Comments on: A WORD, PLEASE

By: KT

KT — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:46:46 +0000

Allow me to paraphrase a line from PJ Caputo’s “A Rumor of War”…

But organized or not, butchery was butchery, so who was to speak of rules and ethics in a war (or sport) that had none?

By: Bobak

Bobak — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:46:31 +0000

Good post. Most people don’t realize exactly how hard life is for many people until they either experience it first hand or work in those areas. I taught classes in poorer neighborhoods of Los Angeles, it radically changed how I think of a lot of aspects sheltered people in the suburbs rail about without any real perspective.

By: NottheMama

NottheMama — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:52:36 +0000

The whole post seems to have confused victims of crime with criminals. Are we to give the poor victims of society that killed the coeds at NC and Auburn? Give them a second chance? The only difference I see is strength, speed, and agility of the criminals. Coaches should be looking out for the character of their teams more, not less.

By: gurn

gurn — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:40:25 +0000

#30

hobeg8r:

So inanimate objects cause genocide in black youths?

Wow. You really are a liberal.

By: J. Sample

J. Sample — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:36:52 +0000

Great job Mr. Swindle…..

By: Harris

Harris — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:02:25 +0000

Chris Rock said it 10 years ago: “Young black men: If somebody steps on your shoe? Let it slide. You don’t want to spend the next 20 years in jail because someone smudged your Puma.”

By: Z

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:48:19 +0000

Very good work there.

I too grew up pretty lucky but I also had a lot of black friends from not so great circumstances so I got to see a bit of what some really poor people had to deal with.

It wasn’t until I started covering some City League games in Pittsburgh that I really got a close look at it all, even after attending Pitt for four years.

Going through a metal detector just to watch a game is an eye-opener. During the second stint at Pitt for Coach Majors I will always remember during a break in summer camp that we were talking about some of the incoming kids and he pointed out a fellow from the south who had seen his mother shot and grandmother stabbed. And how he was worried about how long the kid would last in Pittsburgh.

He didn’t.

White or black, it’s just sad.

By: It's poverty's fault

It's poverty's fault — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:36:21 +0000

Not. Poverty has actualy decreased in the last 50 years, yet violence hasn’t . I think it’s a slack ass, underacheiving culture people seem to think is so damn cool. Sack up boys.

By: Hegelian

Hegelian — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:23:02 +0000

Excellent post. Moral education (”moral” in the sense of “concerning how to act right”) is the reason why colleges have sports in the first place, and education works by pointing out to people when they’ve gone wrong, and giving them a chance to get it right.

By: pressrow

pressrow — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:12:50 +0000

Couldn’t agree more. Every year, it seems like I think back to some big-time recruit and say to myself, “What happened to that guy?”, only to Google him and find that he dropped out and is nowhere now. Really sad.

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:11:00 +0000

Thank you very much for this piece. I love your blog and enjoy your sense of humor but this piece was very special

By: Mark D

Mark D — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:17:33 +0000

Nothing wrong with “second chances.” I’m a firm believer in them, except for the most of egregious of offenses. “Third chances” are not something I approve of however.

By: ATL AU Tiger

ATL AU Tiger — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:09:17 +0000

#39 –

If there is a EDSBS meeting at the Brickstore, count me in! I live close to the Decatur square myself –

WDE -

By: Oops Pow Surprise

Oops Pow Surprise — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:56:57 +0000

What everyone else said, Allahver. Plea deals are as common as heterosexuality in rabbits. Life is good for you.

By: Allahver Fist

Allahver Fist — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:46:59 +0000

I should say I was raised with much more privilege than I can actually afford to maintain (fuck my job!). I do, however, have good credit. I can see a lawyer working for peanuts for an athlete to be quite the equalizer.

Just don’t blow that second chance, fella!