The Great 2019 KC Star Apology Tour is in the books…
Journalistic tap dancing at its finest, by sports columnists Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian over a previously missing eight minute segment of sleazebag Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill going off on his girlfriend.
Something about them being embarrassed because Tyreek didn’t fully cop to beating the hell out of her and and their son as KCTV’s original three minute edit seemed to imply.
“I should have known better,” Mellinger winced after spending four paragraphs blaming his “mistake” on KCTV and its reporter Angie Ricono.
“I’ll get better from this,” Mellinger vowed…
No more jumping the gun with incomplete information like pretty most mainstream news organizations did to that clean-cut kid from Covington High with the MAGA hat on who was assaulted by a pushy Native American oldster.
“I pride myself on restraint and nuance and taking a step back in this job,” Gregorian blathered -= five paragraphs in to his cornucopia of excuses and rationalizations. “I submitted to a snap judgment on fragmentary information.”
The bottom line:
Both men apparently caved to sports talk and social media Chiefs zealots – apologists who somewhat obviously could care less about what Tyreek did or didn’t do, long as he suits up for the Chiefs first Super Bowl run in half a century.
And this just in…
Stop the presses, gang, cuz that new Star editorial board – otherwise known as the Gang Who Can’t Shoot Straight – got something right for a change.
“If anything, full recording of Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill makes him look even worse,” the headline reads.
“If anything, the fact that (Tyreek) now says he didn’t hit punch or choke (his girlfriend) in 2014 makes him look worse rather than better,” they write. “He pleaded guilty to those charges, publicly apologized, went through extensive therapy and declared himself reformed after probation. If he’s now back to saying that none of this ever happened, that’s not just a lie but a worrying one…
“If the NFL lets Hill back on the field this season, it will send the message that making threats and showing you’ve learned nothing from probation is no real problem, as long as you can run fast enough. The help he needs is not more denial, but just the opposite.
“To (those) of you who are intent on seeing Hill as the victim, KCTV as a villain for not immediately releasing the full tape, and Espinal as a ‘manipulator’ for wanting evidence to back her up in court, we could suggest some reading on the well-researched subject of abuse. But why, when you seem to prefer not to know?”
Truth be known, the extra eight minutes of audio may or may not make Tyreek look worse…
But seriously, all things considered, how much worse could the dude look?
Imagine if he was your best friend’s or sister’s boyfriend…your daughter’s fiancé.
Now set aside your chagrin over former Chiefs GM John Dorsey – now at Cleveland – snapping up former star running back Kareem Hunt after KC cut him last year for kicking the you-know-what out of woman outside his hotel room.
And stop pretending Hill’s angry tap dance in the extra eight minutes of audio somehow absolves him of being a first class dirtbag.
It doesn’t.
Besides, even if the entire 11 minutes had come out at once, people would have been equally horrified by Tyreek’s words and behavior.
Plus think how much more fun it would be to blow past a Cleveland team full of Chiefs rejects on the way to Super Bowl LIV.
And as for Mellinger and Gregorian, apologies accepted.
Now go and sin no more (wink, wink).
“Both men apparently caved to sports talk and social media Chiefs zealots – apologists who somewhat obviously could care less about what Tyreek did or didn’t do, long as he suits up for the Chiefs first Super Bowl run in half a century.”
– seems the case… Kerouac posted the comment below elsewhere, and received the (as you describe correctly, HC) “apologist” response:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
“Tragedy on and off field is a part the history Chiefs, injuries and deaths football related and non due injury afield and/or violence, off. How have Chiefs dealt with problems/players course their history, players with a record of trouble and those previously without?
They trade players (one to the Patriots after he pulled a gun on a teammate late 1960’s and another to the Raiders mid 1970’s after he almost died here.) More recently, they traded an player theirs another team (Peters/Rams), released other players outright (Miller/Hunt.)
As we await disposition case their current player the news Hill, see what NFL/Chiefs do, am reminded Herm Edwards comment, paraphrased – “you treat all players fairly, not necessarily the same.” May sound convenient (some would refer it ‘inconsistent’), their actions latest player problem will affirm where their priorities lay; aft posturing gives way result, onus will reside One Arrowhead Drive.
What is determinate/more important: bad PR, bottom line or football team? We shall see what the Chiefs are all about, this case. Not only their sake, I say: they had better be right.”
_____________
Now, the response from an (my guess) mouth-breathing, knuckle dragging, over-imbibed, under-funded dope, aka member swiss chiefs ‘fandumb’:
‘Dummy, they are paid to win football games. That’s it. Period. They are a better team with him than without. I don’t give a shit about Hill personally, but he makes the team better, and in this game, that’s whats important. End of story.’
_____________
Nod my original comment, ‘action’ or ‘inaction’ Chiefs management will tell us much about them, regardless of what the NFL did, or didn’t do.
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“Nod my original comment, ‘action’ or ‘inaction’ Chiefs management will tell us much about them, regardless of what the NFL did, or didn’t do.”
– NFL has spoken… its silence, deafening: sotto voce, best Omar IIhan prose, pose – “some people did something” (translation: we can’t let a broken home, relationship or a best predictor future behaviour the past/recent same, break our arm- er, $tride.)
As for Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru, aka swiss chiefs management: “we are glad to welcome Tyreek back.” (here in Kansas City, spell it ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ – i.e., ‘we can’t wait till next year, part 2019, verse 50’.)
Commissioner giveth (suspensions), Commissioner taketh away (draft picks), does not walk his talk any semblance consistency player to team, year to year. This case, no suspension despite the NFL’s own rules of conduct having been breached, according a bevy of non-league affiliated legal analysts.
Convenience and lack of integrity the world currency century 21, discipline as duty go the way dodo bird. A world OJ continues look for the ‘real’ killer, one Patriots never ‘really’ cheat in. Of proliferating profit and fake people as stats NFL/MLB, ditto the political one a Clinton version ‘reality’ (innocence of any wrongdoing), same Obama administration’s Pinocchio ‘realism’ defined “our administration was scandal-free.”
It’s enough make Saint Peter a skeptic, Vincent Peale into Mencken, lifelong football/baseball fan shuffleboard man. Thankfully, in a day to day world on the verge destruction variously: President Trump/MAGA today and beyond!
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HC – VERY surprised you are falling into its a black or white situation here. It is abundantly clear it is a gray and nuanced situation where two people are at fault.
Also find it strange that so many who believe Hill is a monster totally disregard our justice system. He accepted a deal in 2014 and pled guilty (after originally pleading not guilty) and took the consequences. For those that don’t want him to play and continue punishing – it’s just a sporting event! Should he just be able to wash your car? Clean your toilet? Mow your lawn?
Tyreek and Espinal have both made serious mistakes. Main issue should be the 3 children and that they are in a safe and caring environment. If justice system is unable to charge either, we have to accept it. PRAY for the kids and that Tyreek and Espinal can become good parents (if they are allowed custody). And let Tyreek run around on a field playing a GAME and be able to support them financially.
Good points
Another opinion….another a…ole!
Next thing you know you’ll be asking Kevin Kietzman to write articles on this blog.
And what a surprise that you are jumping on the lynching train that was started by KK and The Who Cares editorial opinions of a major market dying newspaper.
Let me say that if Hill was proven guilty of breaking his son’s arm, he should be barred
from playing in the NFL permanently. But alas, he has not been proven guilty.
Let’s add to this lynching theory that KCTV gave us 25% of what they had on tape. They chose what they wanted and edited (there’s that edited word again) the tape that formed the prior opinion that. “Tyreek Hill is a dirtbag” your words. They did disclose they had eleven minutes of that conversation but did not air it or make it available on their website. Add to that the softball interview Channel 5 and Danny Welniak did with Kevin Kietzman and it looks like they are part of your media lynch mob. We can thank 610 Sports for letting us hear the entire recorded conversation, so we can assume they are not on the same wagon you and the editors of the KC Star are riding on.
Football is a violent sport and attracts strong, aggressive violent men. If those men break the law, abuse wives or abuse children and they are proven guilty of those crimes and atrocities they should pay the price. The NFL investigators, the justice and penal systems are there to impose those penalties on those who cross those lines. Let them do their job.
It is not yours, Kietzman’s or editors from the Kansas City Star responsibilities to be judge and jury. Look at the company you’re keeping, if I were you, I would extract myself from the lynch mob.
As for me, I will wait for the decision of the NFL following their investigation and be satisfied with that decision and quit listening or reading about what a few windbag’s opinions are of what should happen to Tyreek Hill.
Ya got me!
At long last, I’m unmasked for my secret allegiance with the editors of the Kansas City Star!
I read all of Z’s comment.
I think he was only unmasking you for being Hearne.
Unmasking, huh?
I unmasked myself a long time back, in case you failed to notice