So Tony Dungy never swears -- anyone else not give a shit?

[Bleacher Creature]

Serious question, why is there this belief that there is something inherently wrong with swearing. They are just words, that's it. And if someone wants to know what I will teach my kids, I will tell them that there are certain words that exist which, in many cases -- and if used properly -- can convey an appropriate degree of emphasis. What I won't say is that swearing is necessarily "bad."

So it's fine that Tony Dungy has decided to coach without swearing, that's his personal preference. But contrary to how it was described by the Super Bowl announcers, it's not "better."

[Meshuga]

1. He doesn't know what he is missing!

Swearing to me is like therapy. It relaxes me! Fuck Tony Dungy! Superbowl winning prude!

[salin]

2. who cares?

[truebrit71]

3. Fuck that noise...

Right in the motherfucking ass...sideways...twice...

[mduffy31]

4. That just means he is a pussy

Real men swear.....





































:hide:

[skygazer]

5. Are we supposed to give him a fucking medal?

I agree - I explained to my kids that there are words that some people find offensive and so it's polite not to use them if you don't know what others' reactions are going to be. I didn't swear around them when they were little because they're little sponges and mimic everything but when they were older and understood the concept, it was no big deal.

I find people who can't seem to say anything without swearing rather tiresome mainly because to me it shows a lack of imagination but I wouldn't say coaching football without swearing is going to be better than without. It depends on the rest of your coaching technique.

None of my kids swears much - I swear more than all of them put together.

[mentalsolstice]

6. Two ways to interpret this

1. He's a goody-two-shoes who doesn't know the friggin' great release mechanism he's missing

2. He doesn't use derogatory four-letter words toward his players and assistant coaches.

I like the guy, so I'm going with number 2. In my case, I don't care if my boss yells "fuck" if he accidentally staples his finger to the quarterly report. However, if he yells "fuck you, bitch" at me because my part of the quarterly report has a typo in it, then I'm going to be a little sensitive about it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Good for him...

It's not like he's shoving his choice in other people's faces.

I think he's a class act.

[Kajsa]

11. I agree.

Both coaches are class acts,
Dungy and Lovie.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. You've got to love a guy named Lovie...

You've just got to! :loveya:

[KitchenWitch]

20. Especially given the fact that Lovie probably got a whole lotta grief for that name

when he was younger.

:loveya: to both Lovie and Tony.

[Kajsa]

22. You bet!

He is a sweetheart.

:7 :loveya:

[MissMillie]

26. yep

I try not to cuss, but sometimes people make me angry enough to thwart my efforts.

[cloudbase]

8. Athletes are just

one rung below merchant seamen when it comes to swearing, so it's somewhat remarkable that Tony Dungy doesn't. It's his choice, but I'll say this, though; the best bosses are the ones who are quietly competent.

[TroubleMan]

9. I curse my ass off, but I find that somewhat inspiring.

That he can lead a team without the fire and brimstone, and just be respectful. He treats his players with respect and he doesn't have to demand it back; they give him respect because of his actions.

Quiet strength - it's almost Zen like. It's a refreshing change from the Bobby Knights and the Woody Hayeses.

[KitchenWitch]

10. Hear hear!

:hi:

[Kajsa]

12. Absolutely!

I admire Dungy and Lovie for that very reason.
And don't forget my favorite coach, Mike Holmgren.
They are all class acts.

They are a refreshing change from guys like Bill Parcells, too.

[KitchenWitch]

13. Don't even get me started on "the Tuna"

:grr:

Cannot stand him.

[Kajsa]

15. Oh, he's such an ass!

He's a disgrace!!

:grr:

[KitchenWitch]

16. I thought it was a kind of poetic justice that he got saddled with TO.

:rofl:

[Kajsa]

18. Wasn't it though?

Karma came around to bite him in his butt!!

:rofl:

[slj0101]

14. I love words, clean and dirty.

But in this day and age, for someone to have the power to motivate others without colorful language isn't a bad thing. Cursing can be boring and unimaginative.

[Scarlett17]

17. Remember, it was the announcers that kept drawing attention to it.

Tony Dungy wasn't on the sidelines waving a "Hey Look At Me--I Don't Cuss" sign. The fact that he doesn't swear makes him different and gives the yappy announcers something to babble about. Yada yada yada. Blah blah blah.

[Shakespeare]

21. So let's all cuss lots and lots to show how superior we are to Dungy!

Jeez. I swear with the best of them, but chill out. Dungy's not the one making an issue over this--the announcers are. I'm not going to slam the guy for his beliefs--he seems more sincere than most, and what he wants to believe his his own business.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

23. Limited fucking vocubulary...

I'm sure Obama is more articulate

[Yavin4]

24. To Quote The Film, "The Big Lebowski".....

"Dude, why do you have to curse so much?"

"The fuck you talkin' about?"

[PVnRT]

25. I'll take that over that scumbag Bobby Knight

I'll take the quiet coaches who get respect like Dungy over overrated gasbags like Knight and Bill Parcells, who have popularity solely because of that portion of the population that believes that a coach who yells and treats his players like dogshit must be "profound" or a "genius."

[KamaAina]

27. Hmmm... he's known to be a raging homophobe...

is "faggot" considered a swear word? 'Cause I'll bet he says that a lot.

First hockey, and now football, are dead to me. Oh well, the indoor lacrosse season is just underway... :puke:

[jobycom]

30. I hadn't heard that, and I hadn't heard him use the F word.

Is that just speculation, or do you know?

I saw a thread recently that he was being used in a promotion by an anti-gay "pro-family" group, but it wasn't clear how that group reflected his own views.

[KamaAina]

32. Here's the thread; the rest is, indeed, pure speculation

from an embittered ex-Baltimorean. The thread, however, speaks for itself:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=72621&mesg_id=72621

The homepage of the Indiana Family Institute features a picture of Colts coach Tony Dungy on the sideline during a game, promoting a fundraising dinner for the Institute at which Dungy will be the guest of honor.

Downthread, Indiana's own hippiechick calls Dungy out for having addressed the uber-fundy "Promise Keepers" a while back, though she forgot the name.

He and major Bush** donor Manning (source: www.newsmeat.com ) will both doubtless be slobbering over the Fuckmook-in-Chief at the upcoming White House reception. :puke:

[jobycom]

33. Claiming he uses a slur like the F word without knowing he does is pretty

low, if you ask me. It's like Freepers claiming we hate America.

As for his politics, I'm more surprised when millionaire sports figures are liberal than conservative.

[jobycom]

28. Not better or worse, necessarily, but it shows the strength of his character

He has a belief, he sticks to his belief even in a very trying job (and it's not a belief that hurts anyone, at least not that aspect of it).

I love Dungy's demeanor on the sideline. He reminds me a lot of Tom Landry. Always composed, always respects the players, the officials, and the audience. It doesn't mean I respect him more than, say, Bobby Knight or Bill Cowher, but I like the way he handles himself.

[Maddy McCall]

34. Hear, hear.

I agree with everything you said. He reminds me of Landry, too. Landry was my favorite-ever NFL coach.

[Taverner]

29. Fuck him

Thats all I gotta say

[Zavulon]

31. Lovie swears. That's why God made Lovie lose. (NT)