OT: Sports Stars and War References

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:15 pm

First of all, I love how everyone got on Kellen Winslow Jr. about his little 'soldier' references and no one has yet to say a word about KG's little tirade last night. That was 10x worse than what K2 said.
Second, why is it such a big deal. In no way are these guys implying that a basketball/football game is as difficult or as dangerous as a war and yet they are being ridiculed to no end by the media. I know it's probably because of the sensitive nature of our country these days and the so-called war in Iraq but damn...people are blowing this stuff way out of proportion.

I personally don't find much wrong with it. I know, it's insensitive, but in no way are they really taking anything away from the guys on the real battlefield. It's just a bunch of jocks trying to get up for a game.

Everyone just needs to settle down when it comes to war references. That's the way I look at it anyway.

reeche · Post by **reeche** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:31 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:First of all, I love how everyone got on Kellen Winslow Jr. about his little 'soldier' references and no one has yet to say a word about KG's little tirade last night. That was 10x worse than what K2 said.
Second, why is it such a big deal. In no way are these guys implying that a basketball/football game is as difficult or as dangerous as a war and yet they are being ridiculed to no end by the media. I know it's probably because of the sensitive nature of our country these days and the so-called war in Iraq but damn...people are blowing this stuff way out of proportion.

I personally don't find much wrong with it. I know, it's insensitive, but in no way are they really taking anything away from the guys on the real battlefield. It's just a bunch of jocks trying to get up for a game.

Everyone just needs to settle down when it comes to war references. That's the way I look at it anyway.

Well I don't know about the no one saying a word on it bit. It's been all over ESPN.com all day.

Either way it's just typical sports blather. Something to fill the columns with and get all upset over. I'm sure there are a lot of people who condemn such actions as demeaning to the troops or sending a bad message to the kiddies. I suppose, but like I say these guys shouldn't be life role models anyway so you've got a bigger problems than trash talk if your kid is idolizing NHL,NBA, or NFL players. I personally don't have an issue with it, as long as it stays in the context of trash talk and not real AK-47's, glocks. etc. The guns themselves are bigger problems than words imo.

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:50 pm

Everyone's all up on it here in the Bay Area too. Jim Rome had a bunch to say on it as well.

Anyone who takes anything a goddamn pro athlete says seriously is a moron.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:10 pm

I guess I shoulda been more clear...

No one ON HERE has said anything about it. When K2 made his comments everyone was condeming him on DS...now no one has really said a word about KG...I'm just tryin' to figure out why.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:12 pm

You can't say much of anything these days without someone being offended.

I agree. Lighten up Francis.

Edit:This was not intended towards you db, just to people in general.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:17 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:I guess I shoulda been more clear...

No one ON HERE has said anything about it. When K2 made his comments everyone was condeming him on DS...now no one has really said a word about KG...I'm just tryin' to figure out why.

K2's comments were made during the middle of the weekend so everyone saw it on Sportscenter and other news for a day and a half when most of us were off of work.

I didn't even hear about KG's comments until this afternoon on Rome.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:19 pm

That's basketball - no one gives a toss about it anyway.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:21 pm

Leebo33 wrote:I didn't even hear about KG's comments until this afternoon on Rome.

I guess that makes sense...even though I saw it on last nights Sportscenter.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:36 pm

First, college football is more popular than the NBA, so more people talked about Winslow's comments. Second, there aren't a lot of vocal NBA fans on this board. In fact, most of us could give three sh*ts about it, myself included.

Finally, athletes should be more sensitive to soldiers fighting for the U.S. But not many athletes have a ton of smarts or sensibility, so these kind of stupid statements are par for the course.

BB nailed it: Anything KG or any pro athlete says is irrelevant. Most are so far removed from reality that they have no clue. I bet if you asked KG to identify Fallujah, the Sunni Triangle or Muslim clerics, he would look at you with a blank stare.

Take care,
PK

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:51 pm

I don't understand how we have been subjected to years of Tyson, Barkley, John Rocker, Pete Rose etc and yet people STILL manage to actually get upset about what athletes say!

I'm equally amazed at how media coverage gets more and more extensive, yet all the sports fan has gained is a greater volume of meaningless cliches combined with the occassional gaffe.

Let the athletes play. Who gives a damn about what they say? Was KG wrong? I don't know. It was a stupid diatribe, but one very much in keeping with the Scarface and gangsta rap aesthetic that dominates American culture these days. Big deal. Does KG, the T-Wolves, the NBA or me feel any differently about the war in Iraq, gun control, terrorism, SARS or anything else important as a result of this? Does my 12 year old nephew, who likes KG, somehow become poisoned by this ill-considered rant? Of course not. It's just an athlete being stupid. I can't believe this is still something that generates this level of discussion!

If an athlete says something stupid in a forest and there's no mic there to record it, does he make a sound?

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:52 pm

pk500 wrote:I bet if you asked KG to identify Fallujah, the Sunni Triangle or Muslim clerics, he would look at you with a blank stare.

Well, that means that KG and I have something in common.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:52 pm

pk500 wrote:I bet if you asked KG to identify Fallujah, the Sunni Triangle or Muslim clerics, he would look at you with a blank stare.

The problem with that little example is that neither could 65-75% of America in general (including myself).

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 6:54 pm

RobVarak wrote: I can't believe this is still something that generates this level of discussion!

That is precisely my point.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 18, 2004 7:14 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
RobVarak wrote: I can't believe this is still something that generates this level of discussion!
That is precisely my point.

DB:

I thought your point was that it hadn't generated the same level of discussion as Winslow's comments.

Out,
PK

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:04 pm

Read the rest of my initial post, specifically the last line. I was wondering why they made it out to be such a big deal.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:42 pm

I briefly heard KG talk and didn't really think about it much.

I didn't think the Winslow comments were that different from what athletes had said or expressed in the past -- I recall Redskins boarding the bus for a game against the Cowboys in battle fatigues.

There's a difference in tone and Winslow seemed more severe, probably emotional after a tough loss.

KG on the other hand was trying to be expressive in language that people of his age, which includes his teammates, might understand. I would say he was more expansive.

Everything I've heard of him indicates he's a good guy, who shouldered the burden of a whole franchise and community and has returned service to the community for all the money which has been lavished on him. Maybe the fact that he's more likeable than Winslow and the more calm tones in which he expressed himself is the reason he hasn't raised the ire of fans here.

The_Sir · Post by **The_Sir** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:59 pm

I have no problem whatsoever with Kevin Garnett's comments. I don't find them insensitive either. I think it's a metaphor for the physicality and the intensity of the game. And that's exactly what it is and I would call it a war myself. Does anyone have a problem with the Arena Football game called '50 Yard Indoor War'???

edit: I believe that actually a name that people use for Arena Football. I don't believe the game makers made that up themselves. So I probably could have broadened my example.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 18, 2004 9:08 pm

The_Sir wrote:edit: I believe that actually a name that people use for Arena Football. I don't believe the game makers made that up themselves. So I probably could have broadened my example.

That motto was actually used by the teams during the leagues inception back in the early 90's. So it actually was dubbed that officially by most that were involved.

Sport73 · Post by **Sport73** » Tue May 18, 2004 9:20 pm

"We would've won if Jesus hadn't made me fumble"

Athletes are stupid enough to think that God cares about the outcome of the game, and hypocritical enough not to realize that if that were true then God must not like losing teams.

God loves losing teams, he's a Red Sox fan. The apocolypse will come when the Sox win the World Series.

Pay no attention to the silly men in the tight shorts.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:06 pm

PK,

Over 40% of Americans cannot identify Idaho on an unidentified national map. KG's ignorance on Iraq is...expected I guess.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:09 pm

sf_z wrote:If God followed sports, he'd bet on the winners and use the proceeds to solve world hunger.

Same thing could be said about whether God picked sides in wars.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 19, 2004 1:19 am

Bill_Abner wrote:PK,

Over 40% of Americans cannot identify Idaho on an unidentified national map. KG's ignorance on Iraq is...expected I guess.

Sad.

'Nuff said,
PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 19, 2004 1:23 am

The_Sir wrote:I have no problem whatsoever with Kevin Garnett's comments. I don't find them insensitive either. I think it's a metaphor for the physicality and the intensity of the game. And that's exactly what it is and I would call it a war myself. Does anyone have a problem with the Arena Football game called '50 Yard Indoor War'???

edit: I believe that actually a name that people use for Arena Football. I don't believe the game makers made that up themselves. So I probably could have broadened my example.

It's a bad metaphor at best. People die in wars. People don't die in NBA playoff games.

Comparing the physicality and intensity of an NBA playoff game -- or any sporting event, for that matter -- to infantry combat is an absolute joke. I've never served, but Jackdog has told me stories about his 20+ years of Special Forces service and combat that make Game 7 of the NBA Finals look like tiddly-winks.

Garnett is a good guy from what I've read, and he was just spouting off like a typical professional jock who is detached from reality. But anyone who seriously believes that playoff sports have the intensity of infantry combat needs a serious f*cking reality check. A soldier like Jackdog has bigger balls and more intensity than Kevin Garnett ever will show on the basketball court, even if KG averages 35 points and 20 boards per game.

Get real.

Take care,
PK

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed May 19, 2004 2:09 am

I just find it funny...these athletes spouting off about war and then they get to go home after that 48 min. (or whatever sport) war and lay in the cush mansions with the 55 inch plasmas...whereas the real soldiers get to go lay in a hole behind a f'n tank.

Digital Sportspage

OT: Sports Stars and War References

OT: Sports Stars and War References

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