Nov. 18, 2004 12:00 AM
Did you catch the Monday Night Football promo, featuring the naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens? I've never been so offended.
The acting was horrible.
The sports community is in a tizzy that a naked woman's back might scar little Johnny, who, by the way, is in his room stealing cars and courting prostitutes on his Grand Theft Auto video game. Much ado about nada, if you ask me. If you really want something to rant about, here's something truly offensive:
People are selling on eBay the Pat Tillman wristbands that the Cardinals handed out Sunday.
Seriously. The red wristbands that say "Never Forget #40," the red wristbands that the Cardinals generously produced to honor a fallen soldier, are being offered to the highest bidder. Some went up for auction the night of the Cardinals' game against the Giants.
These are people trying to capitalize off a soldier's death.
"We wanted to provide people with the opportunity to pay tribute to Pat in their daily lives," Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton said. "We're disappointed some saw this as an economic opportunity."
Alex Garwood, the executive director of the
Pat Tillman Foundation, said, "it's an incredible honor that people want to wear it. Profit is not what it should be about."
One bracelet went for $61 Wednesday. Another seller, based in Phoenix, had nine bracelets up for bid.
Approximately 100 wristbands were available on eBay Wednesday. A few sellers appeared to have the right intentions. One person promised in his description that the money would go the Pat Tillman Foundation and even provided a link to the site.
Another e-mailed me back and said he was doing it so that people who didn't get a chance to go to the game would have the opportunity to get one, and pointed out that his bidding started at one cent.
Another told me to "mind your own $%!&! business." That was his punctuation, by the way.
Some probably meant well or were misguided. But you'll understand the skepticism if you consider that people have been selling Cardinals paraphernalia outside
Sun Devil Stadium with promises to send proceeds to the foundation. Some have not.
There's a way to counter the greed. The much-in-demand bracelets are now available by going to
www.pattillmanfoundation.org . The wristbands will be sent at no charge but the foundation would be happy to accept a donation.
Yes, auctioning the bracelets isn't illegal. Yes, it epitomizes free enterprise. That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it tasteful or any less greedy.
So, if you're looking to rant about something, there it is. Because the world seems to be wasting a lot of energy on causes that, in the scheme of things, aren't that important.
The cross-promotion attempt by ABC to link Monday Night Football and Desperate Housewives was dumb more than offensive. If you really want to be annoyed at someone, make it the NFL, which has raised the bar of hypocrisy.
ABC was granted access into the Eagles locker room last week to film the spot and the NFL insisted it didn't know about the promo? Rigggghtt.
At least Ron Artest admitted he didn't understand the definition of integrity.
It's worse to know it and ignore it.
Like a few who are selling the Tillman bracelets have chosen to do.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/colu...oivin1118.html
Linear Mode
