NFT: Cowherd - baseball must be simple because Dominicans play it

and his overall point is 100% accurate.

fuck him. That said, this is much ado about not very much.

I went into this thinking "fuck him" and then read the excerpt. It's not wildly off base.

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that many on BBI don't like the guy even though he often talks highly about the Giants organization and Eli while most national media guys wont say anything positive about the club.

not what's in your title. I don't care personally, but they are wildly different. It's like taking a quote from a player but not including the question that was asked.

So yeah, I don't really see what's wrong with it. I know what he's getting it but it doesn't sound malicious like the title does.

Take one line and run with it while ignoring the message.

He says he doesn't buy into the notion that baseball is complex. His supporting evidence is that a third of players are from the Dominican (which isn't close to true regardless, but expecting any sort of accuracy from Colin Cowherd is like expecting a pig to keep a tidy house), which of course is not a country known for it's academic achievement. Is this accurate?

that a "thinking man's sport" features a significant representation of kids who stopped attending school at age 14 to focus on baseball he probably has a point. Basketball and football certainly have their share of meatheads, but ironically hockey and baseball are the only sports in which a significant portion of the participants at the professional level were diverted from education to the the sport before the end of high school (though juniors doesn't deprive the kids of a HS education).

But Cowherd comes across like a prick in saying it because Cowherd is a prick.

because it's been widely adopted by non-thinking men, exemplified by the dominican republic. baseball is simpler than it is complex because simple people makeup much of the game. that's what he's saying.

...I am sympathetic to the point of view that baseball fans---perhaps out of some level of hyper-defensiveness over the games utterly languid pace---tend to characterize the game as very "cerebral" and "complex" and tell those of us that do not particularly enjoy the game that it is because we don't understand the nuance and beauty of it all.

So, if is point is that football for instance is almost infinitely more complex, he is correct.

But, to be clear, a lot of people from the south play football and they are not exactly know for their academic achievement.

he makes an overall point that you'd likely agree with and then uses a cutting example at someone's expense. so very typical cowherd.

I'm shocked.

The vast majority of college football players do not get a legitimate college education (hell, at UNC they didn't even take actual classes), nor does the lack of formal schooling indicate anything about an individual's cognitive abilities.

Greg's right, this is a racist remark - and his paraphrasing/title was fine.

Baseball's still stupid, though.

In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said:

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I'm shocked.

what the fuck does that mean

His point was that baseball is a game of talent more than a cerebral challenge. He cited the fact that only 4% of players have a college degree and many of them don't speak English and yet perform at a high level. He said imagine trying to play football if you don't speak English. If you don't like Cowherd, you can fit this nicely into your confirmational bias. I happen to think he was right but just made an unfortunate choice in pointing out that so many players are from a disadvantaged educational background and yet can be stars because of their athletic ability

Which has always been weak and condescending. Take a guy like Manny Ramirez, who was mocked throughout his career for being a moron (with some legitimate justification, of course). He was always lauded for being such a natural hitter, right? Despite acting like a dolt in many ways through his career, however, Manny was a great hitter because he worked his ass off at it from his early teens onward. When he was in high school he was already videotaping himself taking hundreds of batting practice cuts daily, then spending hours analyzing his swing. He did this on his own, without any coach prompting him. He might not be a potential Rhodes scholar but he took his craft VERY seriously and honed it over the course of two decades of hard work.

Well, he took the craft of hitting seriously, anyway. Kind of like Ted Williams - early in the Splinter's career, his manager Joe Cronin spotted him in the outfield during a game taking imaginary swings between pitches. Cronin grabbed a glove, waved it at him from the dugout and yelled "Goddammit, practice THIS!!!"

... because the game is just not that complex.

In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said:

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In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean

It means that it's pretty common.

In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said:

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In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean

When you find out let me know.

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So not speaking English is indicative of simplicity?

And, again, give me a break with the college bullshit. First of all, a substantial number of NFL players never got their degree in the first place before turning pro. They get intensive tutoring, which can border into having someone else be paid to do all their work. They have bullshit classes and even majors tailored for them to be less rigorous. And, like I said, UNC even fashioned a system of completely fake classes for athletes.

Dexter Manley played four years of college football and came out of it as a functionally illiterate man.

In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said:

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I'm shocked.

Oh the horror! And what if a black guy said it?

In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said:

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In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean

It means he's either a liberal puke filled with white guilt or he's black.

the point he was making is that there are a number of things that can allow you to succeed in baseball, talent, athleticism, hard work, etc. because it is a game of athletic ability with relatively little complexity. But, I have no doubt many people will see racism. It doesn't take much.

In comment 12383437 BeerFridge said:

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In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean It means that it's pretty common.

what an ignorant thing to say.

In comment 12383439 OC2.0 said:

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In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean When you find out let me know.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In comment 12383446 Greg from LI said:

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So not speaking English is indicative of simplicity? And, again, give me a break with the college bullshit. First of all, a substantial number of NFL players never got their degree in the first place before turning pro. They get intensive tutoring, which can border into having someone else be paid to do all their work. They have bullshit classes and even majors tailored for them to be less rigorous. And, like I said, UNC even fashioned a system of completely fake classes for athletes. Dexter Manley played four years of college football and came out of it as a functionally illiterate man.

yeah but Brad Benson owned his ass every time! :)

In comment 12383446 Greg from LI said:
[quote] So not speaking English is indicative of simplicity?

Seriously?! That's what you got out of that? Ok, that's my cue to bow out

But yeah, that reasoning was unbelievably bad judgment. I'm actually with Greg on this one. He insinuated an entire culture picked up on a sport because they don't need to be smart to play it.

And it was pretty dumb from a logical standpoint, too. The Japanese love baseball, too. Are they unintelligent? Are we?

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He cited the fact that only 4% of players have a college degree and many of them don't speak English and yet perform at a high level.

What exactly is the point of talking about who speaks English? What does that have to do with anything??

But if you can't recognize the complex mental game involved in the contest between pitchers and hitters, then you're either being disingenuous or you're not very bright.

...it would be cool to watch a football game where the quarterback ONLY spoke English and the other 10 guys only spoke Spanish.

That would blow the XFL out of the water.

In comment 12383457 Jints in Carolina said:

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In comment 12383437 BeerFridge said: Quote: In comment 12383403 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: In comment 12383394 BeerFridge said: Quote: I'm shocked. what the fuck does that mean It means that it's pretty common. what an ignorant thing to say.

Haha. Ok then.

yes, it's ignorant.

In comment 12383470 Greg from LI said:

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But if you can't recognize the complex mental game involved in the contest between pitchers and hitters, then you're either being disingenuous or you're not very bright.

The game play is obviously simple.

As for the mental games? Meh. I agree with the idea that it's a "heady" game, but your presumed assertion that it requires any significant intelligence to take part in the mental games is something I disagree with. By calling it a mental game, I'm assuming you're referring to matters of instinct. What's he going to throw?" Should I step out of the box? The ability to pick up on these things... are they "intelligent?" I think it's more instinct and feel... something dogs have. It's not something that makes me think baseball requires substantial intellect to learn and play.

Now if you wanted to take the angle that batters and pitchers prepare themselves and research their opponents' tendencies in a number of situations, then maybe you're onto something.

In comment 12383465 Mike in Long Beach said:

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But yeah, that reasoning was unbelievably bad judgment. I'm actually with Greg on this one. He insinuated an entire culture picked up on a sport because they don't need to be smart to play it. And it was pretty dumb from a logical standpoint, too. The Japanese love baseball, too. Are they unintelligent? Are we?

FYI, he mentioned the Japanese not speaking English also, and excelling at the game. But I do understand that in today's world, intent means nothing, words have to be chosen very very carefully

Cowherd is an idiot and should not have said what he said.

In comment 12383466 Greg from LI said:

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Quote: He cited the fact that only 4% of players have a college degree and many of them don't speak English and yet perform at a high level. What exactly is the point of talking about who speaks English? What does that have to do with anything??

Greg, isn't that one of the things that many have been praising KP about on BBI and beyond? That he has learned English to prevent any barriers to his development of basketball? Robinson Cano has been in the league for years now and received a massive contract while still barely able to speak more than a lick of English. Same with guys like Tanaka.

In comment 12383491 Mike in Long Beach said:

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In comment 12383470 Greg from LI said: Quote: But if you can't recognize the complex mental game involved in the contest between pitchers and hitters, then you're either being disingenuous or you're not very bright. The game play is obviously simple. As for the mental games? Meh. I agree with the idea that it's a "heady" game, but your presumed assertion that it requires any significant intelligence to take part in the mental games is something I disagree with. By calling it a mental game, I'm assuming you're referring to matters of instinct. What's he going to throw?" Should I step out of the box? The ability to pick up on these things... are they "intelligent?" I think it's more instinct and feel... something dogs have. It's not something that makes me think baseball requires substantial intellect to learn and play. Now if you wanted to take the angle that batters and pitchers prepare themselves and research their opponents' tendencies in a number of situations, then maybe you're onto something.

Holy shit! Now you're comparing Dominicans to dogs? (Standard BBI reaction)

In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said:

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yes, it's ignorant.

The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch.

That Dominicans come from "rough backgrounds" and did not have many "opportunities". I can see how he could've set people off by saying they do not have "world-class academic abilities". But he followed it mentioning how the opportunity wasn't there, which makes it sound more like that it's not like their dumber than people from other countries but had a lack of academic resources to flourish educationally.

Most illustrative of his point which is obv not being mentioned here, any reasonably intelligent asshole can have a legitimate conversation with a baseball manager. Even a beat writer in 1000% clued in cannot participate in that kind of conversation with Bill Belichick. But yes, baseball doesnt require Mensa membership turns into Latin Americans are intellectually inferior. Im as left leaning as anyone, but not everything needs to be a cause for uproar.

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Holy shit! Now you're comparing Dominicans to dogs? (Standard BBI reaction)

I was actually conscious of some idiot thinking that before I clicked submit, but it would be so over-the-top stupid I couldn't imagine many buying in.

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You know why Greg Maddux wanted to stay in the NL his entire career? Because he felt that the biggest reason for his success was his encyclopedic knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of NL hitters, and he didn't want to have to mostly start from scratch in the AL, where he would be much less familiar with his opponents.

Pitchers and catchers watch a ton of film on opposing hitters to learn their tendencies, and better hitters do the same with pitchers. Kirk Gibson's famous pinch-hit walkoff homer in the 1988 World Series was hit because he read the Dodgers scouting report that had picked up on the pattern of pitches Eckersley had been throwing.

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It was broken down more than that. I said that if Eck faces a left-handed batter only on a 3-2 pitch with the tying or winning run on second and/or third, I�ll bet that you are going to get a backdoor slider. I had seen Eck do this, not all the time, but in big games with great hitters in crucial situations. I�d seen the A�s play 25 or 30 times, and at the end of the season I followed them closely. We had a group of scouts prepare a booklet for the Dodgers on all the A�s players. We broke down all of their pitchers and hitters. On Eckersley�s page, I had underlined that he threw a backdoor slider to lefties in that situation. On Friday, the workout day before the start of the series, Tommy Lasorda had us meet with the players. We gave each player a booklet and went over each one of the A�s players. I had the pitchers and was the last one to talk. When I got to Eckersley, I turned and pointed to the left-handed batters -- there were four or five of them sitting together � and I said, �Remember if there is a 3-2 count with Eckersley, he�s going to throw a backdoor slider.�

A lot of strategic and tactical thinking goes into highest levels of any sport, including baseball. That said, that level of thinking don't necessarily make it down to the player level. For the most part they're just told what to do and execute. That's their real job.

Right?

In comment 12383537 RB^2 said:

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A lot of strategic and tactical thinking goes into highest levels of any sport, including baseball. That said, that level of thinking don't necessarily make it down to the player level. For the most part they're just told what to do and execute. That's their real job.

That's a fair point RB. It's not as if football players are the ones designing schemes and writing playbooks.

But a mental game? Absolutely. Overcoming failure and slumps, maintaining confidence after a bad error (avoid Knoblauch or Mackey Sasser syndrome), and weathering the grind.

That type of mental toughness doesn't have much to do with where you went to school.

Also, when it comes to book smarts -- in any sport... i'm reminded of the Alvin Mack scene in "The Program" when the guy, an otherwise book idiot, could name every read the coaches threw at him. Even absent higher education in DR, these guys are coached up plenty on the specifics/specialization of their industry.

So Cowherd completely misses the mark here. With that said i often wonder with him and ESPN in general what's real and what's just a comment to incite opinion and ratings

there's no parallel in baseball for a player to have to memorize anything like an NFL playbook which is quite a daunting task. He didn't mention that a lot of NFL players don't make it because they couldn't get the mental part, even though they have the physical attributes. Never heard that about a baseball player.

In comment 12383540 Greg from LI said:

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Right?

People from "rough backgrounds" here still have access to better quality education systems compared to countries like the Dominican Republic.

Hell, look at LT. He's hardly what you'd call a sharp knife, and his practice habits were famously lax, but he knew his business. The LT documentary on Showtime told the story of LT sleeping through a defense meeting, and Belichick was fed up.

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Belichick, a Giants assistant for ten seasons, recalls Taylor sleeping through a morning meeting after being out all night partying. A furious Belichick yelled at Taylor to pay attention, at which point Taylor walked up to the chalkboard, diagrammed the play Belichick was about to describe and sat back down and went back to sleep.

I don't know enough about football to make a valid case for how smart you have to be to play the sport. I've only been following it since 2011 and never played the sport.

I'm sure if Morris Clairborne can score like a 4 on the Wonderlic and still be a top draft pick, I don't think the competence bar is set very high.

I was intending to make a point on how Cowherd came across.

Do I think he intended to make Dominicans seem like they are less competent than people from other nationalities? No.

Could he have prefaced that comment with more politically correct language and changed his word choice a little bit better? Certainly.

In comment 12383511 BeerFridge said:

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In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: yes, it's ignorant. The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch.

Maybe you didn't notice racism comes in all flavors. IE: An older black guy spews it quite a bit.

In comment 12383606 OC2.0 said:

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In comment 12383511 BeerFridge said: Quote: In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: yes, it's ignorant. The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch. Maybe you didn't notice racism comes in all flavors. IE: An older black guy spews it quite a bit.

Did I say that only middle aged white guys are racist? Did I say all of them are? Sorry I offended you guys by pointing out a pretty common phenomenon.
Hey look! Hulk Hogan is a middle aged white guy (maybe he's an old one...) - ( New Window )

There is racism in every country in the world, it is part of human nature, an unfortunate part. We should be proud of our country that we have progressed to the point where even stuff this stupid brings cries of racism. As dumb as it may seem to some, it is a sign of progress, and although unfair to some, its probably a good thing overall.

In comment 12383633 BeerFridge said:

Quote:

In comment 12383606 OC2.0 said: Quote: In comment 12383511 BeerFridge said: Quote: In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: yes, it's ignorant. The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch. Maybe you didn't notice racism comes in all flavors. IE: An older black guy spews it quite a bit. Did I say that only middle aged white guys are racist? Did I say all of them are? Sorry I offended you guys by pointing out a pretty common phenomenon. Hey look! Hulk Hogan is a middle aged white guy (maybe he's an old one...) - ( New Window )

The only offense is you think you need to point something like that out.

.

In comment 12383689 idiotsavant said:

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Of course

b/c Murphy, Campbell & company are dumber.

He just ripped on the intelligence of an entire country. I mean his point about LaRussa and Belichick makes sense, he's right about the MLB being dumber than the NFL but his reasoning is simply racist.

This isn't the first time Cowherd has said something borderline racist before. When you listen to him talk about certain guys, it's pretty easy to see through his BS to understand where he's coming from.

To be a professional athlete.

QBs have to be pretty cerebral. The other positions are not so much

Mainly because he does a dance during pre-game introductions. That's a scorching-hot take right there.

who cares?

In comment 12383928 Greg from LI said:

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Mainly because he does a dance during pre-game introductions. That's a scorching-hot take right there.

He did one dance during his debut game during player introductions, and Cowherd decided that was all he needed to see to hate on Wall for life. Forget the fact that Wall seemed like one of the smartest and well-rounded people out of any of the 1-n-Done stars that Cal has had, actually going to class and getting great grades while there. But no, John Wall dougie'd so he was never going to make it in the NBA as a star because he didn't have what it takes.

The worst part about Cowherd is that it's rare to see him change his opinion on something. This guy has a narrative for everyone and everything. He'll hit you over the head with it over and over again. I can't believe so many people like him and defend him so much. Sure he's smarter than the average radio guy, I can't deny that. But he's also so damn annoying to listen to and has one of the most punchable faces in human history.

In comment 12383931 Giants2012 said:

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who cares?

So if you were Dominican, you wouldn't care?

enough with this guy

In comment 12383951 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

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In comment 12383931 Giants2012 said: Quote: who cares? So if you were Dominican, you wouldn't care?

Nope. Everybody at one point or another will be on the receiving end of a comment they believe is ignorant. It's a waste of time and emotion to take to heart and to take seriously. It's all Babel.

But back when I listened to him occasionally, the three things I remember well about him:

1)When Michelle Wie was playing in a bunch of PGA events and said something about how she was going to be too good to play on the LPGA, he ranted about how brilliant that was and how she was going to make all her critics look stupid. Ha. Ha ha ha.

2)In Brett Favre's last season, when he was playing like garbage for the Vikings, Cowherd claimed that the Vikings would be crazy for benching him because people still wanted to see Favre play. Didn't matter that he wasn't getting the job done and was clearly through as a player, look at how many people still buy his jersey!

3)After Alabama beat Texas to win the 2009 BCS championship, he said that the SEC, teams in Texas and teams in California would be the only teams that would ever win titles from now on, because no quality players would ever go to a cold-weather school now. That's it, that was his entire argument.

without the crazy voice, hand waving, and screaming. Their "takes" seem quite similar.

You forgot to point out that he mentioned John Wall not having a father as a reason for his whacked out opinion on him.

At times like these, we all need to heal.

Sensitivity training is a good start.

Let's hold hands and watch the link together
Rescue Me - ( New Window )

and talked about it on today's show. He was saying that baseball does not require the level of communication that football does. He also challenged the notion that baseball is a "Thinking Man's Game" (I agree with Cowherd).

He did not say, "baseball must be simple because Dominicans play it". Typical example of rampant misquoting that goes on today.

Frankly, I was expected a major, egregious rant and there was nothing there. I see nothing wrong with what he said / the example he used, essentially saying people without access to quality education can excel in baseball, therefore the notion that baseball is a "Thinking / Educated Man's Game" is erroneous.

The level of political correctness and "taking offense" is really ridiculous these days.

to succeed in the NFL. Yessiree!

In comment 12383951 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

Quote:

In comment 12383931 Giants2012 said: Quote: who cares? So if you were Dominican, you wouldn't care?

I don't think so. I'm half Polish, half Italian. Ever heard of dumb Polock jokes, ... greasy Wop jokes? I tell them. I'm 5'5", ever heard any short jokes or read any studies showing a bias against short guys and discrimination in hiring? I'm 72 years old, ever hear any derogatory old white guy remarks? So no, I don't think so. The whole sensitivity thing is really really too much.

but the way he phrased that was rough, and given the climate of the world we live in nowadays, you can't even go as far as he did. He works for Disney. Watch what you say. This is practically an IQ test.

In comment 12384055 Greg from LI said:

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to succeed in the NFL. Yessiree!

That's why the whole convo is stupid. Unless chess is a sport, you don't need to be Einstein to succeed.

this isn't a joke, this was a serious statement that was said in a matter-of-fact manner.

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Colin Cowherd can choke on a big fat cock. As a small third world country with limited resources, we are doing pretty well. Fuck him.

Colin Cowherd can choke on a big fat cock. As a small third world country with limited resources, we are doing pretty well. Fuck him.

countries. Cowherd always comes off as if he's talking down to certain cultures.

In comment 12384024 David in LA said:

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You forgot to point out that he mentioned John Wall not having a father as a reason for his whacked out opinion on him.

I didn't even know that, he's such a douche. I've always hated Cowherd as a person after the Wall thing. There may not be a "One-n-Done" guy in recent history who came off as bright as John Wall. So many of these guys like Carmelo just punted on the college aspect of college basketball. John Wall actually went to class and earned very good grades. That was something that I really liked about him when he was a prospect. But then he does a stupid dance and that's all it takes for Cowherd to rip on his maturity and motivation? I'm happy Wall has proven Cowherd wrong.

Exactly - of all the one and done guys to try to make out to be some kind of poster child for stupidity and a lack of education, you pick John Wall?

In comment 12383511 BeerFridge said:

Quote:

In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: yes, it's ignorant. The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch.

do all blacks play basketball?

In comment 12384055 Greg from LI said:

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to succeed in the NFL. Yessiree!

It certainly isn't a prerequisite to get drafted 1st in the NFL.

See: Russell, JaMarcus

In comment 12384199 Jints in Carolina said:

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In comment 12383511 BeerFridge said: Quote: In comment 12383476 Jints in Carolina said: Quote: yes, it's ignorant. The idea that occasionally a famous middle aged white guy says something racist and makes news is somehow new to you? And I'm "ignorant" for noticing it? Sorry your panties are in a bunch. do all blacks play basketball?

I see now. This is a reading comprehension failure.

In comment 12384073 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

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this isn't a joke, this was a serious statement that was said in a matter-of-fact manner.

Yes, and it wasn't nearly as insulting or demeaning as those "jokes". The whole point I was making was about sensitivity, or I should say hypersensitivity to perceived slights. Two insulting comments don't have to be identical to both be insulting. The question was would I be insulted if I were Dominican and I said I don't think so. I understand your point that my examples were meant to be humerous, but you can't really believe they aren't insulting when they are clearly made at the expense of certain cultures and groups in an obviously demeaning manner.

is, in contrast, a dumb fucking country in comparison to more developed countries. That's a fact. Facts aren't racist.

Everybody is a pussy these days.

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In comment 12384418 Old Dirty Beckham said:

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is, in contrast, a dumb fucking country in comparison to more developed countries. That's a fact. Facts aren't racist. Everybody is a pussy these days.

What is your basis for that "fact"? Or is it that you just know it?

The MLBPA released a scathing response, and ESPN had enough

Mike Soltys ‏@espnmikes 16m16 minutes ago
Colin Cowherd�s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees. Colin will no longer appear on ESPN.

In comment 12384474 Ten Ton Hammer said:

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The MLBPA released a scathing response, and ESPN had enough Mike Soltys ‏@espnmikes 16m16 minutes ago Colin Cowherd�s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values

lol - ESPN values? The HC has been a whore house with harassment lawsuits non-stop forever.

watch what I say or they'll cut off my Social Security check. To think, this all started with Al Campanis and Jimmy the Greek.

all that hard to fire a guy who has already quit. Nothing to lose there

In comment 12384048 Trainmaster said:

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and talked about it on today's show. He was saying that baseball does not require the level of communication that football does. He also challenged the notion that baseball is a "Thinking Man's Game" (I agree with Cowherd). He did not say, "baseball must be simple because Dominicans play it". Typical example of rampant misquoting that goes on today. Frankly, I was expected a major, egregious rant and there was nothing there. I see nothing wrong with what he said / the example he used, essentially saying people without access to quality education can excel in baseball, therefore the notion that baseball is a "Thinking / Educated Man's Game" is erroneous. The level of political correctness and "taking offense" is really ridiculous these days.

Yes. Colin Cowherd is good listen. I spend my drive to work listening to him daily.

And I myself am a color-skinned person coming from a third world country as an early teen, and got my doctoral degree in the U.S. Colin could have substituted "Dominican Republic" with the nation I was born in, and I won't be offended at all. Change the fact if you don't like it.

What Cowhered concluded today was not wrong, was not inaccurate, was not inconsiderate, and heck, was not even transient or temporary -- it likely will stay true 30 years from now.

Colin was the only sports talk I listened to in the NFL off season. He made stuff I had no interest in sound interesting. Now I won't be listening to ESPN at all in the off season, not in any sort of protest, just nothing of interest anymore.

In comment 12383465 Mike in Long Beach said:

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But yeah, that reasoning was unbelievably bad judgment. I'm actually with Greg on this one. He insinuated an entire culture picked up on a sport because they don't need to be smart to play it. And it was pretty dumb from a logical standpoint, too. The Japanese love baseball, too. Are they unintelligent? Are we?

Yes, Japan (and the U.S.) love baseball.

But, even if just staying within the confine of sports and gaming and entertainment, Japan and the U.S. both have a lot more to offer the world besides baseball, both in depth and in breadth.

Is there another team and contact sport that requires less thinking and team-coordination than baseball?
Which one, and how so?

In comment 12384474 Ten Ton Hammer said:

Quote:

The MLBPA released a scathing response, and ESPN had enough Mike Soltys ‏@espnmikes 16m16 minutes ago Colin Cowherd�s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees. Colin will no longer appear on ESPN.

Well, he's going to Fox anyway. Where they'll appreciate his remarks.

I wonder if there is a chance they try and void their deal with him based on some sort of conduct clause.

He is lazily mixing concepts. On one hand he is saying baseball is easier to manage than football, which is fair and debatable. But in terms of grasping and playing, there's no evidence. Non-English soeaking, under educated kids could as easily take non-verbal or translated instruction at plenty on positions in football.

And conversely plenty of writers could make player personnel arguments to a football GM, but would get laughed out of a room trying to argue advanced stats with a baseball GM.

In comment 12384611 jeff57 said:

Quote:

In comment 12384474 Ten Ton Hammer said: Quote: The MLBPA released a scathing response, and ESPN had enough Mike Soltys ‏@espnmikes 16m16 minutes ago Colin Cowherd�s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees. Colin will no longer appear on ESPN. Well, he's going to Fox anyway. Where they'll appreciate his remarks.

You do yourself or your party no favors with ignorant comments like this. But I'm sure that won't stop you the next time, so carry on...

Are trying to justify Colin's comments by saying we are being overly sensitive. I would love to see people's reaction if some sports commentator on Sky sports in England said that Americans are dumb because we have decling scores in Math and Science as compared to other first world countries. I guarantee you this board would be in an uproar.

While I'm not one of these that you speak of, do you honestly think this board would be in an uproar by something some dildo in England says? Really?

I completely beg to differ. You couldn't be more wrong. Nobody would give a shit. Not one.

I completely disagree. If the story was a national headline like this story is, I would say a lot of us would be upset.

So you'd be upset by something that some clown in England says about you?

I'm not even sure what to say. Holy crap. Other than, grab your balls and man up.

In comment 12384841 JoeyBigBlue said:

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I completely disagree. If the story was a national headline like this story is, I would say a lot of us would be upset.

I would be very surprised if this board were upset with that. I think more would agree with the comment than disagree. There is a sense in which it is very sad that so much angst and energy is spent over words that may make someone uncomfortable. How is it possible to go though life and never encounter "uncomfortable"? But then again, I suppose in the long run its a good thing that we have progressed to the point where mere words uttered with no intent to hurt would be held to such scrutiny and condemnation.

Greg hates Cowherd because of his take on baseball being a simple game. This supposed slight against Dominicans just gives the Dominian-defender a pretext to do it.

Greg hates something. News at 10.

never gave me an advantage in sports. I must be using them wrong - are you supposed to do calculus before you step up to the plate?

Shit, come to think of it, Brooklyn Tech should have been a sports juggernaut.

Dominicans are stupid? I never even heard of that before!

It's like when I was a kid and for some reason I was told/led to believe that Mexicans are lazy. Then I grow up and they turn out to be the hardest working group in NY.

To shreds

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I just read an article about chip Kelly, and when I read this quote, it immediately brought this thread to mind

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"We�re looking for intelligent guys because it�s a game that takes a lot of brain power in terms of being smart football players," Kelly said. "...There�s a lot of decisions that have to be made when you�re out there. Like I said earlier, we want a bunch of guys that love playing football, not what football gets them."

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In comment 12385089 jcn56 said:

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never gave me an advantage in sports. I must be using them wrong - are you supposed to do calculus before you step up to the plate? Shit, come to think of it, Brooklyn Tech should have been a sports juggernaut.

Their football team was in the 50s and 60s.

But by and large if you can be a brain surgeon, you're going to be a brain surgeon. An even truer generalization, brain surgeons throw like girls...even the women ones.