2
If ignorance is bliss...
Posted by Alex W.C.
on
11:37 AM
Yup, it's the playoffs. Tempers are flaring, play is getting intense, and fans are going crazy (myself included.) It is that time of the season; it happens.
Last night (Sept 19th, 2011) the Phoenix Mercury pulled out a huge win, coming back from an 18 point defect to top the Seattle Storm 77 - 75. It was a good game all around.
But something is troubling me as I read comments on Twitter and Facebook. Mainly about two things - Diana Taurasi and why the Storm lost.
Let's start with Diana. Oh, and I am going to put it on the table - yes I'm a fan of hers, and if that makes me biased, so be it.
One comment on Facebook went a little something like this -
"DT is just a no good white trash thug who thinks just because she played for UConn, her poo don't stink.....Bird has more class in her pinky finger than DT will ever have, as well as the rest of the Storm..hope SA or Minn sends DT home with a whoopin'! I am a SASS fan & hope they win, but if not,would much rather have Minn in the West to represent...any team but DT's....She is a disgrace to society with her roid rage behavior.....LOSER!"
Harsh.
"White trash thug" and "disgrace to society" are usually comments reserved for those who truly reflect qualities that are quite unbecoming - but I don't think they're justifiable in Diana's case.
Yes, she got called for the technical-and when ESPN has to blur your mouth because the F bomb(s)you're dropping is/are more than apparent, I'd say the technical was deserved. However, I don't think her outburst justifies such comments, especially those serving to reflect her overall as a person. Comments like these are usually filled by anger; people who make them would never give Diana a chance. Her behavior was poor, but is surely does not define her as a person.
The true ignorance in this comment was in the final part -
"...with her roid-rage behavior"
Oh, we're going there? Really?
Medically speaking, there is NO definitive or conclusive evidence that steroids cause aggressive behavior, only theories about isolated cases. As a matter of fact, most studies have shown that those who take anabolic steroids already had a disposition for aggressive behavior BEFORE they took them.
Oh, and the fact that Diana has NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF TAKING STEROIDS!
This is a obvious dig at Taurasi for the doping allegations she was cleared of, and quite a while ago. Oh, and she was accused of taking a stimulant, not a steroid. Hey, while you're at it, why not add "her drunken " behavior to the "roid rage" comment? Yeah, dig up the DUI incident again - because it has about as much relevance as the "riod rage" comment does.
Bottom line, venting toward Diana really just shows how ignorant people can be. I don't support her behavior, but there is so much more about her that truly defines who she is. Put down the haterate and educate yourself before you comment. You might actually surprise yourself.
Now, on to the Seattle Storm.
Last nights game had sub-par officiating; yes, on both ends, there were questionable calls. Hey, it wouldn't be the WNBA without them, now would it? Even Rebeca Lobo commnented how there were far too many calls and that she was "...ready for some basketball." Excessive foul calls to suck the excitement out of a game. No doubt.
As I followed my time line on Twitter, tweet after tweet comments kept saying the same thing - how the Storm lost because of poor officiating.
I will not disagree that was a factor, but I wanted to point out a few other factors -
1. Seattle had home court. That advantage was huge.
2. Seattle had an 18 point lead at one point in the game.
3. Seattle was 11 of 20 from the stripe - missing out on 9 points.
4. Katie Smith (who's averaging 7.5 points per game this season) was 0 for 9.
5. The top scorer in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi fouled out and sat on the bench for the final 6 minutes.
I'd say those also came into play as to why the Storm could not nab the victory.
You can't blame just officiating. Oh, trust me, there are sometimes I would like to (and admittedly, have a few times this season.) It was a hard fought battle, and Seattle had several opportunities to run away with this game. It just didn't happen like that. Seattle did make it quite an exciting run, and I think everyone should respect that.
I can empathize though. I felt just as angry when Sue made that buzzer beater to defeat Phoenix in the Western Conf. finals last year. I was more angry about the fact that we left Sue Bird wide open at the arc - if you want to beat Seattle, you just don't do that. We did, and the rest was history.
Officials will be officials - arguing with them does little, and hating them does less. Yes, I will still be voicing my opinions about them at games in the form of several creative derogatory responses.
In the end though, it is teams that win - so may the best team do so.
Last night (Sept 19th, 2011) the Phoenix Mercury pulled out a huge win, coming back from an 18 point defect to top the Seattle Storm 77 - 75. It was a good game all around.
But something is troubling me as I read comments on Twitter and Facebook. Mainly about two things - Diana Taurasi and why the Storm lost.
Let's start with Diana. Oh, and I am going to put it on the table - yes I'm a fan of hers, and if that makes me biased, so be it.
One comment on Facebook went a little something like this -
"DT is just a no good white trash thug who thinks just because she played for UConn, her poo don't stink.....Bird has more class in her pinky finger than DT will ever have, as well as the rest of the Storm..hope SA or Minn sends DT home with a whoopin'! I am a SASS fan & hope they win, but if not,would much rather have Minn in the West to represent...any team but DT's....She is a disgrace to society with her roid rage behavior.....LOSER!"
Harsh.
"White trash thug" and "disgrace to society" are usually comments reserved for those who truly reflect qualities that are quite unbecoming - but I don't think they're justifiable in Diana's case.
Yes, she got called for the technical-and when ESPN has to blur your mouth because the F bomb(s)you're dropping is/are more than apparent, I'd say the technical was deserved. However, I don't think her outburst justifies such comments, especially those serving to reflect her overall as a person. Comments like these are usually filled by anger; people who make them would never give Diana a chance. Her behavior was poor, but is surely does not define her as a person.
The true ignorance in this comment was in the final part -
"...with her roid-rage behavior"
Oh, we're going there? Really?
Medically speaking, there is NO definitive or conclusive evidence that steroids cause aggressive behavior, only theories about isolated cases. As a matter of fact, most studies have shown that those who take anabolic steroids already had a disposition for aggressive behavior BEFORE they took them.
Oh, and the fact that Diana has NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF TAKING STEROIDS!
This is a obvious dig at Taurasi for the doping allegations she was cleared of, and quite a while ago. Oh, and she was accused of taking a stimulant, not a steroid. Hey, while you're at it, why not add "her drunken " behavior to the "roid rage" comment? Yeah, dig up the DUI incident again - because it has about as much relevance as the "riod rage" comment does.
Bottom line, venting toward Diana really just shows how ignorant people can be. I don't support her behavior, but there is so much more about her that truly defines who she is. Put down the haterate and educate yourself before you comment. You might actually surprise yourself.
Now, on to the Seattle Storm.
Last nights game had sub-par officiating; yes, on both ends, there were questionable calls. Hey, it wouldn't be the WNBA without them, now would it? Even Rebeca Lobo commnented how there were far too many calls and that she was "...ready for some basketball." Excessive foul calls to suck the excitement out of a game. No doubt.
As I followed my time line on Twitter, tweet after tweet comments kept saying the same thing - how the Storm lost because of poor officiating.
I will not disagree that was a factor, but I wanted to point out a few other factors -
1. Seattle had home court. That advantage was huge.
2. Seattle had an 18 point lead at one point in the game.
3. Seattle was 11 of 20 from the stripe - missing out on 9 points.
4. Katie Smith (who's averaging 7.5 points per game this season) was 0 for 9.
5. The top scorer in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi fouled out and sat on the bench for the final 6 minutes.
I'd say those also came into play as to why the Storm could not nab the victory.
You can't blame just officiating. Oh, trust me, there are sometimes I would like to (and admittedly, have a few times this season.) It was a hard fought battle, and Seattle had several opportunities to run away with this game. It just didn't happen like that. Seattle did make it quite an exciting run, and I think everyone should respect that.
I can empathize though. I felt just as angry when Sue made that buzzer beater to defeat Phoenix in the Western Conf. finals last year. I was more angry about the fact that we left Sue Bird wide open at the arc - if you want to beat Seattle, you just don't do that. We did, and the rest was history.
Officials will be officials - arguing with them does little, and hating them does less. Yes, I will still be voicing my opinions about them at games in the form of several creative derogatory responses.
In the end though, it is teams that win - so may the best team do so.
