OT: This is sad on multiple levels

dagger · Post #1 » by **dagger** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 10:13 pm

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Fatal ... story.html

Indiana Jones · Post #2 » by **Indiana Jones** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:48 am

sucker punchers should be force fed their own genitalia...

i feel sorry for the victim.

what a season...

dagger · Post #3 » by **dagger** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:40 pm

Cathal Kelly with a spot-on column, made me think of some people here...

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1 ... imes-kelly

Call this small tragedy a meeting point of two emergent trends in sports fandom — a constant, overwhelming flow of sports minutiae that was unavailable even a decade ago; and the way in which the Internet has brought warring tribes together online to create a new sort of debate, one that knows no conciliation or compromise.

Both are abetted by the leagues and, to a much larger extent, the media (note: the irony is thick).

The talking points and the stats to back them are all floating around out there, free.

There is no excuse not to know everything, so everyone tries. This isn’t about understanding. It’s about being seen to understand — the launching point for the most resilient sort of ignorance.

It’s the spoken-aloud version of the comments section underneath any sports story on the Internet. The pervading tone is “Here’s why you’re wrong.”

Frankly — and I say this as a person who makes his living watching this stuff — it’s exhausting. It’s the reason most sportswriters lie when a stranger asks them what they do for a living. Being honest is an invitation to an argument.

I’d rather debate abortion with a Jesuit than baseball with an accountant. I’m pretty sure the Jesuit won’t stab me.

Randle McMurphy · Post #4 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:51 pm

More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Homer Jay · Post #5 » by **Homer Jay** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 10:29 pm

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Probably nothing to do with fandom either. Some people are just looking for a fight and any excuse to get it.

satyr9 · Post #6 » by **satyr9** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:37 pm

Homer Jay wrote:
Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Probably nothing to do with fandom either. Some people are just looking for a fight and any excuse to get it.

I actually came here to post that column 'cause I find it a head scratcher. I don't understand how he took this event and somehow found a way to turn it into a poor me, life is hard as a sports journalist, column.

Now, there is some definite irony involved in the three of us taking his article and then making, "this is how you're wrong" posts in reaction to his point, but let me just say I wasn't a fan of this piece.

Attonitus · Post #7 » by **Attonitus** » Sat Sep 1, 2012 2:24 am

Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Agreed. Kelly can turn a boxscore in to a deep narrative, full of metaphors, with a thesis that has nothing to do with the original material. Poor choice for a sports writer.

Tyrone Slothrop · Post #8 » by **Tyrone Slothrop** » Sat Sep 1, 2012 2:43 am

satyr9 wrote:
Homer Jay wrote:
Randle McMurphy wrote:More like a pretentious, purposeless column that didn't have any real point (he's seemingly using this rare case of violence as an indictment of fan culture even though it's only a select few idiots that ever take things to this ridiculous extent)...so like many Cathal Kelly columns that I've read before.

Probably nothing to do with fandom either. Some people are just looking for a fight and any excuse to get it.

I actually came here to post that column 'cause I find it a head scratcher. I don't understand how he took this event and somehow found a way to turn it into a poor me, life is hard as a sports journalist, column.

Now, there is some definite irony involved in the three of us taking his article and then making, "this is how you're wrong" posts in reaction to his point, but let me just say I wasn't a fan of this piece.

Exactly. If they weren't fighting about Blue Jays pitching, they would have been fighting about something else. Blame it on alcohol, blame it on society, blame it on culture, blame it on bar security, etc... But tying it to the Jays is absolutely ridiculous.

Hendrix · Post #9 » by **Hendrix** » Sat Sep 1, 2012 1:25 pm

I thought the article was a tad smug, and pretentious, but had a few good observations.

I don't post anything in topics on the Raps board that involve a lot of arguing anymore because it seems like the vast majority of people just want to be 'right'. It's not worth writting 1000 word essays over and over to get nowhere.

IMAN5 · Post #10 » by **IMAN5** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:39 pm

dear god what a year.