Support-Forum » statements need to be outrageous and extreme. It

Transcript:"On December 2nd I received a fax from Commissioner Paul Tagliabue informing me the Bills are being fined $50,000 for criticism on my part of officiating in the last moments of our game with New England. I described two calls, back-to-back, as probably the worst I have witnessed in the 60 years I have watched pro football. Those two calls cost the Bills a very important game, one in which out team fought back very courageously from a substantial deficit. Society today is more enlightened. Fair comment and criticism are rampant. The entire media as a unit is frank and the millions watching a game are frank. But the Commissioner lecturing to me as if I were a novice, instead of one who has been involved in football infinitely longer than he has, contends that criticizing a call has "destructive and corrosive effects on the game."What is more destructive and corrosive – errant calls in front of millions of viewers or my statements of opinion? People all over the country registered shock at the way officials, however honourable their purpose, took the game away from us. Even the league has admitted to us that the calls near the conclusion of the game were incorrect. On Monday morning the Commissioner can sermonize on destruction and corrosion, but he has never experienced the pain of blowing a crucial game due to officiating. I have yet to decide whether or not I will pay or challenge the fine. But, at 80, I do know I dont need pompous lectures from the Commissioner and I feel that the $50,000 is not only unwarranted, but punitive in nature. The next time he may ask me to sit in corner." Ralph Wilson was a boss. Mike Piazza Jersey . While coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans and pumped his fist at the crowd, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul quietly congratulated each other. Jackie Robinson Jersey . De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, Todd Helton homered and the Colorado Rockies snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers six-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Chris-Taylor-dodgers-jersey/ . Granada goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez saved Morenos first two headers from corner kicks taken by Sergio Garcia, but the defender beat him on his third try after Garcia found Moreno unmarked at the near post in the 78th minute. Custom Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Blue Jackets may do to build upon last seasons success to return to the playoffs again next year. Corey Seager Jersey . Sociedad remained in sixth place with Villarreal a point behind in seventh, both in Europa League spots and in striking distance of fourth place and the final Champions League berth. Sociedad forward Carlos Vela chipped goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez after receiving an equally exquisite lobbed pass from Ruben Pardo to set him up in the 23rd minute at Anoeta Stadium.Well, Rector was none too pleased. When he awoke from his slumber, he sued ESPN, MLB, the Yankees and ESPN announcers Dan Shulman and John Kruk for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is asking for $10 million.To say the least, the language in the claim is peculiar, complete with misspellings and ambitious grammatical choices. Page two of the Claim gets right down to business: "On or about April 13, 2014, the plaintiff was at the rivalry game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. It is well known that the rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is always the biggest in all of sport. For decades millions of people all over the world turn out or tune in to watch these games. Plaintiff accordingly was at this game." Claims Being Made In his lawsuit, he alleges that ESPN and MLB engaged in "unending verbal crusade" against the sleepy plaintiff. Specifically, his claim states as follows: (a) "Announcers like Dan Shulman and John Kruck (sp) unleashed avalanche of disparaging words against the person of and concerning the plaintiff. These words, include but not limited to stupor, fatty, unintelligent, stupid". (b) "John Kruck (sp) in his verbal attack insinuated that the plaintiff is individual that know neither history nor understood the beauty or rivalry between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankee." (b) "The defendant Major league Baseball continually repeated these vituperative utterances against the plaintiff on the major league baseball web site the next day. These words and its insinuations presented the plaintiff as symbol of anything but failure." (I think they meant to write "these works and its insinuations presented the plaintiff as a symbol of failure".) He goes on to say that the defendants "negligently or maliciously published false, defamatory statements of fact about the plaintiff, a private individual". As a result, his reputation was damaged. The false statements alleged include the following: - Plaintiff is unintelligent and stupid individual. - Plaintiff is not worthy to be fan of the New York Yankee. - Plaintiff is a fatty cow that need two seats at all time and represent symbol of failure. - Plaintiff is a confused disgusted and socially bankrupt individual. - Plaintiff is confused individual that neither understands nor knows anything about history and the meaning of rivalry between Red Sox and New York Yankee. - Plaintiff is so stupid that he cannot differentiate between his house and public place by snoozing throughout the fourth inning of the Yankee game. Defamation Defamation refers to a false statement that is likely to lower the reeputation of a person in the eyes of reasonable people.dddddddddddd The law protects your reputation against defamation. If someone defames you, you can sue for money (called "damages") for harming your reputation. Heres what Kruk and Shulman said: Shulman: This guys oblivious to how good [MLB TV] is... Kruk: Sometimes you have to turn it off to get some sleep. This is not the place you come to sleep. I tell you what though, how comfortable is that? Probably wont have any neck problems tomorrow. Shulman: I mean, is that guy to his left his buddy? Is he just letting him sleep, or is he here alone? Whats the deal with this guy?Kruk: Maybe thats his buddy and he likes him a lot better when hes asleep.Shulman: I think the other guys more concerned with the food and the game.Kruk: Chicken fingers are a special item at the ballpark. Why share? Get em while hes asleep so he wont ask for one.Shulman: Weve gotta see how long this guys out for.Kruk: Its only the fourth inning, you dont think he could sleep through –Shulman: Did he sleep through the Beltran homer? I mean, 45,000 people stand up and cheer and he sleeps through it?Kruk: Youd think itd be tough to, but he seemed comfortable. It didnt look like he just started to sleep.Is this defamation? No. To be clear, Im saying no. Contrary to Rectors allegations, it is simply untrue that Kruk and Shulman "unleashed (an) avalanche of disparaging words". They did not refer to him as stupid, unintelligent or a fatty cow. Frankly, the guy sitting to Rectors left may have gotten the worst of it when Shulman said hes more "concerned with the food and the game". Even that is fine. So Kruk and Shulman did not engage in defamatory comments. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress In order to make out this claim, the statements need to be outrageous and extreme. Its conduct that goes beyond all reasonable bounds of decency, and when a reasonable person hears it, he or she needs to respond with something like "Thats outrageous!!!". Courts have even repeatedly concluded that insults and indignities fall short of that test. So Rector will also fail on this count. The comments were not outrageous or extreme. Rather, the comments were innocuous and playful. If anything, restraint was exercised. By the way, the lawsuit alleges that ESPN and MLB engaged in unlawful activities. The Yankees were just hosting the game, and should not have been named as a defendant. They werent involved. That being said, no one should have been named as a defendant. The lawsuit lacks merit. As a result, expect the parties to move to have this lawsuit kicked out of court on the basis that it is frivolous. ' ' '