I won't aim this post at the people of New York. I know they are a diverse and forgiving lot -- I think they downgraded from double-A to triple-A batteries on Rocker's second visit back to Shea after those "comments." Look, I get that everyone views Atlanta and her sports fans as apathetic. Heck, I even named the SBN Atlanta blog "Fairweather Report," after our sometimes fairweather fans.
But there's just a level of enemy fan ignorance and hate I will not tolerate, and this misinformed lazy journalist from ESPN New York just hit my hot button:
If the New York Yankees are the standard for excellence in baseball, Atlanta is the epitome of the bottom of the barrel when it comes to fan support.
Hence, the Atlanta Falcons shouldn't be allowed to win and reward some of the worst fans in the country. They just don't get it. They are both missing in action and simply not passionate enough to appreciate their team winning in the NFL playoffs and moving on to the next round.
He then goes on to match John Rocker in ignorance and hate when he writes this:
Your typical Atlanta fan -- who is probably from another city since so few are actually from ATL -- will be preoccupied with something else. They might not even be sure what time the game is on.
In fact, at some point, they might ask a friend -- filled with sweet tea -- at a pork-saturated barbeque, "Are the Falcons playing today?"
He has based his assertion that Atlanta is the worst sports town in America on the Atlanta Braves attendance and other imagined or poorly researched reasons. They even have a sidebar stating that the Braves attendance in 2011 was 15th out of the 30 teams in baseball. He never mentions that the New York Mets had a lower attendance than Atlanta last year.
He lists the Falcons home attendance as 15th in the league, but fails to mention the percentage of their home attendance (96.8) was higher than his New York Giants (96.3) or the New York Jets (95.7). You ignorant freaking idiot! The Falcons do a better job of selling out their stadium than either of your precious New York teams. The Braves drew more fans last year than your pitiful Mets.
So Atlanta is the worst sports town in America, eh? Well it's pretty clear that ESPN New York has the worst sports writers in America. And I'm just going to base that off of one thing I read and the general impression that I get from that one thing, without doing any real research or thinking for one moment that my hypothesis might be a complete load of crap. The fact that Rob Parker gets paid to write about sports should tell you all you need to know about the "quality" of ESPN New York.
The Dirty Birds are going to kick some Giant ass this Sunday. (Oh, and next season the Braves, as well as every other team in the league, are going to stomp all over the Mets -- the worst team in baseball.)
4 recs | 203 comments
Oh snap!
It’s on like Donkey Kong!
king of games - January 6, 2012
Take This!
KMarch - January 6, 2012
That might be my favorite moment of this season of Community. There are no words for the genius of that scene.
gondeee - January 6, 2012
Amazing show.
This is my favorite television show ever.
gilley - January 6, 2012
The Office? Workaholics? The League?
Cammando2317 - January 6, 2012
I love The Office and The League. I don’t like Workaholics. I also like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Freaks and Geeks, Party Down, Bored to Death and Parks and Rec.
Community is my favorite.
gilley - January 6, 2012
It's Always Sunny and Breaking Bad = 2 best tv shows on the air
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
Breaking Bad + The Wire
JoelGuzman'sScout - January 7, 2012
The Wire is no longer airing
Mr. Sanchez - January 7, 2012
Dexter just had an awesome season again
astromets - January 7, 2012
Meh
very predictable season
Mr. Sanchez - January 7, 2012
ever?
wow, it’s funny and all, but there’s a real reason why people didn’t watch it and it had to be put on hiatus.
JoelGuzman'sScout - January 7, 2012
There is a reason
the same reason that Two and a Half Men is the country’s number one comedy: Most Americans are idiots and can’t understand comedy that isn’t pitched at a very base level.
KMarch - January 7, 2012
Ah yes – probably the same reason that nobody watches The League and the same reason that Arrested Development was also cancelled.
justincredubil02 - January 7, 2012
"It's like a $25 bit and it wasn't even funny."
The show is insanely brilliant. Not always the greatest every week, but you can always see what they were trying to do and I respect the hell out of that.
Happy Endings has joined Community in the upper echelon of “Actually Funny Network Sitcoms.”
KMarch - January 6, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTBgm5GNo-Y
Cammando2317 - January 6, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXno3lhVGOM
JoelGuzman'sScout - January 7, 2012
Lost in the irony of this outrage over Atlanta fans’ alleged sports apathy appears to be this little network TV circle jerk. “Hey, you love Community? Me too!! Wait, what were we just talking about?”
hoboken_wood - January 6, 2012
Nice job Gondeee
Rob Parker has a history of being a jackass
a hooter's baby - January 6, 2012 via mobile
jackassness? jackassity?
TonyAlmeyda - January 6, 2012
FTFY.
It’s not fair.
And, we know, it really shouldn’t matter.
But Rob Parker — the man, not just the writer — doesn’t deserve a job with ESPN or even be allowed to write at all.
It has something to do with his writing, but It’s deeper than that.
Without question, Rob Parker is the laziest, most ignorant person in all of America.
soup du jour - January 6, 2012
No
That monaker goes to Michael Moore
Kushagi - January 6, 2012 via mobile
No
That moniker goes to Michele Bachmann.
UMDBHIK - January 6, 2012
Oh please…
carpengui - January 6, 2012
In all fairness...
I think it is a tie
Santaklose11 - January 6, 2012
I'll second that!
Adam_S - January 6, 2012
Rick Santorum would like a word…
abraves257 - January 6, 2012
I thought
there was to be no political discussion here. If that’s changed, I could come up with an honor roll of lazy, ignorant political figures.
sddbaker - January 6, 2012
Yeah like 99.99999% of politicians from both parties.
Adam_S - January 6, 2012
WHOA
Let’s not get nasty.
Besides, I think you left off a few 9’s…
Doghnut - January 7, 2012
rec'd.
Santaklose11 - January 7, 2012
rec'd
Mr. Sanchez - January 6, 2012
I’d put Ed Hinton up against him for lazy journalism.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
As an Iowan Braves fan, this kind of writing doesn’t get under my skin as it must yours, but isn’t this response just poking the troll? We beg people not to do that in the open threads. And now I actually know Rob Parker’s name, which will only be good for Rob I guess.
joshmaurer - January 6, 2012
Well I know Hugo Chavez's name
but it doesn’t make him any less of a maniacal idiot, or otherwise assist him in any way….
I am not sure that negative publicity helps one anymore than no publicity….
Santaklose11 - January 6, 2012
I don’t think its actually a troll if the writer stakes their name and reputation behind it.
tcstew - January 6, 2012
GO BLUE!
bravesguy311 - January 6, 2012
Personally
I like a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with my pork barbeque. Of course, I don’t like to waste my dixie cups on such occassions so we just pass it around and drink it from the bottle.
adc62 - January 6, 2012
Tastes even better
if you leave it in the paper bag in which it’s wrapped.
UMDBHIK - January 6, 2012
Good idea
And the bag might catch whatever wine might fall from the bottle & keep it from hitting my bare feet.
adc62 - January 6, 2012
Whoa whoa whoa...
in a bottle? It’s not a party unless the wine comes out of a box!
jwrocks - January 6, 2012
Or
you screw the lid off instead of pop a cork. BoonesFarm baby!
adc62 - January 6, 2012
technically....
a malt liquor.
sddbaker - January 7, 2012
Yeah we need those Dixie cups as spitoons, you know
Santaklose11 - January 6, 2012
Man, these are the times I wish I weren’t banned from commenting on ESPN…maybe it’s time to make an alternate ID?
Honestly, Atlanta fans can be pretty bad. But this coming from a NYer with bad information and inaccurate stereotypes just makes me mad. Like a cheerleader with a pencil having done no research.
Let’s go Birds!
michaeldlee1480 - January 6, 2012
Stuck on stupid...
As long as Tampa and Miami are fielding sports teams no other city is even in contention for worst sports town.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
Tampa isn't as bad as Jacksonville
But Georgia as a sporting community on the whole, is still better than anywhere in Florida.
This was one of the WORST articles I’ve read on ESPN, and I’ve read some bad one’s in the past.
garlick - January 6, 2012
Jacksonville is bad, but I really don’t count them since they only have an NFL team.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
…and they’ll soon lose that, too.
carpengui - January 6, 2012
Don't be ignorant
Jacksonville isn’t losing the team.
You guys do realize that Jax is right in the middle of the pack in NFL attendance too, right?
justincredubil02 - January 6, 2012
JAX is 25th of 32. That isn’t middle of the pack.
Cammando2317 - January 6, 2012
And market size isn't good
they’ve long been the rumored LA mover.
Mr. Sanchez - January 6, 2012
Jacksonville
isn’t going anywhere for a long time atleast. They a have a deal with the city that runs through 2029, and haven’t had a game blacked out in over 2 years. Its just that Jacksonville is an easy target for the National Media who don’t feel like doing much research. ( sound familiar ?)
theMAGICman - January 7, 2012
This!!!
justincredubil02 - January 7, 2012
That was this past season when the team was absolutely awful. If they are in any way competitive, they sell tickets. They weren’t blacked out at all last season, and IIRC, only had a couple this season.
BTW, 25th out of 32 doesn’t put them at the top of the list to move to LA. They aren’t moving anywhere.
justincredubil02 - January 6, 2012
Minnesota or Buffalo would move before the Jags. Hell, the Raiders would move (again) before the Jags.
Fatvirus - January 7, 2012
St Louis, Minn, Buffalo, Seattle, Oakland are all teams that would move before the Jags.
The situation is Jax is not even close to being dire. When Shahid Khan bought the team a few weeks ago, one of the stipulations for his ownership was that he would not move the team.
justincredubil02 - January 7, 2012
Buffalo is going to move, but to Toronto. This is going to happen when their owner dies. They already play a couple games there every year as is, and it’s a really wise move.
That said, the others are possibilities. I don’t think StL will do it, but Minnesota has a real chance, as does Oakland. Seattle won’t, they have no reason to. Their attendance is really strong and their fans are rabid at home. Moving that team would be a catastrophe.
-C
cthabeerman - January 7, 2012
Plus, there's contractual obligations to the stadium
it’s not happening, although I don’t think their support will stay strong through Gabbert.
Mr. Sanchez - January 7, 2012
We don’t type that name out loud around here…
justincredubil02 - January 8, 2012
Actually,...
around here, we are quite satisfied with our choice of QB (Ryan), I’m not sure what’s wrong with laughing at Blaine Gabbert (who at worse could have learned a little watching David Gerrard).
I recall someone calling the Jags a Super Bowl contender under Del Rio. If only I could remember who that someone was, to point and laugh at them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tApveIrJWg0&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
25th of 32 puts them in the bottom quartile. What am I missing here?
Cammando2317 - January 16, 2012
Tampa is infinitely worse than Jacksonville. Last year only two Bucs games werent blacked out. this year it was similar. The Jags at least show up enough to not have all their games blacked out. Also of note, the Jags are awful, whereas last year the Bucs were competitive and yet no one showed up.
To me Tampa Bay is the worst sports town in America, (with a caveat that they love their Lighnting).
Swo12bv - January 6, 2012
Don’t forget about the Rays. They have one of the best young teams in baseball and NO ONE goes to the games.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
Well
You know as well as I do that after a Tampa team wins a championship, everyone there is a great fan! lol
justincredubil02 - January 6, 2012
And they wonder why the phrase "East Coast Bias" exists
I would think that the meltdown of the Jets would be a much more interesting story to continue writing about this week… but no, they have go and invent one.
carpengui - January 6, 2012
Okay that did it ....
… that mention of pork-saturated barbeque – it’s Daddy D’z for dinner now.
ChillyMutt - January 6, 2012
that’s another thing: what does “pork saturated” even mean???
carpengui - January 6, 2012
Overload of pork? I thought that was a good thing? At least that’s what celebrity chefs in NY are always saying on TV.
michaeldlee1480 - January 6, 2012
I don't know...
But I hope any pork I eat is saturated in it. Don’t want no chicken saturated pork
Chapel420 - January 6, 2012
You, sir, almost made me laugh out my breakfast...
kudos
Santaklose11 - January 6, 2012
It’s pork marinated in pork, which is then cooked in pork sauce. And after that, you sprinkle pork salt on it.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
Sounds wonderful
Mr. Sanchez - January 7, 2012
Northeast
The New York area doesn’t even support a real college football team. Georgia Tech (whom I detest) has a better football following and attendance than any team with 200 miles of New York.
The Atlanta area supports two college football programs and three professional franchises with a metro population a third of New York.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
That was the first thing that jumped into my mind. He completely forgets that everyweekend there are five or six stadiums within 200 miles of Atlanta that are packed to the gills. Those same fans still turn out for the Atlanta teams.
The freaking STATE of New York can’t support a single decent college football program.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
To be fair..
thats more likely due to the fact that college football has little to no following in NY. It certainly isnt half as popular as in the south
bravesguy311 - January 6, 2012
which is why
saying Atlanta is the worst sports town is ridiculous
carloscollazo06 - January 6, 2012
Oh I agree
but no need to shit on NY to make that point, just because this guy is a jackass
bravesguy311 - January 6, 2012
Fair Enough
His whole article really ticked me off even though I live in NC.
carloscollazo06 - January 6, 2012
Me too.
I also live in NC. Born and raised near Atlanta, though, but it doesn’t require being from Atlanta to know that his article is a straight up piece of failure.
Caleb Rutherford - January 6, 2012
New York is a nice place. It’s like if you said Duke has a terrible fanbase and completely ignored the basketball team.
The obvious comparison is “Atlanta fans suck, and my readers (New Yorkers) are much better.” My point is that New York is all professional sports. Solely. So that New Yorkers draw much better to professional games without any competition from collegeiate sports is not hard to believe.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
Not sure that college fandom and professional fandom are mutually exclusive, but I do think your point. However, you are giving this douche bag a bunch more room for argumentation.
GumpBrave - January 8, 2012
100% right
New York’s football team resides about 10 minutes from my cubicle – Syracuse University. Pretty sad, but it’s very true.
Sidebar – I can’t stand SU, or any other NY team in college or pro athletics.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
The closest team of any tradition is Penn State and that’s 250 miles away.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
My squads aren’t that close. Duke for hoops and The U for football. Toss the Braves in there and yeah, I don’t belong in NY. LOL
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
Well, Hofstra had a team that was pretty decent (I actually watched Marques Colston play in college, oddly enough), but that program was cancelled.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
What about the Bills!?
KINGSLYTUT - January 6, 2012
Ahem…see the screename? DOLPHINnation.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
IDK, maybe you just love dolphins.
KINGSLYTUT - January 6, 2012
DN, you live in Syracuse? I was just there the week before Christmas.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
Yeppers…just outside it.
DolphinNation - January 7, 2012
Dude could hold dollar bills within the crevices of his forehead wrinkles.
michaeldlee1480 - January 6, 2012
This is such an avalanche of bullshit
I can’t even fathom where to start dismantling his each and every word.
But it’s pretty deliberate trolling, written with no other purpose than to get a reaction, which it’s successfully accomplished. I certainly wish I could get paid to troll the internet as an occupation too.
royhobbs - January 6, 2012
I'd love to see the AJC or some Atlanta Blog offer a retort with actual facts.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
That would be awesome
carloscollazo06 - January 6, 2012
Rob, you ignorant slut
award6 - January 6, 2012
Oh gondeee!
I love it when you get angry!
sddbaker - January 6, 2012
Watch the comments coming in on the article
its pretty intense
carloscollazo06 - January 6, 2012
Calling him lazy and ignorant is an insult to lazy and ignorant writers.
http://zoon.cc/stupid/
walknbalk - January 6, 2012
Ugh...
I forgot that this is the same jackass who called Hank Aaron a “coward” for not attending Bonds HR record game.
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
Rob Parker
I think I’ll name him Troll Daddy.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
Hey now
don’t go offending jackasses like that. What did a poor hardworking jackass do to you?
Santaklose11 - January 6, 2012
That comparison is...
unfair to trolls.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
Where to begin
Wait what? Comparing a baseball team’s superiority in particular criteria, compared to an entire city’s reputation in supporting… things?
That’s like me saying "If filet mignon is the standard of excellence in beef cuts, asparagus is the epitome of the bottom of the barrel when it comes to kids liking vegetables."
royhobbs - January 6, 2012
But because kids don’t like asparagus, mashed potatoes doesn’t get to be on the dinner table over the green bean casserole. Right.
royhobbs - January 6, 2012
Oh I give up
There is too much to Fire Joe Morgan with this
royhobbs - January 6, 2012
I admire your effort, though.
His article is so stupid, it’s hard to adequately slam it.
sddbaker - January 6, 2012
Add to that
“the epitome of the bottom of the barrel” is just horrible syntax.
KMarch - January 6, 2012
yes. of the of the of the of the. lol...8th grade Engrish paper.
walknbalk - January 6, 2012
It’s nonsense anyway… How can the Braves rank 15th in MLB in attendance and be the bottom of the barrel?
mdhenshaw - January 6, 2012
Hell,I think the Rome Braves are going to kick the mets asses!
chrisdaugherty - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
"Go Braves! Take the Falcons With You!"
That was a popular bumper sticker when my family lived in Atlanta for about three years from 1978-1981. Fan support for just about all sports there was pretty sad. We moved away, and because of TBS, I continued to watch my beloved (although usually hapless) Braves as I grew up, and lost interest in the Falcons altogether. (Somewhere, I have a Steve Bartkowksi Falcons pennant, though.) I do get frustrated when I see the Braves selling fewer tickets than I think they should, especially in the playoffs. If I still lived in Atlanta, I have no doubt I would be a season-ticket holder. Sure, Atlanta is full of transplants from other cities who still maintain their old team loyalties. The city is barely what it was thirty years ago when I lived there, but I know many Atlanta fans who are no less passionate about their teams than in many other areas. I won’t comment on the Falcons, as I have lived in New Orleans for fifteen years and I am a, uh, well, you know… Anyway, the point of all this is that I think Atlanta sports fans are better than they were in the past. As for Braves fans, if not being a totally antagonistic, arrogant blowhard is the metric by which we measure fans, yes, I give the Yankees the trophy.
Nabb1 - January 6, 2012
Oops
If being a totally antagonistic, arrogant blowhard is the metric, I should say.
Nabb1 - January 6, 2012
Yeah, I remember the jokes too… a guy left two Falcons tickets on his windshield for anyone to take, and when he came back, there were four tickets. Atlanta got a pretty raw deal with the original division placement in both baseball and football. They were playing a lot of their road games on the west coast, and they had no chance to develop regional rivalries. They did try to work with what they were given; at one time Braves-Dodgers was a highly regarded rivalry. But it just didn’t work.
The team organizations weren’t that great either, but they did have a lot of bad luck and got screwed on some things. The commissioner’s office screwed the Braves out of their opportunity to draft Tom Seaver, which obviously would have made a huge difference. Bartkowski was injured, for what, his first three years in Atlanta? And the layout of Atlanta-Fulton County was terrible for football; there were lots of seats that faced the field at weird angles, and some of the seats were a long ways away from the concession stands and restrooms.
I will admit that perhaps the Braves’ fans got just a bit spoiled by the ‘90s run. But I think that’s turning around now. There are a lot of young fans now for whom Glavine-Maddox-Smoltz are just entries in the record books, and they’re ready to make some new history.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
I still have some residual hatred for the Dodgers....
from those days. It’s also why I don’t like the Reds very much.
sddbaker - January 7, 2012
Yeah, I still get a laugh out of Larry McWilliams and Gene Garber ending Pete Rose’s hitting streak. He was such a baby about it.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
That was WONDERFUL...
Pete Rose… bleh.
sddbaker - January 7, 2012
You can call this number and file a complaint against this idiot with ESPN.
1-888-549-3776
BullManUGA - January 6, 2012
How many TC’ers can call at once? Maybe we can get him fired.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
Lol I called for shits and giggles she claims to “Pass it on” guess we shall see.
HeywardFTW! - January 6, 2012 via mobile
AKA "I'm not going to do anything"
TurnerTheBurner - January 6, 2012
Good arguement but
You don’t need to drag John Rocker into this! He’s kinda on both sides of the fence playing for Atlanta and Long Island. New York hates him and Atlanta wants nothing to do with him.
JohnRocker4CyYoung - January 6, 2012
BOOM! ROASTED!
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
on top of that
who the F*ck anointed Yankee fans as the best?
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
here is his twitter handle by the way:
@robparker_espn
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
@robparkerespn (no underscore)
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
Tweeted him twice and showed the facts!! @DC75x
HeywardFTW! - January 6, 2012 via mobile
Rob Parker better not show up in Atlanta after what he just did
suicide bunting is a sin - January 6, 2012
Man, do you guys honestly care what ESPN has to say about our city and the fans in Atlanta? They’re the TMZ of sports reporting. They only cover the stories that are “NOW” (haha) or “sexy” (overtly homoerotic and weird). And when there isn’t a fluff story and they might actually have to discuss SPORTING, they just make shit up.
Why anyone in their right mind would rely on ESPN for any sort of factual news or objective analyses is beyond my comprehension.
Fatvirus - January 6, 2012
This
ESPN is a sad shell of what it once was. It lost its soul when it decided it needed to be “hip” and “edgy”, and started running a bunch of shows about athlete cribs and rides in place of actual sports. Now that Versus has been reincarnated as NBC Sports, I’m curious to see what they can do against ESPN.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
Wow...I actually tried to complain to espn throught the "contact us" section
and it wouldn’t let me send in my feedback because “they suspected I am a bot”
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
if you are a bot, you are a 'lame' tea-drinking bot
walknbalk - January 6, 2012
hahaha
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
Got the same thing.
tylerj19 - January 7, 2012
This guy gets in so much trouble
and he is a huge racist as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Parker_(sports_journalist)
Atlanta Braves Fan - January 6, 2012
HAHAHAHA
someone put on his wikipedia page that he is an adament supporter or NAMBLA!! haha
Atlanta Braves Fan - January 6, 2012
“Parker doesn’t always choke on schlongs, but when he does, he prefers a 9 incher with genital warts.”
HAHAHAHA
KINGSLYTUT - January 6, 2012
“Many regularly cite Parker’s matriculation at a prestigious journalism school such as Columbia as an example of the failures of affirmative action, as his work regularly demonstrates that his admission must have been attributable to some factor other than his uninspiring intellect.”
ABURN
Fatvirus - January 6, 2012
also:
“He penned a much-maligned column where he called Hank Aaron a “coward” for declining to attend when Barry Bonds would break the career home run record. Hank Aaron was too busy defecating on Parker’s front porch to comment."
Fatvirus - January 6, 2012
Thing is that contacting ESPN about this is a waste, the guy’s rep is well known, they obviously employ him so he can say controversial things and generate a response.
As long as he’s not going after a minority group, no one at ESPN is going to care if people in Atlanta are outraged, contacting them is just telling them that you’re driving their number of page views up.
Lennox - January 6, 2012
Hating on the fans in one city in one of the fifty states of the USA
sounds like a minority in some ways to me.
Caleb Rutherford - January 6, 2012
By which I mean one of the minority groups that ESPN/ABC/Disney would be worried about offending. Fans from Atlanta obviously isn’t one of them. The only city anyone would get in trouble for going after is probably New Orleans.
Lennox - January 6, 2012
Lazy Journalism from ESPN New York?
When did Scott Coleman start working there?
leedawg - January 6, 2012
I rec'd this so hard I have to buy a new mouse.
Thanks.
Klemson Krash - January 6, 2012
This even made me laugh. Well done.
Scott Coleman - January 6, 2012
Wiki
On January 5th, 2012, Parker released an article on ESPN.com criticizing the fanbase of the Atlanta Falcons. He said “[w]ithout question, Atlanta is the worst sports town in America” and that “Atlanta is the epitome of the bottom of the barrel when it comes to fan support. Currently, he is being proven wrong by Atlanta sports fans.”6 Parker doesn’t always choke on schlongs, but when he does, he prefers a 9 incher with genital warts.
HeywardFTW! - January 6, 2012 via mobile
repost
Atlanta Braves Fan - January 6, 2012
Obviously I did not refresh the page to see the one above it.
HeywardFTW! - January 6, 2012 via mobile
On his wilepedia page
it states that on January 7th, 2012 he was forced to resign from ESPN after writing a racist article.
We can only hop this is true.
georgiadawgsfan - January 6, 2012
First Take
I enjoyed watching him on ESPN First Take before this article, now i can’t even finish the episode. The show has been going to crap anyway since it became the first and ten topics about Tebow and LeBron. The crazy thing is he picked the FALCONS to BEAT the GIANTS by 13 points!?!!? Wow, just wow i can’t get believe this article.
GwinnettBraves - January 6, 2012
Original quote...
Someone emailed me and said that the original text he had in the article was the following, but he had to change it after complaints:
Wow.
gondeee - January 6, 2012
When I first read the article, that line was still in there. I didn’t realize he had taken it out.
So that’s what they did in response to all the complaints? They removed one line? Wow indeed.
gilley - January 6, 2012
Yeah, that was still in last night
I immediately knew there was going to be a backlash. I find it hard to imagine that if Parker was a white journalist he’d still have a job right now.
KMarch - January 6, 2012
Couldn’t agree with you more on that. Regardless of his race, this article proves he’s a bigot.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
Unfortunate that being white or black makes you more or less of a bigot. The definition of biggotry is completely removed from being in the majority or minority. But beyond that, the thing tha really pisses me off is that ESPN is totally fine with it because A: He is a “NY journalist” whose exposure is primarily in the “NY” arena," meaning that, though equality is never achieved, it is published as something meaningful all the same, B: That Southerners are so widely ridiculed in various forms of media that it is okay to categorically lump all members of a population together (which, if based on race would NEVER, EVER fly- and rightly so.) Or C: That it generates hits. This is why everyone I’ve shared this with is getting it in copy and pasted form rather than hyperlink. This guy’s inability to reel in his idiocy is no reason to make ESPN money folks.
The point is whether by low IQ or by low standards, this guy is supremely unfit for popular consumption, far outstripping the meat of human babies in this sense.
BTW: Sorry to any victims of infanticile cannabilism, it was the only metaphor apt to capture the stupidity and raw immorality of what we have seen here.
GumpBrave - January 8, 2012
I’d be suprised if 1 out of every 10 folks in Atlanta has even seen a peach tree, much less picked them.
And besides, it’s pecan season.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
but my God if they've not been on Peachtree Str/Road/Court/Avenue/Circle/Drive/etc
Klemson Krash - January 6, 2012
I'm a Giants fan
But I am first and foremost a Braves fan. I bleed Atlanta blue, and on Sundays red. I sincerely hope the Falcons come out Sunday and put a severe hurting on the Giants so Rob Parker has to eat his foolish words.
thenightstallion - January 6, 2012
Honestly, I don’t think you have to worry about that. Despite the New York media and the road game, the Giants are the underdogs.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
Vegas disagrees
Fatvirus - January 6, 2012
My Dream
Please someone get Samuel L. Jackson to respond to this before the game on Sunday.
kalesi - January 6, 2012
I would imagine it would go something like the end of this clip
Rob Parker as Will Ferrell
leedawg - January 6, 2012
This rant
ATLandUNC - January 6, 2012
The Killer
awesome.
JoelGuzman'sScout - January 6, 2012
true writing troll. this guy is pathetic. Falcons and Braves will make him eat his words.
jrodisjust2cool - January 6, 2012 via mobile
sddbaker - January 6, 2012
If I may say something...
I’m from the NY sports region (CT to be exact, like 15 minutes from the NY/CT border) and I feel strongly compelled to post, so if I may have a moment of your time, I’d like to say a few words.
This is, unfortunately, the state of sports in the NY region. Some of my best friends here are Jets/Giants/Yankees/Mets fans, and they’re normal people. They like to brag when they win, but they do admit defeat when they play lousy or lose a big game. They are normal sports fans.
However, as all y’all have just read, you have encountered the minority of people here that are complete “insert your favorite swear word here.” The first few lines tipped me off:
Doesn’t deserve? What right does he have to say that?
and
The New York Yankees are definitely not the standard for excellence in baseball…
These people are the types of people you don’t to talk about sports. They are lousy fans, ignorant, and to be honest, only care about winning. And when their team is winning, oh boy. Let the tirade of baloney sandwich begin.
This guy is just feeling high and mighty about his Giants (and no surprise, most Giant fans tend to be Yankee fans as well), and he feels they are a gift from God and deserve to win.
This article/his opinion, which he has so generously shared with the world, is simply the New York version of trashing talking. It’s mean, it’s stupid, it hits were it hurts, and it’s more emotion than logic. Like gondee was quick to point out, his article is full of holes. He is just trying to rationalize a reason why his team is
going todeserves to win more, because obviously on paper, he’s scared of the Falcons/Giants matchup (which I have no idea, I don’t follow football). Of course the town where you come from/the fanbase you have is the deciding factor of a football or baseball game. (Don’t both teams get extra sparkle points for every 13.75 fans that show up?).The reason he picks on the Braves, is the Braves just got lumped along with the Falcons.
I’ve met some diehard Braves fans (like myself). I’ve met some fairweather fans. I’ve also met the same for the Mets, Yankees, Giants, Jets, Falcons, etc. It happens with every sports team.
I’m sorry you guys had to see this. To be honest, I’m surprised that the dude got a job at ESPN, posting and thinking this kind of garbage. I also apologize for ranting a bit here, but this is what I have to put up during Yankees winning streaks/Mets winning streaks/almost every other day.
Thank you for your time.
Rocketmann - January 6, 2012
One more thing...
Best response to this article? Ignore it. He’ll probably end up being fired at ESPN (as he nothing intelligent to write about during one of football’s biggest times of the year).
And there is ZERO way to win an argument with one of these people. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Go Braves
Rocketmann - January 6, 2012
did you say Mets winnings streaks?
what’s that?
walknbalk - January 6, 2012
Twitter is going to explode
Trending
-—> #FireRobParkerSome of the tweets are hysterical.
DolphinNation - January 6, 2012
What is this... the WWE... Are you Michael freakin Cole now!?
we get twitter trend commentating … really!?
:-D I do so love when someone makes me think WWE. :-) Finest entertainment on TV… In fact, at this point, I want to see Arthur Blank vs. Rob Parker in a YOUR FIRED match…
Vince, make it happen!
Klemson Krash - January 6, 2012
Someone on ESPN is a bad writer?
Say it ain’t so!
Bronn - January 6, 2012
Not just a bad writer.
He doesn’t even pretend to have credibility. ESPN is garbage and has been for a long time, but they at least attempted to pull the wool over people’s eyes and make them think that ESPN was a legitimate source for sports news. This article does none of that. It’s straight up trolling, and it’s on ESPN.
gilley - January 6, 2012
You're right
It’s not that it’s the most offensive, terrible thing I’ve ever read. It’s just that it’s the same kind of pure homerish nonsense spew that you could find on any Joe Schmuck’s blog, and it’s published by the worldwide leader in sports. They should aspire to better.
Bronn - January 6, 2012
Dear Rob Parker,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0
KINGSLYTUT - January 6, 2012
.
Scott Coleman - January 6, 2012
Jason Kirk rips him a new one
http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-falcons/2012/1/6/2686361/falcons-vs-giants-fans-attendance-trolling-columnists
Fatvirus - January 6, 2012
My 2 cents...
I think it’s funny when people trash Atlanta sports attendance. Here are some fun facts for ya:
1.) Atlanta is ranked the 40th most populous city in the country
2.) NY, LA, Houston, Philly, San Diego, Dallas, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, San Fran, Detroit, Charlotte, Memphis, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Baltimore.. to name a few have more people than us.. Pretty sure we’ve had better attendance than some of those cities.
3.) Atlanta has had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Hard to buy tix when you don’t have a job.
4.) Not to say that Atlanta is full of bandwagon fans, but of the 3 Major sports there has only been one title in both pro and college sports in the past 20 years
BravesFanScout - January 6, 2012
It's hard to gain a lot of fan support when your teams don't win very often. A lot of the other cities haven't experienced that
Let’s not get started on the Thrashers. They went to the playoffs once and got swept in their entire time here.
I don’t know the stats, but Atlanta has to be one of the least, if not the least, successful sports cities in the country when you look at cities with the 3 Major sports.
BravesFanScout - January 6, 2012
the Atlanta Metrapolitan Area has over 5 million people though...
usually the metropolitan area is a better indicator of the population
SouthernPanther - January 6, 2012
True but
I believe having a large population within your city makes it more convenient for fans to come to games. The stadiums are more accessible. A lot of folks don’t like driving to the games and dealing with the traffic
BravesFanScout - January 6, 2012 via mobile
I hope you know this is not the view among Yankees fans. Rob Parker and Wally Matthews are the two dumbest writers out there.
Brandon C. - January 6, 2012
I know better
I’ve been to Yankees and Mets games. Guys like Parker will write anything to draw attention to themselves, while guys who are both more thoughtful and better writers get ignored by the media powers-that-be. That’s why journalism is in such a sorry state today.
Cornutt - January 7, 2012
Oh Rob Parker..
even Terry Bradshaw thinks your an idiot…
http://youtu.be/QbQm8lG7vk8
jwrocks - January 6, 2012
[sighhhhh............]
Can the season please start, already?
Chief Noc-A-Homa - January 7, 2012
IMO, he REALLY impeached his own credibility with this statement:
“…[mentioning the September collapse]…Heads should have rolled. Instead, Braves first-year manager Fredi Gonzalez wasn’t under fire from the fan base and will be back this coming season. Again, most probably didn’t even notice.”
which makes me strongly suspect that he hasn’t interacted with the Atlanta fanbase at all this year.
fm93 - January 7, 2012
Of course he hasn't
He’s a sports journalist, he’s omniscient, he doesn’t need to interact with a fanbase to know what they’re thinking.
Adam_S - January 7, 2012
I personally hate Fredi, but I think that is more because I follow the Braves too much rather than too little.
GumpBrave - January 7, 2012
DOB reaction
Link here
TonyAlmeyda - January 7, 2012
I wish that DOB was intelligent enough to be cognizant of the fact that one’s initial reaction will be to find his comments offensive, but that the larger issue at hand is the fact that “his bosses didn’t have a problem with what was written”.
Pretty much all of these guys are useless when it comes to offering interesting, insightful opinions.
gilley - January 7, 2012
I should have added that not only is ESPN willingness to publish this article the larger issue, because I’m sure DOB is intelligent enough to realize that, but DOB should also understand that responding solely to those were are genuinely pissed off about the stereotypes and insults in this article is counterproductive. He should be trying to enlighten people who are otherwise distracted by their hurt feelings. He should be encouraging his readers to consider not relying on ESPN for their sports news and analysis.
gilley - January 7, 2012
Seriously, if you have an audience and the requisite skill then this is prime for satire. I kinda feel that DOB’s response is a little contrary than what the intelligent amongst us would argue.
GumpBrave - January 7, 2012
I feel like DOB’s usage of words that he doesn’t understand is actually working against us.
GumpBrave - January 7, 2012
yeah...
my question was poorly worded…I was thinking with too much anger rather than a “matter of fact” approach.
jwrocks - January 8, 2012
At best it's copy/paste drivel..
At worst it’s blatant bigotry. Either way, it is certainly offensive.
Hobnail_Boot - January 7, 2012
Yes, us fans in New York know just as much as you guys that most of our professional writers and reporters are full of crap.
SuperSantana - January 7, 2012
FTFY
This guy is a complete dumbass, who needed to write an article, and so he wrote one about the common misconception of the Atlanta fanbase. The city of Atlanta is a huge college town, so it is not too hard to understand that a lot of people are displaced from their original fanbase, and thus more interested in their college teams. He says at one point that most fans don’t even live in Atlanta, which is actually true, since most Atlanta teams have a fanbase with fans in the entire southeast region, with more fans outside of Atlanta than people living in Atlanta. After living in Ga for 5 years, I am in SC now and still in Braves/Falcons territory. He mentioned the Thrashers? I went to a Rangers-Thrashers playoff game that was sold out and was amazing to be at, the team just hadn’t always been great. My point is, they’re called the Atlanta Braves, but they cover far more than just Atlanta. You say they don’t deserve to win Rob Parker, well I say you have never deserved to write at ESPN, you douche.
astromets - January 7, 2012
I like this guy
GumpBrave - January 7, 2012
Fredi Gonzalez not under fire?
Am I the only one who noticed this?
Hornsball - January 8, 2012
Well he can’t just start saying true things in the middle of an article so out of touch with facts can he?
GumpBrave - January 8, 2012
It probably says something
that when I Googled “Rob Parker”, the first suggestion made was “Rob Parker is an idiot”.
Aaron Meier - January 8, 2012 via mobile
And your visits to the “Temple O’ Internet” has since double hmmm?
GumpBrave - January 8, 2012
F’ing grammar….
GumpBrave - January 8, 2012
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