Deadspin on SBNation..

[Chuck]

Interesting stuff that I'm sure @yk9001 and some others would be interested in.

http://deadspin.com/how-sb-nation-profits-off-an-army-of-exploited-workers-1797653841

http://deadspin.com/sb-nation-bosses-current-and-former-workers-discuss-pa-1797868635

[Troll Daddy]

I would like to know what triggered Arte into Hamilton's dismissal ... I know about the relapse that was reported but something happened that goes a little deeper imo.

???

[yk9001]

Rev halo fan stuff aside, it gets me that BR and sbnation have thousands of unpaid volunteers, but the sites themselves are part of corporate media and get real dollars.

[Chuck]

6 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

I would like to know what triggered Arte into Hamilton's dismissal ... I know about the relapse that was reported but something happened that goes a little deeper imo.

???

Probably him sucking, getting injured and not being a team player. 

At least Pujols is a team guy who mentors the players and encourages them. I've heard nothing but bad things about the way Hamilton carried himself with the team. 

[yk9001]

btw, deadspin and its commenters could not be more supportive of Josh Hamilton.

[Chuck]

1 minute ago, yk9001 said:

Rev halo fan stuff aside, it gets me that BR and sbnation have thousands of unpaid volunteers, but the sites themselves are part of corporate media and get real dollars.

Yeah, those guys are making a fortune off writers having to pump out 25+ articles a month, while managing the website as well. All for pennies. 

[Inside Pitch]

21 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

I would like to know what triggered Arte into Hamilton's dismissal ... I know about the relapse that was reported but something happened that goes a little deeper imo.

???

How about the fact that he got over??  The only reason he turned himself in was to avoid taking the drug test.  By not taking the test and flunking it he was able to safeguard his paycheck.   Then he played up the wounded maiden act as if he had been wronged...  Props to his agent...  Dude worked that situation to Hamilton's benefit.

It wasn't the relapse that set Arte off -- it was how he wormed his way out of having to pay the consequences for his actions.

He was a shady POS.

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

How about the fact that he got over??  The only reason he turned himself in was to avoid taking the drug test.  By not taking the test and flunking it he was able to safeguard his paycheck.   Then he played up the wounded maiden act as if he had been wronged...  Props to his agent...  Dude worked that situation to Hamilton's benefit.

It wasn't the relapse that set Arte off -- it was how he wormed his way out of having to pay the consequences for his actions.

He was a shady POS.

[beatlesrule]

I've always said that Hamilton is smart.  He admitted to doing an illegal thing.  He faced no jail time or consequences.  Addicts are a protected group.  He gets paid his ENTIRE contract and he doesn't even have to play.  I absolutely hate guaranteed contracts in sports and LOVE the NFL's policy.  It's something every major sport should have.  Hamilton gets to do pretty much whatever he wants as long as he cries addict.  For all we know, he was high most of his contract and can snort all the cocaine he can afford and nothing happens to him.  Dude flat out admitted publicly to using drugs and nothing happened to him.  No punishment at all.  Ultimately though, most of us here wanted Hunter back and no part of Hamilton and Arte paid big time for his mistake.

[DMVol]

17 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

....Ultimately though, most of us here wanted Hunter back and no part of Hamilton and Arte paid big time for his mistake.

Sign Beltre in 2011 and Torii in 2013 and the trajectory of the franchise is very different....

[Chuck]

6 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Sign Beltre in 2011 and Torii in 2013 and the trajectory of the franchise is very different....

I agree. 

Torii wouldn't have been signed for more than 2 years + an option, but he loved it here and was a spark in the clubhouse. His numbers weren't much different than good Calhoun either. 

[disarcina]

Hamilton stuff again? Still ? That nightmare contract and fiasco is over.

As for Arte -- my take is that Arte knows he made a huge, dumb mistake that was all his call --- he set aside any misgivings and his own instincts to sign Hamilton to that ridiculously long and expensive contract and went everything went sour, Arte knew he had no one to blame but himself.

Arte being the self-made business guy he is, when he gets upset with himself -- well, he probably gets really upset with that guy in the mirror...........

so cut the losses and get the guy out of my sight may have been his order at that point.  Can't blame him for that.  Can blame him for signing a guy with substance abuse/ addition history to a long term contract........for those guys (well, don't sign 'em Number One, but if you do......) you need those NBA like 10 day contracts. and if MLB won't do that, a one term deal with incentives and a conduct clause........

oh well - that's history -- onward.

[yk9001]

I have never felt further from the mainstream on the internet when i see the number of people who supported hamilton when this happened.

[Blarg]

People buy into victim acts all the time.