But don’t kid yourself. If the Braves release him, both the Mets and Yanks would trip over themselves to offer him a contract. (well, maybe not the Yanks)
Rocker does have a lot of growing up to do. I think he could do it much better wearing Dodger blue.
I am a Braves fan. I am very happy to see this moron go to Richmond (if in fact he decides to report). Aside from the fact that he was pitching atrociously - there was the simple fact that the man must be thick as a brick. All he had to do was keep his damned mouth shut. Shut Up John !! Thats it. It all would have gone away. But no, like the complete senseless idiot he is he kept adding fuel to the fire. Shut the Hell Up John !!. Putz. Rot in single A ball for all I care.
BTW, I can imagine no situation (within reason) in which Braves fans would throw anything at anyone. The fans at Turner have class. Perhaps some NY fans should look the word up.
I personally think John Rocker is a small-minded big-mouthed bigot who couldn’t learn to concentrate on baseball and keep the press at arm’s length. This, of course, leads into the whole “I’m a famous athlete so I have the right to be above civility/the law/my teammates/etc.” For example, what’s up with this deal the Baltimore football player made to roll over his friends for no jail time? And they’re letting him back on the team?
Professional sports is fucked up. I’m glad I’m not athletically inclined, so I don’t watch (well, except for some of those cute hockey players… ;))
Esprix
Spooje:
The general consensus around the league, according to what I’ve read (ESPN.com, etc.), is that NO team is really willing to take Rocker right now. He is simply not worth the immense aggrevation he would cause.
The Mets management signing Rocker to a contract would be a public relations nightmare. No way would that ever happen. Besides, I think he would rather quit than play there, right?
I think some of you might find this editorial by John Leo on John Rocker from U.S. News & World Report interesting.
Ray Lewis committed a crime. He pled guilty in a court of law to obstruction of justice in a case where two people died. He gets to continue his $26,000,000 contract with, at worst, a fine.
John Rocker committed no crime. He was convicted in the court of public opinion and punished with a suspension and fine.
Ray Lewis is applauded by the press as a hero for doing what’s right by ratting on his friends.
John Rocker is derided and ridiculed by the press for having the audacity to have an opinion.
It’s all in how you spin it.
Ray Lewis is a criminal.
John Rocker is an asshole.
The real police lose.
The Thought Police win.
I would have thought that on THIS enlightened board people would have realized that opinions should be protected even if we disagree with them. When the Thought Police shuts down this board because they think we’re all assholes, how will we feel then? Think it won’t happen? John Rocker probably thought that he had a right to free speech too.
We’re back to the old “New York fans have no class” opinion. The fact is that any sports town worth its salt is going to have an element of people that take things too far. Or did you miss the Cubs-Dodgers game? Most New Yorkers do not condone the actions of a handful of Met fans.
New York City invented class. We’re the cultural hub of the universe. Although I hear Atlanta may have a decent museum or two…
Along with “queers with AIDS”, “Hispanics with four kids” (I wonder how many Andres Galaragga has), people with “purple hair”, “fat monkeys”, “Vietnamese”, “Korean” and “Asian” people. How did all these “liberals” get in this country, anyway?
“Opinions” which he quickly distanced himself from and apologized for once the sports world reacted to what he said. “Opinions” which Rocker still claims misrepresented him. If he really is the conservative martyr that some people claim he is, he wouldn’t have backed down, bit the pillow and took his screwin’ so quickly. What a shitty role model for liberal-haters. He’s so PC.
Tell me HomeSlice, does the idea of homosexuals on a subway car scare you too? Or do you not “have the balls to say”?
Spooge,
Wake up man, we had a problem just like John Rocker, and his name is Rickey Henderson. He’s history now. Don’t hold your breath waiting for ANY New York organization to knock on Rocker’s door if he got released.
Merlyn NY
Did I miss something? What did Rickey Henderson do? And I hardly think you can lump him with a Johnny-one-note like Rocker.
Are you sure of that? Cus in my mind I can see Peter Angelos introducing Rocker to Albert Belle, especially with their miserable pitching…
Oh can’t I!!! Lets see… Ricky has a big mouth. Rickey was caught playing CARDS during the freakin playoffs last year, not giving a crap about the game. Ricky sprinted to first base off a drive into the outfield which he “thought” was a homerun. Rickey demands to be traded one second, then says he wants to stay the next. You’re right, I can’t lump Henderson in with Rocker, he’s probably a lot worse.
Future Hall of Famer or not, he’s another asshole.
Merlyn NY
Its not the idea that scares me, its the image of that fag pounding a load into another fag. :eek:
If by “pounding a load” you are making a bigoted mean-spirited reference to sex, you will be pleased to learn that sex is prohibited on the New York City Subway.
Asshole.
Funny, no comments on the link that UncleBeer posted or on anything that Cynical1 said.
I agree with both! Assholes exist, assholes are a permanent part of our landscape. They have a perfect right to exist, and a perfect right to speak their mind. We are all free to disagree and ignore them, or state our opinios to the contrary. But beware the circustances of firing the asshole from his job because you think he’s an asshole. One day someone will think the same of you and you’ll be fired.
Merlyn, I can understand how you feel about Rocker, but what if things turned around very quickly, and someone at the place where you work (with power and authority) said to you that you have no business calling Rocker an asshole, and you are now relieved of your duties, and asked to leave the building? Not a good feeling, I’m sure.
And what about the instances described when other sports figures have committed violent crimes, and did not even get suspended? That is a sham! The law actually gets broken, no problem. Cynical1 - excellent point, baseball does not mind of you beat your wife, but dammit, don’t you dare think bad thoughts! Carefull people, who will be left when they come for you?
Sili
PS - He is an ass by all indications, and should be boooed on the field, but allowed to play.
I heard on the radio today that some political opportunist on the Richmond city council (the host city of the minor league team to which Rocker is supposed to report) is saying, “We don’t want John Rocker here.”
This is the kind of shit I’m talking about.
That councilman has probably never lamented the fact that child molestors, rapists, drug pushers or murderers live in his community. He (or she, didn’t hear which) has probably never made such statements about someone coming into the community on parole from a prison sentence for a violent crime.
But John Rocker, the national pinata? Line up and take your swings!
Yeah, the guy said some objectionable crap. I am personally of the belief that even he doesn’t believe the stuff he said, that he just got caught up in his intense competitiveness with the Yankees and Mets and New York in general, and got carried away.
The guy’s apologized more than once, but no fucking way is that going to be good enough for us. We, the righteously indignant, have so very few people we can direct hatred and vitriol at and still feel good and politically correct about ourselves. We’ll be damned if we’re gonna let one this good get away easily!
UncleBeer’s link was great. Reminded me what a jackass Ted Turner is too. 
I agree that officially punishing players for their beliefs is a dangerous road to go down. You probably don’t even need to. If you say something that stupid, you tend to get booed all across the country and denounced by community leaders and what not.
It also effects the trust your teammates have in you. He is a pitcher on a team whose shortstop, first baseman, second baseman and all three catchers on roster were born outside the US. By bitching about immigrants and Hispanics to a journalist, Gomer struck a blow to his team’s unity.
His comments bit him in his ass before MLB even had the chance too. The Constitution allows Rocker to say whatever he wants. The Constitution also allows people to think Rocker’s a braindead jackass. I think this thread is a celebration of that particular freedom.
The image of riding on a roller coaster scares the crap of of me, but I don’t feel threatened if roller coaster fans sit next to me on the 7 line.
And, by the way, I’m definitely not a fan of Ray Lewis returning to the NFL. I’d be surprised if anyone here was.
I’m an Atlanta fan, to. But I must admit that I’m glad he got shipped off to Richmond. I’m just tired of hearing about the jackass.
While I’m sure the stunt with the SI reporter was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’m also sure that if the pecker head was throwing strikes, he’d still be getting Major League meal money.
“I know all about you, meat. A million dollar arm, but a 5 cent head,” said Crash Davis. “I hear you couldn’t hit water if you fell out of a fucking boat.”
Being an immature jackass can cause one to stay stupid shit on the national stage. Being an immature jackass can cause one’s athletic performance to be irratic. So it follows John Rocker is an immature jackass. But we already knew that, didn’t we.
“say stupid shit,” the stupid shit tried to type. “Say stupid shit.” 
Rocker is absolutely entitled to his opinions, just as the rest of us are who think he’s a small-minded bigot. Am I missing something, or isn’t it absolutely plausible that he’s getting sent down simply because he walked 28 guys in his last 19 innings (or whatever the stat is)?
I mention this because I don’t think that most of the Rocker apologists here are referring to the original fine/suspension (long over) when they refer to “punishing a man for his opinions.” Sounds like there’s a belief that he’s getting sent down for some PC reason, rather than being a closer who allows too many baserunners and long balls and who can’t get anybody out. A live left arm that can throw strikes makes up for a lot of personality issues in baseball (not that that’s proper). Anybody who thinks Rocker would have been sent down if he was still dominating is kidding themselves.
I just hope he doesnt end up like Mark Wholers(sp?)