Ralph Wiley proving my point

Now to be fair, I hate Ralph Wiley.

This is nothing personal, I wouldn't get into a verbal altercation with him or anything, and he seems like a friendly guy. I think I just do not like anything he has an opinion on in his writings.

I first discovered him when I was reading the Page 2 columns on ESPN.com where creating false hyperbole filled headlines is their claim to fame ( “The WNBA: Best sport in America” or “Barry Bonds, father of the year”) Their mission is to create a headline that someone like me says, “Those SOBs, I will show them, I will read their whole column…and then I will click on their e-mail and write them back, then I will click on all their sponsors…” Boy, I showed them…Nice work by me…

So back to the story, I am meandering across the page and read a headline in spring 2003, and read about that girl basketball player that was turning her back on the flag. Being a former cavalryman, and having friends fighting at the “forward edge of freedom” (website title giveaway…uh-oh this site might have jumped the shark…), I was not pleased at her lack of respect for their sacrifices. I can tell you that when I served in the Armed Forces, we did not sit around and think while we were on deployment, “Boy, I am glad that we are here defending democracy, so people at home can hate the military, spit and burn the flag. Makes it all worth it to have someone belittle our sacrifices…”

So enter Ralph Wiley, and his article smacking of anti-Americanism to the highest degree, talking about his respect for her courage to make a stand against the war, even with some people being upset with her actions. Courage? Courage is doing this in the Soviet Union. What was she doing? Exercising her 1st amendment right. Do I get credit for courage when I go buy a shotgun and exercise my 2nd Amendment right? Or how about choosing when I drink a beer (Hooray, for the 21st amendment!) Give me a break. We are not going to throw her in the gulag. Why? Well, of course because many braver and stronger people thought the nation of the flag that she despises was worth fighting and dying for. And they were not showing the devotion on the basketball courts. Because, unless we are Grand Master Flash circa 1982, we do not break dance our way out of conflicts…We have to fight.

So why does Ralph Wiley make it a point to defend her? I realize he is advancing his agenda. He was against the war in Iraq, he hates Republicans etc. Fine, that is his right, but do not sit and write sports and try and slip political points under the radar of the mainstream. Sports are the one thing we have in common. I have friends that I wonder how they breathe with all the blood that spews from their misguided hearts, but when we talk sports we still have something in common to chat about. And some div III 20 year old girl who read one too many New York Times editorials is not worth spending 5 minutes on in a sports article.

After this article, with my blood boiling, I read his archive. A tough task, since the man cannot write the English language. Must be a real drawback in his career as a writer…Run-ons, poor verb construction, was the man sick the day they taught English in English class? (To paraphrase LT Kaffee). Well, as I finished reading his articles, they all ran around how some show boating hot head is good, establishment is bad etc. So imagine my lack of surprise when he wrote about the events of the NFL draft week and said the three big events were Clarett, Eli Manning and the death of Pat Tillman. He then proceeds to talk about Manning and Clarett, only. So let me get this straight, Ralph: This girl turns her back on the flag, and her “courage” gets an article, Pat Tillman dies for his country, and he barely gets a footnote. Perfect.

Well, perhaps that is for the best. Pat Tillman deserves a tribute from a writer far more talented than Mr. Wiley.

Comments

[Misspent One]

A week or two ago SI had a ridiculously snarky comment about something (the NFL draft?) and they related it to the Bush tax cuts, meaning: they were for the wealthy, they weren't beneficial, they were actually harmful, and Bush is stupid.

[O57S]

I realize the nature of politics is satisfying one's personal agenda. That said, I believe it is cowardly to attack the having of an agenda as opposed to the substance therein. A website called forward edge of freedom is surely filled with individuals who have "agendas". Mr. Wiley is(was) a very creative thoughtful journalist in the vein of Hunter S Thompson, who sheds the restraints of textbook journalism in order to convey an intensity and emotion not found in traditional columns. Im sure a backer of the GOP Officer in Chief could let a few grammatical flaws slide, besides his goal is to illicit a response much like my goal in writing this. It is not simply to see our own words in print...

[Freedom's Edge]

An interesting point, and I would agree that Mr. Wiley is of the same ilk as Mr. Thompson. My point which is addressed in my Welcome to the Site is that there are few instances where "sports political views" are anything but one side of the political fence.

Perhaps I did not write well enough to show my outrage was with his article and not his grammatical miscues. Either way, thanks very much for the response, and I hope you visit the FEF again!

[The Misspent Life]

Hunter S. Thompson. Heh.

[United We Stand]

Having just written an article where I used Mr. Wiley's name in the same sentence with Trev Alberts and other ESPN talking heads who did not let the facts stand in the way of blurting out their inept opinions, I feel a little vindicated that I'm not the only person who did not like what Mr. Wiley had to say.
At the same time, I felt some sense of loss yesterday when I learned of his death.

My problem with him was his basic ignorance of facts. I believe, if Freedom's Edge read Mr. Wiley's archives, he might remember the rant he wrote about the Nolan Richardson debacle. It is an embarrassment that Richardson's parting with the University of Arkansas came to what it did. But it did. For someone like Wiley to step in and throw fuel on the fire with statements that were clearly erroneous was completely senseless and irresponsible.
For that, I did not care at all for Mr. Wiley.

As for the Manhattan College girl: The mere fact that Wiley chose to defend her is a reflection of both of them. He sought out causes that were divisive. She chose to stand out in a divisive manner and put her own personal feelings above those of our country.

Sure, the First Amendment gives her that right.
But tell me what she really solved. I do hope in 5, 10, 20 years and again at the end of her life, someone calls to interview her about her self-appointed protest.

At some point, I can only hope she feels some regret or shame about the legacy she left behind.
It's the same legacy Wiley has left behind.

[Layla]

"the nation of the flag that she despises"

I think it's a pretty lazy conclusion to draw: that protesting a war is the same as despising your country, being unpatriotic, or say, undermining the morale of our troops.

Should she be applauded for her stand? I don't think so. But should her decision to morally object to war earn her disrespect and anger? No, I don't think so, either.

Equating political dissent with patriotic dissent is wrong and lazy. A person has just as much right to support a war as they have to oppose it. Opposing war does not equal opposing partiotism. Opposing a war does not mean you do not appreciate and support the brave soldiers who serve.

War is no trivial matter, and it is a shame to trivialize its discussion by accusing anti war protesters of "despising" their country.

[TGW]

I have to humbly disagree...Wiley was one of the best writers in the busiess - and not just sports. The only analogy for Wiley that makes sense to me is music. Wiley was the equivalent of a jazz virtuoso in a profession filled with others playing pop, rock, country, whatever. His writing - especially on Page 2 - was a personal style all his own. Riffs and meanderings that set him apart from the crowd. Now, you don't have to like jazz. I don't like jazz. But, that shouldn't stop you from saying, once you hear someone with talent playing it, "damn, he can bring it." Wiley brought strong stuff...

That's my assessment of how he said what he said. When it comes to what he was saying, well...let's just say I didn't have to agree with it to realize it was still worthwhile. But, then again, I like to read stuff from articulate smart people who see the world differently than me. Sometimes they change my mind. But usually they serve to remind me that other opinions and thoughts are valid. That tolerance and open mindedness are traits I should strive for. That's why a self-professed liberal like myself likes to read George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Safire, Ann Coulter, etc. Okay, maybe I'm lying about Coulter.

Thanks for the forum and please believe I respect everyone's opinion...