Smerlas comments on Sports Final

[MDPATSFAN]

Sorry, JD, but this is a cop out and truly irresponsible of you. You make claims of Smerlas being a racist, yet, when questioned on it, you can't give examples of racist comments that Smerlas has made? In fact, instead of giving an example, you attempt to spin it in such a way that even if you gave an example, it wouldn't meet what everyone expects to be a racist comment.

I don't care if you've been listening to the guy for 30 years. Calling someone a racist is extremely damning. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but you are also entitled to the repercussions that you get for voicing said opinion. In fact, you do realize that, by not providing a basis for support, you are slandering Fred Smerlas and he'd have the right to subpeona your personal information from Patsfans.com and file a lawsuit against you for your comments since they were made in a public forum.

OH, and, btw, your little spiel about people not realizing that they are racist is the biggest load of crap I've seen since Aquafan4ever posted that he's was trying to be a journalist.

Actually, it would be LIBEL since it was expressed in writing. I've observed that the race card droppers are normally more racist than those they rally against.

 

[Nordy]

Then take your sorry piece of garbage lying arse out of here and don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out. Your comments are irresponsible and inflammatory. And Smerlas would have every right to slap a slander lawsuit on your sorry arse.

YOU are the type of person who truly disgusts me. You are the equivalent of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. And, honestly, you are nothing but a piece of *****.

Your comments should get you disbarred from practicing law.

Wow. This guy must be Smerlas' mother or something.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think its irresponsible to think someone can only be a racist if I carried around a notebook to prove it. Listen to the guy. Form your own opinion I don't care. I think he is one. Its never been important enough to me to write down something that would make you happy (and likely wouldn't anyways). It makes no difference what my opinion is, he either is or isn't. I think he is. And I can say that if I want. Its not like I have never heard the guy. I have listened long enough to form an opinion. Its merely an opinion.

J D Sal

As I said, no one claimed you needed to carry around a notebook, scumbag. But if Smerlas was truly a racist you'd be able to quote specifics without an issue.

As for what you think is irresponsible, I don't care because it clear that your opinion is that of an uneducated piece of garbage who can't be bothered to actually deal in facts.

Yes, you can say he's a racist, but as a lawyer, you should damn well know that your voicing that opinion doesn't free you from the repercussions of your voicing your opinion. And, as a lawyer, you should damn well know that you need to have evidence to support your claims. Otherwise, your position will fall apart and you'd lose.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

...I heard that Dale Arnold is gay and Michael Holley has a white great-grandfather........

 

[DaBruinz]

Wow. This guy must be Smerlas' mother or something.

No, Nordy, sorry. But I am of no relation to Fred Smerlas. I just can't stand to see slanderous remarks made against a person and have the person making them attempt to hide behind the right to Freedom of Speech. Particularly when it becomes clear that they don't understand it.

Also, what makes it worse is that JD claims to be a lawyer. So he should know the law well enough to know that he does need to have evidence or he could find himself disbarred with a civil lawsuit filed against him by Smerlas.

 

[ironwasp]

Fred is not a racist. He has a lot of connections with players, coaches and management on this team and if he said it he said it because he believes it, and someone told him that. One of Fred's best friends is Jack Mula, who negotiates contracts for the team. While we are all rooting for Meriweather, he hasn't really done anything yet, so it's hard to say that Fred is wrong at this point.

I'm really uncomfortable with accusations like that being bandied around on here and I think it is in everyone's interests for the moderators to take a quick view about whether or not this is acceptable.

 

[DaBruinz]

Man would all of you shut up. One guy has an opinion and he's entitled to it. There's no need to keep arguing in circles about it.

Yes, he's entitled to his opinion. He's also entitled to the reactions that his voicing that opinion generates. See, I am ALSO expressing my Civil Rights.

 

[JDSal45]

As I said, no one claimed you needed to carry around a notebook, scumbag. But if Smerlas was truly a racist you'd be able to quote specifics without an issue.

As for what you think is irresponsible, I don't care because it clear that your opinion is that of an uneducated piece of garbage who can't be bothered to actually deal in facts.

Yes, you can say he's a racist, but as a lawyer, you should damn well know that your voicing that opinion doesn't free you from the repercussions of your voicing your opinion. And, as a lawyer, you should damn well know that you need to have evidence to support your claims. Otherwise, your position will fall apart and you'd lose.

Dude, the guy is a public figure. No different than if you called Sean Penn an idiot or whatever. So stop. You obviously don't like my opinion. But my opinion on it has nothing to do with the fact of whether he is or isn't. Either I'm right or wrong, it has zero bearing on what Smerlas really is. Sorry I don't have a quote for you. I suppose I could supboena every 'EEI tape if your mythical lawsuit comes to pass. For now, however, I don't really care. And my opinion hasn't changed. Its mine. You don't have to adopt it. You can be free to think he is merely anti-gay, since there is a nice and tidy quote for you there.

J D Sal

 

[Mogamedogz]

You're entitled to your opinion. Whatever. The guy is a racist. Not the cross-buring active type. Maybe even the careful type (or actually not all that careful....but careful enough for many). But whatever. There is no "proof" in your world. You are entitled to your opinion. Whether he is or isn't a racist is a simple fact, independent of either of our opinions.

J D Sal

Why is it that Smerlas was the FIRST and only person on EEI to come out and defend Mike Vick's right to a fair trial when his story first broke?

Wouldnt that have been the perfect opportunity for the closet racist to come out GUNS BLAZING??

I mean really... You could spew all the hate you wanted at Vick (regardless of your REAL underlying reasons for hating him) and easily just point the finger at the animal abuse allegations.

Smerlas was actually the only person NOT piling on.

 

[DaBruinz]

Dude, the guy is a public figure. No different than if you called Sean Penn an idiot or whatever. So stop. You obviously don't like my opinion. But my opinion on it has nothing to do with the fact of whether he is or isn't. Either I'm right or wrong, it has zero bearing on what Smerlas really is. Sorry I don't have a quote for you. I suppose I could supboena every 'EEI tape if your mythical lawsuit comes to pass. For now, however, I don't really care. And my opinion hasn't changed. Its mine. You don't have to adopt it. You can be free to think he is merely anti-gay, since there is a nice and tidy quote for you there.

J D Sal

Yes, it is VERY different. And, again, I would have thought that a self-proclaimed lawyer would understand that. You clearly don't. So, yes, I doubt the veracity of your statements that you are a lawyer and that you've listened to Smerlas for 10 years. If you truly thought Smerlas was racist, you would have stopped listening to him when you figured out he was racist. In fact, I would have expected you to exercise your civil rights to have him removed from the airwaves the way Don Imus was removed.

Also, JD. YOU don't have to voice your opinions here. You could keep your mouth shut and not subject everyone here to your venom for Smerlas. But that might be asking too much of you.

 

[Iverson]

Maybe Fred just doesn't think Merriweather is good player.

 

[Mogamedogz]

Maybe Fred just doesn't think Merriweather is good player.

Now theres a thought!

 

[JDSal45]

Yes, it is VERY different. And, again, I would have thought that a self-proclaimed lawyer would understand that. You clearly don't. So, yes, I doubt the veracity of your statements that you are a lawyer and that you've listened to Smerlas for 10 years. If you truly thought Smerlas was racist, you would have stopped listening to him when you figured out he was racist. In fact, I would have expected you to exercise your civil rights to have him removed from the airwaves the way Don Imus was removed.

Also, JD. YOU don't have to voice your opinions here. You could keep your mouth shut and not subject everyone here to your venom for Smerlas. But that might be asking too much of you.

Let me give you a little legal lesson. If I said I know for a fact Fred Smerlas killed three small children last night (I don't), that would be slanderous/libelous. That would be factual allegations of something I simply made up. In contrast I am allowed to have my opinion on the guy though. Particularly on public figures. I can not like him, say he is, in my opinion, a jerk, *******, racist, whatever. Its just my opinion. I don't claim to have any first hand knowledge if he is or isn't. Its just an opinion I have formed, in my own world with my own definition from years of listening to him. In someone elses world, he may not be. Just as perhaps you think Jesse Jackson is corrupt (by the way, you are allowed to tell your friends that if you so choose). Or whatever. I am allowed to have an opinion and state it. Okay, so relax.

If you don't like my opinion. Fine. But it seems to me the most wild claims were made by you. I really don't care that much about Fred Smerlas. I have spent more time on him today than I really care to. You are unhappy with my remarks. That is cool. We get it.

J D Sal

P.S. I'm not going to sue you for doubting I'm a lawyer : )

 

[letekro]

Then take your sorry piece of garbage lying arse out of here and don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out. Your comments are irresponsible and inflammatory. And Smerlas would have every right to slap a slander lawsuit on your sorry arse.

YOU are the type of person who truly disgusts me. You are the equivalent of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. And, honestly, you are nothing but a piece of *****.

Your comments should get you disbarred from practicing law.

Are you serious? You should restrict your posts to the confines of your personal knowledge.

First, I can call Fred Smerlas, you, or anyone else a racist without fear of legal repercussions. Perhaps you have heard of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution? The 1st Amendment protects opinions, such as these. Only purported statements of fact are actionable.

Second, defamation is basically impossible to prove if you are a public figure, such as Smerlas.

Third, lawyers are no less protected by the First Amendment then are ordinary citizens. Saying that he should be disbarred is hysterical and anti-american.

 

[nowayback]

anddddddd back to the original topic...seems to me Merriweather has
1. good speed
2 is a very sure tackler
3 takes good angles
4 is always around the ball
5 could have covered better as a corner...but he is jsut a rookie...and wasnt really used as a corner in college.
6 didnt think you needed lights out speed to be a good safety...just that smerlas mentioned speed...might be an indication that smerlas might be a bit lacking in his safety knowledge.
7 seems to have more upside then any safeties we have now....whether he ever realizes them is another story

 

[cloud34]

anddddddd back to the original topic...seems to me Merriweather has
1. good speed
2 is a very sure tackler
3 takes good angles
4 is always around the ball
5 could have covered better as a corner...but he is jsut a rookie...and wasnt really used as a corner in college.
6 didnt think you needed lights out speed to be a good safety...just that smerlas mentioned speed...might be an indication that smerlas might be a bit lacking in his safety knowledge.
7 seems to have more upside then any safeties we have now....whether he ever realizes them is another story

Thanks for getting back to my original post. That's the type of discussion I was hoping to start....football talk..

 

[patsox23]

Wow. This guy must be Smerlas' mother or something.

No, he's not. But he's another conservative bully and so he defends his own. They see eye to eye in their tough guy Cheney-ism so won't take crap those liberal, brie-eatin' Alan Alda-alikes because those guys are "soft" (and frustrating since they seem to be correct over and over).

 

[patsox23]

Bruinz, just leave. Get all your bluster out and take a hike. JD has just so summarily beaten your ass down in this latest debate that you need to go off somewhere and lick your wounds. Give our best to those other blowhards like Rummy and Cheney and Wolfie, and a special shout-out to that nasty-boy, Larry Craig, who is - for the record - not gay and never has been.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Fred has more inside info on this team than just about anyone in the NE press. Last year, before training camp, he mentioned the positive buzz in the organization about Maroney. This year he probably is aware of some scuttlebutt about Meriweather. Fred is a big time homer and friend of BB and he has no reason to criticize Meriweather unless he is aware of something. Let's hope he's wrong.

Fred is a bigtime homer an I'm sure he does it to be funny, but there are a bunch of insiders and Fred makes a bold statement like that. We'll see

 

[spacecrime]

IMO he is a racist.
J D Sal

What basis do you have for saying this? It is a vicious thing to say without reason.

If you have some basis, please tell us. If it is based on the fact that Smerlas doesn't think a player who is black in not very good, then you owe Smerlas an apology.

There have been lots of players, black white and polynesian, that have not been very good, and it is not rascist if you don't like them.

And accusing someone of being rascist is not having an opinion. There is a huge difference.

I wish the mods delete this thread.