The Scoundrel HOF

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Runscott

You started it, Bill. I thought that was your preferred mode of communication;however, the above statement was an easy out for avoiding the questions you couldn't respond to intelligently.

Really? Where exactly did I start it? And what question have I not responded to honestly, calmly, and intelligently?

I'm not exonerating Ryan Braun. Far from it. I think I've been pretty clear in my condemnation of his actions. How many times do I have to say that yes, he broke the rules, yes, I have been angry with him, and, yes, he should have been immediately suspended? I'm sorry if I'm not going to let the "Braun sacrificed a man who was doing his job" spiel go without calling it out. He didn't do his job, that's kind of the point. If the collector had done his job, Braun would have been suspended, no? There would have been no procedural grounds for Shyam Das to overturn the suspension. If Dino Laurenzi, Jr had driven the 5 miles to the Fed Ex location on East Wisconsin Avenue, and given the biological pack to the Fed Ex employee as he had done hundreds of times before, Braun would have been suspended. Braun would have never self-righteously lied in front of reporters, and people around the country wouldn't have a seat reserved in the eighth circle of hell for Braun, right next to Adolf Hitler and Judas.

[Kenny Cole]

Bill,

When the inquistion starts, defenders end up being burned too. That's just an historical fact.

Scott,

I often agree with you, sometimes not. On occasion, you come across as an asshole. I do too. We probably both need to work on our presentation while staying true to our beliefs. Its difficult to do. Best,

Kenny

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Really? Where exactly did I start it? And what question have I not responded to honestly, calmly, and intelligently?

I'm not exonerating Ryan Braun. Far from it. I think I've been pretty clear in my condemnation of his actions. How many times do I have to say that yes, he broke the rules, yes, I have been angry with him, and, yes, he should have been immediately suspended? I'm sorry if I'm not going to let the "Braun sacrificed a man who was doing his job" spiel go without calling it out. He didn't do his job, that's kind of the point. If the collector had done his job, Braun would have been suspended, no? There would have been no procedural grounds for Shyam Das to overturn the suspension. If Dino Laurenzi, Jr had driven the 5 miles to the Fed Ex location on East Wisconsin Avenue, and given the biological pack to the Fed Ex employee as he had done hundreds of times before, Braun would have been suspended. Braun would have never self-righteously lied in front of reporters, and people around the country wouldn't have a seat reserved in the eighth circle of hell for Braun, right next to Adolf Hitler and Judas.

I think you took this all way too personally. In response to Kenny, I didn't burn you at the stake for defending Braun - if I lit any matches, it was for your reference that I was posting out of ignorance, which simply wasn't true. The comments about Braun were only about Braun - not about Milwaukee and certainly not about you. Any judging we do of you is based entirely on your posts here - not on the team you support. You seem like a nice enough guy, and you are certainly very studious. I very much appreciate your sharing your research, and that goes for the stuff you posted here about Braun (which I read). But my thoughts about him haven't changed.

I'm also very happy that Kenny and I haven't gotten into it for quite some time

[Kenny Cole]

Scott,

LOL, as am I.

[Econteachert205]

True confession: Denny McClain May be a scoundrel, but I think he's great. His bio is a great movie waiting to happen and when I read about the stuff he pulled I can't help but chuckle. Be honest, I think most board members have their own favorite scoundrel they can't help but love, for some it might be pete rose, or doc gooden or shoeless joe.

plus guys named Dennis stick together

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think you took this all way too personally. In response to Kenny, I didn't burn you at the stake for defending Braun - if I lit any matches, it was for your reference that I was posting out of ignorance, which simply wasn't true. The comments about Braun were only about Braun - not about Milwaukee and certainly not about you. Any judging we do of you is based entirely on your posts here - not on the team you support. You seem like a nice enough guy, and you are certainly very studious. I very much appreciate your sharing your research, and that goes for the stuff you posted here about Braun (which I read). But my thoughts about him haven't changed.

I'm also very happy that Kenny and I haven't gotten into it for quite some time

Scott, I apologize profusely. I wasn't meaning to say that you were posting about him out of ignorance, and I tried (unsuccessfully) to clarify that my post wasn't meant to single you out. What I meant to say is your statement about Braun is one that is often made by other people who demonstrate that they are ignorant of the facts, relying solely on a few talking points that have been repeated ad nauseam. Even after things have been proven 100% false--completely devoid of any factual merit whatsoever, like the Jeff Passan article about Braun calling Tulowitzki, Kemp and Votto for support--people still throw that out there at every opportunity. I'm seeing less talk about Braun online now, as this has died down somewhat, but whenever this whole debacle comes up somewhere, invariably the "Braun trashed Laurenzi Jr's reputation, calling him an anti-semitic Cubs fan, and got him fired", or something along those lines still comes up, and it's maddening. It's a lot like when I get into what starts out as a friendly political debate with people online. The world wide web has created an interesting phenomena, the "internet expert". One example I can remember clearly was somebody who didn't have even the most rudimentary grasp of how the legislative branch of our government works calling a professor of political science at Chicago University "an idiot". This guy actually called the tenured professor, who, if my memory serves me correctly, had a PhD in Constitutional Law from Stanford University, an idiot when he pointed out that members of the United States Senate serve six year terms, not four year terms. All I could do was laugh.

But anyway, when I get into really drawn out thoughts, Scott, I sometimes get tripped up, and don't effectively communicate what I am trying to say. I am on so many different medications right now, and they all work together to mess with my head just a little, and sometimes that is enough. Please accept my apology. You are certainly entitled to whatever opinion you may hold. I try to present facts, and let whomever I am speaking with review those facts, and draw their own conclusions.