If you’ve been reading the comments over at Redskins Insider you know some people are upset over WaPo columnist Michael Wilbon’s comments in a Chat House today. I’m not sure if Wilbon was fully aware of the severity of Taylor’s situation but reading Wilbon comes off pretty heartless in some of his responses. To wit:
McLean, Va.: Will your opinion of Taylor change if this does not turn out to be a random incident (e.g. home invasion)?
Michael Wilbon: No…People’s opinions are shaped by the way they’ve grown up, the way they see the world, what they know about the world the person in question grew up in, etc. Sean Taylor isn’t the only guy I know who fits his general profile. I’ve known guys like Taylor all my life, grew up with some. They still have shades of gray and shouldn’t be painted in black and white…I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn’t surprising in the least, not to me. Whether this incident is or isn’t random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it. He ain’t the first and won’t be the last. We have no idea what happened, or if what we know now will be revised later. It’s sad, yes, but hardly surprising.
Italics mine. From all accounts this is absolutely wrong. Everything I’ve read and heard today from Redskins players and coaches has said that Taylor had changed, for the better, ever since he became a father 18 months ago. Also, from what we know, this was a home invasion, which, at least to me, is pretty much always a “surprising” event.
Here’s another snippet from the chat, and to my mind, the one that reflects the worst on Wilbon:
Columbia, Md.: What makes you think that Taylor was still embracing his old ways? Every thing we have heard from the Redskins and Portis is that this is a new Sean. Apparently the birth of his child really helped to straighten him out. Is this contrary to what you know?
Michael Wilbon: Sorry, but I’n not in the habit of having comapanies with their own public relations agenda tell me about black men and what they feel or don’t feel. Pardon me if I’m not that easy.
Generally I admire Wilbon’s ability to cut through the bullshit but lets be honest here: Wilbon doesnt know what he’s talking about. Sean Taylor is notorious for not talking to the media, so Wilbon knows him so well as to judge him like this….how? OK fine, Wilbon isn’t trusting the PR people for insight on Sean but then where’s he getting his own insight? From who?
One last bit:
Pittsburgh: Still in shell shock about this Taylor situation, makes everything else seem trivial. I haven’t read any articles about the game or reaction, but do you think these close losses are encouraging to Jason Campbell, knowing it just a matter of time and experience before it all comes together?
Michael Wilbon: Again, I’m not the least bit surprised about the Taylor episode…Why would I be considering his history, even since he joined the Redskins?
Again, there’s nothing wrong with this per se, it just seems like a very, very cold reaction to what all accounts seems to be a tragic incident. I guess this stands out more for the lack of compassion and matter-of-factness then anything.
P.S. I’ve heard Wilbon kept up this line of thought on PTI but missed the show. Will post video if I get it.
Wilbon is absolutely correct in pointing out that Sean Taylor did nothing to show that he had changed his ways. Portis and the Redskins are absolutely correct in trying to paint Taylor in a respectable manner after his death. It is a sad situation no matter how it is spun but Wilbon is trying to show that that the way Sean Taylor led his life my have contributed to his death. Claiming that stating the facts is cold is the reason why kids from Taylor’s background end up dead or in prison, no lessons are ever learned because people arent cold honest with these kids.
First John thanks for your thoughts. My point is that Wilbon is in no position to say where or not Sean had changed his ways and that the people who would know (his coaches, teammates, media maembers who actually covered him, etc.) say he had. I think they know what they are talking about, and Wilbon in this case doesn’t. For instance, Wilbon should read on of his former co-worker’s at the Post,
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3129417
John got it right. Wilbon didn’t say anything callous or out of line. Unlike Taylor’s Redskins teammates, coaches, etc., Wilbon’s comments were not biased.
Wow I went to the same high school as Sean Taylor and Wilbon is clueless. Yes he had some troubled friends but he was no way running and embracing a violent world. Taylor’s dad is the chief of police, his fiance is the niece of Andy Garcia. For the most part he keeps good company and is no way a thug they make him out to be just a very quiet guy. But a young man made a mistake, and paid for it but ppl are ready to say he deserved death? Wilbon must have got turned down for a few interviews with Sean but this makes me sick.
Wilbon’s comments may have been unbiased (how could they not be? He didn’t personally know Taylor) but they were also unsubstantiated by anything but his personal opinion based on repots in the media (kind of like the average commenter). Seems common sense to me like the people who had close personal interactions with him on a daily basis would be the best sources for information on his charachter i.e. coaches, teammates(just like any deceased persons co-workers would be). Personally I give their viewpoints more weight because of the main reason they cited for Taylor’s change in attitude, redefining himself as the father of an 18-month old little girl. That can change even the most hardened career criminal (which I think Taylor was far from).
How can anyone be so naive to think that this man changed his life in 18 months? Everyone that knows shady people know they don’t change overnight. Sure, he might have started to change his life since the birth of his daugther, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t remnants of his previous life still present. Just because a man is quiet and doesn’t enjoy talking to the media doesn’t mean he can’t still be a roughneck and enjoy hanging with shady characters. It’s obvious that whatever happened to Sean wasn’t COMPLETELY RANDOM. No one deserves to get shot and killed, but if one uses common sense, it’s obvious to come to the conclusion that this type of trouble is increased by the decsions you make. Lastly, let’s be honest. This type of stuff and things far worse are happening to black men all across America, in part because of their environment and in part because of the decisons they make. Sean Taylor just happened to be a professional athelte.
Has Wilbon apologized to Sean Taylors family? Ive been looking everywhere for an apology and have not found one. If he hasn’t, put me down on the list of people who do not and did not wish him a happy recovery. Wilbon use to be a favorite of mine, but his callous, uneccessary and insensitive opinions on Sean Taylor were wrong. It sounds like Sean didnt give Wilbon any “props” or dissed him in some way. Wilbon and Jason Whitlock have lost one of their biggest fans.