Josh Hamilton may well be the most talented baseball player on the planet. The man spent 3 years playing no baseball and now has a decent chance at the first Triple Crown since 1967. During this years Home Run Derby, his perfect swing led to 28!!! homers in one round. Josh Hamilton’s story is interesting and to a point, unbelievable. The one thing it isn’t, inspirational.
When I think of inspirational sports stories, I think of Lance Armstrong dominating the Tour De France after beating cancer. How about Ray Ray McElrathbey raising his younger brother and playing Division One ball for Clemson. Jim Abbott overcoming his disability and carving out a nice Major League Career. Or even Jason McElwain dropping 20 in 4 minutes. I don’t think of a guy who dealt with the adversity of an injury by taking up crack.
Hamilton went to rehab 8 times. He tried to commit suicide (though married with a child) 5 times. He is so deep into his addiction that he has a handler follow him around and is not allowed to have more than $20 in his wallet at any time.. The guy has all the talent in the world. He tries to throw every last ounce of it away. After 7 tries, he is able to overcome his “disease” (By the way drug addiction is not a disease, cancer is a disease. Drug Addiction is Darwinism) and make something of his life. Was it inspirational when Steve Howe came back from his seventh suspension? Was it inspirational when Dwight Gooden came back a shell of his former self? Hamilton story is amazing, but the man is not an inspiration. And from reading this story, you’ll learn that he is kind of a asshole too.
63 responses so far ↓
1 GM-Carson // Jul 21, 2008 at 10:30 am
Nice blog you’ve got here. I like the humor and insight. I too run a blog like this, with the focus being on the Phillies, called We Should Be GM’s @ http://pabaseball.blogspot.com
2 SoxAddict // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:10 am
Agreed 100 percent. It’s ridiculous the amount of heroism he’s received. Yes, congrats, you kicked a drug addiction.. but you also brought the drug addiction on yourself. So technically he returned to being a normal person (albeit a talented one.) Why should that be celebrated?
3 SoxAddict // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:11 am
Also on a separate note, he apparently had 88 grand in the bank when he “hit rock bottom.” No matter who the ‘drug addict’ is, I’d say that is still a pretty sweet rock bottom to be at.
4 Dome Dogs // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:27 am
Actually, it is a disease. It’s a cunning, baffeling and powerful one at that. Sure, Josh Hamilton brought it upon himself by begining to expiriment with drugs, but addiction itself is something that is uncontrollable. He went to rehab numerous times, most likely at the behest of his handlers, family, etc. Yet, he beat addiction, for now, this 8th time. No matter the money his bank account, he hit bottom. He hit a bottom and was finally willing to reach out and receive help for his disease. Without going into the nitty gritty of the recovery process, it isn’t easy. I’d love to see where you got all the details about his handler and the $20 max in his wallet, but kudos to Josh for recognizing that given his situation and status, he could very easly slip back into his addiction at any time.
This is a guy who got caught in the grips of a very powerful and real disease and lost a lot of his life to it and yet, here he is, finally living up to his potential. It’s not on par with Lance and cancer, or your other examples, but it is something special and something that should be celebrated. Your views on the subject seem to come from a very narrow minded and purposefully cynical view of what this man has been through, what he has acheived, and what he represents to many, many people who are struggling/have recovered from addiction related issues. Your entitled to your thoughts, but I feel I’m entitled to challenge their merits.
5 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:39 am
“After their eighth win in 10 games, on May 16 — the one in which Hamilton had five hits — a group of teammates, as they often do, went to a steak house to celebrate. But the hero of the game didn’t join them. Since Oct. 6, 2005, the day his grandmother sat him down in her living room and confronted him about his addiction, Hamilton has been sober and drug-free, he says, and the 27-year-old follows strict self-imposed guidelines to stay that way. He rarely carries more than $10 in his wallet, and never more than $20. His friend Johnny Narron, hired by the Rangers, must always know his whereabouts. He never goes out alone at night, and never goes out with teammates after games. “In San Francisco, I went to Morton’s steak house two nights in a row,” he says, bringing this up as if it were a major step for him. Some teammates were there, too, but at a table on the other side of the room. Hamilton, who was dining with Narron, says, “I walked over to the guys and said hello.”
Source- Sports Illustrated article by Albert Chen
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/albert_chen/05/27/hamilton0602/
6 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:45 am
In my opinion, Hamilton has not beaten his addiction. He has replaced it with another, God. While I am bothered by the media’s coverage of Hamilton, I would not have felt compelled to write this piece had it not been for Hamilton firing his agent. Matt Sosnick supported Hamilton during his fight to get back in the league. To fire Sosnick (a Jew, replaced by a Christian Agent) in the name of religion is disgusting and is a major strike against Hamilton’s character.
7 Harvey Bars // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:52 am
Have some tact Shakespeare. Not everyone was fortunate enough to receive the crack deterring vaccine like we did in second grade and thus were more susceptible to this disease.
8 Losloseeboy // Jul 21, 2008 at 12:07 pm
He’s an extremist.
Lots of crown, crack and coke
Lots of Jesus
Lots of homers
And now he’s going overboard on childbirth.
I can’t wait to see what’s next . . .
9 Jeff V // Jul 21, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I thought that post was a joke but now that I read the comments I’m not sure…
Am I missing something?
10 Dome Dogs // Jul 21, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Esssshh. If that’s the view you want to take to his recovery, then there’s no point in arguing against it. I’ll say this though, you’re views are pretty narrow and biased. It’s absurd for him to fire his agent of conceptions of God — which is not what the recovery process is supposed to be about — but I don’t think you can fault Josh Hamilton for replacing drugs with faith in his life and call that swapping out addictions.
11 ZyzzlefriX // Jul 21, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Drug addiction is bad, because feeding that addiction often takes precedence over everything else. Furthermore, addicts go through life in a haze which precludes rational thought.
Religious addiction is bad, because feeding that addiction often takes precedence over everything else. Furthermore, addicts go through life in a haze which precludes rational thought.
If this guy’s new-found faith requires him to only associate with other Christians, he’s not joined a church so much as he’s joined a born-again cult.
And yes, I very much believe that to be a case of swapping out addictions.
12 k // Jul 21, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Fine Zyzzle, I’ll join the community of all born again “cultists” and you join the community of all crack addicts and we will see who is better off?
13 Losloseeboy // Jul 21, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Crack addicts will definitely be getting off more.
14 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 21, 2008 at 7:01 pm
K, how about being neither. Like regular people.
15 Ryan // Jul 21, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Sounds to me like some of you just want to bash God. Do any of you know Sosnick? Is he such a saint that he could NEVER being replaced? Did he resurrect Hamilton’s career pro bono, out of the kindness of his heart? Is he a practicing Jew or simply born into the race? Most importantly, do his morals line up with the morals Hamilton is requiring of himself and those he spends his time with? How can we judge a man’s decision to surround himself with the kind of people he believes will make him a better person? Am I required to call up the worst of my old high-school buddies and frat brothers and watch them cheat on their wives and get wasted? You don’t know Sosnick and the reason why Hamilton wants to replace him. You only know he is replacing him with a Christian, and taking this opportunity to express your biases.
16 Losloseeboy // Jul 21, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Yikes . . . .
Jew and race in the same sentence never ends well.
I really wish I could convert to another race.
17 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 21, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Fortunately for me, I still hang out with the worst of my high school brothers and frat brothers. Some on this blog.
Here’s an interview itsaboutthemoney.com did with Sosnick. I can’t believe they didn’t ask if he was a practicing Jew.- http://itsaboutthemoney.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-with-matt-sosnick.html
18 Drexl Spivey // Jul 21, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Hi, I’m here for the Godbash. I’m not too late am I?
19 God // Jul 21, 2008 at 8:37 pm
It’s ok everybody. I kinda had this coming. LOL. And even I admit that Josh has been a douche of late. That’s why I made the Canadian fellow win the Derby.
20 Losloseeboy // Jul 21, 2008 at 9:26 pm
As my 14th round pick in fantasy, Josh can OD on
Jesús if he wants.
It seems to be working fine thus far.
Just hope he knows that he’s helping another dirty Jew get richer!
21 Ryan // Jul 21, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Nothing sacred in this room. Nothing very smart either.
The interview reveals little. Sosnick is having his back scratched by the interviewer. He says nice things. Is this supposed to buttress his reputation as a man beyond replacement? Loyalty is great. Sosnick’s groomsmen have been his friends for 20 years. If I’m correct, however, he’s been Hamilton’s agent since early 2007. Hardly 20 years, no?
Perhaps here’s what happened: Hamilton and Sosnick became such good friends in such a short time that they were almost like brothers, like frat brothers who do things differently than the other types of brothers. They became so close that Hamilton became Sosnick’s alternate groomsman, just outside the tightknit circle of loyalty. Sosnick, dangit!, had one too many 20 year old friendships. There just wasn’t room in his circle full of Jews and other races. Had he put Hamilton in the wedding party perhaps he’d still have a client, but we’ll never know. We’ll never, ever know.
22 Daniel Webster // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:50 pm
My my my, how amazingly stupid you are. Everything you said about him is true. He’s an addict, sure. Have you ever been addicted to anything? Ever gotten hooked on any kind of drug?
No, it’s not the feel good inspirational story that Lance Armstrong was, but does that mean that his story can’t inspire? Do you not think that maybe, just maybe, some addict will see this story and think to him/herself, “Hey, you know, if I clean up my act, maybe I can do something with myself and not be depressed all the time and want to kill myself!”
Is that not inspiration? I don’t care if Josh Hamilton is nothing more than white trash with fast twitch muscles because that only furthers the inspiration. Hey, if a moron can do it, so can you!
It’s not perfect, but then, this isn’t a perfect world. It’s not Hollywood, where you always have the valiant hero riding in on a white horse after vanquishing numerous and formidable forces that conspired to rob him of his glory. It’s REALITY. And in the real world, you take inspiration anywhere that you can get it.
So fine, shoot your mouth off in a blog about how he’s just another P.O.S. professional athlete. Maybe he is. Why does that bother you so much? If his story helps one person out, then it’s inspirational. If you don’t like hearing about it, then change the freaking channel already.
23 Harvey Bars // Jul 22, 2008 at 12:42 am
“Do you not think that maybe, just maybe, some addict will see this story and think to him/herself, “Hey, you know, if I clean up my act, maybe I can do something with myself and not be depressed all the time and want to kill myself!”
I did hear that the homerun derby ratings for baseheads (ages 18-34) nearly tripled from last year’s numbers. Also, I deliberately avoided commenting on the “riding a white horse” comment. That felt like too easy a setup.
24 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 22, 2008 at 4:52 am
Daniel Webster? The 14th Secretary of the State and renowned orator? On my blog? What an honor. I hope that pseudonym isn’t alluding to some presumed debating skill.
In answer to your question, no, I’ve never been addicted to anything. Well, except for Cinemax when I was 14, but I kicked that when I learned about internet porn. That’s not to say I haven’t done drugs, because, I’ve tried every one you could name. But none of them had the extended use appeal that Skinemax did.
As far as changing the channel, take your own advice. If you don’t like what your are reading, take off to another site.
25 BlueWorkhorse // Jul 22, 2008 at 6:04 am
I have to disagree with you on this one Shakespeare.
Now unlike others, I don’t think you are an idiot or stupid because of this article or b/c maybe you’ve never had an addiction (some people get so riled up). However, I do believe Hamilton’s story is inspirational.
It’s not just that he’s come back and is doing well that makes an inspirational tale. Instead, what I find inspirational is that Hamilton is taking the time to talk to children and others with addiction about his story. Telling others with addiction that he has been able to kick his and find some sense of “glory” and that others can do the same thing, or telling the kids how much doing drugs cost him for half a decade is the inspirational part.
The fact that he has a personal friend who is his handler and doesn’t carry more than $20 isn’t something that negates the inspirational side of Hamilton’s story or shows weakness in my eyes. Instead, it just shows the depths that he and those around him have went to make sure he doesn’t fall into the traps that have harmed him in the past.
And no this is not an inspirational tale on the same level as Armstrong, but I believe it is in a separate category because Hamilton’s is, like you said, self-inflicted.
26 Jason // Jul 22, 2008 at 6:34 am
What if we swapped “jew” with republican and “christian” with democrat? Or vice versa, if it makes you feel better.
What if we changed the race of either Sosnick or Hamilton? What if Hamilton was black and he said he wanted to be “in a black stable”? What if Sosnick was black and Hamilton said he wanted to be “in a white stable”? Can you imagine the backlash? NAACP and Jesse Jackson picketing. Chest-beating from the MSM.
The point is, Hamilton fired his representation as he was about to sign a big contract. He’s got a right to do that, at any time, but I felt it just stunk, given the reason. Religion, politics, whatever… seems like a flimsy reason to dump your agent, one who’s been working on your behalf. And one who he (Hamilton) was happy with until he had this dream that God told him to find a Christian stable.
I still think Hamilton’s story is incredible, no matter how distasteful I FELT his handling of Sosnick was.
27 Scott A // Jul 22, 2008 at 7:33 am
Ditto Daniel Webster
28 JKileen // Jul 22, 2008 at 7:58 am
Lack of will power is not a disease.
29 rainshineWDE // Jul 22, 2008 at 8:00 am
jesus does not care if Josh Hamilton smokes 83 pounds of hashish, doesn’t care if he succeeds or fails, doesn’t care if he fathers 12 kids with 12 women, doesn’t care about anything. because jesus is dead. thank zeus!
30 Mary Lou Harker // Jul 22, 2008 at 8:12 am
Josh Hamilton is not through with his addiction. After hitting 28 Home runs, he proceeded to put a wad of tobacco in his mouth and there went his strength. He couldn’t do anymor!! Tobacco is an addiction!!!!!!!!!!
31 peter // Jul 22, 2008 at 8:58 am
Lance Armstrong is not an inspiration. Aside from hawking cancer recovery into a lucrative, yellow wristband based business, he is a cheater. within cycling circles it is well documented that he cheated (via blood doping and other chemical enhancements) his way to his Tour de France victories.
32 rainshineWDE // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:10 am
peter that’s a moronic thing to say. “withing cycling circles it is well documented” - as if the cycling community is privy to well documented information that the general public is restricted from? don’t be an idiot.
33 Rational Thought // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:20 am
Cynicism is cynicism. If the author was served a free steak dinner at their favorite restaurant, they’d complain that the waiter did not refill their glass of water quick enough.
Hamilton is an inspiration. Not because he tried and quit drugs, but because he is using his newly gained platform to share with the greater population that transformation from a detrimental and deadly lifestyle is possible.
Do you need to be a drug addict to relate to Hamilton? No. Hamilton never passes the blame for his own bad decisions. His story is about owning up to his demons and turning away from his negative behavior.
Maybe the author feels they do no wrong, so they are free to judge and man that went from a loner killing himself (intentionally and unintentionally) to a reconciled family man that has taken steps and dramatic precautions to make sure he does not hurt those he loves again. That is not trading addictions.
This blog and comments have derided Hamilton as an ignorant, faith-crazed, jerk that soley aligns himself with those in his faith. Even his procreation with his wife was brought into question (as if any of this is our business).
What is left out are his speaking engagements to local youths (Christian and secular groups), the hours he spends signing autographs before and after games while chatting with fans about his struggles, and the community contributions he has made in his home state of North Carolina.
Hamilton’s story is that he is an imperfect man that has and will make mistakes. His point is that he learned from past mistakes and tries not to repeat degenerative behavior. He knows he will make mistakes in the future - but he hopes drugs and alcohol are not involved. If it takes only $10-20 in his pocket so be it. If it takes skipping dinners with teammates where he’s tempted he’ll do that. Part of turning away from past mistakes is avoiding situations that tempt him until he is strong enough to face it. Are we strong enough to drop our vices: be it food, drink, gambling, relationships, etc?
How can you look at this story and focus on his switching agents? Is it politically correct to say that he switched agents due to religion? No. But is was his business decision and it was a honest admission. Is it politically correct for you to judge another man’s professional decisions, family aspirations, and personal motivations without ever getting to know the man? I would say no.
So while you complain about the size of the parsley that accompanies your potatoes and question whether you should tip the waiter for your free meal, I will choose to focus on a man who was on a death path that has not only turned his life around - but openly shared his time and his brutally honest story so that others may also learn from his mistakes. The latter is a much tastier way to view life…
34 Black Thought // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:37 am
Did my half brother Rational show up here yet? He’s a longwinded, pompous, judgey know-it-all who overuses food analogies. Keep an eye out for him.
35 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:38 am
Rational Thought,
A little bit of an arrogant name. What might be rational in your mind is by no means rational to others.
“Is it politically correct for you to judge another man’s professional decisions, family aspirations, and personal motivations without ever getting to know the man? I would say no.”
If you have taken the time to peruse any of the articles up on this site, you would find political correctness is certainly not our forte. On the same side of the coiu, you seem to be questioning my personal motivations without knowing me (ie, the ridiculous steak analogy). A bit hypocritical, huh.
A note on the steak and parsley comment: I waited tables to put myself through college, I would always be appreciative of a free steak and properly tip the waiter.Nice stab at a coherent analogy, though.
Here’s my question for you? Why would Hamilton restrict his speaking engagements to Christian and Secular Youth Groups. It seems his story would be better served in inner cities and underprivileged neighborhoods. Are Evangelicals the only one’s worth saving?
36 rainshineWDE // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:44 am
hey rational thought ( a little presumptuous, don’t you think?) - the author sheds light on the fact that Josh Hamilton is a total moron - he was given everything, and threw it all away, earned nothing, deserves nothing, but the chance physiological advantages he was handed in life were too much to allow him to hold himself down. you can equate his lot in life with that of paris hilton. no difference. there is no inspiration in this story. the only reason anybody really cares about this guys’s story is because he gives credit to their favorite dead liar. you know, the one that’s going to sweep them all up to that place in the sky, and send their enemies to burn in hell forever - you know, that great guy!
37 Rational Thought // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:49 am
Maybe you need to look up the definition of “secular” - but I’ll save you the time - that was a reference to the inner city youth organizations and recovery clinics.
And as far as my hypocrisy about being judgemental? I only pointed to statements your article and your commentors made deriding a man for what others would consider virtous (family, faith, etc.). It would appear you are on the defensive.
It was ambitious to think a post on this blog would mean anything, and I’m actually opposed to giving you any more hits. I appreciate you acknowledging my post - it must have meant I hit close to home.
Enjoy the blogging - but here are much better reads out there. It appears that having an audience of only your frat brothers and HS buddies…and now me…doesn’t get you any sponsors.
Oops - maybe that was judgemental.
38 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:04 am
hey guys - get off rational thought’s case. it’s obvious he’s been guzzling cough syrup this morning, and only reads “Left Behind” and Joel Osteen, but I, as a total fatass weight counseler, feel he is completely qualified to hold up waste of space crackheads as role models to our kids!
39 Slim Fast // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:08 am
Ad hominem?
40 Chris Crocker // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:09 am
LEAVE JOSH HAMILTON ALONE!
41 Perez Hilton // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:13 am
I want my joke back…
42 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:17 am
Come back, Rational Thought, come back. I need you to give me more hits. I need the advertising money. After seeing this article, my favorite restaurant, Applebee’s, stopped giving me free steak with slowly filled water and mashed potatoes with tiny parsley. C’mon, promise you’ll come back after your latest class at Bob Jones.
43 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:21 am
And I am going to go out on a limb and assume these secular groups were faith based.
44 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 22, 2008 at 11:17 am
slim fast - no that is not an ad hominem attack - i’m arguing specifically against his position that crackheads preaching that through jesus (or insert your favorite religion) all can be achieved are good role models. and yes, i did have to look up ad hominem. i have no qualms with the idea that i will always have more to learn.
45 Slim Fast // Jul 22, 2008 at 12:10 pm
So insinuating he is a cough syrup abusing, Joel Osteen watching, Tim LaHaye reading Bible beater somehow makes this point?
I think your argument is misconstrued. I interpretted his argument to say that being self effacing and self aware enough to recognize personal weekness and hence apply the proper life adjustments to correct said flaws is admirable. It is not heroic but in the same light it shouldn’t be demonized.
Hamilton used family and faith as pillars of his own reconstruction - is this to be mocked?
Fatty McGee - we all need to share your final thought on education.
46 Slim Fast // Jul 22, 2008 at 12:13 pm
SD - by definition, secular organizations are not religious or faith based
47 Shakespeare DiMaggio // Jul 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm
well, fuck me then
48 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 22, 2008 at 12:55 pm
slim fast the guy swings a bat for a living. he didn’t get in the library and earn a degree, somebody said hey, get up and swing a bat for a couple million bucks, and it took the dumbass 2 years to do it. using family as a motivator is normal, and using faith as a motivator is a disgusting crutch. pat this guys jock strap if you want, i don’t care, but don’t get mad at suicide bombers for practicing their faith either. faith hurts and kills, period.
49 Slim Fast // Jul 22, 2008 at 3:03 pm
“using faith as a motivator is a disgusting crutch” - pure opinion.
Everybody puts faith in something - even if they do not admit it - even if it is just their own intellect. Your opinion is not original and this debate has and will go on for all time. A couple of blog posts are not going to change your mind.
Using a snarky blog down- playing one of the best stories in sports to espouse your hate of religion is a cheap shot at best. Maybe one day you will let your guard down and see how crass some of the statements you made really are…That is my opinion.
50 Ron Burgandy // Jul 22, 2008 at 3:09 pm
“Agree to disagree.”
51 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 22, 2008 at 8:43 pm
crass??? who gives a shit! this story revolves around a guy that credits faith for his resurrection from the ashes of addiction, which is a total crutch. what, do you mean you wouldn’t have been able to do it if jesus wasn’t there for you in your darkest hour? what about people around the world that don’t have jesus? can they not motivate themselves to stop stuffing handfuls of coke down their throats to go make bajillions of dollars playing a game??? how about we as a species learn to do good for the common good, instead of living in fear and thinking we are helpless without the invisible hand of a savior? you telling me i’m crass means nothing to me.
52 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 22, 2008 at 8:49 pm
by the way, here’s crass for you - jesus is a dead liar. dead because everyone who was alive 2000+ years ago is dead, and a liar because he told his followers that he was 1)the son of god and 2)he would be back before someone in his audience would pass away. see, he lied and he’s dead. put this bitch to rest. i’ll be back tomorrow with a drawing of muhammad, but i’m sure that won’t really bother any of you, because you weren’t born in iran or syria. your parents brainwashed you with jesus, while syrian parents were brainwashing their kids with muhammad bullshit. puke.
53 Slim Fast // Jul 23, 2008 at 5:40 am
Now you’ve moved onto much deeper topics that are covered in religious/philosophical classes. Your anti-religious stance has and will always be around…
You are basically using a tremendously positive story to blast your personal agenda against organized religion in a public forum. There are better mediums than a sarcastic, collegiate sports blog…
54 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 23, 2008 at 5:51 am
once again - it’s only a positive story to christians. this guy would still be a washed out junkie if he wasn’t a genetic freak. find inspiration in it if you want, but it’s disgusting to free thinking individuals and people of other faiths.
55 Slim Fast // Jul 23, 2008 at 6:22 am
Your bias blinds you to the reality that his story goes beyond his Christianity. His sobriety started before baseball reinstated him and he worked for his brothers landscaping company.
Can you not see that this man literally almost lost his life, and was able to clean himself up. Any lost life is a tragedy and I would think any self proclaimed “free thinking” individual would be able to recognize this fact. In reality - if he wasn’t a professing Christian you would have no problem with this story. Check your bias at the door - it is an impedement to your “free thinking”.
56 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 23, 2008 at 6:44 am
“if he wasn’t a professing christian you would have no problem with this story”
i said that where?
the guy should be in jail for being a dope fiend. he happened to not get busted in a sting.
funny how christians are OK with the idea of “sinners” going to hell, but are just excited as a puppy to embrace anyone that wants to cuddle with jesus.
57 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 23, 2008 at 6:47 am
talk about bias!!! ha!
58 400 lb. Weight Counseler // Jul 23, 2008 at 8:06 am
this has been fun slim fast/rational thought, but it’s played now so have a good week.
59 Slim Fast // Jul 23, 2008 at 12:49 pm
“funny how christians are OK with the idea of “sinners” going to hell, but are just excited as a puppy to embrace anyone that wants to cuddle with jesus.” - 400
Ummm. Hmmm. This is obviously and entusiastic approach at drawing a reaction, but I’ll keep it simple.
You need to study the tennets of Christianity before using such gross hyperbole. Christianity involved sharing it’s beliefs, with their actions and words, with unbelievers so that they may potentially avoid damnation.
At the end of the day, it’s a person’s choice whether to believe or not believe, and this freedom is the beauty of human lives. No one in any shape or form can claim to be a Christian and be excited about anyones damnation or conversely force anyone to become a Christian. It’s a individual choice everyone must make…
Hamilton shares his faith openly so that people who may not have heard can make this decision for themselves.
Yes - I am not off the soapbox and I agree that this topic has been pressed to it’s limits. Have a great week.
60 rob // Jul 23, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Hatred drives a lot of the negativity in the world but it sells (right Tirico). As an addict I wanted to blast off on you but then I realized it would give u what u want and what u feel u need (to make them papers) versus what is not just good for me but more importantly others. How many others have just fallen and continue to fall and people like u wouldn’t even give it a second thought. Its called compassion and its extended to all regardless of ability or financial status, try it, asshole. (couldnt help it, sorry)
61 Daniel Webster // Jul 25, 2008 at 7:57 pm
For the record, no, that’s not where the name comes from. I’m not even going to claim to have remembered that there was a Daniel Webster to have done all of those things before, though I wonder if perhaps you enjoyed googling the name to find any perverse pleasures to use against me.
The fact is, however, that I enjoyed tearing your argument apart. I apologize for taking so long to answer…some of us actually work for a living and don’t have the time to get online a whole lot (much to my chagrin…ah, for the days of college, when I could just divide my time between the net and chasing skirts).
What’s funniest about the whole thing, however, is that after mocking my debate skills, you failed to answer my argument: how is it not inspirational when it does inspire people? Just because you aren’t inspired by it doesn’t mean that no one is. I know your ego dictates that your opinion is the only one that matters, and that’s ok. This is your blog, that is your right. But you might want to work on your own debating skills, because if the best you’ve got is personal insults then you’re WAY out of your league.
62 I Hate Ignorant People // Jul 26, 2008 at 1:01 pm
After reading many of the comments here, I can see that most of them have been written by jealous, resentful, and especially ignorant people with nothing better to do with their time. Shouldn’t you losers be worried about other things besides “trying” to bring down your fellow man? This “Tirico Suave” clown and the rest of you net nerd trash talkers are nothing but bitter, resentful losers. You are jealous of Josh’s talent, a blind man could see that. You are jealous because he has found happiness, something that I’m sure most of you know nothing about judging by your ignorant commentary. By the way, “Tirico Suave,” (gee that is so lame comming from a grown man) I think you are also jealous of the fact that the “crackhead” could bang your wife if he was the asshole you claim that he is. Same goes for the rest of you jealous losers…keep trying to bring Hamilton down, it won’t work…he has many many more important things to do than worry about what old losers think.
63 300 lb weight counselor // Jul 27, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I believe God is fake…and if he is real hes an asshole.
however i still find Hamilton’s story inspirational..also chemical addiction to a substance is a disease.
Leave a Comment