Would really love some opinions on this conversation!

E

eaglobo

Cathlete
So, a buddy of mine calls me the other day and asks me if I want to go to last nights Phillies/Braves baseball game. He's got club box seats, catered food, the whole 9 yards. I tell him no, because Brett Myers is pitching for the Phillies, and I have serious issues with Brett Myers.

Two years ago, Brett Myers beat his wife after a night of drinking in Boston. The very next day, the Phillies allow Brett Myers to make his regularly scheduled start, after of course he is released from the police station, this matter still makes my skin crawl, and I have been a die-hard Phillies fan almost since birth, going to a Phillies game was one of the few times I really bonded with my father.

My first inclination after the incident with Myers is to completely give up on the organization for not stepping in and IMMEDIATELY suspending him, but the Phillies due have some class acts on the team in guys like Chase Utley and Jamie Moyer, so I can't completely disavow them as a whole.

What I can do, and will always do, is refuse to go to any game Myers pitches, he doesn't belong on a major league roster, I'm sorry, he just doesn't.

Here is where the conversation gets interesting..My buddy tells me to get over it, you root for the laundry, not the person in it, his wife forgave him, why can't you. I have no forgiveness in me for people who beat their spouses, and get away with it with no repercussions.

As far as his wife forgiving him, I watched the press conference where this took place, the whole thing looked terribly staged.

Do you guys here on the forums think I need to forgive this guy just because he is a major league baseball player, and his wife supposedly forgives him??

I don't, and I won't, the Phillies should have shown some class and outright released him, IMHO
 
I kind of agree w/both of you. I grew up in the area as well & I can't imagine for rooting for any sports organizations other than Philadelphia based teams. Crap, my dad would disown me! :p

Why don't you just boycott the Myers games? Let's face it, all sports teams have scumbags & class acts in them. All ORGANIZATIONS have bad people & good people working for them. If you boycotted everyone who had an evil employee you'd never do business again.

Don't give up on the Phillies. Just give up on Myers.
 
Alright, I am unabashedly a HUGE Mets fan so I don't really have any positive feelings about the Phillies to begin with. Having said that, I think you are showing a lot of class, Jerry.

I agree, the Phillies should have released Myers as soon as this happened. I recall talking to my husband about it and he stated unequivocally, that he would have been fired immediately from his job if this were to happen to him.

It makes me nauseated that the team stood behind him....like he was the one who needed support. He was no victim here.

I am not ashammed to say that I openly delight in every game that he is involved in and he loses/pitches poorly(like last night.) On top of it, he is such an obnoxious a****le, it took everything in me to keep from running on the field at the Mets opening day game and punching him the face.

Alright, I'm sure I've said waaay too much now but I think you did the right thing. The only way fans can express their displeasure to ownership is through their wallets. You did the right thing by not going. A big :) for you!
 
Jerry- I totally agree with you......the Phillies should have immediately let Myers go! Heck, look at Michael Vick! He got let go from his team for dog-fighting! Myers not only should have been released from the team, but should have been jailed for longer than it takes to post bail!!! REGARDLESS of whether or not his wife "forgives" him!

I'm with you, Jerry, I have a total aversion to spousal abuse and the Phillies' turning a blind-eye to it shouts to the world that Myer's behavior is "okay".
 
Laura - I believe that's what Jerry said he's doing. Supporting the team but refusing to attend or watch any game this guy pitches in.
 
Jerry,

Your reaction to me says that you have great integrity and respect for women. For that, I thank you on behalf of all of us women who are chronically disrespected in the media and elsewhere. If only more men were like you!

j
 
>Laura - I believe that's what Jerry said he's doing.
>Supporting the team but refusing to attend or watch any game
>this guy pitches in.

Ummm yeah, I kinda got that, I was just offering support.
 
Jerry I am so with you. I'm a die hard Braves fan so I watched the game last night. I was steaming the whole time because Myers was playing. I can't beleive anyone would want to even be on a team with him (i know players really don't have a choice). And when he got pulled out of the game he had a really bad attitude about it. When Glavin got pulled he knew it was time and he gave the ball to Bobby and went to the dugout. I was thinking well you can tell which one will beat there wife and which dosen't. I respect you so much for your choice. I was really hurt when Chipper cheated on his first wife with a hooters girl and wouldn't watch him for a while.

By the way if ya'll want to get rid of Howard well take him he won't be slumping too much longer.

Go Braves!!!!!!!!!!

Farrah
 
I agree with you, Jerry. And I'm proud of you for taking a stand (even better would be to write a letter to let the league know your stand).


>...you root for the laundry, not the
>person in it

A very odd way of looking at things (is this an expression in your neck of the woods?)
 
>>...you root for the laundry, not the
>>person in it
>
>A very odd way of looking at things (is this an expression in
>your neck of the woods?)

I've always heard it as, "you root for the jersey, not the name on the back." The idea is in team sports you support the team, not individual players. That's all fine and good, of course, unless the players also happen to be criminals, as in this case.
 
just some other thoughts to consider...

Yes, of course beating a spouse (or anyone) is not acceptable. And regardless of the reason, you as a consumer have every right to not attend or watch a particular player or team. Do you "need" to forgive him? well, certainly not for those reasons - being skilled/famous, or because his wife did. But to assume that he (or people in general, for whatever offense) is unforgivable, without all the facts, is not fair. The media has a great propensity to highlight events of the "famous", lacing them with sensationalism, suggestions, and even outright lies, because it sells. If there were some contributing factors (spouse abused him verbally, infidelity, depression or other temporary mental health factor resulting from others' actions or lack of support), and it was a one-time thing that was completely out of character for him, and is NOT his true nature or personality...maybe that is why those who know him (team, spouse) choose to help and support him now. Also to say that he "got away with it with no repercussions"...how do you know? There may be fines, mandatory counseling, provisional work arrangements, who knows. Certainly having your personal life challenges and tragedies displayed in the national media circus is a very damaging and stressful repercussion...and just because someone is "famous" does NOT mean they "deserve" this. If you (or someone you love) had something terrible happen that involved your (or their) responsiblity in some way, how would you feel if it was advertised to the world (with a bunch of twisted interpretations), when anyone else could at least deal with it reasonably privately?

I don't know anything about this particular guy...maybe it IS a repeat problem of someone who knows exactly what he was doing at the time with no mitigating factors, and has "gotten away with it" for a long time and is getting off very lightly and inappropriately for this event. And if you KNOW that based on FACTS, your comments make a lot of sense. If you don't though...making decisions/accusations/conclusions about someone else's life and personality based limited information (or worse, media MISinformation) may not be the best path. The media knows that we humans have a tendancy to jump on the persecution bandwagon, and takes advantage of us that way (with no care or regard to the unjustified damage they inflict on individuals and their families - and by the way, they do THAT with no repercussions to themselves).

Again, I am NOT promoting the guy or his actions, just suggesting that there may be other things to consider.
 
Here are the facts:

1. He got drunk.
2. He beat his wife.
3. He was arrested(this makes it a matter of public record and not a personal matter.)
4. The team allowed him to play the next day.
5. He had a press conference in which he *apologized* and his wife *forgave him.*

And, I'm sorry, but *verbal abuse, infidelity, depression or mental health issues* do not excuse or explain physical violence toward your spouse, nor does the fact that you only did it once make it a less deplorable offense.

For the life of me, other than self-defense, I can't imagine what other factors one has to consider in having an opinion on spousal abuse.I can't begin to fathom a single *explanation* that would seem reasonable to me. And, as I say to my friends, if Brett Myers didn't want us to talk about him beating up women, he shouldn't have gotten arrested for beating up his wife. There exists no defense for him because what he did is indefensible.
 
My husband is also a diehard Phillies fan and also despises Myers, mainly because he's a horrible pitcher, but also because of the incident with his wife and the Phillies organization's stance (or lack thereof) afterwards.

I'm with you all the way on this one!
 
Bella,

I have all the facts I need..

1) Brett Myers beat his wife in view of witnesses on a Boston street.

That's all the facts I need. In my eyes, that is inexcusable, and unforgiveable.

As far as the depression angle, I went through a severe depression a few years ago, and the furthest thing from my mind was harming the one person who stands behind me every step I take.

I have zero sympathy for todays' pro athlete, they make more money in a year than I'll see in a thousand lifetimes. Myers' doesn't want to face the music, then act like a responsible professional, both on and off the field.

The only reason for his apology..it was team-ordered.
 
As a follow up to the conversation, my buddy says to me last night..."Without Brett Myers, the Phillies don't win the division last year".

I can only pray to a higher power my priorities never get that screwed up.
 
Jerry I thought about you last night while watching the Phillies/Braves game. I didn't not like the outcome of the game. I'm sure you were happy. But I'm not sure what the terms of Myers contract is but it might be like when the Braves had Rocker. You really can't do anything until his contract is up. Once its up they might not resign him. Lets hope not and lets hope no one else wants him. Once Rockers contract was up he was gone and all they players for the Braves said they were so glad he was gone.

Keep your head up for your team. He won't be there long. And the Phillies didn't win the divison because of Myers they won it because everyone on the team worked hard and didn't give up.

Farrah
 
The players themselves need to police their own at some point.

Years ago, I remember Paul Molitor asked to be traded because his home park had a Budweiser contract and every time someone hit a home run it was " "insert name" this Buds for you".

Molitor had been raised in a family with alcohol abuse and had had drug use issues himself that he overcame told the Twins that he wasn't going to promote drinking. Whenever he homered they didn't do the in park commercial.
 
RE: Would really love some opinions on this conversatio...

I am a self proclaimed baseball hater. I hate the sport, I always have (course I did grow up in the 80's in Houston with the astros, maybe thats why?). so I have not heard a word about this whole situation before this discussion. Two things stand out- if the organization really cared about him, his drinking and spousal abuse, maybe they should have given him some time off(or demanded he take some time off) to get himself straight. But since he is a big paycheck, I am sure they didn't. 2nd- I am so happy to find people in this world that actually do care about what they feel is right and are willing to stand by it. Jerry, not a lot of peole would stand up to a buddy over this, and I deeply admire it. There ARE good people left in this world!!!! Thanks for being one of them!
 
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