NFL
Bob McNair’s death and the sports media’s hypocrisy
Published
5 years agoon

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend the sports world lost a major player in the form of Houston Texans owner Bob McNair.
He passed just a month shy of his 82nd birthday and had been fighting hard against various forms of cancer on and off for the better part of a decade.
It is with deep sadness that we announce Houston Texans Founder, Senior Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and philanthropist, Robert C. McNair passed away peacefully in Houston today with his loving wife, Janice, and his family by his side. pic.twitter.com/7J9PWoxKZv
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 23, 2018
I can’t imagine the grief that the family of Bob McNair is feeling right now. No one can, even if you’ve lost a close loved one yourself. No two people grieve the same way or in the same time.
But, what I could and did imagine was how the Social Justice Sports Writer crowd would handle his passing.
It was as formulaic as a Hallmark Channel movie really. A major story breaks, the sports media must cover it and they must express sympathy and empathy while talking about the man’s long and interesting life.
Of course that’s the right move, but it’s also a move that smacks of irony from the SJSWs out there. Major outlets and their writers should be ashamed of their glowing and almost-poetic-like talk of McNair upon his passing.
I don’t say this because McNair was an evil man or did an undeniably evil deed in his life. I say this because that is exactly what the SJSW’s have spent the better part of the last few years of his life telling you he was and he did.
This is the same crew that not even a year ago, on the eve of the 2018 NFL Draft no less, were calling for McNair to be gone as a NFL owner because he was a racist. Now, upon his passing, McNair is a saint and a good man?
Luckily for the actual person who wrote that article at The Comeback, he’s been largely silent since McNair’s passing. In fact, the entire outlet, including its sister site Awful Announcing, has been silent on McNair’s passing.
As the saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
I applaud them for that…because they had nothing nice to say about him in life, so why say anything about him in death.
That approach is much better than many other outlets who used his death to smear McNair as a racist.
Not surprisingly, Deadspin was amongst those who used their voices to make sure to put one final dig in at the 81-year-old man who made at most one “controversial” comment in his life.
They pulled off the double-play of the SJSW, labeling McNair a homophobe and racist in their post on his death. No counterbalance with the life-long commitment to education, charitable works and his christian faith. No word of him as an owner who brought football back to Houston where it should’ve never left.
Just one last chance to shovel some dirt on the guy because you didn’t like his politics or choice of words one time.
It really wasn’t surprising to me, but it gave me pause. After all, what was worse — the media that tried to bury him while alive deciding to act like nothing ever happened or the media continuing to perpetuate lies about a man who is no longer here to defend himself?
But the good news is that not everyone bought in to or was willing to take people calling them out for not talking about McNair as a racist.
Jerome Soloman of the Houston Chronicle penned an answer to critics who wondered about why he didn’t touch on the “inmates running the prison” comment while writing about McNair’s death.
In that answer, he was unapologetic in calling out the fact that no one who worked for or with him believed him to be a racist. He spoke with Kevin Cooper, who worked for McNair and the Texans for 14 years.
Cooper also happens to be black and proud of his time spent working for and most importantly, with, McNair.
“We were from two different worlds but found common ground on so much,” Cooper said. “I mean he was 40 years older than me, but I felt a real bond just talking. He never made you feel you worked for him; more working with him to win. He wanted nothing more than to win a Super Bowl for his adopted home. He believed in treating people well.
“In his later years it seems he was judged by a few quotes that made people think he was a bigot which couldn’t have been further from the truth. Our relationship was never based on black and white or age, it was two men having a common bond.”
But employing one black person in a high-profile role doesn’t make you not a racist, something Solomon pointed out well in his column:
“That McNair employed blacks in prominent positions in his organization isn’t a defense for what he said. A person can be a raging racist and hire talented and qualified black people to do work. (See: Donald Sterling.)
But McNair didn’t just hire outstanding black people, he took them under his wing. He nurtured their growth. He supported them just as he did the white people who worked for him.
He didn’t treat them any differently because of their color of their skin. That isn’t the mark of a racist.”
The point here is that McNair was a man, a human being, complete with some flaws but also someone with plenty of good in his life.
But, to the SJSWs of the world, he was just a useful tool in their quest to make everything about identity and grievance.
McNair deserved better of them while he was alive and that was something even the glowing words after his passing won’t ever be able to make up for.
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Veteran of the Digital Sports Media world, with work featured on Fox Sports, ESPNU and other outlets. Previously employed at Bleacher Report, The Comeback and FanSided. Consumer of sports media and member of it since 2011, you can find me still beating the drum of independence and truth in sports coverage.

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NFL
Nick Bosa in trouble with sports writers for having the wrong opinions
Published
4 years agoon
April 11, 2019
The Social Justice Sports Warrior has struck again. This time, the offender is potential top NFL draft pick Nick Bosa.
His crime? He had three old “takes” surface from his Twitter account after he went through and deleted them.
Those three takes? Apparently he didn’t care for Black Panther, believed Beyoncé’s music was “trash” and that Colin Kaepernick was a “clown.”
But even worse, he had the audacity to support Donald Trump and more conservative-leaning commentators as well.
Immediately the SJSW’s sprung to action, because those opinions are wrong and they can’t stand. In fact, Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman took action long before Bosa deleted the tweets.
So, to summarize some of the tweets from next year’s likely No. 1 draft pick, Nick Bosa:
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) May 14, 2018
1. Black Panther is the worst Marvel movie.
2. Beyoncé’s music is “trash.”
3. Kaepernick is a “clown.”
Alllllllllllllllrighty then.
How dare Nick Bosa have an opinion and express it via Twitter!
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in the SJSW’s here? Most literally make a living off of stating opinions on Twitter and in front of whatever camera they can get in front of.
Should they be shamed and publicly flogged for anything that steps out of the SJSW orthodoxy? Well, look at what happens to Jason Whitlock on a regular basis.
This self-important group of writers and talking heads won’t stand for someone else speaking their opinion? How strange and hypocritical of them.
There’s a difference between debating the merits of what someone said and the public shaming of someone for daring to have a different opinion than yours.
It’s gotten so bad that in anticipation of the wokest city in the NFL, San Francisco, having its team draft him, Bosa found it necessary to even consider having to delete his former Tweets. He admitted to it in an ESPN interview recently.
It may be a smart move in terms of crafting an image, but this is the internet age and it isn’t going way — especially if you are one to step out of the orthodoxy.
Bosa’s opinions were so wrong to the SJSW crowd that deleting them is a crime too.
So, the lesson here is to not step out of the bounds of thought that the SJSW’s deem okay or they will pounce. You must think, act and talk like them or they will get you no matter what you do.
An apology…not good enough.
Deleting the “offending” tweets? You’re just hiding that you’re a racist.
Literally, there is no path to redemption if you step out of the thought spectrum of today’s sports writers and opinion makers.
Let this be a lesson to everyone. EVERYTHING you say on social media can and will be used against you if you don’t agree with the mob.
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NFL
Why the sudden obsession with Julian Edelman as an NFL Hall of Famer?
Published
5 years agoon
February 4, 2019
Just stop it…stop it right now.
Stop the talk of Julian Edelman as an NFL Hall of Fame player.
After last night’s Super Bowl LIII performance the glowing reviews came in and Nate Burleson told the world that Edelman just cemented his Hall of Fame career.
They say that a dog is a mans best friend…well the biggest dog on the field was Tom Brady’s best friend! @Edelman11 should be the MVP and when he’s done playing should be a Hall of Famer!
— Nathaniel E Burleson (@Nate13Burleson) February 4, 2019
Congrats to the Pats! @RamsNFL vs @Patriots #SB53
Edelman racked up 10 receptions for 141 yards en route to helping his team win the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the game. Tom Brady completed just 11 passes to players not name Edelman in the win too.
His performance got the attention of ESPN’s Adam Schefter too.
As the MVP of this year’s Super Bowl, Patriots’ WR Julian Edelman is playing himself into a spot in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 4, 2019
But, the Super Bowl MVP isn’t a Hall of Fame player, he just isn’t. Ranking 148th in receptions and in the 250’s in receiving yards is not Hall of Fame worthy.
Sure, his 115 receptions for 1,412 yards, plus five touchdowns in 18 career playoff games are amazing numbers to put up. But, are they a sign of his overall greatness or just the fact that he’s been around long enough to accumulate postseason stats few players would be able to?
The Washington Post points out that even the great Michael Irvin couldn’t put up those kind of postseason results on the stat sheet. Irvin put up 87 catches for 1,315 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 playoff games during the Cowboy’s run in the 1990’s.
Yes, the New England Patriots spread the ball around and yes there’s something to be said of longevity.
But, the Hall of Fame isn’t an award for being on the right team for the longest period of time. It’s supposed to be about individual greatness throughout a career.
If we are going to award people a bust in Canton based on a few snippets in time, then there are about 100 other players who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
In fact, look at some of the names who have recently been elected to the Hall of Fame from the last decade or so and I’d have serious questions about just how special making the Hall of Fame is anymore.
Kurt Warner comes immediately to mind in this discussion. He’s in and he is one of the statistically worst quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. But, he did have some great years with the Rams and Cardinals and two Super Bowl wins seems to be the
But, I haven’t even gotten to the biggest strike against Edelman yet — his four-game suspension for taking performance enhancing drugs. Given the age we are in, getting popped for PED’s is a big no-no and should disqualify one from Hall of Fame consideration as it is.
Beyond that, let’s just consider how the NFL’s Hall of Fame has treated some of the best players of all-time in the past.
Let’s just remember, it took Jerry Kramer, arguably the greatest guard in the NFL during the 1960’s and a member of a team that won 5 NFL championships in 7 seasons, until 2018 to make it in to the Hall of Fame.
Leroy Butler, one of the most revolutionary safeties, has not sniffed the Hall of Fame. Same for names like Shannon Sharpe or Steve Tasker as wide receivers.
In fact, Tasker is perhaps the best mirror for Edelman’s career. He was the spark plug and key component to the Buffalo Bill’s AFC dynasty in the 1990’s thanks to his special teams acumen. He played a very different role than a star receiver would and his contributions in post-season play were key in getting the Bills to four straight Super Bowls.
He’s not in, neither are names like Alex Karras or Tony Boselli just to name a few.
Yet, we’re supposed to believe Edelman is in over these historic contributors to the game?
It should be difficult to get in and the regular season numbers should matter too.
Edelman has carved out a niche as a clutch player in big games, but that’s not a reason alone to put him in the Hall of Fame…at least by the standards the hall has given us to date.
Now, if you want to argue the Hall of Fame needs to change its thinking, that’s a different discussion for a different day.
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NFL
The Undefeated uses questionable polling to advance Kaepernick narrative
Published
5 years agoon
January 31, 2019
What is Super Bowl LIII’s prevailing narrative? No, not Tom Brady’s ageless wonder. No, not Jared Goff’s sunshine good looks. No, not the fact that the Patriots once again made it to the Super Bowl. No, not the Rams refreshing offense and new-age take on NFL football.
If we’re take The Undefeated at its word, the biggest story surrounding the Super Bowl is Colin Kaepernick…of course.
On the eve of the Super Bowl, ESPN’s bastion of woke sports takes has this as it’s main article on the site: “Kaepernick rarely speaks but still dominates every NFL conversation.”
Because of course…everything in the woke world of SJSW has to be about the king of protest and wokeness in sports today.
But, is Kaepernick really the dominant discussion in the NFL these days?
Literally, the only one’s talking about Colin Kaepernick when it comes to this Super Bowl are the folks at The Undefeated and their SJSW ilk.
The Undefeated has decided to prove their article true with a poll. That poll states 77 percent of blacks (their word, not mine) believe Kaepernick is being penalized by the NFL for his political stances. It also says 59 percent of whites (their word, not mine again) believe the same thing.
Those numbers are certainly interesting and they certainly bolster a public that has bought in to the narrative of the league blackballing him. It’s something we’d love to see come out in the lawsuit, one way or the other.
But, it is also important to understand the poll and how serious we should take it.
The rub? Naturally, the poll was done by the scientific geniuses at SurveyMonkey. To make matters a bit fuzzier, The Undefeated won’t publish a link to the poll’s findings nor how the poll was set up.
Add in the fact that we don’t have the actual question that was asked in the poll in the article and something doesn’t smell right.
If ever there’s a sign of something fishy it’s commissioning a poll and never bothering to release anything beneath the surface findings. It’s almost as if they don’t want us prodding in to their methodology or their conclusions from the poll.
However, that would just be a distraction from the narrative they want us all to believe in.
Proof of that came in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s pre-Super Bowl press conference earlier today. The SJSW’s gathered in Atlanta just had to make it about Kaepernick, despite very little actual news happening in his ongoing lawsuit against the league.
Goodell, who is part of the named parties in the lawsuit, attempted to walk a careful line in what he would say about the matter.
“I’ve said it many times privately, publicly that our clubs are the ones that make decisions on players that they want to have on their roster,” the commissioner said Wednesday.
“They want to win, and they make those decisions individually in the best interest of their club.”
Naturally, the wokeness on Twitter came immediately and unflinchingly after Goodell’s words on the matter.
But, that’s what happens when it’s all about click-bait journalism. Instead of being able to simply present the facts and let us make a decision, they’ve hidden data that is important to make an informed decision about the matter before us.
How are we supposed to trust the numbers of a poll that they won’t even bother to even give us a sample size for, let alone the full polling data set?
We simply don’t have an answer to the question this article is supposed to be asking because The Undefeated wasn’t even honest enough to publish it’s poll.
Publishing an article that creates more questions than answers can be a good tactic…if you are creating questions about the subject of your article and not your own methodology.
But, this continues to prove why woke sports reporting can’t be trusted these days. It’s clearly narrative over journalistic integrity and transparency for the SJSW’s at The Undefeated.