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Saturday, May 10, 2008

Federal Baseball: Chigliak: The Elijah Dukes “Story” Won’t Go Away

If I cement over my mail slot…will the mailman send my ESPN Magazine back?

What Dukes seems to be finding comfort in, the friendships, guidance and support provided to him by the Nationals, Mr. Jones sees, as he writes in the follow-up article, “Behind the Story: Elijah Dukes”, as, “All of these walls (that) have gone up around Dukes…the PR guy standing there…” during interviews, the “Supernanny” and the counseling, (which Mr. Jones claims, is, “...a subject so sensitive, no one on the Nats will talk about exactly what it entails,”) which has left Mr. Jones feeling even more troubled, because:

”...here’s the strange thing: Some small part of me still feels sorry for him. Not for what he’s done—his mistakes are his and his alone—and not for his lost childhood—although it was almost unimaginably tragic, I don’t believe you’re bound by the sins of your father—but for how he’s being treated today.”

But, finally, I’m afraid that after having read the original article and the follow-up, and recognized, in my opinion, the intentional perpetuation of the portrayal, both in writing and visually, of Dukes as, “...The Most Menacing Player in Baseball,” and “...the awful stereotype of the angry black man,” I’m left with the impression that Mr. Jones ends up once again presenting Dukes in this manner because of the lack of access he was granted to Dukes due of the “walls” that Washington has placed around the outfielder, and I can’t help but wondering why Mr. Jones is so displeased with the franchises actions on Dukes’ behalf? Is it simply because it limited his desire for unfettered access to the subject of his story?

Repoz Posted: May 10, 2008 at 05:30 PM | 6 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: nationals

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   1. Walt Davis Posted: May 10, 2008 at 07:11 PM (#2776038)
#1 contender for run-on sentence of the season (non-Walt Davis division)?

But, finally, I’m afraid that after having read the original article and the follow-up, and recognized, in my opinion, the intentional perpetuation of the portrayal, both in writing and visually, of Dukes as, “...The Most Menacing Player in Baseball,” and “...the awful stereotype of the angry black man,” I’m left with the impression that Mr. Jones ends up once again presenting Dukes in this manner because of the lack of access he was granted to Dukes due of the “walls” that Washington has placed around the outfielder, and I can’t help but wondering why Mr. Jones is so displeased with the franchises actions on Dukes’ behalf?

#2 contender?

What Dukes seems to be finding comfort in, the friendships, guidance and support provided to him by the Nationals, Mr. Jones sees, as he writes in the follow-up article, “Behind the Story: Elijah Dukes”, as, “All of these walls (that) have gone up around Dukes...the PR guy standing there...” during interviews, the “Supernanny” and the counseling, (which Mr. Jones claims, is, “...a subject so sensitive, no one on the Nats will talk about exactly what it entails,") which has left Mr. Jones feeling even more troubled, because:

“...here’s the strange thing: Some small part of me still feels sorry for him. Not for what he’s done—his mistakes are his and his alone—and not for his lost childhood—although it was almost unimaginably tragic, I don’t believe you’re bound by the sins of your father—but for how he’s being treated today.”
   2. Belfry Bob Posted: May 10, 2008 at 10:26 PM (#2776166)
Wow...that was one hard-to-read rebuttal.

i read the article in ESPN- The Mag just this afternoon. I noted the language choices, but I didn't get the impression the writer was out to do a hatchet job along the lines of what Albert Belle got before he even played a minute in Baltimore (of course, Albert turned out to the be the same &%#$% in orange and black that he had been elsewhere. Dukes may be, he may not be. Only time will tell.) Much ado about very little, and as the first poster remarked, poorly written, too.

I love it when writers take the 'high road' by referring to everyone as 'Mr.'

It doesn't work, it's either condescending or just silly.
   3. Esoteric Posted: May 10, 2008 at 11:17 PM (#2776199)
This is all we Nationals fans have left to deal with now that Chris Needham has retired. COME BACK CAPITOL PUNISHMENT!
   4. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: May 10, 2008 at 11:53 PM (#2776217)
“All of these walls (that) have gone up around this piece...the extensive use of elipses...” during sentences, the “random quotations” and the parentheticals, (which Mr. Chigliak doesn't realize, is, “...a paragraph so confusing, none of the Federal Baseball readership will understand exactly what it entails") which has left Mr. Unacceptable feeling even more troubled, because:



Fixed that for me.
   5. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: May 12, 2008 at 08:11 PM (#2777981)
I read the ESPN article this AM and thought it was decent---Dukes is clearly one messed up angry individual, but the Nats seem to be trying to work on that and he seems to be cooperating, was the impression I got from it. We don't know if it'll work out but that's not the writer's fault.

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