Saying this...
And then this...
Puts you in the same boat. As your opening shot.
What does Jeff Ireland, Dez Bryant, the NFL, pimpin' daddys and ho' mamas have to do with you being in a war and terrorist zone?
So, if I can get to your central thesis of this out pouring, the bottom line - really - is that you are offended FOR Bryant? Or was your mama asked about her past when you ordered a Dolphins jersey? Something like that so that you are directly offended? Otherwise, other than not being in agreement of the questions, really, what ground do you have to stand on to be offended for someone?
If your answer is "I am a fan of the team." Bad answer. That is by choice. Vote with your wallet.
Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch.
I was asked some pretty probing and interesting questions in my private sector, nonmilitary, job interview. Are they going to care if you want to pour a slurpee at 7-11 and ask the same invasive questions? Probably not. Is it the "rich man's" fault that the "poor process" people barely qualify to be Wal Mart greeters, therefore are not subjected to a more pointed and invasive interview and screening process?
Please show me an industry where employees make more than a company owner. That said....what is your point? Again, what does this have to do with anything?
At the end of the day I am sure that they don't care if the guy is neon blinking pink, as long as he puts the rock 4 yards beyond the line of scrimmage each time he touches it. That said, were you in the room? Do you know what the interviewer is really looking for? I'm sure all of your counter terrorism training affords you the knowledge that maybe, perhaps, it isn't the ANSWER that they care about...rather the WAY the question is answered.
Along with the items you've detailed above, you have also lined up a corner, LB, o-lineman, what-have-you in the NFL? OR, perhaps, is this your opinion versus fact based in experience? If it is the latter versus the former, I don't know if you are in a position to tell anyone that "you're wrong" with such conviction.
The bottom line - you don't agree with Ireland's questions. We got it. Noted. It's one thing to have opinions, feel free not to force those down everyone else's throat as fact...they just ain't.
Let me start this off by saying that my mother, as a black woman is great and I come from a single family household which community played a big part. I live amongst most white people in Westminster, Colorado who are so worried about achieving what the next white man has or are busy trying to debunk others thinking that they have a whole bunch of knowledge and that they are the only ones with the knowledge.
I want you to pay attention to the words MOST instead of ALL because when I say MOST, people think I mean ALL. So if you misunderstand it, its your fault.
I can speak on black/white relations because I've been in multicultural environments, have spoken on panels and I've been an EEO officer in the military and have an educational background in this stuff. And I've been in multicultural environments since the age of 5.
So no, I don't have a Dolphins jersey and no my mother wouldn't order one. Was your mother asked about her past when she was offered a job position or did she order a jersey?
African-Americans, along with other minorities have been putting up with this shit for years. Especially in the South. Does that answer your question Maine? Yes, I'm offended for Bryant and just like I was offended for the white player that was asked if he felt odd by being a white running back in the NFL.
I've called black people out for stupid stuff so I don't take sides. If you're white or black and say something stupid, you're an asshole and if you try to speak on a cultural subject that you got a degree in and didn't even spend time with that subject or culture, you're still an asshole.
I'm also offended for the legacy of the Dolphin franchise. I don't know how long you've been around (you could be a generation X'er) but I was with this franchise in the days of George Wilson, through the Shula era into the dark era and this era now. Everything the Dolphins did was with CLASS. Robbie had a driver in his later years and I use to see him in the airport going to NFL meetings in New York. He would stop and talk to you and he treated the fan with the utmost attention. Now, you can't get Parcells to say a damn thing because we're living in the age of the have and have nots. So he doesn't want to speak to us but he wants our money. I don't give them my money. I stopped years ago.
So yes, I am offended by how this went down but also offended from the standpoint of the Dolphin franchise which NEVER except for once in the Shula era with Don Reese, has had such a stroke of stupidity painted over it.
Myron Rolle is a black defensive back, a Rhodes Scholar and all hes was asked about was deserting the team? For goodness sakes! The GUY IS A RHODES SCHOLAR and he did it while playing football and you question commitment? Totally stupid. Would he have been asked the same question if he was white? Probably NOT!
My opinion is my opinion and I'm stating it. I'm not campaigning, I'm stating how I see it. This is a forum, don't like it don't answer back.
Hell, I'm gonna ask you...were you in the room? Ireland asked a question that was totally out of line. If it wasn't out of line or it was a lie, he should have stood up and defended himself and said that he did not say it. He didn't do that. HE STATED THAT HE DID ASK A QUESTION PERTAINING TO THAT ISSUE WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Sorry, he admitted it so we didn't have to be in the fucking room.
And you're fucked up if you think the employee makes MORE than the owner in the NFL. NFL players DON"T have guaranteed contracts. They may get a signing bonus and that's it. Are you telling me that a Dan Marino made more than Uncle Wayne? You're out of your mind! The Miami Dolphin franchise is worth billions. Why do you think they could cut their loses with Gibril Wilson? 2 Million dollars is a drop in the bucket for NFL franchises and lets not lose track of the fact that they don't want to pony up any money to the players who built the game and if you come back with the bullshit reply that all the old time players didn't manage their money, that's bullshit.
The salary cap stuff is bullshit and is a mirage because the NFL wants us to think that every team has "competitive balance". If that's so, there would not be a threat of a lockout in 2011. It's sports and also about business.
In reference to the military, those are the true character guys, not some players and a team chasing an oval football. That's what makes this whole process. Character guys are guys defending the country while our asses are asleep. So much emphasis is put on character guys in the NFL until it is stupid.
As far as trash talk in the NFL. I've got cousins that played in the NFL (ever heard of Lomas Brown who blocked for Barry Sanders or Buster Ryhmes who played for Minnesota?). So of course, I don't know anything which is what you assume. There are things that players don't cross the line with when playing football. You are stupid to think that players will go out there and talk about each others mother when in the African-American society, that's rules for getting into a brawl? You obviously don't know shit about culture or African-American culture.
And you miss the fact that Darrelle Revis, Sanchez or Brandon Marshall may have the same agent and these guys fish, go hunting and do appearance together in the off season. So how would they line up across from each other and talk about stuff that's off limits? That's an example.
But 80% of the players in the NFL are black so most of you guys expect them to have a "jungle bunny" attitude and talk about their moms from across the line of scrimmage and all that other negative stuff. There is acceptable trash talk then unacceptable trash talk. You'd be stupid to think that they would talk about each others mother.
When will most of you white guys get over the fact that there are people of other races that could have more information than you and let me make this clear. Most of you why guys not all. So I wouldn't know anything about what goes on in the NFL having relatives that played in the NFL.
So you are going to tell me that there are questions that don't violate EEOC policy? I can see questions about credit and what happened at the last gig or even drug tests. I don't know where you are coming from but I'm willing to bet that you have not asked anyone the question in your interviews on whether their mother was a prostitute.
On the character issue. Most of you guys talk about "character" on an NFL team and I stated that you would never have a total consensus of robots. When you define "character" are you talking about "white society?" If that's the case, most whites have done a horrible job in that field for over two hundred years. The NFL executive structure is basically ALL WHITE. I guess when you have major dollars, you can say whatever the hell you want.
THAT QUESTIONING HAS NO PLACE IN ANY WORKPLACE. PERIOD. Black, White, Female, Male...makes no difference.
Now if you had read what I said, I don't believe that Jeff Ireland is a racist. I don't expect many white people to be sensitive to anything because it's not preached in your community, churches and societies. Ireland is a victim of not being sensitive on VARIOUS matters, not just this one. The most glaring is the Zach Thomas situation after he retired from the Chiefs. Others are taught to conform to the standard that "white" society has set in this country, not a rainbow of thought from various cultures.
So now people are going to tell me that there is a black president. Great. That doesn't mean shit. There have been black leaders for centuries, even in Russia so I'm supposed to get excited because a country finally decided that since Bush was crashing everything? Lets put a black face in there to preach patience when hes following the agenda of the elite with plans for socialism for all our asses. Read the Patriot Act, you may find a plan for the Dolphins in there.
So tell the rest of us Maine, what questions do you ask in an interview that's along the lines of what Ireland asked Bryant. Let us decide. You said that you ask some dicey questions so I would like to hear what you ask during an interview.
I have no problems agreeing or disagreeing. I know that reading comprehension is a lost art and the schools and colleges don't give a fuck about it anymore but I'm stating my opinion. I didn't send you a ballot asking to vote for my opinion.
I feel sorry for Jeff Ireland because he is being torn apart fairly and unfairly. I hope that he learns from this and I hope that you learn that yes, blacks as well as whites are offended by the whole incident.
Print it, suspend me or whatever. It is what it is.
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