I would like your honest opinions and feedback on the enclosed news story

[Derek Bodner]

Frack it

Not worth the time effort or oxygen, it's like reading bodners posts when ever i write something, it's just a waste of time

I am getting the suggestion that happens often with you.

Jem has a slight persecution complex, which, when coupled with his slight superiority complex, usually lead to run-ins with posters and/or moderators.

His usually response when someone tries to analyze him is "don't pretend to know me", which he's done to me numerous times, both on this site and realgm. 

He also deals in absolutes.  Notice his saying of "he is a moron", not "he did something stupid".

So why am I bringing this up?  After ca 4 years of posting on message boards along with jem, he's right, I don't know jemagee the person.  But, if I can't make a correct psychological profile and intelligence test of John Magee over 4 years of posting together, which probably total hundreds of pages of direct quotes, how can you know the psychology and intellect of a guy from one second hand quote in which he's never gotten a chance to even defend himself?

The correct answer is you can't, and you've said so yourself dozens of times.

[Skandery]

I say:

I personally believe that whether the coach is racist or not is a complete SIDE issue.

This comment is followed by:

Derek:

So because he's upset he was late, he's a racist?

JoMal:

I consider Dabod's opinion the crux of the matter, and westkoast' inference that the man is a racist as well.

jemagee:

The coach isn't a racist moron, he's just a moron

WayOutWest:

I loved Will Smith's movie, "Wild, Wild West"

Am I here?  Do I exist?

[WayOutWest]

And no, WOW I wasn't being hypocritical nor was I being ironic with my watch the language comment, my calling the PC types what I called them hardly rose to the level of your "colorful" language, are you merely being PC when it suits your mood?  

All I'm saying is cursing does not offend me like it offends you and MY kids.  We all have different levels of tolerance about everything under the sun.  My kids are always telling/yelling at me to watch my language when I'm driving because of all those freaking Asians on the road....whoops....I mean all those people who make questionable driving decisions on the road.

I know you don't like foul language on this board and I respect that for the most part, but I must admit Adam had an easier time resisting that apple.

[WayOutWest]

Jem has a slight persecution complex, which, when coupled with his slight superiority complex, usually lead to run-ins with posters and/or moderators.

How can Jem have a superiority complex? 

That's like saying JoldMal is uncomfortable with his good looks, or weakkoast with his vast work experience, or Reality with his infinite b-ball knowledge.

Pffttt..... 

[WayOutWest]

I say:

Who?


































































ASKED YOU? 

STFU!

[JoMal]

Jem has a slight persecution complex, which, when coupled with his slight superiority complex, usually lead to run-ins with posters and/or moderators.

How can Jem have a superiority complex? 

That's like saying JoldMal is uncomfortable with his good looks, or weakkoast with his vast work experience, or Reality with his infinite b-ball knowledge.

Pffttt..... 

Calling me smart AND good looking in the same thread.

You little beener, I didn't know you cared.
 

[JoMal]

Jem has a slight persecution complex, which, when coupled with his slight superiority complex, usually lead to run-ins with posters and/or moderators.

Was that a run-in I had with jemagee? Thanks for letting me know. Sometimes I miss the little things in life.

[Derek Bodner]

Jem has a slight persecution complex, which, when coupled with his slight superiority complex, usually lead to run-ins with posters and/or moderators.

Was that a run-in I had with jemagee? Thanks for letting me know. Sometimes I miss the little things in life.

That was in response to his post directed towards me, which you quoted.

[Laker Fan]

And no, WOW I wasn't being hypocritical nor was I being ironic with my watch the language comment, my calling the PC types what I called them hardly rose to the level of your "colorful" language, are you merely being PC when it suits your mood?  

All I'm saying is cursing does not offend me like it offends you and MY kids.  We all have different levels of tolerance about everything under the sun.  My kids are always telling/yelling at me to watch my language when I'm driving because of all those freaking Asians on the road....whoops....I mean all those people who make questionable driving decisions on the road.

I know you don't like foul language on this board and I respect that for the most part, but I must admit Adam had an easier time resisting that apple.

You know WOW, there is almost nothing I agree with you on idealogically, but your candor is as refreshing as the morning dew, and I do respect it!

[Joe Vancil]

I say:

I personally believe that whether the coach is racist or not is a complete SIDE issue.

This comment is followed by:

Derek:

So because he's upset he was late, he's a racist?

JoMal:

I consider Dabod's opinion the crux of the matter, and westkoast' inference that the man is a racist as well.

jemagee:

The coach isn't a racist moron, he's just a moron

WayOutWest:

I loved Will Smith's movie, "Wild, Wild West"

Am I here?  Do I exist?

I think that's everyone's way of saying, "I disagree."

And, so it's said, I disagree.  Whether the coach is a racist or not is *NOT* a side issue, but is fundamental to the equation.  If the INTENT was racist, then there's a huge problem.  If the INTENT was NOT racist, then the problem becomes one of communication and trust.

Even you yourself said that it's a different situation when it's a friend joking around versus a stranger hurling an insult.  This, to me, is the CRITICAL issue.  As a coach, YOU ARE A PART OF THE TEAM.  There is a certain level of implied trust.  A major part of that level of trust is that the coach HAD BETTER NOT BE a racist;  a racist coach is by definition a failure.  If he is, by working with the player at all, he's being hypocritcal, and as a result, he cannot be trusted by the team, because he's hiding an agenda.  In equal measure, a player MUST NOT be walking around with a chip on his shoulder, because if he is, HE'S hiding an agenda, and, just as the coach in the previous example, HE cannot be trusted.

The reaction of the OTHER players is EXTREMELY telling.  If the coach stepped out-of-line, part of the responsiblity of the team AND ESPECIALLY THE TEAM CAPTAINS/LEADERS is to let the coach know he's stepped out-of-line.  A strong team keeps that all in-house.  And it says something about the player in that he DIDN'T go to his coach, DIDN'T go to the assistant coaches, DIDN'T go to his fellow players, DIDN'T go to the team captains, but ran home to Mama.  I said it before, and I'll say it again:  the kid should never have been on the team.  He does not have the requisite level of trust.

I also have to admit that "It happened 2000 years ago versus 50 years ago" means precious little to me, because most of the people posting that WEREN'T EVEN ALIVE 50 years ago.  Heck, *I* wasn't alive 50 years ago.  If it's not a part of what is commonplace during my lifetime, I'm not going to take it seriously.  Otherwise, the obvious question becomes "How many years do we have to wait?"  100?  250?  1000?

JoMal's point about a kid being upset by being referred to as one of several "boys" is the ultimate example of political correctness run amok.  Makes you want to reply, "Grow up, kid, and then you can be offended."

Let's just look at Ted on the board as an example of the idea of TRUST.  How many Mormon jokes have been made on here?  If he wanted to be offended every time, he's certainly well within his right.  How many of us has he actually met - to see UP CLOSE whether the jokes are in fun, or actually someone being classless? 

If a person who has NEVER MET YOU can have a sense of humor regarding something VERY PERSONAL, then there needs to be a bit more understanding between a COACH and HIS PLAYER.

[Ted]

I think you're bright enough to know when you are in the presence of greater "brightness", but I'm starting to doubt it. 

Every thread ends the same way. Go back and look at the brief posting history.

[Ted]

Calling me smart AND good looking in the same thread.

You little beener, I didn't know you cared.
 

I think I just injured myself. Holy ROTFL!

[Ted]

Was that a run-in I had with jemagee? Thanks for letting me know. Sometimes I miss the little things in life.

I've had one of those. You'll know you've been there when you come away from a thread feeling like you're really really smart--maybe even smarter than you really are.

[Ted]

Two serious thoughts I've had on this thread.

1. I fall pretty much in line with Derek and JoMal on this one. From what I know of the guy, all I can say is he made a mistake. I just know that I have made my share of mistakes. I've said possibly offensive things at work to women, men, Latinos, African-Americans, Asians; I even had a Jerry Seinfeld moment and jokingly called my Miqmaq boss an indian giver. Luckily he has a sense of humor.

I work with a very capable, intelligent woman named Heidi. One morning a couple of weeks I walked by her desk and said "Heidi-Ho!" (yeah, I know  ). Well, she decided to have some fun with me and feigned offense at "being called a whore." Needless to say I was mortified and apologized profusely, and she had a good laugh at my expense. But even something that innocent can potentially get you into trouble.

Now this coach said something much more dangerous. And I don't know where he's coming from because I don't know him. He was probably mad. He probably wanted to make a point to the kid. If I could know one thing about the coach, I would want to know how he reacted. Did he try to apologize when it became clear he had offended the boy and his mother? That's key for me. If the guy shows remorse, that means he's at least trying, and I give him "some" benefit of the doubt. If he's unrepentant, then I feel more comfortable in pronouncing judgement.

I know a guy who is a blatent racist. He could care less what people think about him. He throws around vile words like beaner, camel jockey, gook, and coon with impunity. His friends and family shudder and shake their heads, but the guy just goes on happy go lucky without a care in the world. And then you have people like JoMal, who, I would guess, was probably very concerned about his exchange with those trick or treaters. That experience would bother me for days afterward.

It's a tough question that I am undoubtedly unqualified to answer. Do you ask people to ignore a likely innocent remark at the risk of letting a real racist go unchecked? Did those young men really think JoMal was being a racist when he said "You boys be careful"? Or did they know they were busting a good man's chops over basically nothing. Sometimes I wonder. And then I wonder if I even have the right to wonder.

2. Jemagee has caught a lot of flack in his short time. And while I, from my admittedly limited exposure to him, think Derek has him pretty much pegged, I do believe jemagee adds more to the board than he takes away. The board is much more lively with two comic foils, and although he sometimes seems close to the kind of meltdown that would precipitate an exile from a staggering fifth message board, I hope he can stick it out. Because he at least makes me feel smart once in a while. 

Joe, I appreciate the kind words. I like the people on this board, so the jokes are taken as they are given, as jokes.

[WayOutWest]

Let's just look at Ted on the board as an example of the idea of TRUST.  How many Mormon jokes have been made on here?  If he wanted to be offended every time, he's certainly well within his right.  How many of us has he actually met - to see UP CLOSE whether the jokes are in fun, or actually someone being classless? 

Jokes?