Factious Thursdays?

There was an exchange this weekend on the Memphis Commercial Appeal website under an article on the "Memphis Mitchell-David Lipscomb" Semi-Final match up last Friday.

The Headline in Memphis:

Mitchell Cries Foul After Controversial Move By Officials in the Final Seconds

Allegedly, the "controversial" move by the referee was picking up the ball to re-spot it as the final seconds ticked off the clock. It caused an uproar that ended in some post-game "extracurriculars" on the field with some Mitchell players assaulting Lipscomb starters, and spilled-over into the parking lot where threats were made by Mitchell fans who displayed weapons to add validity to their posturing. Because of that, the Memphis Police Department and State Troopers had to be called-out to J.P. Freeman Field to secure the premises, protect the Lipscomb bus, and escort the DL caravan to I-40 (Those are some facts conspicuously left out of the column).

Additionally, the ending of the article in the Tennessean is different than the Appeal's. You be the judge if the editing in the two papers makes a difference on the story's angle.

Below the Commercial Appeal article, in the comments section, are some claims made by Mitchell supporters, quickly responded to by Mustang supporters, including this graduate.

As you will see, the discussion strayed well off-topic from the game, but remained pertinent to the root of the problem.

I really, really hope you come back here to discuss whatever you wish; ask a few questions, make some observations, and give some criticisms of anything and anyone you wish. This is a topic on which I crave discussion. I ask you to oblige me.

Here's an excerpt from Tuesday34's writing:

Black school loses...out comes the race card. It is sadly predictable.

Go ahead and send the TSSAA your concerns, but don't be too surprised when you don't hear back from them for accusing Glenn McCadams and David Lipscomb of fixing a game....in Memphis, no less.

I remember walking off the field with the State Championship Trophy after shutting-out Memphis Mitchell 28-0, and having some Mitchell fans scream at us, saying we were "cheaters" and that we "got lucky."

I have a feeling "legitimacy" would have been granted to those labels by some if the game had been any closer, or if Mitchell had posted any more than negative twenty yards of total offense. The only reason that bit of history remains pertinent is the reality behind the mindset.

Those who make those kinds of claims (as Mickavelli has) likely do so in their low income job, in a poor housing district, lamenting all the times they got screwed in their life.

"Losers make excuses. Winners go home with the prom queen."- Sean Connery in "The Rock"

Dog Gone

Another Monday away from itunes, so let's tackle a different subject altogether.

Why do people take Duane "Dog" Chapman seriously? Dog took a pretty hard swat with a big ole' rolled up newspaper as he lost his show on A&E after using some less than ideal language to describe his son's girlfriend, including multiple uses of racial slurs.

Is it really hard to believe that the "saddle bag with eyes" uses that kind of language? Although Dog's road to hell seems to be paved with good intentions, once again the media juggernaut "fears the reaper" when it comes to partnering up with a person who has proof of racist behavior out there against them.

Are Dog's words acceptable? No. But neither is his wife's attire, and no one seemed to have a problem airing that.

Truth be told, I am not a fan of "The Dog" or his show, but he seems to do Hawaii a good service taking drug dealers and other criminals off the streets. Giving the convicted felon the benefit of the doubt when it comes to matters of the heart is no problem by me. However, I find it interesting that the programming guru's at A&E thought viewing the train wreck that is Dog's life a good idea to begin with, but have now canceled the show because he uses unacceptable words.

On Dog's recent interview with Hannity & Colmes, the Melanoma poster boy espoused his sorrow and remorse for his comments on top of answering several questions from Sean Hannity.
Dog answered one question regarding his son like this:

"I said — so it was kind of like Tucker was born. His mother's water broke. We couldn't make it to the doctor. I pulled Tucker out, and I thought he was dead. He was all blue. And I laid him to the side.

I kept pulling, and of course, the placenta was there and thought, oh no, she has twins and this one is deformed. And there was ambulances calling, and the ambulance driver walked in and said, "Good job, father, but you didn't cut the cord."

So when he cut the cord, Tucker started peeing all over my face — and I was, again — and he said, "Great job," and Tucker took a breath of life. So I rode in the ambulance with Tucker, and on the birth certificate it says "delivered by father."

I was in prison in Texas Department of Corrections. I named Tucker, Tucker D. Chapman, TDC. Because in my life I had to have to something take over that TDC, Tucker — Texas Department of Corrections.

So I thought, this is the son that I will have, that I will be a good guy for and never go back to prison. I couldn't name him "prison." But it was kind of like naming — there's a song with Johnny Cash, name your boy Sue. It was kind of like that, I was in back then when he was born.

And so, I did — I failed Tucker because he went to prison, the bottom line."

Wow. Sadly, I'm sure that response made a lot of sense to Dog. Again, the bigger picture seems to be lost on why anyone, including A&E and "Black Leaders," would take this man seriously.

The Dog has assets that can be used for the betterment of society. Just because he's extraordinarily rough around the edges doesn't mean he's any less of an asset while getting in scrapes with meth heads and arresting pimps and drug dealers on Hawaii's black sand shores.

I'm almost certain the kind of language Dog uses is the byproduct of a rough life which has been etched in the lines of his face. I just don't believe words should be the measuring stick of a person's value.

After all, words have replaced action in politics, but we seem to keep sending the same people to Washington with little repercussion on their failure to produce any real results. If the worst thing Dog ever produces is some offended minorities, I would be ready to declare his life a success because of the positive results he constantly maintains in his life as a bounty hunter.