During times of childhood innocence, we’re all told to say nothing if we don’t have anything nice to say. For me that mantra for a happy, loving life worked well as a six-year-old until someone dared to touch my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, and especially Leonardo. That’s usually when viscous verbal barbs flew freely, and my new enemy was said to have pants that stink, or perhaps even poo breath.
Santonio Holmes surely had this same speech as a young chap, and he ignored it entirely, instead choosing to complain to his childhood friends about his receptions. But for Holmes the speech went beyond just not saying anything mean. Instead he was also told that if he doesn’t have anything intelligent to say that’s not completely contradictory, he probably shouldn’t say anything.
Too late.
In yet another example that Holmes is making the babiest baby steps possible as he learns to speak with the media properly after six years in the league and at the age of 28, Holmes had two comments during a radio appearance yesterday that when put side-by-side, they make absolutely no sense.
The first was paraphrased by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who noted that during his ESPN 1050 interview Holmes took ownership for the role he played in the steaming toxic mess that was the Jets locker room at the end of last season, and throughout much of the offseason. Specifically, he said he regretted comments he made that were critical of the offensive line, saying he “shouldn’t have answered those questions in that manner”.
Progress? No, not yet. There’s always an internal war with Holmes mentally, and usually it’s blind stupidity that wins.
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