The Decade of the Asterisk
September 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
The Decade of the Asterisk began with the 2000 presidential election. You remember, the one where Al Gore won, but didn’t take office. Forever in the record books there will be an asterisk beside George W. Bush’s first term that reads, “victor decided by politicized U.S. Supreme Court.”
Most of the asterisks we openly acknowledge can be found in organized athletics. It’s one of the few places where Americans feel comfortable keeping score. This past year has been a doozy for asterisks in U.S. sports. Barry Bonds earns a hitting record but also an asterisk for steroid use that appears to have disfigured his body. NBA referee Tim Donaghy bets on basketball games he officiates to feed a gambling addiction that earns him unsavory new friends with nicknames like “Baba.” Every Phoenix Suns fan has to wonder if there should be an asterisk for the latest championship by the San Antonio Spurs given Donaghy’s calls in their playoff series. The most recent asterisk belongs to the New England Patriots. Turns out the coaches regularly spied on the defensive calls of the opposing team. That’s polite for cheating. Between 2000 and 2005, the Pats won three Super Bowls. Give ‘em an asterisk.
Unfortunately, the biggest asterisk of the decade is the one that keeps on giving. The war in Iraq. In the history books the asterisk will read: “Oops. No weapons of mass destruction.”
If there is a common denominator behind most of this asterisk-producing behavior it’s probably hubris. The perps have a good run of success with their schemes to break the rules. Emboldened, they assume the ride will continue. Then suddenly it all comes to a screeching halt and your head doubles in size or that Iraqi Eden you fantasized about turns into a bloody mess.
September 17th, 2007 at 9:20 am
*? Thats what you should have on this story that you wrote…. the San Antonio Spurs are 6-15 when it come to beating the Whinning Sun fans in the last 3 years
The Spurs have proven that they are no match for a superior team. If you want to look for a * go to the 1990 Bulls or Derek Fisher catch jump and shoot with .04 seconds in the game to beat the Spurs.
Lets get real and report some FACTS!
September 17th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
This article should have an asterisk by it.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
What free speech? Wouldn’t even print my comment which was not offensive, profane, or off-topic in any way. Don’t read Jake Bernstein or The Texas Observer! It appears they gather their “facts” from hear-say and rumors…
Steve,
We never saw your comment. The spam filter may have taken it. Feel free to comment again, if you’d like.
Jake
September 20th, 2007 at 10:17 am
“by the San Antonio Spurs given Donaghy’s calls in their playoff series”. You have got to be kidding (where did this comment come from??), there is absolutely no evidence from those whom went into depth to track his calls in game 3 that he went pro Spurs, and overall the perimeter based and “soft” Suns had many more FT attempts than the Spurs in the series. This was frankly a bizare article mixing sports and politics, and many of your other assumptions are also questionable. As examples, there no proof yet that the Patriots spied on any other team, your assumptions blur reality. Meanwhile, in the political realm, many recount experts believe Bush still won Florida - but why mess up a “great” yarn?
September 20th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Donaghy called the fairest game if you watch the film and what everyone else says about it, thats A FACT. LOL at asterisk, nice try there but PHX Suns fans and their fans alone think that (Or Spurs haters). Excuse after excuse, this is just the latest from them to justify why they failed again with their “MWP” to get a title. Nice try though.
BTW on the Pats thing, even Tiki said it’s no big deal and everyone does it, only the fans who’s team lost to the Pats say it is an * and should not count (Pitts fans). Teams do that, they got caught but you think they are the only one? Are you crazy?