When I saw the viral video of Richard Sherman’s verbal end-zone happy dance the other day, I thought “This is truly a threat to democracy”.
But beyond that, it’s a symptom of a deeper problem in American society, one where civility is merely another…
…um…
…oh, who cares? It’s FOOTBALL. A game where people are paid more than heart surgeons to bludgeon each other while moving a ball around a field. It’s a barroom brawl with referees. A game entirely controlled by the Mob, to make itself fortunes in gambling (with a little help from our idiot legislatures, who not only grant them tax-free status but pour our tax dollars on them like whipped cream onto high-priced hookers). It’s a game for athletes who don’t have the attention span to tackle Baseball, run by a business that doesn’t have enough ethics to criticize the Crips, facilitated by legislators who don’t have the brains to call a scam a scam.
Richard Sherman may be the most articulate spokesman the game has ever had.
At the very least, he dispels the notion that pro football is in any way different that pro wrestling.
I disagree with just about everything you’ve written here. Hooray for America!
Sherman graduated from Stanford with a degree in Communications in 2010. He has started his masters degree there as well. That argues he is much more than this brief video.
Clearly he was responding to something said to or about him, that remains unknown to his audience. And it appears that he was pretty pumped up on adrenaline as well.
So? He spoke aggressively, but he didn’t swear. He didn’t shoot anyone, like the many road rage incidents and other occasions where people get angry. I don’t follow the antics of Sherman, but I’m not aware of any arrests or allegations of violence off the field. He seems to control and direct aggression within the rules of the game quite competently.
Appears to me he behaved better than many of the rants of white guys like Ted Nugent. But I don’t recall you complaining about civility, or the lack thereof, with white guys like him. http://youtu.be/uKUWq_jd7wU Or Rush Limbaugh’s.
Is there a racist element to your complaint? Perhaps a double standard being applied here?
There are a lot of problems with professional sports; with college sports too, for that matter. Richard Sherman’s speech here doesn’t really seem to be one of them.
“If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.”
Dorothy Parker
DG observed: “Is there a racist element to your complaint? “
Well that’s it Mitch, you’re a racist. DG says so.
As an aside, I thought DG’s comment regarding Sherman was spot on. The “racist element” component appeared to be one in an ongoing and somewhat competitive bloggy thing between DG and MBerg.
Well it figures Emery, that you would think that calling someone a racist is good debating style.
“This is truly a threat to democracy”
Some commenters are clearly Humor Handicapped.
I don’t know about Stanford, but I do know that (a) Stanford comm arts grads are not exactly dominating the mass communications world, (b) it’s a historically easy major (see Ernie Pyle’s justification for going into journalism), and (c) I know where the football players at Michigan State are found.
Sorry, Doggone, but even apart from affirmative action–for which Stanford is also well known, by the way–Sherman’s degree doesn’t impress me a whole lot.
“Sports Management” is another popular degree with D1 recruits.
Two points —
As for Sherman, I’d suggest the following:
“Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.”
and
“I’m afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.”
— Andy Warhol
As for Dog Gone, you’ve written some nonsensical things on this blog, but to suggest that Mitch’s comments have a racist element is beyond the pale. Get help.
To be clear – and fair – I disagree with pretty much everything DG wrote as well.
And judging by this thread, not a whole lot of you played organized sports.
I’ve often wondered if Dog Gone reads more than the first paragraph before leaping to the keyboard to pound out a reply. Now we know, the answer is NO, she doesn’t read further. She got far enough to see the Black man’s face and that’s all it took to set her off.
“Richard Sherman may be the most articulate spokesman the game has ever had” is a COMPLIMENT, Dog-ster, a real one, not a Joe Biden back-handed insult.
It’s not racist for a White Man to praise people for doing well, even if the people he praises are minorities.
.
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” Biden said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
Just completing Joe Doakes’ comment here.
Both the NFL and Dog Gone prefer a 10-minute “cooling off” period before players or coaches talk to the media, or before DG pounds out a comment. Sherman could have used one, though I don’t know if it would have benefitted DG. The problem with DG’s 10-minutes is that her thoughts don’t “cool-down”, they ferment.
I had prepared a detailed fisking of DG’s comment, but then I re-read it and thought “this fisking makes absolutely no sense and rambles incoherently,” and then I realized I had attempted to fisk a DG comment and thought “Ohhhhhh, righhhhht!”
I was thinking the same thing, Joe Doakes, but I’m not certain she read anything at all. Not even the headline. That Emery thinks her Tangent-Rant is “spot on” is par for the course. *shrug*
Whenever DG leaves a skid mark over here I see it sitting on a cattle prod, readying itself before the keyboard, then ordering it’s male to “hit it”.
Me thinks DogWhereIsPinalCountyNabbit is a roboposter. Mitch, I suggest you institute a captcha for her account.
‘Emery’,
You wrote:
“Sports Management” is another popular degree with D1 recruits.”
Serious question: What is your source for this information?
Secondly, what are the ‘popular’ degrees for D1 recruits? Please cite your source(s).
‘Seflores’:
Don’t be lazy, answer your question by doing the (work) research.
‘Emery’ – Exactly the answer I assumed you would supply. I’ve already done the work. I was betting that you had not. And I won the bet. Although as an old pool hall hustler once said to me – “it ain’t gambling when you are certain to win.”
It’s a game. Entertainment. Whoever this character is, he’s just performing. Or he thinks he’s doing something important. To paraphrase Mrs. Clinton, what difference does it make?
Those who care what the guy is howling about probably also consider sports celebrities to be “role models.” Please note that you “play” a game, you don’t “work” games. Graduated from Stanford? Any chance he was also a valued member of their football team? Any chance there could be a connection?
Mr. Berg’s third paragraph brilliantly sums up the whole thing.
Then lay it out my friend…
My statement was based on following D1 college VB. Many of the graduating Seniors “tend” to have a degree in Sports Management. Purely anecdotal.
No, ‘Emery’, you jump through my hoops, bro…
Now that you have significantly modified your claim from “D1 recruits” to “seniors who play D1 college VB” and that even the evidence you are providing for that claim is anecdotal, I’ve got all I need and my work is done here.
Night, night.
Show us your home work son….
@ seflores – “I’ve already done the work.”
Good. Please do enlighten us. I’m certainly gonna bet that there aren’t a whole lot of Premeds, Chem Engs or Economists in that pool.
My quick and dirty Google search came up with the top NCAA basketball student athlete majors in this order: 1) Business, 2) Communications and 3) Sports Management.
The WSJ had an article (2010) on NCAA football student athletes. To address mnbubba’s point; Mathematics was listed as 22nd out of 24 majors and Engineering came in at 13th out of the 24 listed majors. “Academic criteria for their admission are far below those for other students (for example, their average SAT scores are about 200 points lower than those of non–athletes).”
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703743504575493773613076844
DG
I do try to stay civil with you. I think it’s safe to say I go above and beyond the call. Certainly farther than you go on your blog.
But this?
Is there a racist element to your complaint?
I’m sorry, DG, but that’s just stupid.
Seriously. That’s too stupid even for Eric Pusey to write, and he’s the dumbest person writing a blog in Minnesota today. You clearly read not a word of what I wrote, beyond hearing a, er, dog whistle. Nothing new there, naturally, but this is downright insulting.
Reconsider your approach. I’m tired of the one you’re using.
I don’t ban people often – maybe half a dozen people in twelve years – but I’ve banned them for less.
Emery asserts A. Seflores asks Emery for proof that A is true. Emery declines to provide proof that A is true Seflores concludes Emery has no proof of A so A is not true.
Emery offers proof of B. Seflores says Emery’s offer to prove B instead of A is sufficient evidence to conclude Emery cannot prove A is true, so Seflores’ work here is done.
Emery offers proof of C.
/“Sports Management” is another popular degree with D1 recruits./
/..Top NCAA basketball student athlete majors in this order: 1) Business, 2) Communications and 3) Sports Management./
In my book, one of the the top three [majors] would indicate “popular”….
Keep swinging Mr. Doakes. “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while”
Emery, you’re making me sad.
Mitch posted about a Football player with a Communications major. You snarked that Sports Managment is another popular major for D1 recruits, then shifted the ground to D-1 senior volleyball players, and now to NCAA basketball players including all of Divisions I, II and III.
You asserted A but offered proof of B, then C.
What makes me sad is I do not think you are doing it intentionally, to be a jerk or a troll. I don’t think you realize you’re doing it at all. When a well-educated and intelligent person can’t see the logical errors in his argument – even when pointed out to him – but instead retreats into insults, that’s proof of D: this country is doomed.
I’ll concede it’s just anecdotal, but when I was a walk-on at Michigan State (cross country/track; I was the guy who would catch up to the guys who belonged if they got lazy), the academic honor roll for the entire athletic department was dominated by sports like hockey, cross country, and track–despite the fact that there were a LOT more football players than runners and skaters, to put it mildly. And don’t even get me started on the basketball team.
And yes, my view of the majors is also anecdotal, but I just took a look at my alma mater’s football roster, and suffice it to say I’m not seeing many engineers and physics majors, if you catch my drift. Criminal justice (irony there), kinesiology, and Comm Arts. (to be fair, one pre-med, but…)
QUOTE: Is there a racist element to your complaint?
Everyone on the Right needs to get some guts and start using the terms “racialism” and “identity politics” a lot more, because the Democrat party loves both.
Turn that frown upside–down, Mr. Doakes!
The NCAA claims “Management’ is the number one major. My use of the term “popular” is an accurate characterization of which majors are “popular” with college athletes.
And where the heck is Mr. (“I’ve already done the work.”) seflores homework?
Most popular player majors at BCS schools
Ga. Tech Management 43
Cincinnati Criminal Justice 40
Vanderbilt Human and Org. Dev. 35
Wake Forest Communications 34
Miss. St. Kinesiology 30
LSU Sports Admininistration 28
UCLA History 27
Baylor General Studies 27
Kansas Business 25
Iowa Interdepartmental Studies 21
Boston Coll. Communications 21
Clemson Sociology 20
http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2011-09-05/athletes-sticking-together-classes
Another Richard….Incognito got America’s liberals in a dither when he bullied a gay player. Off camera. I’m not sure what his major was. I know he didn’t go to Stanford. So it’s all about identity politics. If you’re a member of a protected class you can be a victim no matter what.
Is there a racist element to your complaint?
No, but there is a stupid element to your response.
Perhaps a double standard being applied here?
As the left has given me COUNTLESS opportunities to use this over the last few years since it was coined by infrequent Mitchketeer Kermit, I’ll trot it out again as it perfectly applies:
If it weren’t for double standards, the left would have none.
So now we have gone from the claim “Sports Management” is another popular degree with D1 recruits.” to an anecdotal report by the claimant that it’s popular with D-1 Volleyball players he’s aware of to it’s popular among football players according to an analysis of a few schools by the WSJ to it’s the number 1 major among football players (at Georgia Tech anyway) by redefining “management” to be the same as “sports management”.
Given the list of schools/majors posted at the article linked, many of those degrees would likely lead to ‘management’, so, based on your ever evolving standard, you have obviously vindicated the claim that “Sports Management” is another popular degree with D1 recruits.” 220, 221, whatever takes eh PhD man?
I’ll give you this much credit, ‘Emery’, you finally found the article I found yesterday as part of my “work” prior to asking you to ‘cite your source’ for the claim, but you failed to read the article critically or carefully when you found it earlier today. It would have given you the answer regarding which degrees are most popular with D1 recruits. Perhaps you will re-read (or based on what you have posted here, read for the first time) the article you have linked (from the NCAA – it’s like asking the National Association of Wolves how the sheep are doing, but it will do) and find the passage that answers the question of whether or not one can claim “Sports Management’ is another popular degree with D1 recruits.” (Hint – It’s in the middle)
Extra credit question: How many D1 schools offer a degree in Sports Management? (Please do not redefine the term ‘Sports Management major’ to include Art History of the Middle Ages majors just because these folks will likely wind up in ‘management’ of a coffee house.)
Extra, extra credit: Does the Sports Management ‘industry’ currently have a surplus of openings vs applicants? Yes or No (and as always, show your work!).
Oh and by the way, the usual – “gee, I thought I was long winded” response will yield a fail.
I re-read your post three times and could not make any sense of it. Could you please try to write more clearly?
I believe you’re blurring the definition of popular with being number one.
Let me help you with this deficiency :
pop·u·lar
adjective
adjective: popular
liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people or by a particular person or group.
“she was one of the most popular girls in the school”
synonyms: well–liked, favored, sought-after, in demand, desired, wanted…
‘Emery’: Thanks for the acknowledgement. Let’s play again, it was fun watching you twist & turn. Here’s a joke for you, it’s actually a riddle – “How do you keep an idiot in suspense?”
What’s the best way to get bloodstains out of a clown suit?
Never. Or maybe briefly, followed by never
For God’s sake people he was high on this thing called adrenaline and had just made an amazing play to send his team to the freaking Super Bowl. He is an intense trash talker who tends to run his mouth a LOT during games and this just happened to spill over into a post game interview. The most accurate thing Berg said was how the game is controlled by the mob. You think that its an accident that the first cold weather Super Bowl is being held in fucking East Rutherford NJ where the two teams from NY play?
I think he’s mostly a good guy that is really pissed off at Crabtree for legitimate or illegitimate reasons.
Based on what I heard from Limbaugh, NFL cornerback is one of those jobs like brain surgeon, or whatever (there are several) that requires a huge amount of self confidence / cockiness. It comes with the territory.
JMO, history at UCLA doesn’t sound easy, to me.
And as latest soundbites show, Sherman ire may have been quite justifiable.
Oh, and the fact McCain is dead set against him, makes him #1 in my books!
Now, if you we could only get EmeryTheUSAHater tio complete his assigment of enumerating successful soci@list exepriments, peace will come upon us and we will Coexist.
It occurs to me – some people may have read my opening two paragraphs and not thought “Mitch is being sarcastic”.