Scholarship table
I think denying another group the rights that you yourself enjoy is the essence of intolerance.That being said, I support his right to feel that way. I think it is wrong and un-American, but I was raised in an Evangelical church so I know why he feels the way he does. It is what he was taught.It reminds me very much of the early years of the AIDS crisis when many "christians" held the view that the gays got what they deserved so let 'em die.
I'm sorry I just don't see anyone's right being denied in this story. Sam was drafted and has a chance to WIN a place on an NFL team. I take Tony at his word that he just wouldn't welcome the media circus in this instance. I'm sure were it a Michael Vick or Tom Brady he would not have a problem because they bring attention regardless.
I'm sorry I just don't see anyone's right being denied in this story. Sam was drafted and has a chance to WIN a place on an NFL team. I take Tony at his word that he just wouldn't welcome the media circus in this instance. I'm sure were it a Michael Vick or Tom Brady he would not have a problem because they can actually make the team better.
We had a nice, open exchange between several posters, and the media never came up once. Politics never really came up. You interject, and it's immediately about some sort of bigger media/political/racial hypocrisy. You're not wrong I guess, but I just don't think it necessary to race out to that part of the discussion. In the coming weeks, I'm sure more stuff will be said, and then we can all pontificate on the media and it's hypocrisy.
I think denying another group the rights that you yourself enjoy is the essence of intolerance.
Happy to see Tony didn't apologize, which surprised me a bit. He stood by his answer, certainly clarified it but stood by it. Reasoned and well thought out. He wouldn't want the circus attached to it, and as a coach that is a big deal.
Actually, go back and read the posts, I was not the first person to bring up a political example. I responded to one post that did.You can wish to ignore that hypocrisy exists throughout society and is played differently in the media, etc if you wish, we all know that is the case and can come up with examples until time ends to prove it out.I can only imagine Brand and Sultan's responses in this thread, one of the better moves I've made.
I was referring to the work that Dungy has done fighting against gay marriage.It's interesting, though, that he never speaks out about actual criminals in the NFL - all of those arrested for assault or beating women over the last few years. I guess only the gays really bother this man.
and this isn't the only player that some coaches/gm's would ignore in order to avoid the media distractions. examples-chris kluwe, allen iverson, terrell owens, etc, where the baggage is heavier than their talent. how many reporters approach coach x and ask him why he wouldn't consider bringing allen iverson on board? if his answer is that he doesn't want the distractions, does that make him a racist? some gm's avoid certain players because of the agent they employ. scott boras anyone? if you really think about it, the media is kind of getting in sams way here and diminishing some of his opportunities. if i were sam, i would tell the media to f' off...good luck with that sam
Kluwe, Iverson and Owens are distractions because they intentionally distract. Sam is a "distraction" because he is gay.
You are 100% correct. But in THIS CASE, for this individual (Dungy), he's claiming he wouldn't have drafted Sam d/t Sam being a "distraction." Yet he (Dungy) was more than willing to acquire/support other distractions in the past. So, I just want to know why. And, if it's because Sam is gay, and Dungy has a personal/religious reason for that mindset, so be it. He's entitled to that. I just want to hear him say why he believes THIS "distraction" is the problem.
I disagree as there are levels of distraction. He specifically said it was in response to the OWN (Oprah) 24/7 reality show nonsense that goes along with it. Other distractions (e.g. Michael Vick) didn't come with that same level of distraction all season long. Sure, Vick was a story and it got great coverage for a few weeks, but died out, press stopped paying attention. That's different than having a camera crew following one of your guys each and every week, constantly keeping things in the news. It's one of the reasons why HBO has to beg a team these days just to do Hard Knocks, it is too much of a distraction. IMO, he has said that THIS distraction is an issue tied to the level it was going to be played out.
It appears Dungy's original comments were taken when the OWN show was to follow Sam around. Since Dungy's comments, that show has been cancelled and never seemed to have taken place at all. I would be curious, then, if, without the show, Dungy would have made the same comments. I'm guessing we'll never know.Here's something, kinda weird though. Why did the Tampa Trib just publish these quotes now when they were supposedly back from the time right after Sam was drafted and when the OWN show was still scheduled? Media trying to stir things up? Probably. And the TT didn't even acknowledge that Dungy's original quotes came from back at that time.
And because he makes a spectacle of it.