OT- Detroit airline workers a class act...

Submitted by wolverinenyc on

SIAP

Just watched the OTL about Jim Joyce, the umpire who blew the perfect game by Armando Galarraga this passed summer. What struck me is that when Joyce was leaving Detroit, baggage workers wrote messages of encouragement and support on his luggage tags that he found when he arrived at his next destination. At a point when so many people were so upset by the whole situation, and the fact that there were many who handled it very poorly, to say the least, by making death threats and wishing the family ill will, What a classy act shown by those Detroit baggage workers. it's just something that stuck with me. 

It's my first forum post guys so go easy on me. GO BLUE!!

GVBlue86

January 18th, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^

I agree. You can almost feel the cynics around here just hovering and hovering waiting to be the first poster on a thread to make some snarky comment about the quality of the post hoping that others feel how they do so they get some pos-bangs.

Sometimes people deserve it, I guess. 

JBE

January 18th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^

That is much better than a full cavity search.  As a person who travels often, I must say I really like Detroit's airport.  Once I missed a plane because I was engrossed in a Paul Auster book, and they hooked me right up on the next fight because, as the person at the desk put it, "at least you told the truth about why you missed your flight."  Fuck yeah, Detroit.

goblue418

January 18th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^

Saw that, really shows there are some good people left. i beleive they said something like "Everyone is human, God Bless" and "Nobody's Perfect, Good Luck." Classy

yostlovesme

January 18th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^

As mas as I was when this happened, it had to be by far the worst feeling in the world, and seeing how upset he was about it made it easier to handle.  He's a good guy and it was a shame it happend to someone who respects and loves the game so much.

wolverinenyc

January 18th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^

He's a good guy and it was a shame it happend to someone who respects and loves the game so much."

 

Yeah, it sucks that it happened at all but to someone who obviously feels the way he does about the game, clearly it was as horrible for him as it was for Galarraga. He was so clearly upset about the mistake and owned up to it. How cool a story was it that he asked Dombrowski to see Galarraga after the game so he could apologize? I hope he and his family are well and none of this leaves any permanent damage...

The FannMan

January 18th, 2011 at 4:19 PM ^

You hit it on the head.  I actually missed the game, so I found about out it the next morning.  I went from barely awake and turning on the morning news to really, freaking mad in about zero seconds. I then went onto the Detroit News web site and heard about how completely and thoroughly he apologized.  He didn't go with a "no comment" or "its part of the game."  He OWNED it like no ump, ref, official or whatever in the history of sports ever has.  Just as quickly as I got mad, I went to feeling kind of sorry for the guy.  He was so honest and remorseful it was just impossible to stay mad at the guy.

Keeeeurt

January 18th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^

To be fair, the ending of the Lions vs Bears part 1 was actually the correct call based on the rule. Rule might be on of the dumbest rules in the NFL but it was the correct call based on the stupid stupid rule.

The Suh fine on the other hand (I'm assuming your talking about his fine on his "tackle" of Cutler) was absolute horse-crap.  I was watching the game and in the former head of refs fox has on to go over rules during challenges said that it shouldn't have even been a penalty.  I gave the refs the benefit of the doubt since in real time, it looked pretty rough but when the NFL fined him, I lost it.

sULLY

January 18th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^

Shortly after the blown perfect game, MLB players voted Joyce as the best umpire in the league.  Many analysts agreed with the vote saying there is no one better than Joyce. 

 

This incident reminded me of the Ed Hochily missed call in the Denver game.  He was also receiving death threats.  I believe he is the best ref in the NFL. Amazing how this kind of stuff happens only to stand-up individuals such as Joyce and Hochily.

M2NASA

January 18th, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^

I was, and continue to be, very proud of how Detroiters handled the situation.  You wouldn't have found the same level of class if it happened in Philadelphia, New York, or most other cities.

Jim Joyce as well showed a lot of class in owning up to the call and the way he handled things with Gallarraga.

Nickel

January 18th, 2011 at 4:06 PM ^

Very cool of them, especially considering they could have done just about anything and remained anonymous.  Far better than a lot of the facebook posts I saw from some of my acquaintances after the game.

Tater

January 18th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^

...but the commissioner did.  He could have simply said that the out counted and that it was, indeed, a perfect game.  It wouldn't have affected the W-L record and it would have ensured that justice was done.

Apparently, though, being the MLB commissioner has nothing to do with justice or doing the right thing.

dwinning

January 18th, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^

Call would have still been blown, regardless of what the commissioner did the next day.   The crowd doesn't go insane with joy, teammates don't carry you off the field, there is no euphoria.  Selig could have put him in the history books, but the magic of perfect games is the moment of the last out.  Even if Selig *fixed* it, that's not justice. 

dwinning

January 18th, 2011 at 4:38 PM ^

When Joyce had the press conference the following day, where he came out and owned up to his mistake and apologized to AG, I remember wishing my sons were old enough to watch and see how a man - a real man - confronts a mistake.  I've got an incredible amount of respect for that guy.