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I remembered that you were a child of an alcoholic. You had mentioned it in passing. I suppose the wreckage we have caused keeps us from complaining about the whispers, the jokes, the bigotry and ignorance. Many of us still carry a weight of guilt from those years. Few see what the science shows us...that about 10% of the population have an allergic-like response to mood altering chemicals that causes an OCD disorder that manifests as craving. And almost always it takes a bottom, and getting treatment of some sort to get into remission from a progressive and fatal disease. The population believes its about will power, morality, character and sees you as a lesser if you have had these issues. If that were true, I wouldn't treat preachers, nuns, CEOs, nurses, pilots, docs and others who has displayed tremendous will power and morality in other areas of their life. These are not all individuals deficient on will power and ethics. What they see is what you see...a loved one falling in love the bottle or the drug. They see them choosing that over their families. They have no sympathy as they have their own experience, their own perception and their own pain. I can attest that alcoholics and drug addicts rights have been and are violated on a daily basis. At best they are those poor souls...at worst they are slugs of the planet in many peoples eyes. Even for those in active recovery, they have a hard time finding quality work, going to a soccer game without whispers from the other parents. Am I asking for sympathy and understanding? No. I don't expect it. I accept these as facts of life. I have accepted this as my reality and I make the best of it. I try to find a calling within my own experience and pain.
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Trolls are people too. -
Sorry, as I will go back on my word and make an additional comment on this subject. As for your comments about what "gets under a black mans skin". I can see that. I can understand it because I feel the same way on the other side of the fence. I feel like we are silenced and shamed for speaking out. How many white people in public discussion have mentioned a cop in Ferguson being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion before all the facts were laid out? I can tell you what they are saying behind closed doors after they look over their shoulder to make sure the "coast is clear". That's not right either. If there is to be change, there has to be open communications on both sides of the fence. So, I'm ok with Tomlin voicing his opinion on a very gray area if he sees fit, but only if it goes both ways.
As for Ferguson and the frustration both sides feel from these events...that cop may be a racist douche who killed a black man in cold blood. Or maybe he was attacked and beaten by a much larger man trying to go for his gun. The fact is we don't know...yet people are trying to burn Ferguson to the ground. Trying to get into the minds of these people I must assume there is some legitimate distrust of that police force. I must assume that these tensions have been building for some legitimate reasons and they want blood. As a white man what I see is people who are using violence and mayhem to instill fear and intimidation without knowing all the facts. What I see are images that further engrain preconceived notions that some white people have about the black race. It further engrains fear some whites have of blacks. No white person will say that to you...why? Because if we express these feelings (something you want to protect for Tomlin) then we are labeled a bigot and a racist.
In order for there to be change in hearts and minds of men there has to be open discourse. There also has to be white people holding other white people accountable, and black people holding black people accountable. I know this is easy for me to say...but if the black community continues to hold onto resentments and act on them...nothing changes. If white people allow closet racist talk to go on...nothing changes.Trolls are people too.Comment
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Unfortunately, the black community isn't holding onto past resentments in most cases...there are very real and justified current resentments....
As a society, we have to stop giving an entire demographic reasons to feel resentful...Actually, my post was NOT about you...but, if the shoe fits, feel free to lace that &!+€# up and wear it.Comment
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I’ve thought of Tomlin as a “players’ coach”…and it has nothing to do with his race or his age (I considered Cowher a “players’ coach,” and would call Pete Carroll one, too).
MT bristles at the label…but if the shoe fits…
When your players are not afraid to show up for team flights glassy-eyed and reeking of pot? You might be a players’ coach.
When you have to take “selfies” with the big name players, you might be a players’ coach.
When surveys of the NFL players show you at the top of the list of coaches they would like to play for? You might be a players’ coach.
When you “accidently” stick your foot over the sideline, thus impeding the progress of an opposing player…and then, when you are caught, you put on a big, stupid grin? You might be a players’ coach.
When your idea of “cracking down” is banning rookies from the ping pong table? You might be a players’ coach.
When you say you’re going to “unleash hell” and no one can see any real difference, you might be a players’ coach.
When you won’t give a fine or a benching for illegal TD celebrations, but leave any discipline up to the players, you might be a players’ coach.
When you excuse a player from practice because he is angry about being fined by the league, you might be a players’ coach.
When your players often show up for games undisciplined, unfocused and unprepared? You might be a players’ coach.
If the label “players’ coach” never bothered you until you started getting a lot of heat for your team underperforming? You might be a players’ coach.Comment
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Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.
Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.
We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.
We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.Comment
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