More from Sally Jenkins

[XLIX]

If you can't keep your mouth shut on a football thread about something as complex as race relations in this country and "the media", then I feel sorry for you. I'm sick of people hijacking discussions specifically about football to espouse their overly simplified thoughts on these matters. If you want to talk about that, go ahead and start a separate thread somewhere, anywhere, but here. It's the offseason, please just let us yell at each another about football in peace.

Relax, little child. It is football related because we are all coming off the incident with Newton and Manning. All I did was be thankful that *this* isn't *that*.

Sorry if the truth offends you, but the truth is that if Manziel was black we would all have to hear what racists we are.

 

[lurker1965]

I've loved the game too long to allow them to drive me away completely, but I do know for a fact that when Brady and Belichick are gone I'll never be as invested again.

I might last a season or two too see what McDaniel and Garapolo (or whomever/whomever) do, but I'll be a casual fan as opposed to rabid.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

The ability to critically think about issues in this country sucks.

About 90-95% of the human race is functionally ******ed. This is why the country was originally designed to be a republic rather than a democracy. Heck, Aristotle knew and wrote about this all the way back around 350 BC. He wrote that a society should be governed by the most intelligent and strong of society because the average person didn't have enough common sense to make major decisions affecting their nation's future.

Yet, here we are in the 21st century with a "pc culture" where the masses vote "cool guy" politicians into office who, in turn, appoint judges like Chin to CA2 despite his lack of familiarity with basic legal concepts like "evidence."

 

[SVN]

In DeflateGate, who is the real cheater, Tom Brady or Roger Goodell?

But a little noticed and powerfully written third-party amicus brief by renowned legal scholar Robert Blecker lays out a third option for the court to consider. Blecker argues that the court should find Goodell’s arbitration process was infected with “bias, evident partiality, unfairness and fraud,” and he doesn’t stop there.

He makes the delightfully explosive suggestion that the appellate court could also remand the case back to Berman, and order the league to surrender all of its investigative notes. That way Berman can examine its conduct and consider whether Brady should be wholly exonerated.​

Its all great to read but nothing changes in the NFL and nothing will change in the brady case which is the more frustrating part

 

[ausbacker]

About 90-95% of the human race is functionally ******ed. This is why the country was originally designed to be a republic rather than a democracy. Heck, Aristotle knew and wrote about this all the way back around 350 BC. He wrote that a society should be governed by the most intelligent and strong of society because the average person didn't have enough common sense to make major decisions affecting their nation's future.

Yet, here we are in the 21st century with a "pc culture" where the masses vote "cool guy" politicians into office who, in turn, appoint judges like Chin to CA2 despite his lack of familiarity with basic legal concepts like "evidence."

Apply that to Australia and we share an agreement. Mind you, if you ever watched Survivor, that's a demonstration of how the average masses clump together to undermine the more capable.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

It is becoming more and more apparent that the media is appealing to the lowest common denominators and what makes people react.. rather than to try to intelligently inform their readers.

As I recall, even having news on the networks was an early FCC condition for being a television station. Apparently that mandate has been broadly interpreted or gotten rid of in the interim.

It's all entertainment right now - with the tail wagging the dog if the corporate sponsors don't mind starving a news show (or channel). Now if your content, true or false, is a real commodity, you've got the sponsor over the barrel.

This phrase "lowest common denominator" is beginning to bug me. The truth is, we like things that aren't true but are entertaining. There's a little gate in our brains that's supposed to segregate true stories from fiction. We forgot how it works.

 

[RobertWeathers]

About 90-95% of the human race is functionally ******ed. This is why the country was originally designed to be a republic rather than a democracy. Heck, Aristotle knew and wrote about this all the way back around 350 BC. He wrote that a society should be governed by the most intelligent and strong of society because the average person didn't have enough common sense to make major decisions affecting their nation's future.

Yet, here we are in the 21st century with a "pc culture" where the masses vote "cool guy" politicians into office who, in turn, appoint judges like Chin to CA2 despite his lack of familiarity with basic legal concepts like "evidence."

Yep. The challenge we have now is the oligopoly in place currently possess some common sense but are too self serving to apply it.

 

[DarrylS]

As I recall, even having news on the networks was an early FCC condition for being a television station. Apparently that mandate has been broadly interpreted or gotten rid of in the interim.

It's all entertainment right now - with the tail wagging the dog if the corporate sponsors don't mind starving a news show (or channel). Now if your content, true or false, is a real commodity, you've got the sponsor over the barrel.

This phrase "lowest common denominator" is beginning to bug me. The truth is, we like things that aren't true but are entertaining. There's a little gate in our brains that's supposed to segregate true stories from fiction. We forgot how it works.

IMO the continual recycling of the news is disturbing, watch any news network for a while and see how they reframe the same issues many different ways get their point across... I choose to avoid them at all cost, but was in the hospital a year ago and the guy next to me would switch back and forth between Fox and CNN.. had to get my room changed. Same story told over and over again in different ways.

Skepticism of any news story has replaced any semblance of belief.. everything deserves a "crooked eye"...

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Yep. The challenge we have now is the oligopoly in place currently possess some common sense but are too self serving to apply it.

Looks like our sole "champion" against the oligarchy (I think Kleptocracy is a better description of our government) is Donald Trump. God help us all!

 

[RobertWeathers]

Looks like our sole "champion" against the oligarchy (I think Kleptocracy is a better description of our government) is Donald Trump. God help us all!

I think its interesting that to describe the motivations and influencers of the current political establishment, you use oligarchy (which is spot-on) and I use oligopoly. While not the same for sure, if you believe how much power lobbyists and donors have over this country's socio-economic current climate and future, it it what it is.

Does Trump represent a deviation from the current establishment's behavior? Meh...

I'm a cynical bastard so don't mind me.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

I think its interesting that to describe the motivations and influencers of the current political establishment, you use oligarchy (which is spot-on) and I use oligopoly. While not the same for sure, if you believe how much power lobbyists and donors have over this country's socio-economic current climate and future, it it what it is.

Does Trump represent a deviation from the current establishment's behavior? Meh...

I'm a cynical bastard so don't mind me.

I suppose there are a lot of different ways to describe the rule of the self-serving few over the clueless many. A far cry from the rule by philosopher kings envisioned by Plato.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

IMO the continual recycling of the news is disturbing, watch any news network for a while and see how they reframe the same issues many different ways get their point across... I choose to avoid them at all cost, but was in the hospital a year ago and the guy next to me would switch back and forth between Fox and CNN.. had to get my room changed. Same story told over and over again in different ways.

Skepticism of any news story has replaced any semblance of belief.. everything deserves a "crooked eye"...

It would be nice if they covered more than say 5 stories (tops.) No wonder we think that the world is a simple place with simple solutions.

 

[Hoodie]

You know what would be nice? If every thread on this board didn't turn into a discourse on how great Donald Drumpf is.

 

[Ivan]

You know what would be nice? If every thread on this board didn't turn into a discourse on how great Donald Drumpf is.

Yep.

Notice that there has not been a single post let alone thread in support of any other candidate.

 

[Tony2046]

Yep.

Notice that there has not been a single post let alone thread in support of any other candidate.

Who knew how prophetic the Toy Dolls were?

Donald the Elephant (Republican) packed his trunk
And said goodbye to the circus (Reality TV)
Off he went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump
Donald the Elephant packed his trunk
And said hello to the jungle (Politics)
Off he went with a trumpety-trump
Trump, trump, trump

 

[The Brandon Five]

As I recall, even having news on the networks was an early FCC condition for being a television station. Apparently that mandate has been broadly interpreted or gotten rid of in the interim.

It's all entertainment right now - with the tail wagging the dog if the corporate sponsors don't mind starving a news show (or channel). Now if your content, true or false, is a real commodity, you've got the sponsor over the barrel.

This phrase "lowest common denominator" is beginning to bug me. The truth is, we like things that aren't true but are entertaining. There's a little gate in our brains that's supposed to segregate true stories from fiction. We forgot how it works.

During an election cycle one of the key "sponsors" they have over a barrel are the docket of political candidates and parties. Then those same outlies decry "money in politics" with a straight face.

 

[Calhoun44]

I left the NFL when I lived in Baltimore and I can leave it again. The ****ing Irsay's stole our team in the dead of night. I came back when I moved to New England and Bob Kraft built the Pats from a sorry bunch of losers when Orthwein owned them to what they are today. But it wasn't just Kraft. Pre Belichick, we witnessed how the team slid after Tuna took us to the SB and then left because he couldn't do his own shopping. Not sure where we would be if not for Bill and Tom. I know that once those two leave, I could easily see me pulling back my investment back on this team and the league. the other 31 owners and their puppet Roger will only hasten this. That's the part that a few have touched on, that this isn't Roger, this is a group of owners pushing him to take the Pats down, out of jealousy, hate, spite, greed, or maybe all of these. That to me is why Kraft chose not to fight this, because he saw the gauntlet of owners against him, not just Roger.

I am on the fence about leaving the NFL for a couple reasons. First off, I am a fairly simple guy and don't buy regularly (if at all) any of the products that are pimped by the NFL, including team merchandise. Also, I rarely go to a game or watch them live (no commercials), and finally, although I really enjoy the games and following the team (particularly on this website) it has not really become something I take into my workplace or friendships. For me the NFL is an escape from the "real world" and I equate it to watching a movie and when the movie/game is over I talk about it a bit, but I know it has no real impact on my personal life and I let the experience drift away like a dream. That is why this site is so great for me because I am able to extend the "make believe" world a little longer and gain a deeper appreciation of the complexity of what is going on with my favorite NFL team. So I guess the bottom line is that, I could see myself walking away (like I have done with the Celtics and Red Sox) while keeping an eye on the team, but conversely I could see no change at all in my level of involvement because I think the injustices the NFL has imposed on Brady/Pats sucks, but it is out of my control and I won't let a mostly meaningless event (when one looks at the "Big" picture of world events, what the NFL office did is not high on the list of important things) dictate if I enjoy watching a game or not.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I hear ya Calhoun. I'm not as gung ho as I once was, but will be here (not this site, I mean a pats fan) until they put the dirt on me - or on the league.

I hope pro football survives me so I can follow the pats my whole life. Would hate to give up the diversion.

I like having an irrational, childish attachment to this team every Sunday. It's getting dented by the frequent off-the-field cheating by the league.... Parity by other means, bc its "bad for the nfl" if 1 team keeps being good (or maybe they noticed that Al Davis' Raiders were a revenue generator somehow and decided to replicate the experience.)

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

She is at it again, another brilliant article about how the NFL lied to the second circuit judges and should admit it or face discipline!

NFL deflated the truth — and owes the court a correction

 

[ausbacker]

She is at it again, another brilliant article about how the NFL lied to the second circuit judges and should admit it or face discipline!

NFL deflated the truth — and owes the court a correction

I love the fact that journalists of note are continuing to hammer the truth of Deflategate.