Translation: Mendenhall fumbles again.
Posted on 05/04/2011 12:55:26 PM PDT by raccoonradio
PITTSBURGH — Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall wrote a "clarification" of his comments made Monday on Twitter regarding the death of Osama bin Laden.
In a tweet posted around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, he linked to an in-depth blog post. In that entry, he wrote that he does not support bin Laden, and that he aimed clear things up, for not only himself, but also the Steelers.
On Monday, Pittsburgh’s leading rusher caused enough of a stir with his tweets, that the Steelers felt compelled to release a statement.
Among Mendenhall’s posts, the day after the bin Laden news broke, was: "What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side..." He also tweeted on the Sept. 11 attacks: "We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."
Wednesday’s offering, though, was a different story.
"I appreciate those of you who have decided to read this letter and attain a greater understanding of my recent Twitter posts. I see how they have gotten misconstrued, and wanted to use this outlet as a way to clear up all things that do not truthfully represent myself, what I stand for personally, and any organization that I am a part of.
"First, I want people to understand that I am not in support of Bin Laden, or against the USA. I understand how devastating 9/11 was to this country and to the people whose families were affected. Not just in the U.S., but families all over the world who had relatives in the World Trade Centers. My heart goes out to the troops who fight for our freedoms everyday, not being certain if they will have the opportunity to return home, and the families who watch their loved ones bravely go off to war. Last year, I was grateful enough to have the opportunity to travel overseas and participate in a football camp put on for the children of U.S. troops stationed in Germany. It was a special experience. These events have had a significant impact in my life."
Mendenhall also specifically pointed out the "celebrates death" tweet.
"This controversial statement was something I said in response to the amount of joy I saw in the event of a murder. I don’t believe that this is an issue of politics or American pride; but one of religion, morality, and human ethics."
He also tried to bring closure to the situation.
"Nothing I said was meant to stir up controversy. It was my way to generate conversation. In looking at my timeline in its entirety, everything that I’ve said is with the intent of expressing a wide array of ideas and generating open and honest discussions, something I believe we as American citizens should be able to do. Most opinions will not be fully agreed upon and are not meant to be. However, I believe every opinion should be respected or at least given some thought. I apologize for the timing as such a sensitive matter, but it was not meant to do harm. I apologize to anyone I unintentionally harmed with anything that I said, or any hurtful interpretation that was made and put in my name."
On Tuesday, as Mendenhall’s offerings became a national story, team president Art Rooney II made sure the Steelers were heard from.
"I have not spoken with Rashard, so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments," he wrote in a statement. "The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon."
Mendenhall, who profiles himself as a "conversationalist and professional athlete" on his Twitter page, turned some heads in March, as well, when he supported a comment by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson comparing the NFL to "modern-day slavery."
"Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel eachother," Mendenhall posted at the time.
As a result of the controversy, Mendenhall saw a spike in his followers on Twitter. On Tuesday afternoon, he had 13,631. On Wednesday afternoon, he had 36,914.
What a POS imho
This is not the man that needs to change his story. There are so many in the media that have botched this big time. Pain be upon them!
Some people should die, that’s just common knowledge.
That should do it. A nice, friendly, social visit.
And city do you live it, moron?
Mendenhall isnt from Pittsburgh....he plays for the team that is in Pittsburgh.
So....I guess that makes you a goofball....maybe from Detroit or Cleveland...
I too was born and raised in the ‘Burgh area. I left when my job got shipped to Alabama in the late eighties. Most of the folks I knew were indeed conservative, but voted straight rat every time.
I remember my first time voting - I had registered independent, and went to the polling place (my old junior high school gym). When I walked in the little old lady smiled at me and led me to the rat table, just as nice as she could be. When I told her I was not a rat, she changed like Jekyll to Hyde instantly - “you go OVER THERE!” she snarled, pointing to the dark back corner where the lonely Republican table was set up.
All righty fellow yinzer, one 'Burgh story leads to another. Yours was about voting and mine's about a routine trip home from work that took me through Homestead.
After I got off the high-level bridge, I happened to notice some strikers on "duty" on a typical Pittsburgh gray, wintry day. They had the usual trashcan burning for warmth as well as a big coffee urn. Being a thrifty sort, I pulled over to avail myself of some free java. After some pleasant chitchat about the Stillers (then in the Super Bowl glory days of the 70's), I asked what their beef was with the company they were picketing. This is where it got "interesting".
The head union goon was all huffy about some of the jobs going to South Carolina because (as he phrased it), "dem jagoffs dahn der don't got no union". I asked him what was the specific grievance for the strike action. He said the company was using the threat of the South Carolina relocation to lower the wages for those who would remain at the Homestead facility. I then inquired what the wage reduction would mean. A cut down to $20.00 an hour! This was in the 70's and I was doing about $8.00 hourly.
When I told him what I made, he said that although $20.00 an hour might seem like a lot, he had seniority (a very big thing with unionistas) and that it would be impossible to raise his SIX KIDS on that kind of wage!
As gently as possible (since I was enjoying their coffee), I asked him if the ####### ##### Company held a gun to his head and ordered him to have those six kids. Whoosh! Right over his head. So it was one more cup of coffee and our chitchat returned to talk of Rocky Bleier.
Ahh....the old hometown...such memories! :-)
Cost me $10 (I’d bet on Steelers to win SB; had to buy a friend a breakfast buffet at Hilltop in Saugus MA)...
Good one. I was born in Homestead Hospital, back before it was turned into a nursing home.
I worked at the Westinghouse in East Pittsburgh, where the union was king. We even had a salaried union, which I refused to join until it became obvious that the place was going to be shut down. When they announced the shutdown, the union head got prime airtime on TV news, ranting and raving. I was interviewed also as I walked out of the plant, but they didn’t put me on TV because I said I wasn’t upset. “But the head of the union is upset” the pretty TV lady said to me - I said of course he is, he’s out of a job too, ‘cause who needs a union where there’s no workers? - which didn’t fit the narrative they wanted to project I guess.
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