Most people who are criticizing and judging haven’t even tried half of what you failed at. — David Goggins
That quote is exactly what I’ve come to believe about the abjectly absurd phenomenon called the “cancel culture.” Their motto clearly is, if at first you don’t succeed, then tear them down so you can temporarily feel better about your utterly unremarkable life. Because what former Las Vegas Raiders John Gruden said in what were private emails between he and another NFL head coach didn’t nearly warrant the savage over-the-top reaction that led to his recent resignation.
Of course, when I heard he made “racist comments” my first thought was, “Oh fuck! How many times did he use the N-word?” But he didn’t! In a fit of anti-union pique, all he did was accuse the black NFL players association director of being “dumb” and having lips the size of michellin (sic) tires.” While the lip thing was certainly an unfortunate racial trope, it was clearly incidental because nothing else in eight long years of emails could be perceived to be the least bit racist. And we all know that real bigots don’t nearly have that kind of willpower.
Former players went as far a backing up Gruden’s assertion that he regularly referred to mendacious people as having “rubber lips,” and thus the unfortunate Michelin reference.
Then I thought it must’ve been the “homophobic” and “misogynist” comments that put Gruden in the rabble’s crosshairs. But the general gist of that email vitriol was referring to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as a “faggot and a clueless anti football pussy.” I probably wouldn’t have used those words, but I can’t say I disagree with that sentiment. From botching the Kaepernick protest, to overhyping openly gay player Michael Samm who never played a down in the NFL, to repeatedly ignoring the domestic violence issue among players, Goodell’s brand of artificial wokeness and vast hypocrisy haven’t fooled anyone.
Though I’m not nearly the only one who believes that Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner is a despicably hypocritical human being, I was far more troubled by Gruden’s unnecessarily nasty references to her and his bizarre disdain for the first female NFL referee.
But none of that changes the fact that I have to ask Gruden’s primarily female critics if they’ve ever been in ANY sports locker-room before? I have, and let me tell ya, the trash talking and other bullshit certainly ain’t for the faint hearted. Let’s just say that the words “pussy” and “faggot” aren’t nearly the worst of it. The truth is, you have to be an apex predator to play and coach in the NFL and that kind of rampant testosterone manifests itself in some fascinating ways and no amount of “woke” interventions are going to change that.
But we’re not even talking about a locker room here! We’re talking about what were intended to be private emails between two unhappy NFL head coaches. How many of us could withstand having our private emails released to the public? And anyone with half a brain knows the only reason these missives were “leaked” was Gruden’s repeated criticism of the Commissioner, which makes Roger Goodell a real piece of shit.
So, as my thoughts on the cancel culture continue to evolve, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s more about tearing people down than it is about enforcing any kind of twisted “wokeness.” And nothing makes that more evident than the rabble’s reaction to what black former NFL head coach Tony Dungy tweeted about the Gruden debacle:
…if Jon Gruden shows TRUE remorse, and more importantly, changes his mindset and actions, I would forgive him. As Christians, that’s what the Bible commands us to do because that’s what God does for us.
I couldn’t think of a more fair response, but to say Gruden’s detractors would have none of it would be the mildest of understatements. You’d a thunk Dungy accidentally called Caitlyn Bruce! Really? You mean there’s no longer any hope for anyone learning from their mistakes and we can no longer apply the limitless potential of a teaching moment?
So much for that Christian ideal of turning the other cheek.
Of course, In the end, Gruden was relegated to the scrap heap just to feed the insatiable bloodlust of some eternally miserable folks who would never begin to attempt a third of what he’s accomplished. And they have absolutely no interest in redemption, either. The cancelers only care about tearing other people down in a fleeting but ultimately futile attempt to make themselves feel better about their persistent miserable lives.
I know this is national news story, but I’m using it as a metaphor for what’s going on in Elgin right now. A city councilperson and a community policing Task Force “tasked” with improving the City are co-opting that amazing opportunity to do just the opposite. With rare exception, they have no intention of building anything or anyone up and every intention of tearing it all down in an effort to redress the slightest perceived grievances and make themselves feel better about their own vast shortcomings.
And whether their target is John Gruden or the Elgin Police Department, it really sucks!
