04/18/24
May 30, 2006
Mad About Ricky: Theismann slams Argos for signing Williams.
"Someone much smarter than I once said, 'It's not the critic who counts. It's not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds could've done them better. The man who counts is the man who is in the arena,' and right now we're in the arena and I think we're doing a great job," [coach Mike] Clemons said. Pinball shouldn't be coaching the Argos. He should be the friggin' Mayor.
posted by chicobangs at 07:52 PM on May 30, 2006
Joe Theismann is a bit of pompous ass but, he is right about selling tickets..... SO WHAT! If the ARGOS can boost their fan base by signing Williams to a 1 year contract, more power to them. As to whether Ricky can ever be a productive back in the NFL again, I sincerely doubt it! Despite his disclaimers, I really don't believe he ultimately has the true desire to excel. His continued dependence on some sort of drugs, coupled with his extended periods of inactivity would point to his being nothing more than another example of an individual who completely wasted his talents.
posted by R_A_Mason at 08:01 PM on May 30, 2006
A drug is a drug,is a drug! Why is one Player being praised for breaking records and another sent packing to the frozen north!
posted by chas at 08:10 PM on May 30, 2006
Ricky is just being ricky
posted by JOSE010203 at 08:11 PM on May 30, 2006
Your argument makes no sense, and besides, who outside the 415 area code is praising Mr. Bonds!
posted by Bernreuther at 08:13 PM on May 30, 2006
who outside the 415 area code/is praising/Mr. Bonds! *raises hand* A drug is a drug,is a drug! Oh, totally. Alcohol is psilocybin is caffeine is Viagra is heroin is television is Oxycontin is chocolate is steroids is adrenaline is cocaine is LSD is valium. They're all exactly the same thing. Just ask Theismann, who apparently is an authority.
posted by chicobangs at 08:18 PM on May 30, 2006
Theisman is, and always has been, a complete idiot...I'm glad Ricky is getting a chance up north. Theisman is just another old-timer who is too big for his britches (not to mention his big fat mouth). and besides, who outside the 415 area code is praising Mr. Bonds! Bernreuther, Um, well, I live in the 209 area code and I think Bonds is one of the top 3 players of all-time. The 415 area code is a small area. A large portion of baseball fans in Northern California (which is, for the most part, Giants territory when it comes to MLB loyalty; The A's are the forgotten child of this region) is in Bonds' corner. So start lookin' up the area codes from Fresno to Humboldt County (and all parts in between) for your next post.
posted by donnnnychris at 08:36 PM on May 30, 2006
You know, for all the unwanted attention Ricky has brought upon himself, it never ceases to amaze me how well-spoken and polite he has been to the media and fans in general. I, for one, hope he has a great year up North, and hope he comes back to the NFL.
posted by mjkredliner at 08:37 PM on May 30, 2006
the frozen north???? chas....it was hotter than joe's co-worker michael irvin's crack pipe in toronto today. that being said.....joe the ho is an idiot. ricky has done nothing wrong in canada and has every right as far as i can see to persue his career here. his employer in the excited states(the dolphins) have signed off and are allowing him to play for the toronto argonauts, the oldest and most historical football franchise in north america. if they don't have a problem with ricky, i just can't figure why joe does? is it because he's not a member of the drug smoking cult? he is a member of the largest cult in the world, the catholic church. maybe ricky would have had joes approval if he were diddling kids instead of relaxing with a spliff. we all have our vices and crutches that help us get through our days, that WAS rickys. he says he doesn't smoke any more, and i believe him.
posted by tommybiden at 08:50 PM on May 30, 2006
"He speaks so well, he's so well spoken..." [/Chris Rock]
posted by smithers at 08:54 PM on May 30, 2006
A story on Yahoo Canada tells the same the story, but adds this at the end: "In late 2002, Theismann's son pleaded guilty to a felony charge of dealing cocaine and a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia in an Indiana court. Joseph W. Theismann, then 31, was sentenced to a 10-year suspended prison term, placed on probation and fined $2,500. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of possessing cocaine." I don't know if that makes Theismann a hypocrite or if it gives him reason to be righteously angry, but it is an interesting twist.
posted by forrestv at 09:08 PM on May 30, 2006
Actually I cheered Bonds too, but thanks for the area code information. The point was simply that Bonds caught just as much, if not more, shit than Ricky. [And to make fun of the guy who types like it's a haiku and ends questions with exclamation points.]
posted by Bernreuther at 09:13 PM on May 30, 2006
I think its perfect, Ricky is playing in purgatory for a year, at limited money, and limited opportunity, but at the same time he's committing to maintaining his game. He accepted his punishment... Why should he be black balled form football at any level? Its the Joseph McTheismann hearings... Ok that was a little silly, but i was feeling creative.
posted by everett at 11:02 PM on May 30, 2006
Purgatory only wishes it played with the rouge.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:41 PM on May 30, 2006
does anyone else think its funny that Bonds has somehow been worked into this thread?
posted by SavyMcSaverson at 01:47 AM on May 31, 2006
If Ricky can't stay off the weed, those goofy canucks may get to keep him for a while. Do the Argos institute a drug test? I mean, what happens when he can't stay off the weed there? Millions of dollars a year in the NFL and he can't kick the habit? I just don't get Ricky Williams. Another thing that baffles me, betting on a sport will get you a lifetime ban but drug use won't end your career. Look at Darryl Strawberry. Played for years and probably doesn't remember any of it. And, Since Barry Bonds found his way in this one, am I the only one that thinks Bonds is hurting his team. If he doesn't hit a homer he just jogs to first, he takes to many pitches, pitches that can be turned into hits, and he isn't available to play every day. There are plenty of players in the giants farm system that could outplay Barry, and be more consistent. Bonds just needs to quit now. He isn't going to get better. He is hurting the team and I'm surprised he has played as much as he has.
posted by SoonerLes at 04:17 AM on May 31, 2006
Savy, "funny" isn't the word that comes to mind.
posted by chicobangs at 04:31 AM on May 31, 2006
From the day that Theismann changed the pronunciation of his last name to rhyme with "Heisman," he lost all relevance as a person to be listened to with any seriousness. For me, anyway.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:31 AM on May 31, 2006
Another thing that baffles me, betting on a sport will get you a lifetime ban but drug use won't end your career. If you bet on the sport you are participating in, you cast doubt on the integrity of the outcome of the sport. The moment people think that the results of the sport are fixed, it stops being a sport and becomes "entertainment" (see: professional wrestling). Do the Argos institute a drug test? There is no official drug testing policy in the CFL at this time. However, the Argos are VERY committed to public appearances and community work, and their coach (Clemons) is very serious about making sure Williams presents a positive message to the children of Toronto.
posted by grum@work at 06:43 AM on May 31, 2006
Pinball shouldn't be coaching the Argos. He should be the friggin' Mayor. He'd win it in a landslide. Wait, let me correct that. He'd win it unopposed.
posted by grum@work at 06:45 AM on May 31, 2006
"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven." Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.. on the difference between Barry Bonds Steroids and Ricky Williams pot use.
posted by warstda at 08:58 AM on May 31, 2006
And to make fun of the guy who types like it's a haiku Worker bees can leave Even drones can fly away The queen is their slave
posted by HATER 187 at 09:18 AM on May 31, 2006
Hey warstda, Canada's Prime Minister sounds like he has his speeches written by the same guy that writes for Bush. Nice haiku HATER
posted by Debo270 at 09:22 AM on May 31, 2006
I have heard that Ricky will still be tested by the NFL and must be clean for the year to re-enter the league next season. Does pot really enhance performance??
posted by Debo270 at 09:24 AM on May 31, 2006
The only person coming across as an idiot up here is Theismann. Ricky has been very, very good at speaking to all the media that request him. He has come across as nothing short of intelligent, thoughtful and honest. He's up here to stay in shape and have some fun - the Argos are going to sell a few more tickets and next year it all goes away. I think it's all win/win.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:46 AM on May 31, 2006
joe"the blow" is trying to make a name for himself,again..i wonder how much pressure did he use to get his kid off so lightly? cocaine is a stimulant,will inhance performance,unlike weed,which is a depressant,decreases performance..if anything,ricky is smokin the wrong stuff..lol!!!
posted by ktown at 09:49 AM on May 31, 2006
I think you nailed it Weedy, Ricky is fighting a fairly easy battle as long as he stays ricky. People like him, because he is honest. There is an attitude in pretty much all of Western culture that Marijuana is a drug that makes people happy, and peaceful, if not a bit stupid. No one feels like he is cheating, or doing wrong to anyone but himself. Furthermore, I think most people think that weed probably isn't even that harmful to the person smoking it. Why in the heck would you want to blackball an easy going dreadlocked soft spoken guy like Ricky Williams?
posted by everett at 09:55 AM on May 31, 2006
People up here believe Theismann to be an idiot. Deservedly so. He comes across as puritanical, pedantic, paranoid and absolutist. It's the Salem Witch Trials all over again. Theismann says "this isn't aspirin we're talking about." Cannabis is actually safer than aspirin. Certainly nobody should be operating a vehicle or heavy machinery under its influence, but nobody has ever died from overdosing on weed. Aspirin kills. Cannabis doesn't. The law and NFL cannabis policy isn't a war on drugs, it's a war against a lifestyle that differs from the pill-popping zombies like Joe Theismann that run their league. Ricky Williams is not a cheat, and the Toronto Argonauts and most reasonable Canadians get that. The years 1919-1933 were the Prohibition era, coincidentally the years when Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey were at their athletic peaks. Both those American heroes competed at the same time as they were regularly breaking the law and visiting Speakeasies and drinking alcohol -- wilfully bowing to an altar of Satan in the eyes of puritanical prudes -- but nobody suggested drug-testing Babe and Dempsey ten times a month. And we don't remember them today as moral reprobates, instead they have been elevated by our grandfathers and fathers to athletic sainthood. Why? Because we're supposedly adults and can recognize that punishment have to fit the crimes. Anybody who believes that Babe Ruth should have been suspended from the New York Yankees or Jack Dempsey should have been stripped of his belt for drinking recreational pints, is a moron like Joe Theismann. This is the 21st century and Ricky Williams is a victim of another Prohibition. Most Canadians have said enough, they've weighed the issues and they like this guy. They believe he has a right to earn a living, and they're not going to be hypocrites and stand in his way.
posted by the red terror at 10:05 AM on May 31, 2006
I think the same goes for most Americans. Theisman is an idiot. The NFL system is totally out of whack. Leonard Little got suspended 8 games for manslaughter. In addition, the NFL has no shortage of wife abusers and other types of violence. The fact that Theisman would call out peaceful Ricky for his ire is ridiculous.
posted by bperk at 10:14 AM on May 31, 2006
ps. It almost seemed like a worked WWE promotional spot, bringing in an old heel like Terry Funk to put over a new babyface. That's how badly Theismann's rant has backfired -- he has inadvertently "put over" a new star that many in the audience were sitting on the fence, they're now Ricky Williams fans and supporters. Joe Theismann is a dick.
posted by the red terror at 10:14 AM on May 31, 2006
Via Deadspin comes a reason why Joe might be so angry: his son was arrested a few years back on charges of dealing cocaine. Wonder how that turned out...?
posted by the red terror at 10:21 AM on May 31, 2006
I believe Theismann is an idiot the same way I believe in gravity or the healing powers of a turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes at the corner diner after a long night of drinking. It's a truth I simply hold to be self-evident. By the way, I'm serious about Kornheiser growing to hate Theismann's guts pretty quickly. And when (not if) he does, the MNF broadcasts will become worth watching. But not before. I give it two weeks, tops.
posted by chicobangs at 10:23 AM on May 31, 2006
Alcohol is psilocybin is caffeine is Viagra is heroin is television is Oxycontin is chocolate is steroids is adrenaline is cocaine is LSD is valium. Courtney Love just salivated.
posted by steelcityguy at 10:23 AM on May 31, 2006
Catch the drippings. That's a Class One narcotic by itself.
posted by yerfatma at 11:41 AM on May 31, 2006
I just thew up in my mouth a little.
posted by everett at 11:43 AM on May 31, 2006
I just thew up in my mouth a little. That's nothing. I just threw up in Courtney's mouth a little.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:48 AM on May 31, 2006
Ricky's an Argo Think he's in Rogers to try Artificial grass? Welcome up North, eh? A word, though, to our Ricky: You can't smoke a toque. Joe's got it all wrong But then no one said Theismann Was a Weismann
posted by wfrazerjr at 06:58 PM on May 31, 2006
What I want to know is what Terrell Owens has to say about this.
posted by irunfromclones at 01:26 PM on June 01, 2006
I don't believe selling tickets were their sole purpose in this deal. Ricky can still be a productive back. Winning comes first, ask Dallas Cowboys.