
File photo.
Last week, Deadspin’s Tommy Craggs wrote a fantastic response to Sports Illustrated’s Thomas Lake, who penned a scathing, fart-sniffing letter to Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about what he supposedly owed his former high school basketball coach, Pop Herring, who suffers from a mental illness, among other things. You can read Lake’s humongous pat on the back to himself here, and then I’m sure you can track down the online fundraiser that he started to really stick it to Jordan. If it helps Lake sleep better at night, then good for him, but I’m more curious about what it all represents.
At some point in the last few years, it became a trend to hate Jordan. As I pointed out during the NBA Lockout last summer, players picked him as the bad guy, because – aside from maybe Mark Cuban – Jordan is the most recognizable owner. But they also obviously picked him because he actually played the game, and they felt that he should have had their backs. I wrote that he shouldn’t, because A) he’s already done so much for paving the way to fortune for the league’s stars and B) he’s an owner now, and he has to worry about himself and his team.
Now, if people want to argue that they hate him because he sucks as an owner, I can get on board with that. However, the idea that he owes certain people something because he’s rich is just lazy. And yesterday, our friends at Buzzfeed found something even lazier.

That’s an actual story that ran on FOX News yesterday, and that caption is amazing. For starters, I think the “noted anti-police activist” description of Carmelo Anthony has to do with this old video of him supporting a “snitches get stitches” agenda with noted drug dealers. Still, “noted anti-police activist” is a far cry from “dipsh*t kid”. But that Jordan description, holy sh*t that’s just lazy and sad. That’s the kind of caption that I would write as a joke.
I wish that Gawker still had its FOX News mole running, because I’d love to know what goes into this process:
FOX Web Editor: “Guys, Michael Jordan is raising money for Obama. What can we write about him?”
FOX Writer: “Horrible owner?”
FOX Web Editor: “Nah, that’s too accurate. Let’s go with something really asinine.”
FOX Writer: “Terrible fashion sense?”
FOX Web Editor: “Again, way too accurate.”
FOX Writer: “Failed baseball player?”
FOX Web Editor: *starts masturbating furiously* “Oh yeahhhhhhh, you get a raise.”
I’d like to actually take this time to audition for a job with FOX News writing headlines, since they’re basically stealing a page from the humor bloggers handbook. Here are some captions that I’d like to submit:
“Kobe Bryant, failed monogamist…”
“Ray Lewis, successful defendant…”
“Todd Akin, amateur medical expert…”
“Mitt Romney, bluest collar sympathizer…”
“Chris Brown, male-on-male violence activist…”
This is fun, now you guys try.


Rae Carruth, hide and seek runner-up
Antonio Cromartie, noted anti-birth control advocate
Jon Jones, anti-sober driving enthusiast and noted fight decliner
(I’m probably not very good at this, what with my brain stuck in “I hate you, Jon Jones” mode)
You nailed the Rae Carruth headline, though…CLASSIC
Curt Schilling, failed video game magnate…wait, I did that wrong
LeBron James, recovering rogaine adict.
Eli Manning, suspected booger eater
Hilary Clinton, organized crime consigliere, totally killed Vince Foster with her bare hands
Avon Barksdale, just a gangsta I suppose.
DAMN, I totally meant to include a LeBron hair joke.
OJ Simpson, star of the Naked Gun movie franchise.
Roberto Alomar, noted loogie enthusiast.
Marcus Camby, failed hostage negotiator.
OJ Simpson – Sports Memorabilia Collector
OR
OJ Simpson – Drain on Taxpayer Money
Ugueth Urbina, former rancher
Noted dong-texter Brett Favre.
Tim Tebow, amateur mohel
Sex-avoider Tim Tebow.
Allen Iverson, anti-practice activist.
Donovan McNabb, failed digester.
Stephen Feck, unconventional diver.
I think the reason people hate Jordan these days is because he basically canned any idea of hiding his real personality after he retired. He has been an asshole to those who knew him best for a long time. Check it: [thefacial.co.uk]
Whereas most ruthless athletes who are hell-bent on not just beating the competition, but actually crushing the will of said competition, are such nice guys!
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s “partner”.
George Clooney, failed television actor.
Kevin Bacon, ponzi scheme victim.
Billy Baldwin, least successful Baldwin brother.
George Cloony, Worlds Sexiest man runner up 2011.
Bill Clinton, America’s most recently impeached President.
Al Franken, a.k.a. “Stewart Smally”.
“Kevin Bacon, ponzi scheme victim.”
Ha! How very well played, friendo.
Ben Roethlisberger- consensual sex avoider
Michael Vick- pseudonym enthusiast
Kate Upton: Lesbian temptest
Antoine Walker, financial advisor
Travis Henry, polygamist nominee
Michael Vick, animal euthanasia advocate.
They should have just saved space and put “the blacks”.
Shaquille O’Neal, 1996 Oscar Contender
Charles Barkley, Slimfast Survivor
John Madden, 1-take Videogame Voiceover Thespian
Charles Barkley, defenestrator
Oscar Pistorius, anti-leg activist
Actor, Anfernee Hardaway
Massage Enthusiast, John Travolta
One-time Deep Sea Diver, Natalie Wood
Tap Dancer, Larry Craig
Former USC Great, Todd Marinovich
Nudist, Prince Harry
Failed Community Organizer – Barack Obama
Craig James, unchecked Senate Primary ballot option
Shaquille O’Neal, genie. (obv.)
motorcycle wheelie specialists, Jay Williams and Kellen Winslow III.
one-time lesbian, Chaz Bono.
amateur podiatrist, Rex Ryan.
in-vehicle movie reviewer, Eddie Griffin.
senile perfectionist, Mercury Morris.
Jerry Sandusky, youth hygiene advocate
Thomas Lake, failed journalist mentor
College dropout Steve Jobs
Failed patent clerk Albert Einstein
Super Bowl quarterback Rex Grossman
Noted child advocate Joe Paterno
Actor turned glove model OJ Simpson
Previous owner of Broadcast.com Marc Cuban
Stephon Marbury, noted shoe designer
non sports related
Fine cigar smoker Fidel Castro
Acclaimed freedom fighter Rodney King
Will Smith- Black Guy
Jimmy Carter, serial homewrecker and international meddler.
Bill O’Reilly, failed Inside Edition anchor.
Neil Armstrong, deceased part-time performer with Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Strip club enthusiast Pacman Jones
Money Launderer Lenny Dykstra
Joe Louis, famed owner of the failed business Joe Louis Milk Company
Bill Buckner, owner of the bankrupt Bill Buckner Dodge Chrysler Jeep
Billy Beane- First round bust for the Yankees
Larry Bird- Winner of 0 NCAA Championships
Allen Iversono- A no-longer-but-really-never-was-practicing basketball player
This may be the best comments section ever. Amazing stuff, people.
I actually believe to my core that Fox was being intentionally funny. That said…
Shawn Kemp, serial impregnator…
Tom Brady, male fashion enthusiast…
Sarah Palin, former beauty pageant queen…
Adolf Hitler, talented amateur painter…
George Washington, childhood vandal…
Al Gore, inventor of the internet…
Wait, I think I screwed up that last one.
I highly doubt Fox News is that clever.
“George Washington, childhood vandal…”
That wins. Everything.