Two Years of Gu: The 400th Column!
February 12.
The Second Anniversary of The Magic Carpet.
The 400th Column.
Cool!
What a ride it has been.
Guru didn't actually start WRITING the column until April 23, but I joined TSN and began meeting many of you in the Topic areas on 2/12/07 and began to think about what I wanted to say.
It didn't take Guru long to determine that the perspective he has on Sports and Life was SERIOUSLY under-represented at TSN, in fact, in the entire Sports Media - which is certainly odd, given that Guru lives in America's largest city, roots for America's most popular Baseball Team and most popular Football team, has mainstream tastes in most of life and knows his stuff.
So I decided, from column O-N-E that I was going to take the matter on DIRECTLY...
There are two resources I've recently used in Columns for my website (with our friend Malvolio)...
VagabondGuru.com
The first one, a quote from legendary comedian, Lenny Bruce, captures my approach to the world perfectly...
The second one, a quote from Rabbi Sherwin Wine, explains why we do so much fighting...here on The Magic Carpet, on TSN, in our lives and in American society...
'There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance to God. It secretly adores coercion and conformity. Despite our constitution, despite the legacy of the Enlightenment, it appeals to millions of Americans and threatens our freedom.
The other vision finds its roots in the spirit of our founding revolution and in the leaders of this nation who embraced the age of reason. It loves freedom, encourages diversity, embraces science and affirms the dignity and rights of every individual. It sees America as a moral nation, neither completely religious nor completely secular. It defines patriotism as love of country and of the people who make it strong. It defends all citizens against unjust coercion and irrational conformity.
This second vision is our vision. It is the vision of a free society. We must be bold enough to proclaim it and strong enough to defend it against all its enemies.'
- Rabbi Sherwin Wine
That first column pretty much says what NEEDS to be understood by the legions of Fans and contributors here on TSN (and elsewhere) whose approach to NYC and Sports is based upon 'Fantasy'...
NYC aint a Fantasy, its R-E-A-L-I-T-Y.
And that pisses a lot of people off.
New York City Sports: Money & Reality...
So has Guru in his two years here. A LOT of people!
Some of those angry confrontations I regret, seriously. I've written here often of my mistake in being harsh and creepy with a thoughtful young man named 'Blake Street Bomber' in my early writing and I've tried to learn the lesson of my mishandling of that conversation ever since.
'But Guru, you still go OFF on other people all the time and say nasty things...what gives?'
Guru is a thinker, and a gentleman and does not believe in EVER throwing the first punch.
But, if someone self-identifies as a 'Hater', of my teams, my city, my viewpoint...they are going to take a 2 X 4 upside the head on The Magic Carpet - I don't throw the first punch, but once you get in my face, I will RAIN DOWN on your (expletive). Without fail. I know it can be ugly, but there is a lesson in the madness...
It's this...if you tell someone to 'Go (expletive) Yourself' - you need to know they are going to respond, forcefully.
You see, there are a lot of 'givens' out there in the Site readership...belief systems that many of you take as GOSPEL, but that are really just OPINIONS and BIASES - this mythology is something Guru has observed all his 45 years and, in my view, it is the single biggest cause of American decline in my lifetime.
Many of you spend your energy HOPING...agitating, conniving, arguing for a world that looks like your fantasy...its why when Steroids were pumping up gritty white guys like Lenny Dykstra, boy-next-door white guys like Mark McGwire and pretty-boy white guys like Brady Anderson, the clamor was pretty tame. But when the target is surly, cocky, black Barry Bonds or arrogant, graceless Alex Rodriguez, many of you are desperately concerned with the 'integrity of the game'.
I've yet to hear a call for the Phillies of '93 to return their Steroid addled NL Pennant, but I've read so much nonsense and outright stupidity about Bonds and Rodriguez, it makes me sick. If you say you're about 'rules', then they have to apply to ALL and, by allowing it to have been an open-secret for decades, a slap-on-the-wrist in the NFL, we've all acknowledged that is allowable.
The O-N-L-Y reason that we hear it about Bonds and Alex is that many of you HATE THEM and would use any excuse to go after them. Same reason Manny hears it about nonsense, while providing HOF performances, winning teams and a work ethic that is unrivaled. Same reason Terrell Owens is treated like a freak show and never appreciated for what he IS, the 2nd Best Wide Receiver in NFL history.
It's all there is Rabbi Wine's quote.
And it isn't just YOU.
Sports figures like Curt Schilling, Mark Attanasio, Tom Hicks...Announcers like Joe Buck, Peter Gammons, Bob Costas (a guy from Queens who lives in St. Louis - you know we are going to struggle!)...Sports media and TSN are vast oceans of White Conservatives talking to one another and reinforcing their own biases. You can almost taste the idea of the world they desire...
Scrappy white ballplayers (Dustin Pedroia)...respectful, QUIET minorities (Garret Anderson) and immigrants (Albert Pujols)...Salary caps for ALL, with no guaranteed contracts, loads of small-market winners and small-market values. Nobody having sex with anyone but their spouse, overt Christianity, no Gays, no chatty 'look-at-me' types, no rich, big-city owners paying H-U-G-E dollars for top talent, no drug use - recreational or performance-enhancing...
If some of that hits home with you, chances are you are going to be offended by Guru.
Guru likes EXCELLENCE. Guru would rather see Barry Bonds hit than Sean Casey, Guru doesn't care that Pujols is a quiet guy - he knows that the numbers point to Albert as one of the greatest to ever play and the best hitter in the game since Bonds. Guru would rather watch Alex Rodriguez play 3B for the Yankees - a cat-quick, 6'3" stud with a booming bat, rocket arm, fast legs, lightning reflexes than nice-guy, former Yankee 3B Scott Brosius, who was undeniably CLUTCH but possessed pedestrian gifts.
I am interested in the best athletes, not the overachieving little guy - I barely notice those types. The reason I am a Sports fan is to see the biggest, the fastest, the BEST. I'm a fan of anyone who is GREAT, I may despise Schilling, probably more than any other American - but that is for his POLITICS and personality, both of which are pure human garbage...but I greatly admire his work on a Hill, he is a stud. 25 years ago I came up with something called the 'Dwight Gooden Rule', which simply means that even if a guy is Met (or Red Sox...), if he is undeniably GREAT - I want to see him play and respect him as a player. You won't here Guru ripping on those types here on The Magic Carpet.
Guru doesn't 'hate' places, every place has its own merit and flavor.
Guru doesn't 'hate' teams, every team has its fans and its history.
Guru DOES 'hate' individuals, if you are an outspoken bigot, evangelical, homophobe, small-minded, xenophobe, jingoist...you are not going to like what I say here, best to avoid it and we won't have to have a 'go'.
Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra...they all were Red Sox and they beat the Yankees again and again, but their greatness was undeniable AND their respect for the Opponent was never in doubt. Men like those consider Yankees like Jeter to be COLLEAGUES and conducted themselves accordingly. When Manny or Pedro are 'stylin', they are celebrating themselves but not going at the opponent - unless the opponent has been in their face. I used to LOVE those Red Sox teams, when they were built upon those types of players.
When the Red Sox got Schilling, Millar, Papelbon, Youkilis, Pedroia...they changed, instead of Manny, Pedro, Nomar, the leader was Jason Varitek - sort of the Anti-Guru, and his trogolodyte moron friend, Trot Nixon. Guys like Varitek think the Yankees and NYC are their 'enemies', they resent having to hear so much about them and get angry when the Red Sox WIN and the talk is still about...the Yankees.
Thing is, Jason...Derek Jeter doesn't need to wear a 'C' for everyone to know who the Captain is.
It's no coincidence that Red Necks like Red Sox. Guru knows Red Necks, he's got a trailer-park living, beer swilling, pickup truck driving Cousin named John William Hines whose sitting in a Limestone County hospital right now who he loves to pieces and is praying he recovers. John is a Red Neck and we're cool, because John is NOT a bigot, NOT a homophobe, NOT an evangelical, NOT anti-immigrant.
Nothing to fight about.
Besides, JW is 6'5", 280 - so fighting with him would just not be smart.
Guru is smart.
An old High School Baseball buddy who I recently discovered on 'Facebook' and I had an argument about politics (he is FAR to the Left of Guru) and he called me a 'Self-righteous, know-it-all'.
I liked that so much, and found it so accurate that I've placed it on my TSN Profile and I might have a T-Shirt made!.
Being on Facebook and getting pounded by those on the Left and being on TSN and hearing it from the right tells me something...
I must be getting it correct. Driving down the middle of the road, between the two force that are driving us off the cliff...and I expect to be doing it for a long time. Those of you who enjoy the ride, strap in your Carpet-belts...the ride is going to continue to be bumpy, but I hope you'll agree...
It's worth it.
The Second Anniversary of The Magic Carpet.
The 400th Column.
Cool!
What a ride it has been.
Guru didn't actually start WRITING the column until April 23, but I joined TSN and began meeting many of you in the Topic areas on 2/12/07 and began to think about what I wanted to say.
It didn't take Guru long to determine that the perspective he has on Sports and Life was SERIOUSLY under-represented at TSN, in fact, in the entire Sports Media - which is certainly odd, given that Guru lives in America's largest city, roots for America's most popular Baseball Team and most popular Football team, has mainstream tastes in most of life and knows his stuff.
So I decided, from column O-N-E that I was going to take the matter on DIRECTLY...
There are two resources I've recently used in Columns for my website (with our friend Malvolio)...
VagabondGuru.com
The first one, a quote from legendary comedian, Lenny Bruce, captures my approach to the world perfectly...
The second one, a quote from Rabbi Sherwin Wine, explains why we do so much fighting...here on The Magic Carpet, on TSN, in our lives and in American society...
'There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance to God. It secretly adores coercion and conformity. Despite our constitution, despite the legacy of the Enlightenment, it appeals to millions of Americans and threatens our freedom.
The other vision finds its roots in the spirit of our founding revolution and in the leaders of this nation who embraced the age of reason. It loves freedom, encourages diversity, embraces science and affirms the dignity and rights of every individual. It sees America as a moral nation, neither completely religious nor completely secular. It defines patriotism as love of country and of the people who make it strong. It defends all citizens against unjust coercion and irrational conformity.
This second vision is our vision. It is the vision of a free society. We must be bold enough to proclaim it and strong enough to defend it against all its enemies.'
- Rabbi Sherwin Wine
That first column pretty much says what NEEDS to be understood by the legions of Fans and contributors here on TSN (and elsewhere) whose approach to NYC and Sports is based upon 'Fantasy'...
NYC aint a Fantasy, its R-E-A-L-I-T-Y.
And that pisses a lot of people off.
New York City Sports: Money & Reality...
So has Guru in his two years here. A LOT of people!
Some of those angry confrontations I regret, seriously. I've written here often of my mistake in being harsh and creepy with a thoughtful young man named 'Blake Street Bomber' in my early writing and I've tried to learn the lesson of my mishandling of that conversation ever since.
'But Guru, you still go OFF on other people all the time and say nasty things...what gives?'
Guru is a thinker, and a gentleman and does not believe in EVER throwing the first punch.
But, if someone self-identifies as a 'Hater', of my teams, my city, my viewpoint...they are going to take a 2 X 4 upside the head on The Magic Carpet - I don't throw the first punch, but once you get in my face, I will RAIN DOWN on your (expletive). Without fail. I know it can be ugly, but there is a lesson in the madness...
It's this...if you tell someone to 'Go (expletive) Yourself' - you need to know they are going to respond, forcefully.
You see, there are a lot of 'givens' out there in the Site readership...belief systems that many of you take as GOSPEL, but that are really just OPINIONS and BIASES - this mythology is something Guru has observed all his 45 years and, in my view, it is the single biggest cause of American decline in my lifetime.
Many of you spend your energy HOPING...agitating, conniving, arguing for a world that looks like your fantasy...its why when Steroids were pumping up gritty white guys like Lenny Dykstra, boy-next-door white guys like Mark McGwire and pretty-boy white guys like Brady Anderson, the clamor was pretty tame. But when the target is surly, cocky, black Barry Bonds or arrogant, graceless Alex Rodriguez, many of you are desperately concerned with the 'integrity of the game'.
I've yet to hear a call for the Phillies of '93 to return their Steroid addled NL Pennant, but I've read so much nonsense and outright stupidity about Bonds and Rodriguez, it makes me sick. If you say you're about 'rules', then they have to apply to ALL and, by allowing it to have been an open-secret for decades, a slap-on-the-wrist in the NFL, we've all acknowledged that is allowable.
The O-N-L-Y reason that we hear it about Bonds and Alex is that many of you HATE THEM and would use any excuse to go after them. Same reason Manny hears it about nonsense, while providing HOF performances, winning teams and a work ethic that is unrivaled. Same reason Terrell Owens is treated like a freak show and never appreciated for what he IS, the 2nd Best Wide Receiver in NFL history.
It's all there is Rabbi Wine's quote.
And it isn't just YOU.
Sports figures like Curt Schilling, Mark Attanasio, Tom Hicks...Announcers like Joe Buck, Peter Gammons, Bob Costas (a guy from Queens who lives in St. Louis - you know we are going to struggle!)...Sports media and TSN are vast oceans of White Conservatives talking to one another and reinforcing their own biases. You can almost taste the idea of the world they desire...
Scrappy white ballplayers (Dustin Pedroia)...respectful, QUIET minorities (Garret Anderson) and immigrants (Albert Pujols)...Salary caps for ALL, with no guaranteed contracts, loads of small-market winners and small-market values. Nobody having sex with anyone but their spouse, overt Christianity, no Gays, no chatty 'look-at-me' types, no rich, big-city owners paying H-U-G-E dollars for top talent, no drug use - recreational or performance-enhancing...
If some of that hits home with you, chances are you are going to be offended by Guru.
Guru likes EXCELLENCE. Guru would rather see Barry Bonds hit than Sean Casey, Guru doesn't care that Pujols is a quiet guy - he knows that the numbers point to Albert as one of the greatest to ever play and the best hitter in the game since Bonds. Guru would rather watch Alex Rodriguez play 3B for the Yankees - a cat-quick, 6'3" stud with a booming bat, rocket arm, fast legs, lightning reflexes than nice-guy, former Yankee 3B Scott Brosius, who was undeniably CLUTCH but possessed pedestrian gifts.
I am interested in the best athletes, not the overachieving little guy - I barely notice those types. The reason I am a Sports fan is to see the biggest, the fastest, the BEST. I'm a fan of anyone who is GREAT, I may despise Schilling, probably more than any other American - but that is for his POLITICS and personality, both of which are pure human garbage...but I greatly admire his work on a Hill, he is a stud. 25 years ago I came up with something called the 'Dwight Gooden Rule', which simply means that even if a guy is Met (or Red Sox...), if he is undeniably GREAT - I want to see him play and respect him as a player. You won't here Guru ripping on those types here on The Magic Carpet.
Guru doesn't 'hate' places, every place has its own merit and flavor.
Guru doesn't 'hate' teams, every team has its fans and its history.
Guru DOES 'hate' individuals, if you are an outspoken bigot, evangelical, homophobe, small-minded, xenophobe, jingoist...you are not going to like what I say here, best to avoid it and we won't have to have a 'go'.
Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra...they all were Red Sox and they beat the Yankees again and again, but their greatness was undeniable AND their respect for the Opponent was never in doubt. Men like those consider Yankees like Jeter to be COLLEAGUES and conducted themselves accordingly. When Manny or Pedro are 'stylin', they are celebrating themselves but not going at the opponent - unless the opponent has been in their face. I used to LOVE those Red Sox teams, when they were built upon those types of players.
When the Red Sox got Schilling, Millar, Papelbon, Youkilis, Pedroia...they changed, instead of Manny, Pedro, Nomar, the leader was Jason Varitek - sort of the Anti-Guru, and his trogolodyte moron friend, Trot Nixon. Guys like Varitek think the Yankees and NYC are their 'enemies', they resent having to hear so much about them and get angry when the Red Sox WIN and the talk is still about...the Yankees.
Thing is, Jason...Derek Jeter doesn't need to wear a 'C' for everyone to know who the Captain is.
It's no coincidence that Red Necks like Red Sox. Guru knows Red Necks, he's got a trailer-park living, beer swilling, pickup truck driving Cousin named John William Hines whose sitting in a Limestone County hospital right now who he loves to pieces and is praying he recovers. John is a Red Neck and we're cool, because John is NOT a bigot, NOT a homophobe, NOT an evangelical, NOT anti-immigrant.
Nothing to fight about.
Besides, JW is 6'5", 280 - so fighting with him would just not be smart.
Guru is smart.
An old High School Baseball buddy who I recently discovered on 'Facebook' and I had an argument about politics (he is FAR to the Left of Guru) and he called me a 'Self-righteous, know-it-all'.
I liked that so much, and found it so accurate that I've placed it on my TSN Profile and I might have a T-Shirt made!.
Being on Facebook and getting pounded by those on the Left and being on TSN and hearing it from the right tells me something...
I must be getting it correct. Driving down the middle of the road, between the two force that are driving us off the cliff...and I expect to be doing it for a long time. Those of you who enjoy the ride, strap in your Carpet-belts...the ride is going to continue to be bumpy, but I hope you'll agree...
It's worth it.