Dwayne Bowe Salutes 'Javon' Belcher

[Mr. Laz]

Dwayne Bowe Salutes Jovan Belcher By Wearing A T-Shirt With His Name Misspelled

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DEC 3, 2012 12:00 PM17,080 42Share


Barry Petchesky

I think it's entirely reasonable for people to disagree on the proper way to commemorate a complex tragedy like that of Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend before killing himself. Of those who argued for the Chiefs game going on as scheduled because football provides a distraction from the awful parts of life, and those who said the game should have been postponed because it was unfair to ask Chiefs players and coaches to take the field so soon after a traumatizing event, neither side was "wrong"—they were just stating their opinions.

You can see both sides of the argument on how Belcher should have been commemorated. It's easy to grasp the argument that Belcher was a murderer before he was a suicide, that taking his own life is the only thing that separates him from Rae Carruth or O.J. Simpson and he shouldn't be celebrated for it, that it's an insult to Kasandra Perkins's death to marginalize her for her more famous killer. On the other hand, Belcher was the famous one, and the only reason fans feel a connection to this horror at all. He was clearly a very troubled person, and if he wasn't strictly a tragic figure, it's impossible to expect those who knew him in life to vilify him now.

It's definitely OK to turn this into a public debate on larger issues. If the wake of nationally relevant firearm deaths isn't the time to bring up gun control, when is? But this runs the risk of polarizing a tragedy for political means, and distracting from the perhaps more germane issue of mental illness.

Everyone deals with sadness in their own way, and there's no single "right" way to mourn, especially when tragedy and crime intermix. Maybe the only "wrong" thing you can do is tell someone else that their grief isn't the right kind of grief, as if that's something that can be dictated. Any way someone chooses to react to Jovan Belcher's murder-suicide—yes, even with dark humor—is fine if it works for them.

That said, spelling "Javon" Belcher's name wrong on the commemorative t-shirt is definitely the wrong way to grieve.

[KCUnited]

Reminds me of a time I was selling cd's out of a tattoo shop and this couple walks in and ol girl is going to get ol boys name tattooed on her arm. Artist was like ok "what's the name?" and ol girl paused for a second and kind of mumbled something and ol boy was like "bitch that ain't my name!" Guy told their dumbasses to get the **** out.

[Molitoth]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It's good to hear you haven't given up.

Spelling adjusted. =)

[KILLER_CLOWN]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It's good to hear you haven't given up.

I would have conceited long before that.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It's "genious".

Ah, that's the one.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by Brock

ANOTHER knucklehead move by Bowe! Can't wait till he's playing with Andrew Luck!

thatd be sweet but the jets are gonna give him a massively overpriced contract & hell sign it immediately

[J Diddy]

See it's all laughs and giggles right now, but you're missing the real tragedy. Right now there is a man named Javon Belcher saying "what the ****? I didn't do none of this shit."

[CJizzles]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

thatd be sweet but the jets are gonna give him a massively overpriced contract & hell sign it immediately

If he's upset at the fact he's hardly getting the ball now, going to NYJ would be a significant downgrade.

[journeyscarab]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

See it's all laughs and giggles right now, but you're missing the real tragedy. Right now there is a man named Javon Belcher saying "what the ****? I didn't do none of this shit."

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

If he's upset at the fact he's hardly getting the ball now, going to NYJ would be a significant downgrade.

if he wanted the ball more here hed try harder. bro gives it 60% every damn game.

[CJizzles]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

if he wanted the ball more here hed try harder. bro gives it 60% every damn game.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

keep jerking it to bowe, not too much time left..he wont be here next season

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

I'm in a band, and I have pictures of myself (and band) framed and hanging in my home studio.

Now, am I conceited? no... but those are good memories hanging there to remind me that I set out to achieve a goal and accomplished it.

I don't fault bowe for having cool pictures of his accomplishments up on his wall.

I hope you had a picture of your band flying over a cityscape.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

if he wanted the ball more here hed try harder. bro gives it 60% every damn game.

Yep, it's not like he puts up 1000 yard seasons year after year with a raging dumpster fire at QB.

[Buzz_TinBalls]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

keep jerking it to bowe, not too much time left..he wont be here next season

I think he will.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

if he wanted the ball more here hed try harder. bro gives it 60% every damn game.

I wouldn't say 60% but I would say that he's responsible for a ton of obscenities on game days. Pretty sure the announcers called him out for his nonchalant route running yesterday too. Between that and the dropped passes at the most inopportune times I would say he's underperformed a lot.