John Rocker: White Pinata
John Rocker is always entertaining. He was entertaining as a player during his short stint. He was entertaining entering a ballgame running in like a wild boar. He was also quite entertaining taking on various fans in verbal exchanges. Finally, he is entertaining during interviews. Of course, that is his downfall. Rocker is back in the news again for his defense of White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen's use of anti-gay names to describe a newspaper columnist he does not like. The media is licking its chops as Rocker is the perfect profile to go after: white and Southern. Like a pinata bag, they keep on whacking away at him. Basically, he wondered out loud what the big deal was and said if Guillen wants to use a lewd term, let him. He also ripped sensitivity training calling it a "farce" saying he skipped out on his after about 15 minutes when Rocker was sentenced to it some years back. On top of it, he said Commissioner Bud Selig "cowers to pressure" in terms of giving out fines and sensitivity training for politically incorrect words. Finally, he said many players "never pay a cent" when fined for such an infraction including himself. Guillen created his own stink when he said in an interview that he doubted he would go to sensitivity class. But now Guillen is said to have changed his mind and will go. You can really bet that now since John Rocker is defending him, the ultimate non-PC guy. Baseball is a money machine and has no use for people like Rocker or the late owner Marge Schott. She made a couple of somewhat favorable comments about Adolph Hitler and like a fascist takeover, was forced to give up running the team and eventually sold majority interest. White Christians in particular will be hit the hardest in this world due to fear of "pressure groups" like the NAACP, various immigrant groups, etc. With billions of dollars at stake, paranoia rules. Thus, "silly" things like free-speech are thrown out the window when one of these corporate or government funded groups whine about the latest infraction. Of course, Rocker's implosion goes back to the late 90's. When he was dominating teams, he actually had the "nerve" to take on the fans. This was especially true in New York where his Atlanta Braves team would wipe out the New York Mets. "Classy" fans would curse, yell, spit, use sexually gross language at him. He would yell back at them especially after blowing away another Mets' batter. In interviews he would label New York fans as "degenerates" and "Neanderthal." The tension was rising between Rocker and his degenerate, Neanderthal enemies. Then the 1999 Sports Illustrated article came out where he ripped New York City saying he "did not want to sit on a subway next to some queer with AIDS." He also labeled a black teammate, Randall Simon, a "fat monkey." All hell broke loose and Rocker was really never the same player again. Control problems along with a constant booing in many stadiums did him in followed by an arm injury. An attempt at a comeback went nowhere as his fastball was slow and his control problems continued. His last shot ended in an "independent league" in guess where? New York. Despite wishing to walk away from the issue, countless newspapers and ESPN would not let him. Very recently he was on an ESPN show and of course, the conversation turned back to 1999. Rocker got tired of it and stormed off the set; just the way the ESPN hacks wanted. What is so truly pitiful about this issue is the utter back turning if it involved a non-white or the simple tolerance of some low-down behavior while jumping up and down for other behavior. Sports is filled with guys with criminal records, domestic abuse, drugs, filthy language, greed and so on. Managers and players curse all day long. During the Guillen interview no big deal would have been made if he stayed away from the "gay thing." He was cursing all over the place. Is that ok? That alone is classless and trashy. What about a standard for that, Selig? When football player Keyshawn Johnson put down white teammate Wayne Chrebet some years ago in a book, little was made of it. ESPN had Johnson on when he admitted he committed looting during the hideous "L.A. Riots." He laughed about it and only turned serious when the interviewer repeatedly asked him if he felt bad about it. How come ESPN does not ask him about this stuff anymore? Because it is done and gone. Fine. The same way Rocker should be treated. The same could be said of countless players or ex-players. Charles Barkley, Anthony Mason, Bruce Smith, Mike Tyson, Alan Iverson could be asked about their racial history over and over again the way Rocker has been. Each individual has made and some still make outrageous comments crossing politically-incorrect boundaries. But the fact they are not white is their shield. Barry Bonds actually said a short time ago he was thinking about just beating Babe Ruth's record and not going after Hank Aaron's record. Imagine a white player saying something similar about avoiding breaking another white player's record? The cowards at various newspapers and ESPN would have a never-ending celebration. John Rocker appears to be a guy with some anger issues. Join the millions of others, John. He is a guy from a small town in Georgia who ran into a buzz saw of bitterness when he went to New York. Although most people in New York are great, he saw the putrid cretins who attend games to get drunk and yell every name there is to yell. These are the people who are stuck in traffic to get to a game, feel the stress of living in an expensive town, probably raised like the degenerates and Neanderthals Rocker said they were; and have little time to relax and enjoy while being ripped-off by their home team. He should have had a sense of humor and backed off. At this point he has nothing to lose. He will comment as he pleases and that is fine. The comments Rocker said are said all the time. Be it about gays, immigrants, blacks, etc. Just like negative comments are said about whites, Christians, Jews all the time. It is human nature. But in the end such negativity does not hit you well. It eventually takes a person down. ESPN and newspapers should back off of the guy and not look to create trouble. This is certainly true when they applaud cheats, abusers, greedy worms and mean-spirited types every day. Robert Carberry is a freelance writer from New York |
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