Friday, January 30, 2009
Fifteen
A perfect example of sports media people not knowing anything about Manny is here. (click the top audio player at right on that page)
Guy says to Kevin Millar: Nobody wants Manny--and it's because of his antics.
Yup, the same lie the lying liars at WEEI tells us. I knew Millar would set the guy straight, and he did, saying that every GM in the league would love to have Manny as their cleanup hitter. I'm so glad Kevin said this, but again, it's not surprising at all, as Kevin, like Red Sox fans, know that Manny isn't some lazy guy who never tries. (And again, if his stats are this good and his rings are this shiny without effort, well, he's an even more amazing ballplayer than we think. Oh, and before you repeat what you hear from Average McBaseball Fan--that you do agree that he's an amazing hitter only--then you've never watched him play left field at Fenway Park OR you have but you don't understand that certain balls are gonna be doubles so it may appear Manny's just jogging to the ball but that's only at the point where the hitter has locked up second base and his job is to just make sure he gets the ball and gets it back in.)
But there's more. Now it's the other host's turn, and he makes a statement about assuming Manny would "kill" Kevin Millar for putting him in a headlock. Yes, this brown man with weird hair is surely not a fan of horseplay and would never attempt to have fun because he's too busy being lazy and mean and just generally a horrible person.
Again, Kevin sets him straight. It's such a shame that possibly the most fun-lovin' guy in the majors is thought of as the opposite of what he is. And much of that blame goes to WEEI. They don't try to make it a secret that they all hate him. This whole thing comes from the fact that these men felt slighted by Manny, because he never talked to them. Boo fucking hoo. That's not his job. It was the same with Pedro. The fans--the people who pay to go to games--cheer these players, interact with them, love them. But the people with the power to send messages far and wide can control what everybody else thinks by lying. And then you end up with widely-held misconceptions.
It's also no coincidence that the players WEEI tells you to hate have skin that isn't white.
Guy says to Kevin Millar: Nobody wants Manny--and it's because of his antics.
Yup, the same lie the lying liars at WEEI tells us. I knew Millar would set the guy straight, and he did, saying that every GM in the league would love to have Manny as their cleanup hitter. I'm so glad Kevin said this, but again, it's not surprising at all, as Kevin, like Red Sox fans, know that Manny isn't some lazy guy who never tries. (And again, if his stats are this good and his rings are this shiny without effort, well, he's an even more amazing ballplayer than we think. Oh, and before you repeat what you hear from Average McBaseball Fan--that you do agree that he's an amazing hitter only--then you've never watched him play left field at Fenway Park OR you have but you don't understand that certain balls are gonna be doubles so it may appear Manny's just jogging to the ball but that's only at the point where the hitter has locked up second base and his job is to just make sure he gets the ball and gets it back in.)
But there's more. Now it's the other host's turn, and he makes a statement about assuming Manny would "kill" Kevin Millar for putting him in a headlock. Yes, this brown man with weird hair is surely not a fan of horseplay and would never attempt to have fun because he's too busy being lazy and mean and just generally a horrible person.
Again, Kevin sets him straight. It's such a shame that possibly the most fun-lovin' guy in the majors is thought of as the opposite of what he is. And much of that blame goes to WEEI. They don't try to make it a secret that they all hate him. This whole thing comes from the fact that these men felt slighted by Manny, because he never talked to them. Boo fucking hoo. That's not his job. It was the same with Pedro. The fans--the people who pay to go to games--cheer these players, interact with them, love them. But the people with the power to send messages far and wide can control what everybody else thinks by lying. And then you end up with widely-held misconceptions.
It's also no coincidence that the players WEEI tells you to hate have skin that isn't white.
Comments:
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It is amazing how similar the narratives are about certain type of players in the eyes of WEEI. They always talk about guys like Manny as though he is some kind of natural-born hitting savant, who did nothing to perfect his skills and is disrespecting the game through some kind of laziness. Nevermind the fact that (in the words of Ted Williams) no one just happens to be a great hitter and anyone as good as Manny has to work tirelessly to be good at the hardest, and probably most unnatural thing to do in all of sports (squarely hit a round ball with a round piece of wood). Meanwhile, the slightly above average white guys are constantly praised for their determination, work ethic, and professionalism. Obviously, I love the hell out of guys like Nixon, Mueller, and Varitek, but the crackers on WEEI would never lavish praise on that type of player if they were hispanic or black. And pretending that they "work harder" and "respect the game" more the Mannys of the world just because they give interviews after games where they say the right stuff and seem somehow easier to relate to... well, it's obvious to me where that pattern of bias really comes from.
Look at Coco Crisp last year. I don't remember hearing one of them praising Coco's professionalism and toughness, playing hard in the outfield (and even hitting better than his usurper) even though he'd basically been squeezed out by a new fan favorite -- and all without uttering a sour word. If ever someone deserved credit for dealing with a tough situation with grace and a team-first attitude, it was him. If the mouthbreather contingent really believed all that BS they spout about character and attitude they would have been all over him.
Look at Coco Crisp last year. I don't remember hearing one of them praising Coco's professionalism and toughness, playing hard in the outfield (and even hitting better than his usurper) even though he'd basically been squeezed out by a new fan favorite -- and all without uttering a sour word. If ever someone deserved credit for dealing with a tough situation with grace and a team-first attitude, it was him. If the mouthbreather contingent really believed all that BS they spout about character and attitude they would have been all over him.
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