FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I've been saving that title up for about six months now.  Finally, I can use it!

So, apparently Joe Torre doesn't feel the need to respond to allegations of racism.  Not actually racism per se, but giving black players unfair treatment compared to whites.  Oh, and Derek Jeter doesn't count as black.  And Torre isn't a racist, either.

Thank you, Gary Sheffield.  Now Don Imus would like to say a few things about the WNBA All-Star game. 

I'm not calling Gary Sheffield a liar.  I have no idea what goes on in the Yankees clubhouse.  But I find it hard to believe that an organization that has been led by Torre since 1995 would only now come under such accusations if they were in fact true.  It seems to me that Gary is just being Gary.  And Gary is a selfish baby. 

And Joe Torre is a genius for not responding to him.

By not responding, Torre gives no credence to his accuser.  Because, ladies and gentlemen, we live in a sorry society.  A society that presumes guilt before innocence.  A society that is a blame-centric society.

We love to blame things.  Kid go crazy, sacrifice a chicken to the devil, and then go shoot up a school?  It's not his fault, or his parents fault!  It's the fault of the videogame companies that make violent videogames!  And Marilyn Manson, he's to blame, too.

Grossly overweight?  Hey, not your fault.  It's not the fact that you're eating a funnelcake, a twinkie, a plate of nachos, two donuts, a jumbo pizza slice, and the burrito hanging out your mouth like a cigar!  You've got a thyroid problem.

Oh, and we have pills that can fix you.  For a modest fee.

One of the things we are always quick to scream out at are things which offend our gentle sensitivities.  Like racism.  It amazes me that a sc*mbag like Al Sharpton can suddenly declare himself the supreme moral authority who one must apologize to to be forgiven for anything.  I'm not defending what Don Imus did, but it wasn't the racist scandal Sharpton made it out to be.  I have several black friends (including two who worked with me at WTNT, where all three of us had broadcasted Imus' syndication in DC), and they were all baffled by the outcry against Imus.  We all agreed, the joke was unfunny and went too far, and he should have apologized to the girls on the Rutgers basketball team, but that was it.  Imus gave his attacker, Sharpton, credibility when he went on Sharpton's show and apologized to him.  That was Imus' mistake.  Never give the accuser credibility, even if they have it.  The Duke Lacrosse case was different; they had to respond to criminal charges, and their responses fell on deaf ears.  Not to mention that that girl never had any credibility to begin with (she had made similar accusations before in the past, only to withdraw from appearing in court because "she feared for her safety").  Of course, the Imus thing is also all about money.  Once the advertisers pulled, he was through.  If Torre were to get all indignant and start defending himself, saying "I know I'm no racist" and he has to deal with the reality that he treated some players differently than others (even subconsciously), there will be a backlash, and advertisers will pull out, and he'll be gone.  Torre could have a situation on his hands should more players, like Kenny Lofton already has, come out and back-up Sheffield's claims. 

But it doesn't seem to be the case that Torre's in the wrong, given the idiot nature of Sheffield's comments, and the all-around disgruntled aura Sheffield has towards, well, everybody.  If Sheff were respected, like Ken Griffey, the response to him wouldn't be to think, "Here we go again." And then the blame culture will get on the Torre Axe-Wagon. 

Torre is staying silent and not giving Gary the one thing Gary craves: more attention.  Gary reminds me of the little kid who is always pulling his p*nis out to show everyone.  Okay we're looking, now put that away and fetch Grandpa another whiskey-sour.

Meanwhile, Torre won't talk.  And he's a smart man.