Zoot Soup

I'm sorry that some people let their children learn that it was ok to do Bush like that but condemn thousands (over a few idiots) because Obama's skin is pigmented a little darker than mine. What a crock! How can anyone drum up the gall to complain about the tea party?

I think there's a difference. You might not agree with me, and that's fine, but I think the difference is there. People with "Kill Bush" signs are ignorant and disgusting, let me just say that first. There's no excuse for that. And I am not defending them in the least iota. But those beliefs, however misguided, were rooted in facts about what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. They saw Bush as a war criminal because of the Iraqi invasion that killed tens of thousands of civilians and American troops. Does that make him a war criminal? Of course not. Those signs were lunacy and those people should have been prosecuted.

Now the difference is this- in that video I posted, people are holding up signs that condemn Obama's race, religion and, of all things, where he was born. Do you see the difference? It's one thing to believe that Bush should die because of the number of people he "killed" in the wars he lied to the American public about. It's a completely other thing to protest Obama because you think he's a secret Muslim on a mission to destroy the USA.

It's unbelievable. This isn't even an issue in ANY election, and yet Palin feels the need to comment on it. I'm sure she feels like it scores her points, however.

Speaking of videos...has everyone seen this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIcAd8eqI0g&feature=player_embedded

What's the news here? What I glean from this is that Palin is running 4th behind Gingrich, Romney and Huckabee for the Republican nod. But I suppose you'll get a better reaction out of talking Palin than Gingrich.

Newsweek is running another good story this week about how Reagan wouldn't pass the Reagan Litmus Test that Republicans try to give every candidate now. Reagan actually grew government and raised taxes...

JA Adande said it best when he refused to comment: "I'm not going to react to a reaction of a reaction."

I like Matthew Yglesias, for what it's worth. Good stuff there.

Do the people who put that sign up not see the irony in saying "Radical leaders prey on the fearful and naive". I mean, they're doing the same exact thing. It's ridiculous.

Is stuff like this...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iowa_obama_billboard

I honestly don't want to believe this represents the thinking of the majority of the movement, but it's getting hard when "critics" don't even flat out denounce it. At least Shelby Blakely seems to have some sense.

Do. Not. Like.

They could put Glove at the point, Kemp at the 4, and Bosh at the 5 and still win a lot of games. (Bosh doesn't want to play the 5 though).

JR Rider could come off the bench!

Simmons hit that one out of the park.

Agreed. Simmons has done some of his best work during this saga.

I know fans, GM, and sportswriters have to talk about something but it is selfish to let personal beliefs cause you to constantly trash and hate on somebody. Lebron did what he wanted to do, so if your a Lebron supporter at heart you should support that. Maybe he don't want to live up to some of the things some people feel he should try and live up too. At the end of the day, he's probably going to have some rings, and he's probably going to average close to a triple double for a career and be one of the best to have ever played.

You're still not getting it. It's not the decision itself, but the way he went about it that disgusts everyone.

Also, can we please address the fact that is was LeBron, not ESPN, that paid Jim Gray for the interview?

 

I'm sure Lebron had little to do about the title of the show though.

Please. The guy tweeted about "his decision". He even started a hashtag of "lebrondecision". He also calls himself the King of Akron. You really think he's that humble?

Interesting quote on First Take from Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer beat writer. He was asked about Gilbert saying "there's more to come..." and replied that there is a rabbit hole there about all the things Cleveland tried to do to keep LeBron. Windhorst went on to say that David Stern will probably tell him to keep quiet about it. :idunno:

Not so much, but hey it's your analogy.

How is getting to the finals not the same as being the nat. runner up?

Here is another press conference from LeBron. Don't worry Cleveland he's coming back!

I find it ironic he's playing the Dolphins in that commercial.

FatHead.com is selling LeBron ones for $17.41. Why that much, you ask? It was the year Benedict Arnold was born and Gilbert owns Fat Head. :lol:

You have exaggerated some of the details to help sell the analogy, plus Cal has only been at UK for 1 season not 7. If Cal's contract with UK was up and he wanted to go somewhere else then okay.

 

If Cal was at UK for 7 years and won zero championships then I'm sure fans wouldn't care as much if he left after the contract was up. That right there seems to deflate your analogy in this scenario.

What LeBron did in Cleveland was the equivalent of Cal getting UK to the Final Four once and National Runner's Up once.

Stole this from SportsGuy, but isn't it perfect? :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H76DwHgOwpA

Bad analogy if you ask me.

Why?

How did LBJ sell himself short by going to play with another superstar? That's one thing that makes zero sense to me. If anything, he would have sold himself short by going to a bigger market with a less talented team, IMO.

Would Jordan have gone to play second fiddle to someone else? Would Kobe?

Let me preface this by saying I'm a Cavs fan and I'm stung that LeBron left Cleveland. I understand that this was his personal decision and he needed to make it for himself. But let me make this analogy and see if you can't understand where Cavs fans (including Dan Gilbert, the Akron-Beacon Journal and the Plain Dealer) are coming from:

Let's say tomorrow Coach Cal openly questions whether he is going to stick around at UK after the coming season. No official statement, just starts dropping hints here and there. He then proceeds to lead UK to a glorious regular season. 32-4 with a SEC regular season and tournament titles. Cats fans believe this will finally be the year they get back to the Final Four. Only it doesn't go as scripted, and Kentucky gets bounced in the second round to an inferior Oklahoma State team in which Coach seems like he makes some questionable decisions, seemingly half-hearted. Cal doesn't seem like he cares, and walks off the court. Shows little emotion in the press conference and has a "win some, lose some" attitude.

After the season, Cal-to-the-NBA talk intensifies. Cal chooses 5 teams he thinks would be a "good fit" and invites them to Lexington to give presentations at the Craft Center. UK fans line Avenue of Champions, begging Cal to stay, but he remains noncommittal. This goes on for a week, and then it is announced Cal will makes his decision live on an ESPN special, which turns out to be an hour-long tribute to the greatness of Cal and his accomplishments. He chooses Chicago so he can coach Derrick Rose again and claims "it's all about winning".

Now you look me in the face and tell me that UK fans wouldn't be doing and saying the same things.

The only difference here (and it is a MAJOR one) is that Cal isn't from Lexington, Pikeville or Paducah. We haven't literally watched him grow up before our eyes and invested 20 years in energy and money supporting him.

LeBron is free to choose whatever path for himself he likes. I won't fault him for that. But the manner in which he went about it amounts to infidelity and betrayal. There is a classy way to do it and a narcissistic way. He chose the latter.

And it's just not Gilbert that feels this way. Has anyone seen the cover of the Akron Beacon Journal today? It says "Homewrecker".