Idiots Write About Sports

This Tim Keown piece on ESPN is worth reading. Among other things, it exposes just how much better Tim Keown is at his chosen profession than Dave Albee.

I watched a middle-aged guy… lose his mind over a football game. He… hurled some of the vilest words you can ever imagine at Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob as Ayoob left the field…. This was nasty, hide-the-kids stuff: Ayoob was awful, he was worthless, and he apparently is lying about his gender. One of his points is difficult to argue: Ayoob has not been a good quarterback, and his work against USC was so bad it was often hard to detect the target of his passes….

You know what saved it? A guy standing two feet away from the obscene loudmouth lit him up. He kept it clean, but he made it clear that anybody whose life is that empty should find another way to express his inadequacies. Most people within earshot showed their agreement with a round of applause.

That pretty much says it all. Ayoob may be a terrible quarterback, but he’s also a college kid who is trying his best and wants to succeed. If you want to brand him with the scarlet J (which stands for Torchio and/or Vedder), go ahead — but please don’t pelt him with obscenities. Don’t make it personal. Nobody wishes Joe Ayoob was a better quarterback more than Joe Ayoob.

Well said. As terrible as Ayoob's performance was, and no doubt he was beyond anemic in his last two outings, people should keep personal attacks in their filthy sewers.

I am amazed to see people on the Scouts.com board stating he is not even trying. What sort of proof do they have?

Calling him names and swearing at him is not right. It's wrong. There is very little Joe Ayoob could do that would warrant a personal attack.

Yes, it is "just life" that assholes who have completely lost perspective on the importance of sporting events will continue to yell cruel things at people who are trying their hardest and failing. But it doesn't make it right, and it doesn't justify it.

Posted by Jason at November 15, 2005 04:52 PM

At CCSF Ayoob was an amazing QB. He can do it in the NCAA too. Tedford is behind him. The team is behind him. I think a true fan is an extension of the team. So- we should be behind him, too. I imagine that what comes first for a team member is playing together as a team- even winning is second to that. The loudmouth who cusses Joe is not a member of the team.

Maybe if Joe had more support he would be able to do what Tedford knows he can do. Damn- it must be hard to perform in front of 75,000 people (plus the television audience), especially when people are booing you.

Joe: Relax and enjoy the game. You can do it, man.

I don't think any fan is responsible to be a blind booster of the team. Ayoob's been horrible, and after watching him this season, I don't think he can cut it. Guess I can't be on the team!

I don't think that boosterism is the definition of a "true fan." Do I want Ayoob to succeed? Sure I do. Of course I do. But do I think he's capable? I haven't seen it.

Posted by Jason at November 15, 2005 09:47 PM

Yes, swearing at and making personal attacks against any athlete is completely uncalled for.

But Cal84, I disagree that "a true fan is an extension of the team". Different groups have different responsibilities in sports. As an example, a player should NEVER be advocating to the coach that another player should be benched. However, it is VERY appropriate for an assistant coach to advocate to the head coach that a player be benched.

I'm very glad that both his team and his coaches are behind Ayoob. That shows that this is a team with a VERY good moral character. But the same coach who is behind Ayoob is considering benching him. That's his job.

The crowd's job is to cheer. Cheering involves more than just constant approval of the team's actions. It includes that disappointed "oh!" when a good pass and a good attempt at a grab is barely missed. It includes silence at times, sighing at other times, grumbling at yet others, and on rare occasion booing. It includes these things because, just like raising a child with nothing but praise, it takes the value out of a positive cheer if there is never anything else.

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