The gradual and nearly complete degradation of civil discourse in our country continues. Sports-talk radio is becoming a creepy den of shut-ins and Neanderthals. Our stadiums and arenas are filled with sociopaths and goons. Television highlights concentrate on barbarism and braggadocio.
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| St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli let one lucky fan have it this weekend. |
Talk all you want about players, but St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli went all Howard Dean on some poor woman who had the dual misfortune of rooting for St. Bonaventure and hollering at Martelli during St. Joe's 114-63 win over the weekend. She wanted to know why Martelli was pressing late in the first half with a 25-point lead -- a valid question -- and she ended up being called a "nitwit" and a "moron" by the man charged with furthering the higher education of St. Joe's student-athletes. Truth might be the ultimate defense, but tact is often the best offense.
The woman's name is Mary Palmer; and at one point, she was apparently told, "You should be embarrassed by your own team, you moron." Martelli's vehemence suggests that something more than the usual college run-it-up was at work here.
But wait. Maybe sports isn't accelerating the death of manners and decency. Maybe sports is a mirror. Maybe the world is going to hell and sports is just along for the ride.
Consider this: The History News Network website, a cool little corner of cyberspace if you're into such things, currently features a piece titled, "Putting an End to Trash Talk on HNN's Discussion Boards." Written by someone with the authority to do so, it outlines the many ways in which today's historians can be nicer and more civil to each other while engaging in real-time online discussions.
It might not possess the subtle nuance of "Around the Horn," but apparently HNN is battling a significant number of problems when it comes to vulgarity and offensiveness. The virtual crotch-grabbing has become so rampant on HNN that the site has had to ban "serial rabble-rousers," who are no doubt the better-read brethren of Joe from Livermore or Bennie from Queens.
In describing the problems with the discussion boards, the writer touches on themes familiar to those of us attempting to revive chivalry, including one phrase that absolutely slays me: "Too often (the boards) feature hyperbola instead of thoughtfulness ..."
As we enter the vicious, flesh-tearing throes of Super Bowl week, that's definitely a sentiment worth considering.
This Week's List
I just want to know one thing, and I want to know it now: Why didn't Jim Calhoun recruit Ryan Gomes to UConn?
Forget the matchups and the momentum. The major battle of the Super Bowl comes down to one important question: Which team can claim a bigger lack of respect over the next five days?
Advantage -- Carolina: Upon arriving in Houston, Panther wide receiver Steve Smith said he didn't know why his team wasn't given its proper respect, but "I just know there's a lot of haters at home, watching on television."
What you learn by reading The Smoking Gun: Tom Brady, the next Joe Montana and the next Barry Goldwater, has never voted.
One word about those Montana-Brady comparisons: No.
Sadly, the men in question are always the last to know: Mo Vaughn says his career is over.
When nobody's looking, Mo undoubtedly allows himself a quiet, private laugh: Vaughn's career with the Mets included 29 homers and $30 million.
Just for the heck of it: Charles Dimry.
When NFL GMs take a look at the pros and cons, this just might be considered "one too many carry-ons": Keyshawn Johnson is facing charges that he threatened his ex-wife's former boyfriend.
Mr. Scott? Paul Westhead on line 2: Byron Scott, fired, perhaps because he couldn't completely satisfy Jason Kidd.
Yeah, but he hit the jumper and made it all worthwhile: Aaron Boone is reportedly out for the season with a torn ACL suffered while playing basketball, a move that may void his contract.
It's the first answer you might want to consider when someone asks, "How do you know you're in Houston?": The Super Bowl host decided it needed a civic slogan for the big event, and it came up with "Put Your Smile On. Company's Coming."
The three slogans that lost out to "Put Your Smile On. Company's Coming": 1) "Yeee-haw!"; 2) We-ee----lll, I'll Be!"; 3) "We're Actually Quite Sophisticated And Urbane, But We're Forced To Continue With This Ridiculous Down-Home Façade."
And finally, we go live to Houston, where the cream of America's sportswriting crop is gathered on company expense to bring you trenchant analysis and hard-hitting quotes like this one, from Bill Belichick: "We know this will be our toughest game of the year."
Tim Keown is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
