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You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "mentor"

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Starman, Jul 2, 2007.

  1. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/sports/baseball/28nationals.html?_r=1&em&ex=1183176000&en=2821e7d9e9f6efa5&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin
     
  2. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Re: You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "men

    Well of course he is... he's with the Gnats (Psst... how about a couple of grafs on the story to go with the link)
     
  3. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "men

    Lots more of the "new attitude," "turned his life around" blah blah yadda yadda bullshit.

    You know what's the best way to learn from your mistakes? Don't make them in the first place. Don't take drugs, don't get drunk, don't walk out on your family, don't beat the shit out of women. Don't eat like a fucking pig, don't gain 100 pounds and become worthless on the field, then tell two successive managers to go fuck themselves in the dugout.
     
  4. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    That's a pretty unforgiving line. So what do you suggest we do then with the ones who do make mistakes since that makes them unredeemable in your eyes. I take it you believe that once a person screws up it's no use bothering to improve himself?

    Sure, we can all take a jaded eye to such stories. But why is it so easy to snipe and say they can't be true?
     
  5. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "men

    Because 95 percent of the time, they're NOT true. Odds are 10 to 1 that before the end of the 2008 season, Dmitri Young is suspended again for telling his manager to go fuck himself, brought in on some domestic or substance abuse charge, or (most likely) signs a nice free agent contract this winter, then reports to spring training, gains back 40 of the 60 pounds he lost, and spends most of next season hitting .238 and collecting paychecks.

    If Dmitri Young or any other "troubled athlete" ::) ::) can "turn his life around," fine, bully for him. But spare us the heart-wrenching "Beyond The Glory" sob stories, all the alibis and excuses, "nobody knows the troubles I've seen," and how he now wants to be a "role model for the kids."
     
  6. Bob Slydell

    Bob Slydell Active Member

    Damn, beat me to it. I was going t say 99 percent.

    Look, that's great he's turned his life around. But sure as shit, he'll end up doing this again. A Tiger doesn't change it's stripes, no pun intended.
    Pac Man was going to stop getting in trouble too.
     
  7. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    So we as sportswriters should never write a story about someone turning their life around because Starman and Bob Slydell say that it's between 95% and 99% that they'll make another mistake somewhere down the line? I'll file that away for future reference.

    And, please, let's make sure that journalism school professors also start to include this thinking in their curriculums.

    For now I think I'll take the word of the guys playing with him over you two if you don't mind.
     
  8. Hammer Pants

    Hammer Pants Active Member

    It's funny how not collecting a check makes you turn your life around.
     
  9. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "men

    1. Journalism school professors are mostly morons who couldn't cut it in professional journalism.

    2. The teammates of Ron Artest, Pacman Jones and Rasheed Wallace all say they're terrific guys. It's part of "the code."
     
  10. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    You know better than those that are with them every day. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
     
  11. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Funny how Starman misrepresents what really is in the piece.

    I didn't see anything about role model, inspiration, mentor.
    I read a about a guy who said he goes to AA meetings and listens a lot because he has a long way to go and a lot to learn ... a guy who was sent to a minor league camp to get in shape and said the young kids inspiried him and made him love playing baseball again ... a guy who's teammates talked about how much fun he has been to be around.

    How about this last graf Starman:

    Can he see the peak? “It’s within sight,” he said. “But I see clouds before the top. Because the mountain is so high, there’s still work to be done.”

    The only thing close to saying he wants to inspire younger players not to make the same mistakes was:
    “I’ve resurrected my career,” Young said. “I have a chance to be a leader again and show guys how you learn from your mistakes.”

    The key words to me being "I have a chance...."
     
  12. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: You knew this was coming: Dmitri Young, "inspiration," "role model" and "men

    The teammates of the "troubled athletes" usually know better than anyone what dicks they are. However, due to "the code," they will hardly hardly ever breathe a word about it.


    Dmitri Young has no chance ever to be "a leader," mentor or role model to anybody with three functional brain cells.
     
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