The last haven: sport, a haven no longer

While cataloging the path we are on to our next great and glorious revolution over the last three postings, several things have gone by that need to be commented on, even if they are a bit past due.

Some sports talker, Kevin Blackistone, says the Star Spangled Banner is a “war anthem”:

[Y]ou should also be selling the rest of the military symbolism embrace of sports. Whether it’s the singing of a war anthem to open every game. Whether it’s going to get a hotdog and being able to sign up for the Army at the same time. Whether it’s the NFL's embrace of the mythology of the Pat Tillman story. It has been going on in sports since the first National Anthem was played in the World Series back in 1917. And it’s time for people to back away….You are conflating a war anthem with a simple game. When you have military flyovers and the military symbolism that goes on in sports, I think you’ve got a problem.

I happen to agree with him about that assessment – that our National Anthem is indeed a war anthem not the rest of his uninformed BS.  Where we probably differ is that I happen to think that having a war anthem as a national anthem is a good thing.  Lest we forget, and I believe we are forgetting, our country was founded in the crucible of war.  The scourge of slavery, what some call America’s original sin, was ended by America’s bloodiest conflict.  At the time, the world’s militaries marveled at reports of the ruthless efficiency of the slaughter we were willing inflict upon countrymen to end what was a rather common activity in the world at that time – slavery.  Oh and Blackistone has probably forgotten about the freedom defended in other conflicts Philippine Insurrection, WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Gulf Wars I and II to name but a few.

Kevin shouldn’t “conflate” the activity of war with the results or at least the desired results achieved by that activity or the men who selflessly achieved those results.

Blackistone probably believes he is the high minded one.  He disagrees with war.  So he's better than the rest of us.  Really Kevin, who doesn’t?  No, he’s not the high minded one.  The most polite thing I can say about anyone that has the means to stop the reign of terror of the world’s despots but would rather sit idle is that they are cowards.  I am never surprised when the Pope comes out against war.  But even Pope knows that America may be a bit ham handed in these matters but here-to-fore she has fought on the right side of the world’s conflicts.  In doing so how many hundreds of millions have lived better lives?

Incognito/Martin
I don’t know.  I don’t know the state of mind of Incognito or Martin.  And to be honest, I don’t care.  Right now, I am of the same mind as Mike Ditka who said he wouldn’t have either one of them on his team – in his words sort of, “I wouldn’t have either one of them on my team.  I wouldn’t have the bully, and wouldn’t have the baby.”  Nuf said.

But I have to comment on what I believe is the faux outrage of Incognito’s use of the N-word.  After Rachel Genteels primmer on the subject, I have to assume Incognito used the …ger version of the word instead of the more playful …gga version.  Apparently, it makes all the difference.

The outrage from the sports talker community is intense.  From that “word can never be used” to “it doesn’t matter if it’s used all the time and Incognito was a honorary ‘brother.’”  Oh how I’d love to see the lyrics of the tunes on their i-pods, their kid’s i-pods and their friends’ i-pods.  That word can never be used!  Never!  Period!  NEVER!  Except it is used all of the time by the very people who claim to be most offended by it.  It’s mind boggling.

Then, on ESPN’s pre-game show last night, you have accomplice to murder Ray Lewis lecturing us on Incognito’s unacceptable locker room behavior.  Really Ray?  You cannot make this $h!t up.  If you did, nobody would believe you.  What Ray, Incognito should have just had a couple of his buds shoot or stab Martin, lie about it, turn state’s witness against his  friends and plead out so he can continue his career?   Is that what Incognito should have done, Ray?  The same thing you did, Ray?  Hey Ray, shut the hell up.  You are a convicted thug and liar who should be in jail right now.