Letters to the Editor
-
The rise and fall of T.O.
Camille Paglia's article strikes me as being a few things: well-written, well-researched, and yet at the same time built off a fundamentally specious argument and conclusion. T.O. may have acted (and be acting) awfully, but how did HE let the racial genie out of the bottle, as Ms. Paglia suggests? Is it just because he acted awfully and he is African-American?
I fail to understand how, just because Terrell Owens needs to grow up personally and professionally, he could be possibly responsible for racist (or even just racial) comments made by Eagles fans. The article implies that, had Owens acted like a "good little player", honored his contract, and treated others with respect, his race would be ignored. Once he started acting human, even if he acted like a five-year-old human, his race somehow became the issue. Again, how is that his fault?
Doesn't it seem more plausible that this racial tension was always under the surface, yet recent events brought the tension to the forefront? We live in a "hush hush" culture, in which people try very hard not to mention race until some else mentions it. It seems so much more likely that the genie was let out of the bottle by the fans themselves, and they are having a field day tying his bad behavior back to race.
Blame T.O. for his poor behavior. Blame the fans for overly generalizing the behaviors and actions of people they idolize.
-
Terrell Owens
It's terribly unfortunate that Donovan McNabb has been labled by some a race traitor because of his refusal to speak up for Terrell Owens. McNabb has generally handled the tremendous scrutiny put on him (by virtue of being in Philadelphia and by virtue of being black - see Rush Limbaugh) with intelligence and grace. Owens, meanwhile, has been one of the worst teammates in the history of professional sports. It is a sign of progress that McNabb does not feel the need to lump himself in with the perhaps-sociopathic Owens. McNabb's only mistake was to lobby for Owens to join the team to begin with.
-
I'd sign up for XM Radio...
...if Ms. Paglia hosted her own XM sportstalk show--one based in Philly (and perhaps co-hosted with current WIP personalities) would be fine. The pleasure (and exasperation) that she would bring to her co-host, audience and callers would make for a can't-miss radio show.
As for her TO article, I think Paglia is, at least to some extent, exaggerating the link between the Owens drama and increased racial tension in the sports arena. Race is always there. Always.
Regarding McNabb--it doesn't seem fair that he should be burdened with Owens' selfish and immature actions. Playing QB at a high level in the hyper-competitive NFL is tough enough...the Owens affair and its tentacles that connect to McNabb suggest that playing QB at the NFL level, as a black man, is even tougher...all of which is not fair to Donovan McNabb.
Finally, somewhere on the 'net sportswriter Skip Bayless (who covered Owens while he was a 49er)...several months ago...correctly predicted that Owens would break up the Eagles, and that the Eagles would be sorry that they ever signed him. Bayless got that one right.
-
Little Analysis and Zero News
I am not smart enough to argue with Camille Paglia. In fact, it is an act of hubris for me to even write a letter commenting on something she has written. But after reading this piece I was left feeling very unsatisfied. She said almost nothing that I couldn't have learned by simply reading a newspaper or watching ESPN News.
The entire column is a recitation of the TO saga. Not only is it a simple rehashing of what we pretty much already knew, she left out two pretty important events in the undoing of TO. While Paglia, possibly incorrectly, blames TO's wearing of Michael Irvin's jersey for desroying the faith the team had kept with the fans, she fails to mention that TO specifically called out McNabb by saying that he (TO) wasn't "the one who got winded" during the Super Bowl. This is a huge slap in the face to McNabb who was already a Philly sports hero. If he is going to say something like this, people will be outraged, especially in a sports-minded city like Philadelphia.
The other thing TO did that Paglia mysteriously fails to mention is when TO said that the Eagles would be undefeated if they'd had Brett Favre as thier QB instead of McNabb. Insulting a local hero once could possibly be overlooked. But if you do it twice, you can't really make the case that it was an accident or "taken out of context."
While the jersey was a slap in the face to the fans, it was insulting McNabb so viciously and publicly that really did him in. I can't believe that Paglia missed these two critical events.
And then Paglia provides little analysis. She concludes that fans broke away into two camps supporting the ostensibly "white" McNabb who had the nerve to take endorsement deals or the far more genuinely black Owens who was, they believe, willing to call a spade a spade (both literally and metaphorically). Wow, Camille. You almost seem to be saying that Philadelphia is a city that hadn't known racial tension before this spat came up. That can't be your point, can it?
While the sports fan in me really dislikes Owens, I don't think it's fair to blame him and McNabb for some sort of racist renaissance in a city which has had so many racial problems. While TO's ego would no doubt be stroked by the mistaken belief that he wielded so much power, you simply can't get there from here.
-
Not always
"Race is always there. Always."
I disagree. Being an obnoxious asshole, especially one of T.O.'s caliber, transcends race.
What I'm shocked about is that, in a society that generally rewards public douchebaggery, T.O.'s behavior actually caught up with him, with tangible consequences.
-
Only 20 more days until King is back...
It's my current mantra.
Nothing against Ms. Paglia – I generally enjoy her writing otherwise – but this article is nothing more than a historical rehash of what every fan of the NFL has known about (thanks ESPN, for the blatant inundation – they do love they're handwringing, don't they?) and been consistantly reminded of on a weekly basis this season. Add in a few personal touches about beer cozies and viola, fill in article for King – with absolutely nothing of substance for us King fans.
I couldn't even pretend to get excited about Paglia's supposed opening of the "racist" pandora's box by Owens. Please. This is the town that infamously booed Santa and you're trying to convince me that race has never been an issue? Ever? Until T.O.? Please.
Thank God for the inevitable implosion of this team – due to injury and the general inability of Andy Reid to coach well – so now we can watch the Colts and they're soon-to-be record breaking season in peace. Now that's a team worth writing columns about!!! Too bad none of them seems to be an asshole...