Sports snark

[kellinator]

I heard on SportsCenter last night that Mike Tyson pleaded (what the hell is the past tense of "plead," and how the hell is it spelled? "Pleaded?" "Pled?" Do I sound like an idiot or a bad English major? ...Never mind, Dictionary.com says either is acceptable) guilty to his latest infraction with the law -- disorderly conduct or something -- and was sentenced to one hundred hours of community service, which he will serve by teaching children to box.

...I would just like to know, in which alternate dimension is this a good idea? This is a convicted rapist who bit off part of an opponent's ear during a boxing match, and a court thinks it's a good idea for him to teach kids how to hit people?

[Insert your own fall-of-the-Roman-Empire joke here.]

Comments

[mfree.livejournal.com]

what's that awful screeching sound? Nero? Do you smell smoke?

[katyakoshka.livejournal.com]

Pled is the archaic variant. People sadly use "pleaded," but I am a "pled" fan 4 life! ;P

[celeloriel.livejournal.com]

Ditto. :P

[soshesays.livejournal.com]

I'm commenting straight from law class (they didn't know what they were getting into by making this building wireless), and all our handouts and stuff say "pled."

Also, okay, that ruling totally destroyed any shred of faith I had left in humankind.

[sujata.livejournal.com]

Technically "pled" is the past tense of "plead." But (and here I go, being the odd one out, as usual!) I like the sound of "pleaded" better. ;-)

Fall of the Roman Empire joke? Um, okay:
Tyson nibbled while the homeys learned???

*tries to duck the barrage of assorted rotten vegetables pelted at her*

[sertrel.livejournal.com]

I think "pled" sounds better, but for some reason, I think it might have been like "read" going to "read" for past tense, but pronounced /red/. So I want to say that the past tense of "plead" is "plead". I seem to recall reading it that way at one point...

[sharrainchains.livejournal.com]

Just to add my own (admittedly snobby) perspective: both uses may be correct, but I have always preferred saying, "entered a plea of guilty [or not guilty]."

BTW, why not let him teach what he knows? The kids get a valuable learning experience, and the school system/parents can teach the kids about the moral issues involving the man. I like and enjoy the art of a number of people whose personal lives/morals appal me.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I'm not much sure he has the patience and self-control needed to teach children...

I think I've seen this movie...

[rocketmelee.livejournal.com]

Ah, but don't you see? The children can TEACH him to have patience and self-control! And then he'll walk out on them, but come around and come back just in time for their peewee tournament! And then Disney will cue the triumphant music when the kid who has become most special to Tyson places first! And then the kid's mother and Tyson will share a brief kiss before Tyson hops back into the ring, renewed and a sensitive, kinder boxer ready to make a comeback! Then, the credits will roll, and Disney's The Mighty Punch will end -- until the sequel....

[wacko1138.livejournal.com]

There's a lot more to boxing than just hitting people. Watch footage of Mohammed Ali sometime or read anything by Norman Mailer on the subject.

That being said, I don't know that Tyson is someone I'd want teaching boxing. He can punch, but I don't know that he's much of a boxer and certainly not one good enough to be teaching it.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Actually, that was part of why I said it. I recently read an interview with Lennox Lewis where he was talking about how a lot of people thought boxing was just KO's because of Tyson, and how people don't pay much attention to things like footwork anymore.

Useless Contribution

[rocketmelee.livejournal.com]

I anti-heart Norman Mailer.

[john666.livejournal.com]

Sence when do the court have to have "good ideas"?