Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Quick Hits: Volume CXLII

- I consider myself a civil guy. However, it takes a little extra effort to maintain a steady demeanor in today's bitterly partisan America.

This headline from a USA Today opinion piece made me, for lack of a better phrase, lose my sh*t.

Tom Brady has some explaining to do on Donald Trump

I took a deep breath and then proceeded to read Nancy Armour's rationale for Brady needing to divulge details about a personal relationship.

Tom Brady no longer gets a pass on his friendship with Donald Trump.

That first sentence alone was enough to make my blood boil. What basis do you have that Brady and Trump have a "friendship?" Are they regularly spotted having a night on the town? Does Brady make regular trips to Trump Tower?

Isn't amazing that these impudent asses in the media write crap like this when few (if any) of them were the least bit curious of the relationship professed domestic terrorist Bill Ayers had with then presidential candidate Barack Obama? So an NFL player no longer "gets a pass"regarding his questionable associations but someone who was looking to be leader of the free world wasn't made to explain his interactions with Ayers or Jeremiah "G-d damn America" Wright?

Anyhow, back to the subject. Brady "doesn't get a pass" on his "friendship" with Trump?

Not after this weekend, when the country boiled over in rage and indignation at Trump’s decision to turn America’s back on refugees. Not after this season, when Colin Kaepernick was pilloried from coast to coast for trying to draw attention to the shortcomings of our country.

And not when he’s about to command the NFL’s biggest stage.

Ms. Armour is going to have to provide the handbook which indicates that a professional athlete is obligated to comment on political and/or social issues just because he is on a world stage. And, I'm sorry, but Kaepernick choosing to speak out on said "shortcomings" was of his own accord. He knew darn well what the fallout would be, so his being "pilloried" is a consequence he accepted.

But in refusing to publicly disavow Trump's actions, Brady is giving tacit endorsement to both Trump and the chaos he has created.

No. He's not. Brady is about to play in the most important NFL game of the season, and perhaps his career given he could be the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls. The only obligation he has this week is to his team, which entails being as mentally and physically prepared as possible. Answering questions about his personal relationships doesn't quite fit the criteria.

Rather ironic that people like Ms. Armour accuse President Trump of having fascist tendencies.


- I would really like to see a Venn diagram of folks who believe that it's perfectly fine to deny an American citizen his/her 2nd Amendment rights for appearing on a "watch list" and those who claim the President's temporary immigration ban is wrong.


- When Independent Journal Review Creative Director Benny Johnson was with BuzzFeed, he and the other writers were told specifically to be "non-partisan" and "objective."

Well, if people haven't been able to ascertain BuzzFeed's leftist slant by merely reading their content lately, news of a recent hire ought to clear up that mystery.

BuzzFeed has hired Matt Mittenthal, who was most recently a spokesman in Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn campaign headquarters, as senior director of communications for the website’s news division.

In all seriousness, it's good BuzzFeed is not even trying to hide it anymore. I'd much prefer a news outlet be up front about its biases as opposed to claiming objectivity when there is clear evidence to the contrary.

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2 comments:

Bike Bubba said...

Two can play at this game. I think friends of the most corrupt President we've ever had should have to explain their association with him.

Bike Bubba said...

Good example from today; Rashid Khalidi referred to Jews as "infesting" the Trump administration. He's an old friend of Barack. Let's see him squirm as he backs away from a new Goebbels.