I can't remember the last time I posted more than once in a day. That might mean it was a long time ago, and it might mean I have early onset Alzheimer's. Either way, there's nothing I can do about it.
When I was a kid, back in the 70's, there were three things to which I truly looked forward: Chocolate Cake, CocaCola, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Growing up in Western NY, I became a Steelers fan purely by incident. It was December 31st, 1972. Being Six, I didn't know what New Year's Eve was all about, I just felt energetic. So energetic that I decided to spend a few minutes jumping on my parents bed. It started off nicely, but ended up badly. I lost my balance and smacked my head on the nightstand. I didn't feel so energetic after that. I spent the rest of the day with a screaming headache, flipping channels until I happened upon a Football Game. I had never seen a football game in my six years, but it fascinated me. Naturally I felt the need to choose a team. The Steelers lost that day. TB broke his leg, Larry Seiple faked a punt and Shula's Fish were 16-0. But they won me. From then on I spent the fala and winter weeks waiting for Sunday and the spring and summer waiting for fall. When they won, all was right with the world. When they lost, it hurt so bad I wanted to cry.
Growing up as Steeler fan made it easy to love football. That Steelers team epitomized football. They were tough, intimidating, crunch- time, big-time performers. I was spoiled by 4 SB wins in the 6 years ending the decade. Along the way, I became a student of the sport. I can tell you which number in a play call is the protection, I can draw up the 52 Okie, I can read a three deep, man high zone, and explaining zone blocking is like making mudpies for me. If there's such a thing as a football geek. I am a football geek.
Many things have changed in 35 years. Steeler teams have come and gone, never anything like those Steelers, my Steelers. I'm still a Steeler fan, but my overall love of the game has grown. My wife constantly remarks about how the announcers "repeat" my commentary just after I say it.
That love of football though, grew to include the NHL, NBA, and even MLB for a while. I added Tennis and Golf, too. The truth is, there are few things I enjoy more than being outside, playing sports. Sports are as much a part of my life as anything else.
So when EdHardiman, shared some wisdom with me, I considered it carefully last night and throughout today. His answer led me to a very important question. What the hell am I doing here?
Before you rush to say "duh, writing about sports" consider the fact that most of my word count has been wasted engaing in meaningless pissing matches that have, as Ed so accurately put it, left me smelling like ####. And for what?
All because I got angry over a woman's vitriolic attempt to sound like a hard-boiled sports writer by taking a #### on a man's career. Not that that QB needed defending, he has a SB ring. How many men in the USA can say that? But it echoed so loudly of the hatchet job that Dayn Perry did on Babe Ruth. The one I lambasted so harshly that it got me kicked out of NGSII. Babe didn't need my help and Doug didn't either, but it hurt me for some reason. Those guys are heroes to me. Babe because he paved the way for baseball, and Doug because he proved that a black QB could keep a job in the NFL and win a SB too. How dare anyone try to tarnish their legacy?
I just haven't learned my lesson. Well, maybe not until today.
My conduct has been embarassing. I wrote an excellent piece on blacks who rush to defend other, criminal, blacks just because they share a skin color. I told them that they had become the (racists) they beheld.
Ironic, huh? I critique other for not being serious writers who respect the craft, and then I engage in name-calling, hate-banter, and gutter-mouthing.
Worst of all, I'm spending hours and hours on this. Hours in which I could be doing real writing, or painting, or listening to music, or best of all, playing sports.
As the years have passed, I have wondered aloud about what will become of generations tethered to mice and joysticks, and now I am chained to my computer, on the ready to issue a verbal beat-down if need be. I've even resorted to writing puff pieces, just to prove that I'm superior at that, as well.
Now I look in the mirror and see that I too, have become what I beheld. Shame on me.
So kids, I'm closin' the bait shop. And all have left today is advice for some of you. So here it is.
EdHardiman: Please continue to share your wisdom.
Debhashi: Don't check in with me so you can use my responses to bash me behind my back. That's just cowardly. Employ the "face rule of journalism". Don't print what you aren't willing to say directly to someone.
GR8ONE: You're climbing a slippery slope when you call anyone arrogant while using the handle GR8ONE. Aside from that, you're one of the most persistent bashers on the board. People see that.
MeanDovine: Continue to lead by example. But please write more. The real writers need you.
Duds: Continue to express your thoughts from best possible place.
Norcal: Where are you? That's not advice. I'm just wondering where you went.
Tophat; Stay un-afriad to stand against the masses. You're a true critical thinker. Stop being so nice all the time, though.
Socal: Avoid statements like "this may sound like criticism, but it isn't". That tack is hilarious. Its easier to defend getting naked and then saying "you might think I'm naked, but I'm not.
Demonicume: Keep your herky-jerky style, just don't use it to disrespect men's wives, or any women for that matter. You're need to pull the dragon act back a notch.
Hogfan: Exercise your humor muscles more often. You were funnier in two lines than my entire "Paris" post.
Miracle: Keep it like you have it, but lay off of Dr. Phil.
LSU: You haven't been on this weekend, which probably means you have a life. I don't what I can offer you in that case.
AnotherOutlaw and UltraMega: My two evil arch-enemies. Please keep challenging me. I'll probably never agree with you on anything, but I'd fight like hell for your right to voice your opinions.
MartyWalker: Believe that there is a next world, a better world, and that your brother and sister will see you again. If emotions drive you, let hope be your chauffer.
Lisa: Everything you do, you own. Real writers check their work, and when they make mistakes they admit them. The bad choices that others make do not entitle you to bad choices.
TheDan:Again, we could use more from you. You write about sports.
JohnQ: Try to read more critcally, rather than get caught up in the purloined pleas. You've been easily duped.
and for all the rest: Let's try writing about and discussing sports, I'm game if you are.
Now I'm gonna go play some ball and act like a guy with a life or something.
lol thank you for proving my point for me so well .. you dont know anything about anything esp when it comes to me yet you still wanna pretend like you do ..first of all my handle or screen name .. it's for the wrestler the Rock aka Dwayne Johnson when i first came on line he was a very popular person at the time .. his nick name was/is the gr8one THATS where the name gr8one comes from has ZERO to do with how vein or how great or arrogant i think i am .. next time get youre facts straight befor you speak and spew the garbage that seems to spew out of youre mouth on a daily basis
Well Chris if you and I are the same person then I have to inform you that you can be the athletic half since I'm not going to be playing ball today. heh.
I'd love to write more, CR. I'm trying to work my way back to wholeness. But thanks for the mention.
As for all this drama, just be true to who you are. The rest will work itself out.
And please understand I can't take sides in whatever is going on because, quite frankly, I have no idea what the beef is all about. And I really don't wanna know either.
When was the last time I bashed you behind your back? I think that was when I called you an ####. After that I have been on your blogs talking to you normally. Sure I don't like the way you have acted towards people but I've been keeping myself in check not to humiliate either of us. I have just a question. Is the reason why you deleted every users' posts on your blogs were because of this? Wouldn't it be better to get rid of them completely since you also bashed people in them. Just adding my two cents.
I'm willing to offer an olive branch. Let's start fresh and all over and see if there can be some peace here. I'm all for it! I harbor no ill-will to you. I'm here to have fun and meet great people.
Let's see if we can all be friends. If not, let's at least be civil towards each other. You will find I am a nice person with a heart of gold who will defend her friends no matter what. I hope we can be friends, Chris.
Can I make a suggestion? Instead of pulling your tent stakes, why not stick around and be an inspiration? It takes a real man to recognize his shortcomings and admit them, you've done that, now get back in the hunt. I think everybody finally realizes all of this is out of control. So like Kung Fu, seek water and not conflict.
When you're acknowledged as one of the best amongst all, winning the contest is no longer important, and they tossed you on a technicality all of us recognized as grotesquely capricious and unfair. We can use another great writer like you around here.
If someone leaves you an out of line comment, use my reply "Thanks for the kind words" it makes the other guy look foolish. In any event, I remain your comrade in scribble and fan.
Ed, the sad fact is that I returned to a much different community than the one I left. It's not fun here unless one is a member of the clique. I've never been a clique guy.
One can set an example, but if those around him are unwilling to see the truth in it, one's effort is wasted.
Only when the student is ready, does the teacher appear.
I want to be part of a community that loves, writes about sports and discusses sports.
I do, wholeheartedly, believe that you will defend your friends, no matter what.
And it's that mindset that creates our disconnect.
You defend your friends, no matter what.
I defend the truth, no matter what.
When my friends act improperly, I'm the first to tell them so. I'm also willing to see and admit my own mistakes. For me, friendship and having a heart of gold is helping others (and myself) to live a better life, not to repeat mistakes.
I'm very sorry that someone hurt your friend. I'm sad to say that I've provided long term care for two dying family members. But your insistance that I was some other person and that I speeded someone's death along was beyond the pale.
I forgive you, but I don't have to trust you.
Last edited by ChristopherRoss on July 1st at 4:27 AM.
This is kraut. Known from everybody as marty wife. You are a #### for talking about his brothers and sisters death that way. He says you are rotten Please stop it. Claudia
hey chris i rember i was ??? when the minn vikings beat my LA rams (wow showing age LA rams) with roman gabriel at QB (more age showing) ive been a universty of oregon sports fan now for years win or lose i rember when the ducks were winning only 2 games in football like 2-9. now if you win 5 - 6 games your in trouble!! how times have changed.... we have a PA announcer who loves to say.....it never rains in autzen, refering to autzen stadium where we play football, ive sat in many a down pour in that stadium, yea easy for him to say sitting in the press box!!!! but i still bleed green and yellow go ducks!!!!
I think we've all fallen into the same trap at one time or another. Like you inferred, once we see how counterproductive it is, the "fun-ness" (don't bother looking it up. I know it's not a word) wears off rather quickly. But any animosity can usually be righted if addressed early on. Hell, I think Jeff Carlin and I are even going to be friends. And you and I slipped into a few bouts of insult-hurling once upon a time, but that seems like long ago now. Though admittedly, it never really got out of hand.
I gotta tell ya, my girlfriend says the same about me regarding announcers' comments. I should have stayed in school so I could be getting paid for saying them.
See ya around. I know you're not really going anywhere. Clique or no clique, this site needs more good writers like yourself, not less.
Your enemy is my enemy...hmmmm. Sun Tzu comes to mind. I hate commies.
I was anti-Steeler, due to 3 reasons.
1)Vikings fan
2)The playoff game where the Oilers were #### by bad officiating on a touchdown catch ruled no catch. I watched the game at Monty Wards.
3)Myron Cope(spelling?) was such a homer.
We grow up on different teams and have different allegiances.
Well, we all have philosophies. SunTzu did okay for himself. We could all have worse fates than selling copy so long after our deaths.
I'm sorry to hear that you're not a Steeler Fan. But even though Renfro probably did get ####, did you really think the Steelers wouldn't have pulled it out anyway?
I'LL ONLY SAY THIS ONCE SO PAY ATTENTION. IF CHRIS ROSS AND ANOTHEROUTLAW, DUSTY, DUSTYLAKER ETC... ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON, THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE COINCIDENCE. NOT BECAUSE OF SOME VAIN ATTEMPT TO PROSECUTE AM I GOING TO SAY. I'M HANDING OUT A ONE TIME ONLY OLIVE BRANCH THAT MEANS MAYBE WE BOTH WENT TO FAR. MAYBE I AM WRONG IN MY ASSUMPTION ABOUT ALL OF YOU.
PLEASE, THERE IS NO CONDITIONS. I WOULD WANT TO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOGS WHEN YOU'VE DONE WELL AND MAYBE VICE-VERSA. WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE. BUT I ALSO ASK TO PLEASE LEAVE LISA ALONE. SHE CAN TAKE FRIENDLY JABBING AND MUCH HARDER. BUT FROM NOW ON I WANT ALL THIS TO STOP. LETS ACT OUR AGE. I KNOW YOU WANTED TO REALLY HURT ME BY THE COMMENTS ABOUT MY SIBLINGS. IF I'M STICKING MY NECK OUT WHY PASS UP A CHANCE TO GET ALONG. I'M IN NO CLIQUE. IF YOU AGREE PLEASE DON'T OFFER CONDITIONS. I WON'T DISS YOU AND HOPEFULLY THE SAME BACK.
Mr. Ross, when it comes down to it, actions speak louder than words. I sincerely hope you are honest in your statements made here. You have some very good writing that I have made a few comments regarding those blogs. When you write intelligent meaningfull blogs, I'll show up. I never commented on any of your blogs about topics that were either inappropriate or, most likley non-sports related (outside of the OJ blog). You can check out everything that I blog. I have rarely, if ever, posted what you would call a fluff blog. And when people post non-sports blogs I rarely comment. That is not what this site should be about. It should be about sports geeks posting sports opinions and bantering about their differences. Nothing more, nothing less. I truly hope this isn't the last time I leave a comment on your blog. And I also hope that Lisa, Marty, and yourself can work things out, because they are good people that this blogworld very much enjoy.
I apologize for the comment about you and your siblings. I was out of line.
I also don't plan to dignify an absurd accusation any longer.
It's clear that you have an inability to admit when you've taken a bad idea to an illegal extreme.
That whole cancer crusade was an unimaginably sleazy and hateful personal attack. I didn't think I'd ever see anything worse. But I was wrong.
You leveraged the deaths of your family members as excuse to spew your pent up hostility/ontinue your character assasination on Dusty/Another/Whoeveryouthinkheis. Many were anesthetized by the pity angle, and shame on you for that.
You professed yourself to be a man of faith, and said you were standing up for your friends.
You need to understand that the pepole posting here are "publishing" work. The minute one posts something, they, like all writers receive praise and are subject to crtiticsm. The boos come with the cheers, Marty. No one is exempt, and anyone who can't accept that deal, shouldn't be posting here. This isn't grammar school. We don't all gang up on one guy, because he got into an argument with a friend.
Lisa is an adult. She's proven more than able to come to her own defense, and even engage in libelous accusations to do so.
I don't like her writing. It's usually empty, features-styled, rehash. When she does get around to sports content, she writes obscure, rambling pieces that tend to lack relevance and put me to sleep.
I'm entitled to dislike her writing and to tell her that I do. Then it's your job to be an adult, and leave it between her and me
As far as your "olive branch" goes. Hold on to it.
It's never been a case of whether or not I like you, for me it's about respect. I can't respect the tack you've taken. I can't respect someone using the death of family members as an excuse to act out.
You don't have the lock on tragedy either, Marty, I buried my best friend (since Grammar School) at age 22 because of a drunk driver. I lost an Uncle, an Aunt, a Sister, my Grandmother, my Grandfather and my grandmother-in-law to to lung, lung, lung, stomach, skin/bone/brain and lung/intestinal/ovarian cancer respectively. My mother has had three cancer surgeries, one took half a lung, one took movement in her left arm, and another took her voicebox. Yet I have never told a sob story to try to justify my worngdoing.
Marty, you're not a good writer. But you have developed command of some very dirty literary tricks to paint the other guy guilty. That whole "if you're not Dusty, it must be one heck of a coincidence" rap is just another tacit accusation. Your "style" makes you decidely not real.
Whatever Dusty did or didn't do, it didn't cause or accelerate cancer. Nor could it treate or cure cancer. You got duped into a preposterous lie by your "friend" on that one.
You need to look at yourself before you start blaming others for your playgorund ethic and temper tantrums. You need to stop spreading idiotic falsehoods and libelous content.
But more than that, if you're the "man of faith" you profess to be:
Ask yourself if your priest or pastor would commend your behavior.
ah, so you can used your powers for good. that was a joke. all ribbing aside, i'll take your criticism in stride and think on what youve said here. your writing is always insightful.
