Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios didn't do himself any favours, swearing at some random jerk hours after wearing the golden sombrero (five strikeouts in one game) in a one-run loss to L.A. Angels.
Anyway, the man yelling at Rios and saying "remember where you came from" comes off like more of an ass. As for the kid who was denied an autograph, what was doing out that late on a school night? (And honestly, does this pass as news? Like Rios, sometimes the media needs to learn when to lay off.)
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8 comments:
Neate. Come on. You can't seriously defend Rios in this case. It's one kid - not a grown man or a mob of fans - looking for one autograph. And the idiot mouthpiece is right, he should be happy someone wanted his signature after a performance like that. Still, Rios can't drop the F-bomb that many times in front of a kid. He just can't. No adult should. If it was police officer or doctor or autworker acting like that in front of my kid I'd be upset too. Not to mention, the Jays have a "cheer nicely" policy in the stands. No vulgarity. But the same shouldn't or doesn't hold true for their players? Come on. Totally classless on the part of Rios.
Cheer nicely? What is this, Pleasantville? As if a child who's old enough to be out on his own at 9:30, 10 at night has never heard the word "fuck."
This is a minority opinion from a single guy with no kids, so I admit I'm not in the real world. What is really irksome is the A-hole said to Rios, who is Latino, "Remember where you came from." In other words, he's one of us when he does well, but when he doesn't, he's one of them, quote-unquote.
The media likes to tell pro athletes how they should behave. Sorry, not me. Rios is a smart enough guy to know he came off very badly. He doesn't need you or me airing him out.
I agree Neate, the guys yelling comments are no better. And the "where you come from" remark is ridiculous beyond comment.
My point is this: You just politely say "no" to the autograph seeker. And then either a) ignore the idiots yelling or b) do one better and say "I'll be better tomorrow."
What you don't do is drop multiple f-bombs. Just because a kid's heard it before doesn't mean it's right to do it again.
Rios is an adult. He should act like one. I'm not saying I don't swear. I do. But not in front of kids or in circumstances where it's completely uncalled for and unprofessional and unbecoming; say, while dressed in a tux, leaving a charity function, in front of kids.
All true.
The point spoke more to why there's no tolerance for this from a ballplayer. Other entertainers, actors and musicians, are excused for anti-social behaviour. It's seen as part of their charm.
I never condoned it and it was regrettable. I just don't see why people would expect Rios to act differently. He's a self-absorbed jock; you pretty much have to be to get to the major leagues. The media does not do a good job of explaining this, unless it fits into some cliché about "what a competitor" someone is.
As fans, just because we know a guy's height, weight and jersey number doesn't mean there's a connection with him. It also doesn't mean that he's going to be a nice person. Sometimes it's better as a fan to keep your illusions about someone. One of the great things about Roy Halladay is that he's the best in the business and we know almost nothing about what he's like off the field.
What is really irksome is the A-hole said to Rios, who is Latino, "Remember where you came from." In other words, he's one of us when he does well, but when he doesn't, he's one of them, quote-unquote.
I don't deny that this happens - Johnson, Ben - nd the the video doesn't work for me, so I might be missing some context, but "Remember where you came from" is generally accepted to mean that he should remember when he was the young kid asking for the autograph after a ballgme.
Tyler
I must have missed that meeting, Tyler, where we decided that was what it is generally accepted to mean. How you can infer that from a video you didn't watch is absolutely amazing.
I don't know what exactly he meant and neither do you. Middle-aged white fan yelling that at a young Latino ballplayer, though, it's fair game to wonder what's in that man's heart.
How do you know Rios made a habit of asking for autographs as a kid? I know I didn't.
I don't know what exactly he meant and neither do you. Middle-aged white fan yelling that at a young Latino ballplayer, though, it's fair game to wonder what's in that man's heart.
I didn't phrase the previous comment well. I'll try doing it a little more precisely: assuming racist intent where there is an obvious non-racist meaning, as there is here, makes you come off as someone who sees everything through the prism of race.
In any event, it's a long way from "...it's fair game to wonder what's in the man's heart" (which I don't agree with, given the obvious, non-racist, alternative) to "In other words, he's one of us when he does well, but when he doesn't, he's one of them, quote-unquote."
How do you know Rios made a habit of asking for autographs as a kid?
I don't. But a) many kids do and b) given the context, it's an obvious potential meaning.
Like I said, I'd like to see the video, which has been pulled by the user. Inferring racism where this is none irritates me though - it's a serious charge and it shouldn't be thrown around willy nilly.
It's also just about impossible to comment here wiht the current commenting setup.
Tyler
It was quote, unquote all along. It's fair game to wonder what possessed that guy to yell that at Alex Rios.
It's like when I wrote a column criticizing a junior hockey club for having more money than brains (no, it wasn't the Frontenacs). Their owner was First Nations. Someone told me, "You have to be careful, people might think you're calling a native guy stupid."
Well, what they did was stupid. The thing is, if someone had accused me of racism, I doubt saying, "that never occurred to me," would at all placate her/him. That is just the way it is. You have to have a little sensitivity. Like your radio god says, Tyler, "words mean things."
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