Category: Sports

Sports commentary.

ESPN on Limbaugh

(originally sent as an email to ESPN on 2003.10.01)

Normally I’m a big fan of ESPN. But the entire Rush Limbaugh thing shows that some people at my favorite network are not very clever and some are spineless (and some probably both).

Under “not very clever,” how can this come as any kind of surprise to anyone there at ESPN? All the anchors and commentators bringing up this incident act all outraged. It’s not like Limbaugh has never said anything like this before; he’s always been a right-wing demagogue and has made numerous racially insensitive remarks in the past. They should have been outraged when Limbaugh was hired to to a FOOTBALL show, someething for which he had zero qualifications and was totally inappropriate. Where was the outrage then? It’s not like Limbaugh being a racist is news–but it was OK before he said it live on ESPN? Not clever.

Second, if the appropriate people at ESPN had any spine, not only would Limbaugh be gone, but the producer or whoever who green-lighted his hiring should very publicly be given the axe–because if he or she didn’t see this coming, then that person really shouldn’t be given so much responsibility.

And if Bodenheimer had any spine, he’d have said something more like “we’re outraged by Limbaugh’s comments, we apologize to McNabb, and we’re idiots for having hired Limbaugh in the first place.” His lukewarm statement doesn’t even bother to disagree with Limbaugh. Why not? Is Bodenheimer just as much of a racist as Limbaugh? Then have the balls to ask Limbaugh to stay. If not, then have the balls to take issue with what Limbaugh said. The watered-down statement that was issued is completely gutless.

I guess the good news overall is that now I can go back to watching Countdown, which I stopped watching because of Limbaugh–except, of course, that’s if I can stand Irvin. At least Irvin has a football background, but he’s an inarticulate train wreck who has no business being on TV. Less time to guys like him and more for Jaws and the amazing “<insert sponsor here> NFL Matchup”!

March Madness rant

March Madness rant. Look, will all of you complaining about the RPI just cut it out? Obviously, the RPI doesn’t rule the NCAA Selection committee. Proof? How about TCU? 21-12 record, RPI of 32, which puts them ahead of ELEVEN other at-large bids in RPI rank–so go ahead, tell Tubby Smith (TCU’s coach) about how the NCAA is tied to the RPI. And all the Georgetown and USC fans better be *really* quiet about the RPI, since there were NINE teams ahead of USC in the RPI that didn’t get bids and TEN teams ahead of Georgetown (including a team from the Big East with an identical 19-9 record, West Virginia). So yeah, sure, bitch about selection, but don’t bitch about the use of the RPI–a team’s RPI is clearly not as important as everyone seems to think.

(original date: 1997.03.10)

Sports Gods

Yet another sports rant. No, it’s not about Dennis Rodman kicking a photographer, lots of other folks have said more than enough about how stupid that whole scene is. No, today’s rant is about all the god-freak athletes out there. Look, gang, if the god you believe in is willing to not intervene and let innocent children get slaughtered in civil wars in the Balkans and in Africa, but is willing to intervene to affect the individual performances in sporting contests, well, then it’s a god the rest of us can do without–so shut up about it already.

(original date: 1997.01.21)

Lou Holtz

Another sports rant, this time Lou Holtz. Why is everybody making such a big deal over it? He’s a classless whiner and the faster he gets out of the spotlight the better off we’ll all be. Here’s a good illustration of the classlessness: In his final home game against Rutgers, he was up five touchdowns against a clearly overmatched team. Did he put in the subs and just try to run out the clock? Nope, there was starter Ron Powlus in, throwing deep, so that Notre Dame could run it up 62-0. Totally, totally vulgar.

(original date: 1996.11.26)

Atlanta Olympics

OK, the Olympic and dissertation break from ranting is over, and I’m gonna rant about the Olympics. I had a blast. Every single person I talked to (and believe me, on those MARTA trains and in the stands, I saw a lot of folks) had a blast, just a totally terrific time. But, of course, the out-of-town media and the IOC had lots of bad things to say. Um, hello? I hate to break it to you, but the Olympics are not for the media or even the IOC. They’re for the athletes and the fans. We were happy, so the media and the IOC can just piss off, thank you very much. The Atlanta Olympics were awesome, no matter what these pampered whiners said.

(original date: 1996.08.08)

Jordan vs. Seles

Michael Jordan as “Comeback performer of the year”? Hello? Let me get this straight, the guy voluntarily retires because he wants to screw around on a baseball field, then returns because he isn’t very good at it, and he gets comeback performer over Monica Seles, who returned from being stabbed by a fan on the court and made it to the U.S. Open finals? Yeah, sure, MJ is the greatest to ever wear a basketball uniform, but puh-lease. Monica Seles by a mile on this one.

(original date: 1996.05.24)