Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Self-Adoring Divas


Brett Favre is Back
The perennial retiree is once more unretired, this year in even more dramatic fashion than usual, as he made several u-turns before committing to the unretirement and reporting to camp. This was even more disgusting than all of the sobbing and wailing that accompanied his most recent retirement in March, which, as usual, created several months of “will he or won’t he” hyperventilation in the press.

Sure the guy is a great player (probably almost as great as he thinks he is), and popular (probably close to the level of popularity that exists in his own mind) and certainly he loves the game (nearly as much as he loves himself).

His retirement prompted the Packers to expend two top draft picks on acquiring a starting quarterback to replace him, spending a ton of money in the process. He lets his team go all the way through the summer doing their planning of strategy on offense around those new quarterbacks and only then decides he wants to return. So now, with training camp already begun, because of this guy’s self adulation, the team’s entire offensive planning must be reworked to accommodate him.

I hope he falls flat on his face.

Bill Clinton’s Weak Obama Support
Various news shows are portraying Clinton as failing to show strong enough support for Obama, based mostly on an interview with ABC News. When asked if he has any regrets about the primary he seems to respond to an unasked question when he says that he is not a racist, and when asked if Obama is ready to be president he seems to avoid answering the question.

If you watch the entire interview, the reality is considerably less damming. While the question that prompted his statement about not being racist was not asked directly, there was plenty in the interview leading up to that point that made his comment completely pertinent and appropriate. The full text of his response to the question about Obama’s readiness is, perhaps, not quite as specific as I’d like, but it is clearly and completely supportive.

It seems to me he’s a little nearsighted about his wife, but men tend to be that way about their wives, and I’d be critical of him if her weren’t. It also seems to me he is wearing some blinders about his effect on her campaign, which might have more to do with an unwillingness to think that he hurt her than an inability to admit error. Well, okay, I’m reaching for that one.

Certainly Bill Clinton is something of a legend in his own mind, but Keith Olbermann is going to have to work harder a lot than that to get me to dislike that man.

Barack Obama, Celebrity
Well, only to the extent that nobody who is covered up with an excess of humility ever runs for President of The United States of America.

Other than that, nope, I’m just not seeing it.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous6:28 PM

    1) brett farve - I've more often than not taken a dim view of sports stars, simply becasue they are full of themselves. They have a talent that allows them to do something that people will pay to see. And hopefully they enjoy doing and won't kill or seriously injure themselves in the process.

    This does not make them idols or better than you or me in the rest of life, or more priveledged, etc. It sicken me to see them doing what any of us would be thrown in the slammer for and getting away with it or being slapped on the wrist. Plus, what kind of example is that setting?

    Besides, Jayhawk is right, what kind of teamwork is that showing when the whole team and strategy is affected with his antics? Yeah, I like him as a player on the field but with the off the field antics, I do hope he falls on his face.

    2) Bill Clinton... well, of course he has to support his wife, and I'd criticize him if he didn't, even though I'm really not a fan of either of them.

    I really doubt he's a racist, but he certainly said what he thought he needed to or maybe even his mind when he said the things about Obama. Well, the HRC candidacy didn't work out and they both have to deal with the personal and political aftermath, and that will not be easy for either of them.

    Yeah, I tend to think he's a legend in his own mind (as are most politicians) and a legend in many supporters' minds (yuck is the word I think of, sorry). Whatever his proclivities, angsts and faults (and there are many), there are many good things about him,past and present. But I still don't want him anywhere near the White House.

    3) most politicians and athletes both share a larger than normal helping of ego. Hmmm...

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