I’ve expressed the opinion that I
believe “smart” phones are among the dumbest inventions of all time. They allow
rude people to become even ruder, loud people to become even louder, “smart”
people to think they are smarter than they actually are, and dumb people to be
even dumber. Believe it or not, the world actually functioned quite well, in
fact better, when there were no such “phones.” I’m not against your standard “cell”
phone, which does what it is supposed to do, which is to allow you to fulfill
urgent communications with another party when the availability of other means
are not readily available. But “smart” phones allow people to do all kinds of
mischief via built-in picture taking and video recording, and “texting” without
forethought.
While it may be true that
ordinary people only make themselves foolish amongst themselves—unless, of
course, they post something on YouTube and everyone can see how moronic they
are—and are rarely fodder for public humiliation on a national scale, that is
not true for politicians and athletes. Former New York congressman Anthony
Weiner was “caught” sending explicit photos and “sextings” to women not his
wife, which essentially ended his political career. Hall of Fame NFL quarterback
Brett Favre was subject to public humiliation (but little else) by the public “exposure”
of his private “package” all over the Internet, which he had sent “privately”
over his “smart” phone to a former New York Jets “employee” who did little more than serve as sideline “eye candy.”
Athletes also have other “issues”
they have to contend with, such as being extorted for money from people who
know that they are vulnerable to bad publicity, such as being cut from their
team and losing all their money. Robert Griffin III was threatened by an
extortionist for reasons still unknown, Hynes Ward was the victim of a prostitute-related
extortion plot, Chris “Birdman” Andersen was the victim of identity theft that
eventually led to a false accusation of child sex, and Leonys Martin was the
victim of a Cuban extortion ring that wanted a share of his salary. Coaches are
not immune from extortion, either; Louisville’s Rick Pitino was the subject of
months of extortion threats from the wife of an equipment manager, until she
was charged, convicted and jailed for it.
But now the Von Miller case beats
all that. For some reason, the Broncos’s star linebacker was in Mexico instead
of training camp this past June, having sex with a woman named Elizabeth Ruiz.
While engaged in this activity, Miller stupidly allowed her to record the act
on her “smart” phone. Ruiz told him that it would remain “private.” Oh sure,
like she wasn’t going to share it with her friends? I mean, she was just going
to keep it for her “personal pleasure” and “bop” to it? Miller said that he
asked Ruiz to erase their little pornographic movie, and she said “Gotcha.”
Well, its five months later, and
what she meant by “Gotcha” is perfectly clear. Miller has gone to court,
charging that Ruiz is attempting to extort $2.5 million from him in exchange
for not releasing the evidence of their tryst over the Internet or on DVD, as
if anyone wants to see that for anything but a laugh.
Most “normal” people are not that
“proud” of their anatomy to be displaying it out in the open, although certain Hollywood
types have been known to do this without a trace of shame. But the Miller
episode should be a lesson to athletes, especially football players. There are
people out there, having seen what gender “victim” advocates and an NFL front
office fearful of the being accused of “insensitivity” and “de-emphasizing” victim
politics in a “male-dominated” environment, who see athletes as perfect goats to
be taken advantage of, for money, and lots of it.
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