"Another Angry Response..." (May 11, 1998)

Why does it seem that I only illicit angry responses, in which the authors infer that I am a racist. These articles are meant to get you thinking or laughing. But people out there are just too damn serious. Take this guy for example. It love it.

MAN YOU ARE JUST JEALOUS, HE WANTS TO BE A PRO PLAYER JUST LIKE YOU WISHED YOU WERE A REAL SPORTSWRITER. IF THE NY TIMES OFFERED YOU A JOB TOMORROW YOU WOULD RUN YOUR STANK JEALOUS HEARTED BEHIND TO NY AS SOON AS YESTERDAY. EVEN IF JERMAINE ONEAL IS OUT OF THE NBA NEXT YEAR, HE CAN STILL SIGN FOR A MILLION OVER SEAS. DONTONIO WINGFIELD IS MAKING 1.4 MILLION IN ITALY NOW SILLY . THATS MORE MONEY THAN YOUR FAMILY WILL MAKE COMBINED IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS!!!!! BESIDES HE IS NOT A OLD FART LIKE YOU, HE HAS HIS WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF HIM, I THINK ITS QUITE NICE OF YOU TO INFER IF HE DOESN,T MAKE IT IN THE NBA HE CAN,T DO NOTHING ELSE.THAT IS A VERY RACIST THOUGHT THAT YOU ARE IMPLYING, AND YOU SHOULD CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF HE HAS THE REPUTATION TO GET PAID NOW, HE SHOULD NOT WAIT , THERE IS NO GUARANTEE HE WILL BE AS MUCH IN DEMAND IN FOUR YEARS. REMEMBER  JEROD WARD, RICKEY PRICE,THE TWO CLOWNS WHO PLAY FOR ST.JOHNS.  WHAT DID THEY GET OUT OF WASTING FOUR YEARS AT ST.JOHNS? I KNOW WHAT YOU WILL SAY THEY GOT A DEGREE, BUT AS A INDIVIDUAL WITH A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING ITS NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, ITS WHO YOU KNOW AND DON,T YOU FORGET IT!!!! PRETENDER

-Keith Ford

Here is my reponse to him:

I appreciate the response.  Let me just say now, that I am not jealous of Mr. Wingfield, but you won't want to believe that.  If I was offered a job at the New York Times I would not go.  I have no desire to become a sportswriter.  I would prefer to become an investment banker.  So it's a moot point.  Do you have confirmation that Mr. Wingfield is making $1.4 million US dollars in Italy?  Just some simple math.  $20,000 x 70 is $1.4 million.  I think my family has the capability to generate $40,000 a year for the next 35 years.  But I do appreciate the concern.  I have a question though.  How old do you think I am since you call me an old fart?  Would it surprise you to learn that I am younger than him?  Or that I am old enough to be his father?  Or do you expect someone who is in his late-30s, an ex-street basketball star who wrecked his knee in the summer before his freshman year at a large east coast university, resenting all players, and wondering how good he could have been since he knows he was better than most out there? You are right.  Sometimes players should turn pro when their demand is up.  Sometimes you sit for 3 years like Mr. Wingfield.
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