Quite a few special things in this thread:
- it's pretty cold to say that about a dead guy who isn't psycho
- I've always found there is a fine line when dealing with players. I think calling them out when they drop a pass or can't cover someone might be sort of okay in a forum like this. But I've always found it real distasteful the way a few people talk about our players. I'm not going into much more detail I think most people on here can tell the difference, whether they agree or not.
- As a professional with a Master's in History I've always found it pretty unpatriotic anyone that would allude to it being okay or good if any president died or was killed. I liken it to the burning of the flag. In theory the Constitution protects my right to burn the flag and protects my right to say something vile about what I wish for the President.
However, as an American there are certain things that I just know are wrong to do or say about our country. I knew people who said the same thing about G.W.B and even though I thought he was quite a puppet nothing turned my stomach more then to hear someone talk about the symbol of America in such a way. Unfortunately this will go over some peoples heads.
Qdawgg, this is an interesting, thoughtful post. I'm going to respond to a few points you make.
--RE: your assessment of calling out the players, I honestly don't disagree. I have never had--nor will I ever have--an issue with people critiquing players' performance. I do however have a problem with adults making personal attacks on the players due to temper tantrums during games. And the clown I was arguing with above is one of the worst in the history of this forum of going off on players in the game chat. There's a big difference between "what a dumb pass" or "this player should know better than to do X Y Z" or "that player is experienced enough to know better than to do that" and "YOU ING --I ING HATE YOU...WHY THE DID YOU TAKE THAT SHOT?"
And anyone who has participated in the game chats knows that the poster I was arguing with above consistently makes the latter kind of personal attacks on the players. This is not an embellishment on my part.
--I agree with your premise about the president as a symbol, and how insidious it is to wish harm on this symbol of our philosophical way of life. Building on your GWB example, I'm not an Obama supporter, but I found it reprehensible around the time of the election when people were openly speculating about whether he'd face an assassination attempt due to being the first minority president.
But for the record, I want to point out that Al Davis is not a president, nor is he an institution like the presidency. He's a sports owner--a sub-segment of an institution [i.e., the NFL]--one who has experienced every veritable highest of the highs and lowest of the lows during his tenure. He's rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and in many ways has been his own worst enemy. So with all due respect to him being an alum, the tangible contributions he's made to the program [and I'll leave it to the OPA's of the board to quantify what that represents], etc. -- in my opinion, the good doesn't outweigh the negative.
I also want to point out that I didn't attend Syracuse University, so the carte blance argument that Davis's alumnus status trumps criticism doesn't work for me.
And the last thing I want to point out is that I didn't "cheer" for anything bad to happen to Davis. Prior to today, I don't think I've ever made a post about Davis in my 15+ years on the various boards.
You represented Syracuse University well. We'll all truly miss you.
