Teddy Atlas: The athletes: boxers, fighters, and others, are not heroes. Soldiers are

[Kobe Bryant]

Boxers aren't **** compared to the troops who sacrifice their livelihood. No comparison. I would rather get in the ring than in the battlefield.

[Irish0910]

anybody is a hero with a ****ing gun, give these soldiers a pair of gloves and tell them the ring is iraq

Dumbest post ever.

It'd be different if we were fighting people with "gloves" and we were using guns but THEY'RE BLOWING PEOPLE UP!. Someone from my squadron was hit by a car bomb last week and is in the hospital. That's a hero, people who are risking their lives. I think boxers can be heroes but you can't compare them with soldiers.

[El Jesus]

Teddy was 100% correct, nobody is trying to kill a boxer in the ring, there are rules to play by, but the men and women fighting *********s overseas have people trying to kill them everyday, they work long hours in grave danger and they are doing it for little reward.

The very posters who put down Teddy for what he said "the real heroes are the men and women he met at the hospital, and their fellow soldiers still fighting" - consider this - which boxer is out there defending the very way of life that allows you to watch boxing? Which boxer said "no" to a career and joined the military after seeing what happened on 9-11? Did you feel such conviction or are you content to let someone else take care of your sorry ass?!

If it were not for the men and women in our armed forces - both the past and present, you would not have the freedom to even post on this forum, much less be able to watch boxing at your leisure.

For the record, Ali wasn't making a statement about the war, he was no hero, he was a coward who didn't want to risk getting shot. The media let him put a spin on it so he could save face, he was after all a media darling, always has been, always will be...

As a Veteran, someone whos actually been in the desert and fought in the war on terror im going to tell you right now, most "heroes' joined the military not so they could defend freedom or any way of life. They did it for oppurtunity, the military is a job, being in the infantry is a job, being a logistics coordinator is a job, being a load master is a job etc etc.

I didint join the military because i was patriotic, i joined because it was a great way for me to leave my home and get money for college. If the military was all about freedom and defending the country, they wouldnt offer so many incentives to join in the first place. The military is all about having enough bodies to flex political muscle while providing a purpose and mission to have a reason for you to be in.

I dont feel sorry for any military personell fighting in iraq because you volunteer for that ****, nobody was ****ing drafted like in Vietnam, you signed up, your being paid, and you do your job. Its not a heroes life to do that ****, you signed up to fulfill someone elses political agenda, period.


I love this country and i was willing to give my life for it, but that doesnt mean i dont know the reality of who i am. As a soldier i was the lowest of the low, sent to do the dirty work no politician would dare do, hence why George Bush never flew over the sunny skies of vietnam.

By fighting in Afgahnistan i didint defend my "way of life" i did my job because thats what i was asked to do. Defending my way of life would be more like if i was living in ********* throwing rocks at an isreali tank, or living in Sudan trying to flee from people attempting to ethnically cleanse me. Thats defending my way of life. Our war overseas is all about flexing political muscle. And its not going very well at the moment.

And i love how people bring up "9-11" as if american lives somehow mean more than the rest of the world who live that **** everyday. Iraq has had about 9,000 9-11's yet you shed no tears. I think people like you are the reasons why wars like this are allowed to happen in the first place.

[Soundtraveler]

It's really amazing that there are people who don't know the difference between a true hero and a paid athlete, being an orphan doesn't make you a hero either, neither does being poor and making it to the top of a sport.

But damn, what a friggin disgrace to humanity it is to put down soldiers on Memorial Weekend, but don't worry, the heroes in the armed forces will protect even the dumbest candy ass poster on this or any forum, even if they don't deserve it....

[Soundtraveler]

Well Black Jesus, you are correct in that taking on a tank with just a rock is indeed heroic, if they are indeed trying to protect their way of life. I also agree that not everyone joins the military for patriotic reasons, as in your case, you thought you could get an education, and just happened to have to go to fight, I guess that is just bad timing.

It's not people like me that created this war - it was the friggin *********s, I also don't agree with all the political b.s. that goes on, but on a personal note, if you wear the uniform, I hope you are as proud of it as I am, I salute the vets on this day - even if you didn't join the military for patriotic reasons, I thank you for your service...

[Irish0910]

As a Veteran, someone whos actually been in the desert and fought in the war on terror im going to tell you right now, most "heroes' joined the military not so they could defend freedom or any way of life. They did it for oppurtunity, the military is a job, being in the infantry is a job, being a logistics coordinator is a job, being a load master is a job etc etc.

I didint join the military because i was patriotic, i joined because it was a great way for me to leave my home and get money for college. If the military was all about freedom and defending the country, they wouldnt offer so many incentives to join in the first place. The military is all about having enough bodies to flex political muscle while providing a purpose and mission to have a reason for you to be in.

I dont feel sorry for any military personell fighting in iraq because you volunteer for that ****, nobody was ****ing drafted like in Vietnam, you signed up, your being paid, and you do your job. Its not a heroes life to do that ****, you signed up to fulfill someone elses political agenda, period.


I love this country and i was willing to give my life for it, but that doesnt mean i dont know the reality of who i am. As a soldier i was the lowest of the low, sent to do the dirty work no politician would dare do, hence why George Bush never flew over the sunny skies of vietnam.

By fighting in Afgahnistan i didint defend my "way of life" i did my job because thats what i was asked to do. Defending my way of life would be more like if i was living in ********* throwing rocks at an isreali tank, or living in Sudan trying to flee from people attempting to ethnically cleanse me. Thats defending my way of life. Our war overseas is all about flexing political muscle. And its not going very well at the moment.

And i love how people bring up "9-11" as if american lives somehow mean more than the rest of the world who live that **** everyday. Iraq has had about 9,000 9-11's yet you shed no tears. I think people like you are the reasons why wars like this are allowed to happen in the first place.

No, not everyone in the military is doing it because they want to be a hero. Yes, it is a job, but there aren't very many people now a days that are willing to do this "job" and that's why the people doing it are heros. Can you honestly say people join for the money? Military pay is ****! The only plus is the travel. The college money is good if you have time to go to college. You expect me or any american to feel sorry for countries like Iraq that "has had about 9,000 9-11's" when they support terrorism and want to kill americans just because they're americans? So, if you are no longer military because you used it for college than you should be thanking the heros in the military.

[Soundtraveler]

No, not everyone in the military is doing it because they want to be a hero. Yes, it is a job, but there aren't very many people now a days that are willing to do this "job" and that's why the people doing it are heros. Can you honestly say people join for the money? Military pay is ****! The only plus is the travel. The college money is good if you have time to go to college. You expect me or any american to feel sorry for countries like Iraq that "has had about 9,000 9-11's" when they support terrorism and want to kill americans just because they're americans? So, if you are no longer military because you used it for college than you should be thanking the heros in the military.

Well said I lost friends on 9-11, it isn't something that I "throw around" I am most appreciative of our fine men and women of the armed forces, and especialy of the "career military" they are not doing it for the money, you are correct, the pay is crap, they are doing it because they want to, they have a sense of pride, and a sense of duty. The *********s want to destroy not only our way of life, but any other country or person for that matter that doesn't belong to their particular branch of the ****** religion. This country will not allow them to succeed - ever...

[El Jesus]

No, not everyone in the military is doing it because they want to be a hero. Yes, it is a job, but there aren't very many people now a days that are willing to do this "job" and that's why the people doing it are heros.

Your not an instant hero because you do a job thats hazardous and other people dont want to do it. Your being ****ing paid, and dont tell me "oh the pay is ****ty" that overseas pay racks up big if you dont waste it all on a dope car. You get free housing, and free ****ing food. Your a hero because someone says you are, not because you sign a paper and say an oath. If your family thinks your a hero, great, i dont, i have the right to think that. People arent joining because they dont want to die overseas in a war majority of americans dont support. Period.

Can you honestly say people join for the money? Military pay is ****! The only plus is the travel. The college money is good if you have time to go to college.

Almost everyone i remember being friends with joined because of oppurtunity and travel, hardly any of them joined because they had some crazy additude about 9-11, or because they wanted to defend the country from terrorism. The longer your in, i think the ideal of what your being sold to join the military begins to wear thin, it definately did for me and several of my friends.

You expect me or any american to feel sorry for countries like Iraq that "has had about 9,000 9-11's" when they support terrorism and want to kill americans just because they're americans?

All of the young women and children, their faces, their crys in arabic after attacks from rival militias, the many graves being buried, you see people in the streets, crying, the images of charred bodies of innocents just trying to live life. I dont remember anyone in iraq coming over here and trying to kill me. Iraqi's are killing americans in their land, and since its not our place to be in the first place, they have every right to drive out what certain people feel are foreign invaders.

If china decided to invade us and reorganize our governemnt and implement an government they felt was more stable for us, do you think america would just lay down and like it? No.

So because iraqi's are hitting american soldiers and hitting their own people, and innocent women and children are dying, somehow their lives are worth less to you because they "support terrorism". Right. 9-11 IS ONE EVENT. ONE. It was a horrible tragedy, but the way we responded to it has created what we have today. Our military caught in a civil war between rival Islamic factions that have been warring since before the united states ever came into existence.

This war started off about weapons of mass destruction, now you have reverted it to "they support terrorism". This war is a bunch of bull****.

So, if you are no longer military because you used it for college than you should be thanking the heros in the military

Im not ****ing thanking anyone but myself for the college money i got, i put in my time and earned it and the american people who pay taxes made the GI Bill possible for me, so **** that. I aint thanking anyone but me. The military made me a better man, it made me disciplined and taught me about team work, but that all had to do with me and my willingness to change and adapt to a lifestyle that would help me in the long run and military did that for me. But that doesnt make me some ****ing hero, nor does it make anyone else.

[Steelhammer86]

Your not an instant hero because you do a job thats hazardous and other people dont want to do it. Your being ****ing paid, and dont tell me "oh the pay is ****ty" that overseas pay racks up big if you dont waste it all on a dope car. You get free housing, and free ****ing food. Your a hero because someone says you are, not because you sign a paper and say an oath. If your family thinks your a hero, great, i dont, i have the right to think that. People arent joining because they dont want to die overseas in a war majority of americans dont support. Period.

Almost everyone i remember being friends with joined because of oppurtunity and travel, hardly any of them joined because they had some crazy additude about 9-11, or because they wanted to defend the country from terrorism. The longer your in, i think the ideal of what your being sold to join the military begins to wear thin, it definately did for me and several of my friends.

All of the young women and children, their faces, their crys in arabic after attacks from rival militias, the many graves being buried, you see people in the streets, crying, the images of charred bodies of innocents just trying to live life. I dont remember anyone in iraq coming over here and trying to kill me. Iraqi's are killing americans in their land, and since its not our place to be in the first place, they have every right to drive out what certain people feel are foreign invaders.

If china decided to invade us and reorganize our governemnt and implement an government they felt was more stable for us, do you think america would just lay down and like it? No.

So because iraqi's are hitting american soldiers and hitting their own people, and innocent women and children are dying, somehow their lives are worth less to you because they "support terrorism". Right. 9-11 IS ONE EVENT. ONE. It was a horrible tragedy, but the way we responded to it has created what we have today. Our military caught in a civil war between rival Islamic factions that have been warring since before the united states ever came into existence.

This war started off about weapons of mass destruction, now you have reverted it to "they support terrorism". This war is a bunch of bull****.

Im not ****ing thanking anyone but myself for the college money i got, i put in my time and earned it and the american people who pay taxes made the GI Bill possible for me, so **** that. I aint thanking anyone but me. The military made me a better man, it made me disciplined and taught me about team work, but that all had to do with me and my willingness to change and adapt to a lifestyle that would help me in the long run and military did that for me. But that doesnt make me some ****ing hero, nor does it make anyone else.

Great post, Black Jesus, you're 100% right.

[Irish0910]

If your family thinks your a hero, great, i dont, i have the right to think that.

You know why you have that right? I bet you do. The americans fighting for you to have that right. I know people disagree with the war and blah blah blah but to be out right disrespectful about soldiers is crazy. You many not agree but don't be disrespectful toward the people that gave you the right to talk **** on this forum.