A Comedy of Errors

Sorry posting has been quite scarce around here lately. I was traveling for several days and then attended a chemistry conference earlier last week.

Unfortunately, most of the major sports sites (ESPN, NFL.com) have been mysteriously causing my browser to crash for the past 2-3 days, so really important things (Wes Welker's return to camp, Brett Favre's annual "will I retire?" game, Michael Vick declaring bankruptcy, NCAA investigations into dodgy recruiting practices, etc.) will have to wait until I can find out what's wrong with my computer.

One very interesting bit of humor, however, was sent to me by my buddy Eric (football fan and avid reader), via ESPNChicago, involving an exchange of some certain words between Chicago LB Brian Urlacher and conservative talking head Glenn Beck. Before everyone reading sprays their drinks all over the screen, here is the necessary background. A website called theroot.com (best described as a black news and entertainment site; unfortunately also crashes my browser), made a list of the "blackest white people" that they knew. Somehow, both Urlacher and Beck made the list (and honestly, don't ask me to explain something like this. I've read quantum mechanics treatises written by people who can barely speak English that make more sense than things like this). Beck, on his show, proceeded to discuss the other nominees on the list in a humorous commentary. When he came to Urlacher, Beck joked that the linebacker looked "like a Neo-Nazi" (Presumably due to the former's skin tone, short hair, and tattoo). This then caused a big controversy where Beck apologized, citing he did not know who Urlacher was and had to be careful, for Urlacher would likely "kill him" if he found out. 

Um, what? This has got to be the most preposterous offseason news I've heard thus far (and this offseason has been especially preposterous - yes, Tennessee Titans, I am talking about you). As an Urlacher fan, I'm glad Beck apologized. It's generally good policy to not meddle in the affairs of folks like linebackers, lest they try to eat you with barbecue sauce if you step out of line. Nonetheless, people have said much, much worse things on late night TV in the name of "comedy" without anyone so much as batting an eyelash, let alone turning it into a huge, unnecessary controversy about politics and race.*

*I try and excuse myself from these discussions. No matter what side you're on, you'll never win.