught his Buccaneers defense everything the Raiders did offensively, including audible calls. That's a form of sign stealing."
You're killing me Smalls.
How on God's green Earth is that stealing? Stealing is taking something from someone that doesn't belong to you. Gruden gave the Raiders their offense and audibles. Guess what, Bill Callahan is a fucking moron for not changing them at all, especially in the week he had before the Super Bowl when he knew he going against his former boss and his team's former coach. I bet the Bucs switched up their signals, and Gruden hates changing anything about his offense (part of the reason he doesn't start Chris Simms is Sims is a lefty and Gruden doesn't want to change his entire offense to compensate for the reverse in routes/protection). Either way, it's not stealing. The audibles and plays were brought in by who? Jon Gruden. So how did he steal them? He didn't. He said, "Hey defense, if they say 'Blue 720' that means it's a run left."
Hypothetical situation:
Super Bowl XXXVII
Rich Gannon walks to the line. Dexter Jackson is 14 yards off the line, Derrick Brooks is playing a little deeper than usual, and the nickel back is in. Gannon audibles, "Running play to the left off tackle on 2...running play to the left on 2." Immediately Warren Sapp and Brooks shift to their right (Gannon's left), Jackson creeps forward, and Rhonde Barber steps in toward the line as Gannon gets under center. On the second "hut" Sapp gets a monster jump and the whole D converges at the Oakland left tackle. According to Michael Douchebag Smith, the Bucs stole signals. No, fuckhead, that's called using common knowledge (and common sense) to improve your situation. And everyone on the Raiders staff knew who the Tampa Bay coach was and knew he knew the audibles from the previous seasons. Belichick deliberately broke league rules (misinterpretation my ass) and videotaped the opponents' signals to sync up with their defense and wired his defensive linemen like an FBI sting operation to record offensive audibles to again sync up with their plays. It's clearly stated to be illegal and it's cheating. That is stealing signals and in no way is it similar at all to what Gruden did (or really, what Callahan didn't do). A real world example would be insider trading. If it's public knowledge that a company is about to declare bankruptcy then it's legal to sell off the stock as soon as possible to maximize gain/minimize loss. If you're the accountant for your company and you realize the company is about to declare bankruptcy in the next couple months so you sell off all your stock weeks before the report is public that is insider trading and your ass is going to jail (ask Martha). But don't tell that to Shrutebag lite. The ol' pot stirrer decided he needed to make a little noise and used a shady headline with the express purpose of causing controversy.
But hey, lest he stick to ridiculous comparisons, he can get quite melodramatic. Apparently if your big rival decides to jump into your stands, you should welcome him with open arms.
"I know a lot of people will say Johnson got what was coming to him for jumping into the stands at the opposing stadium, but there's no excuse for fans dousing a player in beer, and if those fans can be identified, the team shouldn't allow them back in Cleveland Browns Stadium."
You're fucking right he got what was coming to him. Now I don't think he should have been hit or injured, spit on, anything like that but what did you want the Cleveland fans to do? They can't exactly all just move out of the way and even if they could, why should they? They're in the seats they paid for. That is the fans' area, the field is the players' and coaches'. I love the Lambeau Leap and if I played for the Packers and could actually jump (which if I played for the Packers I imagine I could) I'd do it. But I wouldn't go jump into the crowd at Soldier Field, Ford Field, or the Metrodome (or anywhere else). A fan threw beer on him? Big whoop. It isn't something I would do but then again, if I had front row seats at FedEx and fucking TO jumped into my lap...I don't know, maybe I would. If that fan had been removed from the game, I would have understood. The fact that he wasn't I understand as well. "Shouldn't allow them back"??? Pretty extreme there. At most, I would say if they took away one, maybe two games, I'd be ok with that. Either way, I think everyone handled it fine. Chad had his fun and jumped up by a Dawg Pound guy he'd apparently been talking to for a couple seasons. Fans got to "get back" at a rival's star player. No one was hurt, none of the parties involved had anything bad to say after the game, everybody goes home happy...except Michael David Smith who is never happy unless he is stirring up a hornet's nest.
Then, as I was finding these two stories in the backlogs of the Fanhouse, I come across one of the more recent examples of Michael David Smith: Moral Authority. ShruteSack, yeah I've decided that's the appropriate descriptor for the Shrutebag imitator, loves to get his righteous indignation on a couple times a week (see Michael Vick story when it became a couple times an hour).
"Merriman says that in his rookie year, he spent $32,000 on a dinner for the whole team. That is absolutely insane. Even if every single player on the 53-man roster showed up, that's more than $600 a man. Sure, he could afford it shortly after signing a five-year, $11.3 million contract, but that's just stupid."
First, if you can afford it, why is it stupid? Kobe spent $21,000 on Cristal just to put an uppity poker player in his place, who gives a fuck other than it's a funny anecdote (I wish Jordan had been there because I bet that wouldn't have ended until MJ bought several of the wineries in Champagne, France...or Charles Oakley slapped Kobe, that seems to be his preferred method of ending any arguments, and hey, it works). These guys have tons of money and a one night "splurge" that still doesn't equal a significant portion of their salary is hardly something to make note of, much less get all self-righteous "I don't care how much he makes, it's stupid." Second, "that is absolutely insane"? Ok, ShruteSack, go to NFL.com, go to Redskin videos, and watch the interview Joe Theismann gives about taking his linemen to dinner each week. 7 or 8 guys put down several thousand dollars in food (I think averaging close to $1,000 per head) and they did it weekly (and was 25 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if it came close to $32,000 in today's money). So they spent a lot, they probably went to a fancy restaurant, ordered a ton of alcohol, and I bet none of it came from plastic bottles. Basically, ShruteSack needs to realize we're here for news, humor, and the breaking stories (and no, letting everyone know that nothing new has developed in the Vick case in the past half-hour does not count as a breaking story). ShruteSack thinks he's here to be the Shrutebag of the interwebs.
And we're back
Well, not that I imagine anyone has actually stumbled in here, but for a while there (2 months) my job blocked all blogspot.com websites. Assholes (kidding Dept of Defense, don't kill me). Anyway, somehow they became unblocked and so now not only can I continue to catch up on all the sporting world's blogs at work but I can again join the in the snark-fest and throw my 2 cents out there into the Money Bin of Scrooge McDuck. (man, Transformers has gotten me on such a nostalgia trip, go to websites like tv-links.co.uk and you can watch tv shows, movies, and old cartoons like TMNT, Duck Tales, Transformers, Thundercats, Darkwing Duck, Tailspin, I heart the 80s).
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