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Kirby Puckett (MLB HOF, R.I.P.)

I think the negative is part of the story of your life. Most fans only get to know the athlete on the field, which means we really don't know them at all. This is why we love stories that personalize the athletes and coaches, like the one with Charlie Weis and the dying boy last year. But death is quite possibly the most personal thing. I see no reason to simply focus on the accomplishments on the field, and ignore everything off it when a sports hero dies.

The life of Kirby-post-baseball is a sad story and I don't blame ESPN for telling it. His untimely death is just the culmination of that heartbreak.

I concur with others here that everyone should be an organ donor.
 
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I think the negative is part of the story of your life. Most fans only get to know the athlete on the field, which means we really don't know them at all. This is why we love stories that personalize the athletes and coaches, like the one with Charlie Weis and the dying boy last year. But death is quite possibly the most personal thing. I see no reason to simply focus on the accomplishments on the field, and ignore everything off it when a sports hero dies.

The life of Kirby-post-baseball is a sad story and I don't blame ESPN for telling it. His untimely death is just the culmination of that heartbreak.

I concur with others here that everyone should be an organ donor.

I agree. actually I don't really care about his marital stuff, but they way he just "let go" was quite sad and mostly likely contributed to his death. I think he used to say that he was worried because both his parents died young. He should have been worried enough to take care of his health. Sadly, he did not. I wouldn't have been surprised if some element of depression contributed to his massive obesity.
 
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I really agree with you and Thump here...I also put domestic violence way, way up there on the chart...completely unforgivable, and in the end, anyone telling the story of the legacy of Kirby Puckett needs to include that with all of the accolades from teammates and Minnesota. I just think one day for the family not to be reminded of it while making funeral arrangements is not too much to ask. For the record, in no way am I saying you are wrong or crass...just a difference of opinion.

BL, I agree, I think it would be considerate to wait a day before rehashing the negative aspects of a person's life. But the competitive nature of the news and/or sports news industry, combined with the short attention span of the public these days, makes it difficult for media outlets to show respect for the deceased. And that's unfortunate.
 
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BL, I agree, I think it would be considerate to wait a day before rehashing the negative aspects of a person's life. But the competitive nature of the news and/or sports news industry, combined with the short attention span of the public these days, makes it difficult for media outlets to show respect for the deceased. And that's unfortunate.

How is telling the truth not showing respect?
 
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How is telling the truth not showing respect?

Agreed. If he didn't want people to talk about the negative things he did, he shouldn't have done them.

Every one of us faces the same thing every day. If you don't want to be remembered as a drunk, don't spend half your life sitting in a bar. If you don't want to be remembered as a pothead, don't smoke pot. If you don't want to be remembered as a wife batterer, don't beat your wife.
 
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Just stating that I would prefer a brief delay before the media go through the laundry list of somebody's indiscretions. I would prefer it, but at this point I no longer expect it.

..but how far does that extend? Kirby was known by most as a great ballplayer with a charismatic smile. So is this objection based on that perception? Is it based on the personal feelings towards the indiscretions? For instance...Pete Rose. Of course the main story following his death will recount the gambling. However, some people only know him by that story. I just don't see that as disrespectful when it is a real perception.
 
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I guess my issue comes from 2 areas: one, I just lost my grandfather a couple of weeks ago, so I know how I would have reacted had I turned on the TV after hearing the news and seen a hit piece that day (note: he didn't do what Kirby Puckett did, just using the example for my reaction).

Second, and I know this is a tired topic, but I really dislike the "gotcha" journalism. It's like people almost can't wait to rip you off your pedestal, and that's fine if you are around to defend yourself, but out of place in my opinion when your family is grieving your loss a couple hours after you die. I don't have any problem at all calling Puckett what he is, good and bad. It just seems like allowing the family a day without a journalistic hit piece is appropriate in my opinion.
 
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For instance...Pete Rose. Of course the main story following his death will recount the gambling. However, some people only know him by that story.

IMHO that statement demonstrates my problem with some of the coverage exactly. As to Pete Rose, my first thoughts would not be the gambling at all. That is because I know both sides of the story. If the media only talks about ones indiscretions, both sides aren't told and the whole truth isn't out there for people to see.
 
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I...I really dislike the "gotcha" journalism. It's like people almost can't wait to rip you off your pedestal, and that's fine if you are around to defend yourself, but out of place in my opinion when your family is grieving your loss a couple hours after you die. I don't have any problem at all calling Puckett what he is, good and bad. It just seems like allowing the family a day without a journalistic hit piece is appropriate in my opinion.

Nicely put.

As I was driving back from lunch, I heard Cowherd boasting about how he wasn't going to honor any period of respect closely following Puckett's death and was about to get into the dirty details of the things Puckett had done in his life--about how it's "the truth" and there is never a bad time to tell the truth.

That's a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. There are classic examples of when it's appropriate not to tell the truth. Starting with the most extreme example, what should you say to a man brandishing a gun who asks, "Where is your brother? I am going to kill him." This scenario provides no dilemma to most of us. We don't reveal where our brother is. Likewise, on the less extreme, when someone dies, there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving that person at least a respectful 24-hours. He had family, he had friends. Additionally, in this instance, he was never convicted of anything to the best of my knowledge.

Cowherd made a ridiculous statement that reacting to Puckett's death is no different to what we should do and say the day after OJ Simpson dies. We should get into the nitty gritty of both. You'll have to excuse me for not understanding where there kind of exuberance comes from.
 
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..but how far does that extend? Kirby was known by most as a great ballplayer with a charismatic smile. So is this objection based on that perception? Is it based on the personal feelings towards the indiscretions? For instance...Pete Rose. Of course the main story following his death will recount the gambling. However, some people only know him by that story. I just don't see that as disrespectful when it is a real perception.

Based on the perception of Kirby? Not at all, I never was a fan of his, and I have no tolerance for guys that hit women. Part of his story involved an alleged episode in some cloakroon, and he was also charged with sexual harassment. I also take those things seriously, but what really happened in cases like that is difficult to know. I don't think it's necessary on the night he died to detail every alleged transgression that made news during his lifetime.

When Pete Rose goes, having his immediate video obituary say that he gambled on baseball won't bother me at all. It's been well-established, and gambling is something that a large percentage of the public is involved in, albeit in smaller amounts. And his banishment from baseball was a huge story, as significant as his Rookie of the Year award, steamrolling Ray Fosse at the All-Star game, or passing Ty Cobb's hits record.

When OJ Simpson dies, should his 5-minute bio involve the Nicole death and trial - absolutely. That trial was a cultural phenomenon, and it's as significant as his Heisman and his 2000-yard season.

When Wayne Gretzky goes, should the early video obituary contain a reference to his wife's and assistant coach's alleged involvement in an organized crime gambling ring? I don't think it should, unless he dies soon and that story is still fresh. Or if something comes to light indicating that he was personally involved in a direct way. That incident/investigation can be mentioned in his 30-minute life story, but shouldn't be covered in his 5-minute bio shown right after he passes away. There are enough Stanley Cups, Gold medals, and scoring records that should be discussed, and unless something drastic happens that apparently preipheral gambling story will not have been a key event in his life.

The media tend to overstate issues involving sex, drugs, gambling, and crime because they get people's attention. I'm not saying any information should be suppressed. I'm just saying that I would prefer that the short obits that come out right away contain less of the negative things, unless they were a basic part of the person's life. The next day the whole story can be told.

I don't think you would expect every traffic ticket, every technical foul, or every suspension a player ever had to be included in his obituary. So there's always a decision to make regarding what to include when reviewing someone's life.

My feelings are simply based on preferring that there be an extra level of respect for the recently deceased. I'd like to see a brief amount of time go by before all the negatives in someone's life were recounted.

But it's a gray area to determine what stories should be made part of somebody's thumbnail obituary and what shouldn't. I recognize that my opinion is more toward the 'respect' side than most, and don't expect the media members to act that way. But I can wish it were so.
 
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Cowherd made a ridiculous statement that reacting to Puckett's death is no different to what we should do and say the day after OJ Simpson dies. We should get into the nitty gritty of both. You'll have to excuse me for not understanding where there kind of exuberance comes from.
I don't see that as ridiculous at all. Its not a celebration of death, but it is also not immortalizing men that were certainly not deserving of their lofty pedestals that were given to them because of their athletic ability.

IMHO that statement demonstrates my problem with some of the coverage exactly. As to Pete Rose, my first thoughts would not be the gambling at all. That is because I know both sides of the story. If the media only talks about ones indiscretions, both sides aren't told and the whole truth isn't out there for people to see.
I agree, but that is part of my point. The average fans, and especially the non-fans, do not know the whole story. The media would certainly discuss his playing days and his reputation for hits and hustle...but the gambling would come up. OJ's career on the field and screen would be discussed...but the murder is a major portion. In my opinion, it is all pertinent info and essential to the whole truth.

I understand BL's point about a buffer to give respect, but I also do not think these guys should get a free pass on their mistakes because they could play a game or had celebrity status.


EDIT: Bill, Good post bro.
Good discussion today...been a while since we had a good one.
 
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