You knew it was inevitable. Whitlock chimes in and pounds on Harry, Keitzman and Twibell.
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...y/1206870.html
I love to cuss. Four-letter words roll off my tongue the way a basketball slipped off George Gervin’s fingertips inches from the rim.
So even miles away while on vacation, George Brett’s F-bomb rampage tickled my ears and caught my attention.
Please allow me to translate what the Hall of Fame third baseman truly meant when he called out Kevin Kietzman, Jack Harry, Roger Twibell and Dave Stewart for their criticism of Royals manager Trey Hillman.
People who are offended by swearing rarely understand the true meaning of a profanity-laced tirade. I don’t have this problem. Having grown up inside my dad’s neighborhood tavern, I learned at a young age that there are at least eight different ways to use the word motherF-bomb, and really only two of the eight uses are pejorative. (You can e-mail me if you want to know the eight different ways to use it.)
My point is, I know exactly what Brett was trying to say Monday at the Joe McGuff charity golf event. The key to translating a profanity-laced meltdown is to avoid focusing on what is said and pay careful attention to what isn’t said.
George Brett didn’t mention these three names — Joe Posnanski, Soren Petro and Danny Clinkscale. JoPo, Petro and Clinkscale have all been critical of Trey Hillman. Petro, who hosts a radio show on 810 WHB-AM, is arguably Hillman’s toughest critic. Clinkscale, Kietzman’s sidekick on WHB, regularly questions Hillman’s moves. And Posnanski, my colleague at The Star, has written a couple of columns this year tearing into Hillman.
Why were they left out of Brett’s rant?
I’d argue it’s because they’re highly informed about the Royals, attend numerous games, frequent the clubhouse and attempt to ascertain both sides of the story. They’re fair, and their criticism is authentic.
Kietzman, Harry and Twibell are clueless, and much of their conversation about the Royals comes from a very dishonest, self-serving place. It’s an attempt to grab ratings.
Even with the benefit of a map, compass, a pack of hunting dogs and GPS, Kietzman, Harry and Twibell couldn’t locate the locker-room facilities at Arrowhead Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State or Pembroke Hill High School.
They criticize from the safest distance possible. And they hit the airwaves and feign an insider’s knowledge.
Honestly, I find it all rather amusing. But I can see why it would eventually bother someone like George Brett. The guy loves the Royals. The team is just beginning to show signs of real life.
And Harry and Twibell grasp for relevancy by playing an insincere and cowardly game with Hillman’s every decision. It’s not really a game with Kietzman. It’s who he is.
Kietzman had Brett on the air Tuesday and, among other things, made a ridiculous analogy comparing Hillman’s task to what Kietzman’s high school “manager” faced leading Shawnee Mission Midwest to the 1972 Big School Championship. Brett, to his credit, did not laugh out loud. Kietzman finished his brown-nosing session by explaining that he just couldn’t figure out why the rest of the media don’t like good old Trey Hillman.
Brett — and I suspect Hillman, Dayton Moore and everyone else within the Royals’ organization — is OK with Hillman being ripped and grilled.
Brett would just prefer that Hillman’s most vocal critics be the journalists/broadcasters who spend time at the ballpark confronting Hillman face to face.
I give Brett credit for taking the time Tuesday to conduct interviews with Twibell and Kietzman. Brett refused to back down. He apologized for his profanity but stood by his message.
He’s too polite to properly translate, so I’ll summarize:
1. Harry is way past his prime with terrible TV ratings.
2. Kietzman is a talented but disingenuous opportunist.
3. Twibell is hoping he can fool Entercom into supporting his golf habit for another year.