Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

The second Detroit Pistons post

4. June 2005 • MarkDilley
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All this birthday hoopla actually caused me to read some old comments, specifically this one complaining of the lack of mentioning the pistons, here you go:

The referees. I think NBA refs have too much control over the game. I think they have no visible checks on their authority – not even a commentator can go too far in criticizing them. And it is clear that certain refs have much too thin a skin for their job, and that they go after players. Javits is particularly hard—I believe it was Javits that had to be separated from van exel at one point. And if Rasheed is anything besides a Tar Heel, he is skeptical and highly critical of authority. The way Rasheed feels about NBA refs is most likely similar to the way he – and most of us (by “us” I mean black men under 40) feel about police.

via Vision Circle (specifically from a U of M alumni)

(except, that reader had missed this comment)



  1. Many/most people seem to overlook that spectator sports are entertainment. Or perhaps they feel entertainment is more important than public affairs. When I read serious letters to the editor about sports, it reminds me of the ancient Roman cliche about pacifying the lower classes with bread and circuses.

    Wouldn’t it be great if the A2N had an editorials/letters page within the sports section? They should add one to the entertainment section too. That way we could rant about the coaches, players, refs, actors, movies, games, etc. without confusing it with something that might be important.
       —Al Braun    Jun. 5 '05 - 09:53AM    #
  2. Here’s another thought, that perfectly well informed and appropriately concerned mature adults enjoy following sports or argueing about entertainment because it is a much needed DIVERSION for them from their otherwise intensely CONCERNED lives.
    Not all sports fans are idiots and some of them (us) enjoy discourse on various aspects of it. That does not make us shallow, no more so than film fanatics or music freaks.
    Is it news? No. Does it belong on Arbor Update? Apparently not. Does interest in sports say anything about one’s priorities? No.

    The poor misguided original commentor did not recognize ArborUpdate as too high minded a venue for sports announcements. Why he needs to be dragged out to ridicule now for that simple error of judgement nearly a year ago escapes me.

    When I read comments like the one above I am reminded that all rebellions depend entirely upon the aggitation of the “lower classes” who are too often stereotyped and alienated from the “intelligentia” too busy blogging and getting their techno groove on to actually LEAD a rebellion.

    Example?
    http://arborupdate.com/
    article/737/experimental-ambientlive-music
       —Trixie    Jun. 6 '05 - 12:42PM    #
  3. Hey, who’s leadin’ rebellions around here? By the way, here’s a link to the AU article you cited. Not sure where you’re going with that… But I agree that Al’s take on people who enjoy the spectacle of sports is a bit condescending. I’m not a huge sports fan (though I do miss hockey) but I have my own interests equally “unimportant” (lately, spectator poker—awesome!) so I respect those who really get in to sports. Go pistons!
       —Scott Trudeau    Jun. 6 '05 - 02:32PM    #
  4. PISTONS WON!
       —js    Jun. 7 '05 - 12:20PM    #
  5. Gee guys, didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t say we can’t enjoy spectator sports. I was half looking for some AU folks at Leopold’s Tuesday night. Cable was out, and I was there watching the first half with my kids.

    The point I was making is that there is a segment for whom it seems sports is a complete substitute for public affairs. Ever attend a game live? There are people who act as if their lives depend on the outcome. About once a month the letters page in A2News sports a sport who’s all together too serious about sports. And I’ve got a couple of relatives…

    My suggestion about having letters pages in the sports and entertainment section was absolutely serious. Not just to get those letters out of the news section, but because it’d be fun to read and rant fully.

    And Trixie, Have you ever Googled yourself? Unless you use a pseudonym here, you’re in public. Someday some of us may be begging Scott to delete our old comments.

    Anybody going to Leopold’s tonight?
    -
       —Al Braun    Jun. 9 '05 - 01:21PM    #