Comments on: Manti Te’o Saga Shows It Is Time For Sportswriting to Ditch Inane Hero Narratives

By: HPN

HPN — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:00:35 +0000

We actually talked about e myths created by the press about sports heroes in my sports history class today

By: PurdueMatt

PurdueMatt — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:30:39 +0000

Well said Duffy. Especially the part about Pearlman. Give me the truth!

By: Jesus

Jesus — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:28:30 +0000

Hey guys, what did I miss?

Hmmm…wow…um…

Okay then, moving on…

By: roger from oz

roger from oz — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:22:26 +0000

Where was his agency, CAA, during all of this? Slimeballs probably wanted to keep it quiet so wonder if they pressured him.

By: QueeferSutherland

QueeferSutherland — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:07:14 +0000

Cal Ripken was mediocre. Interesting.

By: squawkbox

squawkbox — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:59:03 +0000

Interesting perspective Spencer, although I disagree.

By: ButtersBC

ButtersBC — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:58:58 +0000

stupidest fuckign record in sports

That one the Saint fans get all hot and bothered over

By: DeusExMachina

DeusExMachina — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:58:25 +0000

If my child looked up to Matt Ryan, I’d give up right there.

By: spencer096

spencer096 — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:53:47 +0000

how the FUCK is cal ripken a good role model for a child?

“HEY KIDS…do you wanna grow up to be just like cal ripken? be mediocre but show up everyday to the point where you’re too entrenched to get a better, younger, cheaper replacement!”

stupidest fuckign record in sports.

By: QueeferSutherland

QueeferSutherland — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:48:57 +0000

There are plenty of great athletes who remain strong role models for children. Ray Rice. Cal Ripken. Peyton Manning. Matt Ryan. Lionel Messi. We don’t have to canonize these guys, but at the same time, pretending that there isn’t anyone in sports worth admiring is absurd.

By: squawkbox

squawkbox — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:40:08 +0000

/ Walks away from trash bin
// Knocks on door
/// Asks if I can live here

/Loads Benelli.
//loads S&W 3906
///sits quietly on floor 10 ft from door

By: Nada

Nada — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:36:17 +0000

Bulleit bottle
Nick Saban photo with mustache, beard and devil horns

/ Walks away from trash bin
// Knocks on door
/// Asks if I can live here

By: squawkbox

squawkbox — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:33:08 +0000

Starts digging through Squawk’s trash bin

Hmmm. Buffalo Trace bottle,
Bulleit bottle,
Boars head summer sausage wrapper,
boars head hard salami wrapper,
apple cores,
more apple cores,
milk jugs,
baseballs with loose stitching,
Gene Chizik photo with mustache, beard and devil horns drawn in,
Nick Saban photo with mustache, beard and devil horns drawn in – hmm – smells like poo,
Manuscript “Everything you wanted to know about everything ever – Draft 1″

By: Mr. C

Mr. C — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:31:24 +0000

ben hogan, hero? came back from having his body wrecked, but that was an accomplishment just for himself. inspiring? absolutely. hero? don’t think so.
I think you nailed it there.

I’d also argue impressive, but not inspiriing. But inspiration is like any round-up pic, not everybody sees the same thing.

By: Nada

Nada — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:28:51 +0000

heroes died leading hopeless charges over trench walls

So Archie Manning was a hero!

By: Nada

Nada — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:27:48 +0000

ben hogan, hero? came back from having his body wrecked, but that was an accomplishment just for himself. inspiring? absolutely. hero? don’t think so.

I think you nailed it there.

By: Nada

Nada — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:26:53 +0000

You mean when ESPN,CBS,Fox and everyone else pushing the hero angle and advocating Ray Lewis for sainthood?

The best thing about the Teo crapfest is that is has pushed the Ray Murda gobblefest off the front pages for a while.

By: spencer096

spencer096 — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:26:33 +0000

In the world of sports, he is a hero because he gave up football to do something else that thousands of Americans do every year, but they aren’t heroes because they didn’t play in the National Football League!

see, i was thinkign this myself. i dunno man, i tend to think hero, but you have an excellent point too.

lets move on to a tougher example. ben hogan, hero? came back from having his body wrecked, but that was an accomplishment just for himself. inspiring? absolutely. hero? don’t think so.

By: rittyrich

rittyrich — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:25:19 +0000

Humans exist. Heroes don’t. Not in reality. Not even in credible fiction. For the rest of Western society, heroes died leading hopeless charges over trench walls. The one place this trope lingers is in sportswriting.

I stopped right fucking there.

By: otis sistrunk

otis sistrunk — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:25:16 +0000

Was Pat Tillman a hero? Or just a dude killed by stupidity of someone else?

splitting crosshairs