That said, I think there’s suggestion that his relatives could’ve earned repercussions if he’d shunned Erdogan. It’s after the fact, but he did say he felt obligated to do the photo-op (and the “my president” comment was Gundogan’s not his).

Yeah, I don’t get it either. I thought Özil could’ve handled the Erdogan photo-op better, but that certainly doesn’t justify the abuse. Say what you will about overall quality of his play, it’s not his fault Germany needed a stoppage time worldie from Kroos to beat Sweden (because he was benched), or that Germany…

A square ball is a simple, sideways pass, basically a safe play that doesn’t advance the ball in attack. So translated to football, it would be like “Your fanboys cream when you successfully complete a handoff to a running back.”

How effective is that, by the way?

I can see it becoming useful when you have kids. You basically become customer service and have to manage playdates, birthday parties, activity signups and school events, and you’ll forever asking each other “Did you pay for X?” or “Did you RSVP to Y?”

I don’t know why white people cry about not being able to use the n-word. “Ungrateful” doesn’t upset anyone and everybody knows what they’re talking about.

I’m afraid of MS-13 members of all races, so yeah, nothing to do with race.

GregandValette Smith

Hamptons Five vs Seaside Heights Four and a Half

Tom Brady might not be blessed with famous parents, but he still has rich-ass parents who afforded him the foundation to build a career in professional sports, and he was lucky to be where he was when one of the best head coaches of all time was looking for someone to help put his stamp on a franchise.

I think we’re talking about fame beyond what’s expected for a high performer in the NFL. He’s not just a football player, but a lifestyle brand/lightning rod, and while he deserves credit for the work he’s put in, he needed a whole lot of things to break his way.

But, it’s entirely possible Belichik would’ve managed to win without Brady and he’d bounce around the league as a useful backup/occasional performer on okay teams. There’s not that much separating the elite from the middle of the pack in the league, and somehow Aaron Rodgers has the same number of SB rings as Joe…

I think football, more than any other sport, relies on a perfect symbiosis to win games. Although coaches and quarterbacks get the most credit, they rely on so many external factors to enable their success. And yeah, Tom Brady has to make those throws and Kim Kardashian’s never asked to make split-second decisions,…

No, Tom Brady is famous because Drew Bledsoe was hurt and the Patriots went on to win a Super Bowl behind a strong defense, and Bill Belichik was eager to build a team around a quarterback that was not weighed down by expectations or Bill Parcells’ legacy.

What is Tom Brady is not a Kim Kardashian with a penis?

Okay okay okay now ask him about white privilege.

I approve of this autocorrect.

Yeah, we’re all cool and all, but baby boomer parents aren’t comfortable with dudes who get paid to be on camera getting sprayed with bodily fluids.

Okay, so there’s different types of “diving” or “flopping” that people bitch about.

Eh. Diving isn’t that widespread for men or women and it’s not a big deal.