portisMVP Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Here's my 2 cents: Mr. McGrath, This article is your opinion about a topic, it is certainly not a fact piece. Who made you the compass for grieving Redskins fans from 3,000 miles away in Tacoma, WA? I didn't know you were so omnipresent and able to let everyone know what they should do when their team's star unexpectedly passes away? What experience do YOU have in this subject? Stick to your core competencies Mr. McGrath, there is not much more you have going for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvass Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONTEY Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 An absolute idiot. And a fool. Everyone and there momma knows that if the Seahawks had lost say Alexander to such terrible consequences this Mcgoof would be in the front line of tributes to a fallen player. And the hell with the Emerald City and the Seahawks in general. Cant wait for Sat. :helmet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoshuaj Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Wouldn't this gentleman, by definition, be guilty of a little exploitation himself? If he was concerned about the possibility of someone expoilting a person's tragedy, why didn't he come forward at the appropriate time.....while the"exploitation" was taking place. He "conveniently" waits until just before a game between the 'Skins and the 'Hawks to have this epiphany? A time when I'm sure he feels as though he will be able to get the most mileage out of any publicity that he may be able to generate for himself, and by whatever exploitative means it takes for him to do so...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddub52 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 How could it be a pregame tribute when it happened the first play of the game? Not to mention the idiocracy of the rest of the article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgitta Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Not to sound insensitive, but one would think after reading that, is that we were propping his corpse up on the sideline during the games. What the Redskins are doing is hardly exploitation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingJeremy Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I would implore this writer to have a sit-down, one-on-one conversation with Clinton Portis, and if he didn't walk away with a new perspective, then he is truly as heartless as his "journalism" indicates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21KO Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Meet The Press? Nah.Meet The SWARM. John McGrath: 253-597-8742, ext. 6154 john.mcgrath@thenewstribune.com I let loose on him. What an attention whore hack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsPrideinNY Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Not sure if anyone heard Redskins Radio, just listened to it, but they mentioned this article. Bram, got a little angered at the writer. Bram said ask the players what they would say about exploiting the death of their teammate. They didn't have the story in front of them, but there was mention about it. I hope it gets to the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyM Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I read the article and it's idiotic. I'm still trying to get a MEDIUM Taylor white replica jersey. I bought a large for my brother for Christmas and it doesn't fit. I need to exchange it for a Medium & now I can't find any at any stores. I saw L & XL on redskins online, but that was it. Anyone have any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DixieFlatline Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I read the article and it's idiotic.I'm still trying to get a MEDIUM Taylor white replica jersey. I bought a large for my brother for Christmas and it doesn't fit. I need to exchange it for a Medium & now I can't find any at any stores. I saw L & XL on redskins online, but that was it. Anyone have any ideas? I got mine from Sports Authority online before Christmas. Not sure what if anything they have left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsince72 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I just laid a lengthy email on that jerk. What a terrible way to pump up Seattle fans!! I hope the mods bring this to someone's attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadKarma Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I sent the author a love note also, I hope this article makes it to the Skins like the Taylor Dallas photo did. No other teams fans can know what we have been through this year with the loss of ST, show a little class JOHN MCGRATH<. :wewantd: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Shot Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 who the **** is he to tell the coaches and players how to handle the situation, how they should honor ST? I guarantee you that this writer wouldn't want some ****head telling him how to go about thinking about a dead friend of his. a word to the not so wise, mind your own damn business. it's no concern of yours or ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChief Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 What a P.O.S SOB. I am so sick and tired of these envious and hate filled jealous ****s who think they can attack a dead individual. Even calling him "troubled" is a load of B.S. Not everyone in this world has a peachy-keen perfect, trouble-free life. The writer sounds like your typical Seattle tree-humping, spoiled, I am God's gift to the world, 40 years too late Hippy. I was in Seattle once many years ago, now if I am ever in town again I know who to drag down to Puget Sound and dump head first with a cement filled helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwback37 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 So, basically the point of this article is: Sean Taylor doesn't mean anything to those of us who weren't fans or teammates, so why should be inconvenieced by having to hear about his death? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the reason the Redskins are selling Sean Taylor hats and towels to keep eBay'ers from profiting off their sale online? In my opinion, this is a good thing. The skinz are taking money out of the pockets of scavangers and putting it into a trust fund for Taylor's daughter and they're being criticised for it? Are you kidding me? As for the players and coaches speaking publically about feeling ST's presence and looking for signs of "21" in the game, it's called grieving and it's normal. I can only hope that when the author of this article loses someone close to him it is made public so we all can criticize his grieving process and insult him for missing a loved one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Sack Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 once troubled young man Seems the mediots are not allowing Sean to Rest In Peace, not the organization or ST's fans. What a load of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForOldDC Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 on its way to McGruff's mailbox: I take solace in the fact that this is the only article of yours that will ever be relevant to anyone outside of Seattle. I mean Tacoma. You obviously are in no position to make such ridiculous claims about our team. The last thing any of these players or fans would do is exploit the death of their heart and soul. Sean was more than a hard-hitting jersey number. He was a bright young father, who we Washingtonians were proud to watch mature into a man. Here's a scoop for you and your Seattle buddies: The first decision Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams made together, back in 2004, was the decision to draft and mentor Sean Taylor. He was as much like a son to them as any football player can be to a coach. The thought that their motivation is anything but love for this son is simply absurd. Sure, he had his problems, which short-sighted media "men" like you loved to exploit just hours after he was shot. But if you knew anything about him, you'd have known that these problems were not a part of Sean but a part of his environment, and that he had turned his back on that environment the day his daughter was born. Had he never been so selfish as to return home to be with his family, we wouldn't be grieving right now. If we wanted to exploit his death, we'd spend our time calling for the heads of the kids who took Sean away from us. But we choose, as his best friends on the team do, to try to create something positive out of all of this sadness. So forgive us if we want Sean to be a part of some fleeting on-the-field magic just one last time. Forgive us if we can't being ourselves to erase his name from our starting lineup. Forgive us if we find meaning in an autographed photo that you can't understand. Forgive us if our hearts find signs on the scoreboard that he's still with us that our minds would otherwise ignore. Forgive us if our grief continues to manifest itself outwardly just 5 weeks after his death, but it still brings tears to our eyes just to hear his voice say in interviews that his favorite thing in the world was playing at home and making us proud. Forgive us if trying to win a few games just to make him proud seems selfish to you, but it's the only thing we know to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I know how the ST love can be misread to be exploitive, but how else are people that have spent 20+ years playing, knowing, and basically being all about football going to express themselves as group? I mean yeah there are other ways but that is probably what is natural for the team. People want to see meaning in THEIR lives. Their lives are football. It is natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portisMVP Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I called him about 5 times. I think he's a complete MORON and he hasn't answered his phone one time. Way to step up John McGrath!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeGreen Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 A short response, followed by a few replies to previous posters. I don't know John McGrath, and based on how he writes I'm not in a big hurry to meet him. Mr. McGrath speaks his entitled opinion as a disconnected party. He doubtfully knows much of anything about the Redskins, has met few, if any Skins players and clearly never once met Taylor or anyone from his family. Here is what I wrote to him. Mr. McGrath, I read your recent column concerning how you believe the Washington Redskins are using Sean Taylor's murder with exploitational motives in mind. You sir, speak from ignorance. You may even speak from dilusional, self-motivating causes. You seem to speak, in fear of anonymity; both personal and through lack of respect your beloved Seahawks get from the national media. Do you want the focus to be on your under-loved team? Their big, loud and imposing stadium? So to fix these wrongs, you lashed out with jealous, insensitive and dare I say hateful comments towards a team you view as a threat, towards a fallen player you obviously did not know. You don't understand. And to paraphrase our own Washington Post's advertising slogan, "If you don't get it, you don't get it." So through our emails to you we will educate. Not through hatred or threats or vile profanity or gloating responses, but through love. We are fans of the Washington Redskins. We loved Sean Taylor. We love our team. It's really that simple. What you and millions across this nation are witnessing is real, this is no Hollywood script and it's not a Daniel Snyder marketing strategy. Could it be you're just sick about hearing the Sean Taylor story? If so, say that and leave it at that. Unfortunately the way you've gone about this has offended a great number of people. I'd be surprised if even some of the Seahawk players and fans wouldn't be offended with your lack of bedside manner. And please understand that not everything is done in the name of exploitation. One more thought. If you haven't accepted Jesus as your savior, please do so today. Not only will this guarantee your eternity in heaven, but when the time comes, it'll also be your last chance to actually "meet" Sean Taylor. Enjoy the game and good luck. CallMeGreen P.S. - Come visit our fan forum at ExtremeSkins.com and do a search on Sean Taylor. When you read through thousands of Taylor-derived posts as I have, then maybe you'll begin to understand. As bad as this seems to be, it is only the beginning. If the 'Skins are lucky enough to win, wait until what the Dallas media starts saying because we beat their bitter ***** last time.... Anything having to do with Dallas has shown nothing but class towards the Skins in all ways regarding the death of Sean Taylor. I would expect none of this from any of our rivals because they actually knew Taylor and know the Skins. ... I have had the opportunity to watch 53 men remember 1, play for 1, and care for 1.... The entire response was very good, but this is a great line. unbelivably disgusting. something must be done. It's being done. Respond and make your feelings known. If McGrath would visit ExtremeSkins and page through several thousand Sean Taylor tribute postings as many of us have, maybe he'd have the smallest inkling of how the Taylor family, the players, organization and fans really feel. ...On the other hand, I don't know if we need bulletin board material, we seem to have a deeper, more profound motivation, and let's hope whatever continues to motivate them does so. It feels very tangible to me. This team is in no way using any 12th man flags to motivate themselves. Gimmicks aren't needed here, they have a cause. I hope that we're winning in the 4th quarter by 13, with 6 minutes left, and I hope Gibbs remembers this clown when he's making a big playcall on 3rd down. I hope he goes for the kill. And then goes for 2 so the final margin is 21. But with Gibbs as our head coach, we know this would never happen. And that's a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Edds Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 ... this was my message to him this morning. "Wow John, wow. Please get down off of your soap box. Who are you to define what should and should not happen in the grieving process? Who are you to say what is and is not an appropriate way to pay respects and to grieve a fallen brother for these players and the Redskins organization. Did you actually talk to Reed Doughty about this? Have you even spoken to any of the players of members of the organization to understand why certain things are being done? Or did you just come up with these ideas off the top of your head? I am guessing it's the latter. I sincerely hope that you never have to deal with a death as tragic as this. I don't recall, in all of the articles and news reports of this tragic even reading such a blatant unsympathetic and compassion-less piece of writing. I am flabbergasted that you, John, a journalist would have the gall to tell others how to grieve and what is and is not appropriate. I also hope that you are just looking for some controversy and do not actually believe in what you say. It's almost too easy to sit behind a desk and write an opinion piece about a bunch of players on a football team, and point out what their faults are from thousands of miles away... But to insinuate that these players and this organization are somehow "using" this tragedy in a disrespectful manner is, quite frankly, out of your realm of expertise. As a lifelong redskins fan, I am appalled at your lack of compassion and your "holier than thou" attitude towards this team and how it chooses to grieve such an important part of it that was lost to tragedy. Let us fans, and this organization stick to deciding how we would like to remember Sean Taylor, grieve his death and pay tribute to him the only ways we know how ... and you stick to writing about game highlights and the latest weather report in Seattle? Sincerely, a lifelong Redskins fan." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsWizCubsDukes Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Jeez, I guess you should be completely over a death of a teammate, friend, and family member in just 5 weeks... This guy should be fired from his job. This was low. I am ashamed that I even took the time to read that article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeGreen Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 ...But we choose, as his best friends on the team do, to try to create something positive out of all of this sadness. So forgive us if we want Sean to be a part of some fleeting on-the-field magic just one last time. Forgive us if we can't being ourselves to erase his name from our starting lineup. Forgive us if we find meaning in an autographed photo that you can't understand. Forgive us if our hearts find signs on the scoreboard that he's still with us that our minds would otherwise ignore. Forgive us if our grief continues to manifest itself outwardly just 5 weeks after his death, but it still brings tears to our eyes just to hear his voice say in interviews that his favorite thing in the world was playing at home and making us proud. Forgive us if trying to win a few games just to make him proud seems selfish to you, but it's the only thing we know to do. This is very well-written, IMO. I like this last paragraph best.:applause: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Rallying around a fallen teammate and dedicating the rest of the season to him is now exploitation? :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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