Douche of the Week: ESPN's Colin Cowherd
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
What is it about media people, especially the Sports Media, who have suddenly decided that the social issues of the day matter among those that listen to sports talk radio?
I know that when I tune in to Sports Talk Radio, I am there to hear about sports, and things that have to do with sports (which may cross over into the social) but I don't want to hear the host's opinions on the state of poverty, what you think about the latest Supreme Court case involving voting rights, or if you think ISIS is dangerous or not.
I have regular talk radio for that. Sports is my diversion from all that. Which brings me to another douchebag of note; Colin Cowherd of ESPN. You can go here for all of his douchetastic-ness if you want.
“We know most people that go into the military in this country — they need the military often to pay bills. That is is almost a federal safety net financially, and by the way you’ll take shots. You’ll be sent two or three times to a raging inferno in the Middle East. That stuff scares me. That stuff I’m worried about. There’s loss of life there.”
I would like to posit a theory in order to test that Colin may be right, I want to know the answer to one question about which you may have an answer.
Did Pat Tillman join because he needed to pay his bills? Did Pat Tillman join because he needed college money? Did Pat Tillman join because he needed a challenge in his life that was missing?
I think Pat had a perspective on this before his death.
No one forced Pat to sign up. I would say he volunteered knowing what he was doing. It was the life he chose and he entered it knowing exactly what he wanted to do. He left behind money, fame and financial security.
And what if people join the US Military to pay their bills, so what? As opposed to what? As usual Colin, you didn't define the comparison. Joined the Army instead of going to Harvard? Signed up with the Marines instead of taking a job as executive VP with Getty Oil? Decided that the Navy was better than being the property manager at the Playboy Mansion? Would you say Pat had no clue what he was giving up?
Maybe some of these people decided that getting taxpayer money for doing a job that could potentially benefit them in the future (like Helicopter engine mechanic, Aviation structural mechanic or Special Forces Medic) would provide them the opportunity to be something besides someone who gets taxpayer money for signing up at the welfare office. There are people who decide to make a better life for themselves that way, or change their circumstances, or challenge themselves. I might know one of two of those people.
Yes, you can be killed in the US military while doing your job, but you can die in traffic, of cancer, from an accident at home, or for any number of other reasons. I know it is hard to understand the idea that people who join the military would actually want to go do their jobs, even at the risk of their life, but maybe a sports analogy would help you.
Emmitt Smith used to liken the job of being an NFL Running Back to being in 25 car crashes in a 4 hour period, but I am trying to imagine a time when Emmitt Smith didn't want the ball. He was still there, saying "put me in coach."
Some of us did it for the college money, some of us did it because we love our country, some of us did it to escape poverty, some of us did it seeking a challenge. You judging those of us who have chosen to join the military shows your ignorance of what kind of people those of us are, but it definitely shows me that I am a pretty good judge of character about what kind of man you are.