so annoyed by sellouts

[stump832]

We're really covering new territory with this thread. Fascinating stuff!

[Blurred]

Option 3: waking up at a place you want to live (instead of "shit, I've been drafted by kansas city....") and knowing that all you have to do to make a living is be a "ski ambassador" and shred around with a VIP or two. Hey...it's a powder day and no work! Better than football, better than hammering the same zipper line over and over again, better than trading stocks, better than just about anything I can think of that pays money.

I'm curious, what's Tommy Moe up to these days?

C'mon dawg. I'd rather be rich and fly my private jet to whatever resort is fucking nuking at that time rather than diving for pearls when I'm 47 trying to "keep it real".

Yeti-I can understand your sacred devotion to the sport, but c'mon.

Saw Tommy at SIA this spring, he was trying to get up on my girl, along with a few other old men. Hahahahaa.

[Telephil]

Hey, asshole...once again I cite that I've worked 500 to 1000 hours of overtime for the last 10 fire seasons. It's not about who works and who doesn't it's about what work we value in our society. Entertainers make more than people who fucking serve the public.

So if you think working at night and skiing every day is being lazy, I dare you to come tell me I'm lazy to my dirtbag face.

Why so defensive, no one called you out, at least not in this thread. I guess I'm a sellout too. I used to ski 75+ days a year, made no money doing it, and realized that after surgery on each knee and another one coming, that I could continue doing that and have my knees kill me all the time, or do something I love just as much; race my bike, make a little money doing it (read:very little, but it's a nice supplement to my regular job), and have my knees last at least into my 60's.

[Blurred]

We're really covering new territory with this thread. Fascinating stuff!

Yeah, we should copy n' paste the Mosely thread here.

[Tippster]

Hey, asshole...once again I cite that I've worked 500 to 1000 hours of overtime for the last 10 fire seasons. It's not about who works and who doesn't it's about what work we value in our society. Entertainers make more than people who fucking serve the public.

So if you think working at night and skiing every day is being lazy, I dare you to come tell me I'm lazy to my dirtbag face.

I am so going to electronically kick your ass.

You're corer than I am. Wow.




Now fucking bathe, dirtbag.

[flatlander#2]

no really, I dare you-to my slack jawed yokel face, seriously, but not while I'm pulling my oar on the slave ship to poor town. You can do whatever you want and believe whatever you want about it, I don't care, but wow you're bitter little pill aren't you? I'll be sure to only barter with chickens and raw materials and not actual "money" if ever around you in hardshipville.

[stump832]

Yeah, we should copy n' paste the Mosely thread here.

Wait, whats up with Jonny Moseley?

[bagtagley]

Wait, whats up with Jonny Moseley?

He and Jeremy Bloom quit skiing to start the Get Well Tanner Foundation.

[crashnburn'd]

jesus... This place is getting fucking stupid.

[Blurred]

jesus... This place is getting fucking stupid.

Thanks for your contribution.

[KillingCokes]

jesus... This place is getting fucking stupid.

That's deep

[gincognito]

jesus... This place is getting fucking stupid.

TGR Forums jumped the shark?

[Grange]

He and Jeremy Bloom quit skiing to start the Get Well Tanner Foundation.

Now that's what I call core.

[ill-advised strategy]

I am so going to electronically kick your ass.

You're corer than I am. Wow.




Now fucking bathe, dirtbag.

Yeah, or not. Just be well aware that you're insulting my personal work ethic and my personal integrity when you say ignorant shit like that. I am a human, and do exist in real life...you just may run into me some time and regret insulting me at that time. I seem to find maggots skiing on a pretty regular basis.

There is no fucking way I'll ever accept the yuppie ethic that what you make is what you're worth. Anybody who's ever been through any kind of large emergency and seen poor people (I see it every day with 'dirtbag' firefighters) taking care of business. It is not what you do for a living or how much money you make at it that determines your value as a person.


I'll make you a deal, I'll take a shower after work tonight if you stop posing (from DC no??) as a skier and insulting people who revolve their life around our sport.

[crashnburn'd]

Thanks for your contribution.

No problem, I'm just trying to keep up with you.

Gin - I have no idea what you're asking

[Donald Trump]

blah blah blah blah

Yeti,

YOU'RE FIRED

[The AD]

Option 3: waking up at a place you want to live (instead of "shit, I've been drafted by kansas city....") and knowing that all you have to do to make a living is be a "ski ambassador" and shred around with a VIP or two. Hey...it's a powder day and no work! Better than football, better than hammering the same zipper line over and over again, better than trading stocks, better than just about anything I can think of that pays money.

Maybe to you it is, but how can you speak for Bloom? Maybe he thinks that would be boring. Maybe what drives him in skiing (and football) is the competition and free skiing isn't his thing.

It's great there are people out there who do whatever it takes to ski as many days as possible. Most people just don't have that level of dedication to the sport, or just plain have other important things in their lives. Apparently this notion offends you and I just don't understand why.

[ill-advised strategy]

Did I work for you?

[Tippster]

...I'll make you a deal, I'll take a shower after work tonight if you stop posing (from DC no??) as a skier and insulting people who revolve their life around our sport.

Stop. You're making my pants tight.

"... the yuppie ethic that what you make is what you're worth." I never asked you to.. nobody did. You're the one railing against people who do not share your beliefs, not the reverse. All I said is that I refuse to subsidize a lifestyle decision (one that I shared in my personal history) due merely to some idealized BS vision of what is "core." You think you're alone in seeing misery or what truly poor people look like? I'm a TV cameraman. I'm the guy that shows up at the fire 5 minutes after you do just to make you look good by showing the community that you and your colleagues do more than merely slide down poles. What the fuck made you think I have no respect for firefighters or those living in poverty? The dirtbag skibums (self-proclaimed, usually) that I refer to can hardly be considered victims of society.... they CHOSE their lifestyle. How dare you equate some college grad puke washing dishes and skiing 120 days a year with social inequality?

I never "insulted" you. You felt insulted by what I said about the whole "core" myth. Grow the fuck up.... (there. NOW I insulted you)

BTW - I'll be in my place in LCC in January. I look forward to your teaching me a lesson in core-itudeness.

Now, don't you have a drunk driving law to subvert?

[crashnburn'd]

Jumping the shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jumping the shark is a metaphor used by US television critics since the 1990s. The phrase, popularized by Jon Hein on his web site, jumptheshark.com, is used to describe the moment when a television show or similar episodic medium is in retrospect judged to have passed its "peak" and shows a noticeable decline in quality. Most "jump the shark" moments follow a noticeable change in the show, such as a main cast member leaving or a change in setting, which are subsequently quoted as the marker point signifying when the show's decline started. Frequently "jump the shark" is used to describe a series that has undergone drastic changes as a result of a ratings decline that has already occurred, especially when the changes do little to halt or reverse this decline. Hein also uses the "jumping the shark" concept to describe other areas of pop culture, such as music and celebrities, for whom a drastic change was the beginning of the end.

Contents [hide]
1 Origin
2 Archetypal jump-the-shark moments
2.1 Plots
2.2 Actors
2.3 Characters
2.4 Production
2.5 Other
3 "Jump the Shark" references
3.1 Sitcom or dramatic series references
3.2 Cartoon references
3.2.1 References on The Simpsons
3.3 References in other media
4 See also
5 External links



[edit]
Origin
The phrase refers to a scene in a three-part episode of the American television series Happy Days first broadcast on September 20, 1977. In the "Hollywood" episode, Fonzie — wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket — jumps over a tank containing a shark while on water skis.

Many have noted the shark episode as the moment when they realized the show was no longer worth watching, when it became impossible to maintain a certain suspension of disbelief. Even before "jumping the shark" was employed as a popular culture term, the episode in question was many times cited as an example of what happens to otherwise high-quality programs when they stay on the air too long. Producer Garry Marshall later admitted that he knew the show had lost something as the crew prepared to shoot the scene, but he defiantly pointed out in the reunion special that aired in February 3, 2005, that Happy Days went on to produce approximately 100 more episodes after the shark jump episode. During the same special, in response to an audience member question, Marshall introduced the notorious clip, and noted how the show had inspired the term.

The first use of the phrase as a direct metaphor is reported to have been on December 24, 1997, when the jumptheshark.com web site was launched by Jon Hein. According to the site, the phrase was first coined by Hein's college roommate, Sean J. Connolly, in 1985. In print, the term first appeared in the Jerusalem Post newspaper article "It's All Downhill" written by Jeff Abramowitz on May 29, 1998.

[edit]
Archetypal jump-the-shark moments
A "jumping the shark" moment is usually specific to what makes a series popular, or to a show's original premise. Common scenes or situations listed below only qualify as shark-jumping moments when they cross a line that in retrospect can be cited as a sign of the show's decline; series have recovered from just about everything listed below, but the following usually upset the chemistry of the show in some significant way.

Just because a moment appears on this list, it does not follow that the series it appears in has necessarily jumped the shark—each series is different, and a lot depends on the execution. Also relevant are differences in viewer tastes—what may constitute a shark-jumping moment to one viewer will not necessarily be seen the same way by another. Sometimes an episode considered jumping the shark followed by a string of adequate or very good episodes may be overlooked as a simple writing slump.

Soap operas will often use several of these ploys repeatedly, yet (perhaps by their very nature) manage to maintain their loyal viewers.

Typical moments may include (but are not limited to) the following:

[edit]
Plots
Premise
When the key premise of the series is changed or discarded completely (e.g., shifting the focus of Happy Days from the Cunningham family to The Fonz).
A supporting character (or group of characters) plays a disproportionately large role in the series. (e.g., the popular Nickelodeon series Hey Arnold! began focusing more on Helga's crush on Arnold and less on Arnold himself).
When the show is in an academic setting, the main characters graduate and the setting changes from high school to a university (e.g., in the series Boy Meets World, Corey and his friends all go on to the same college, while at the same time trying to maintain the same relationships with family and friends).
A show with a realistic premise (or at least reasonably so) such as a sitcom starts using science fiction-like plot devices such as time travel, cloning, virtual reality and alien invasion. (e.g., the transformation machine used in Family Matters to change Steve Urkel into Stefan.)
Setting
Change in the principal setting of the show, either permanently or as the theme of a series of episodes (e.g. on the Drew Carey Show when Drew changes jobs and is inexpicably accompanied by his hated assistant Mimi and boss Mr. Wick).
Loss of a key prop or location (usually due to fire, but not always explained).
Individual episodes
A specific episode that irreparably strains the credibility or premise of the series or one of its main characters.
The "clip show" or retrospective, where the characters reminisce about the past with a collection of short clips from previous episodes.
Main character or cast member gives birth, e.g., Murphy Brown.
Non-musical cast members featured singing, dancing, etc.
Main characters have sex, after an extended period of sexual tension between them, e.g. Moonlighting.
Main characters marry after a tempestuous courtship, e.g., I Dream of Jeannie
Main characters divorce after a tempestuous marriage.
Related: the sudden divorce. That is, after the couple's marriage had shown absolutely no previous signs of being in trouble and the couple decides to untie the knot after a series of "minor" conflicts. This should not be confused with the marriage that suddenly dissolves after the discovery of an affair or revelation of other marriage-destroying secret.
The "very special episode," in which a situation comedy or drama addresses a serious social issue in an awkward way (such as drug addiction, child abuse or racism). The situation comedy Blossom often used this plot device.
The crossover episode with other series (e.g., ER and Third Watch).
Use of a plot device which is regarded as a cliché, (e.g., a story involving the evil twin of a main character).
A cliffhanger season finale with a disappointing resolution, e.g. Dallas's "dream season" used to explain the return of actor Patrick Duffy to the series.
Sitcom characters start becoming involved on a daily basis with cloak and dagger situations (e.g., a character being accidentally recruited in a counterintelligence service, spying agency, or organized crime task force, or is simply found to be a dead ringer for an influential politician or monarch, usually from a non-existent country created for the episode).
[edit]

[crashnburn'd]

Actors
Main cast
The same main character played by a different actor, when the original actor is no longer on the show either because he or she leaves voluntarily, is fired or dies suddenly (e.g., the switch from Dick York to Dick Sargent to play Darrin Stephens in Bewitched).
A show continues after the death of a cast member (some prime examples of this are 8 Simple Rules after the death of John Ritter, Petticoat Junction after the death of Bea Benaderet, NewsRadio after the death of Phil Hartman, Sealab 2021 after the death of Harry Goz, and Chico and the Man after the death of Freddie Prinze).
Child actors enter puberty, e.g. Leave It To Beaver
Off the set, a key cast member is charged with a crime, is a defendant in a major lawsuit, has well-publicized marital problems, or is involved with some other scandal (e.g. drug problem).
Guest stars
Special guest star, which usually includes someone playing himself or herself or a guest character, usually in one episode. Sometimes, this can include someone (such as a politician or radio commentator) who doesn't normally do television or even act (e.g. Boy George appearing in episode #4.16 of The A-Team).
Episodes begin to have guest stars regularly, e.g. The Simpsons or Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Ted McGinley
Ted McGinley has been dubbed the "patron saint" of shark jumping by Jon Hein because of the number of series which jumped the shark after he joined the cast. This is perhaps the most controversial of the shark jumping categories since several of McGinley's shows continued for many more seasons after he joined the cast, most notably Married... with Children (although the addition of Seven may also be considered the cause) and Happy Days (which had already had the shark jumping episode by the time he joined). Though McGinley himself is not regarded as responsible for the show Jumping the Shark, he is notable because he frequently served as a replacement actor (itself a Jump the Shark category) on several successful shows, joining late in their runs and continuing with the series as it went into decline.
[edit]
Characters
Main characters
When a major character is written out of the show (usually when a cast member departs, is fired or dies) and is replaced by an essentially similar character or role (example, when Kate was replaced by Kellie on The Drew Carey Show).
Explained departures usually include the character's death or when he or she takes a job or enrolls in college, etc. in a distant city and will never return, such as the case with Steve on Blue's Clues. The best example of this is what happened to the Wiseguy late night television series, when the main actor departed, and they attempted to move to late prime time with a new Wiseguy. The series' reputation for complicated plots and meticulous writing could not save it from the departure of the original actor.
Unexplained departures, à la Chuck Cunningham in Happy Days or Judy in Family Matters.
Introduction of new characters to revive interest, often during a show's waning years. This was particularly notable in the last season of Forever Knight and other 80s style shows with episodic stagnate plotlines. This plot device has been lampooned in several episodes of The Simpsons (most notably, the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"). Examples include:
Young, cute children clearly intended to replace child stars who have reached (or are nearing) adulthood (i.e. Raven-Symoné added as the Huxtable's step-grandaughter in The Cosby Show); this is sometimes called Cousin Oliver Syndrome (after The Brady Bunch, in which Robbie Rist was added to replace the aged Bobby and Cindy).
Superfluous, clichéd characters who do little more than bog down the storyline, often to replace departed stars.
Change in a character's personality, usually from negative attributes to positive ones, e.g. Mike Seaver on Growing Pains (character was changed after actor Kirk Cameron embraced Christianity and objected to his character's mischievous, slacker lifestyle)
A character who had never shown any previous signs of being gay comes out of the closet.
Guest characters
The "identical long-lost cousin"-syndrome (usually enacted by one of the main cast members in a dual role).
[edit]
Production
A key writer or producer leaves the show, such as Constance Burge being replaced as Charmed's executive producer by Brad Kern or Aaron Sorkin's departure from The West Wing or writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe's departure from Andromeda.
A show broadcast in color if previously shown in black-and-white (in the case of shows broadcast during the 1960s, when many series underwent this change), e.g., The Beverly Hillbillies and The Andy Griffith Show.
Change in where the show is produced, usually a move back to Southern California by a show produced somewhere else, e.g., the X-Files relocating from Vancouver to L.A. late in the series. This is often seen as a sign that the actors and producers are beginning to tire of a current show and want to be available for other projects.
Change in length of episode, usually when a 30-minute show attempts hour-long episodes, or vice-versa (as happened with the show Ally McBeal).
When a show's star begins writing or directing a majority of the episodes, and becomes involved in virtually every aspect of the show. Frequently, the episodes' morals will reflect the beliefs, opinions, etc. of that star (hence, the show becomes "The gospel according to ..."). For example, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs becoming producers of Charmed. The most famous occurrence of this was when Alan Alda took control of M*A*S*H.
When a high-profile guest writer-director (e.g. Woody Allen or Hal Prince) is brought onto the show's crew to write or direct one or more episodes. These are usually people from the theater or film industry with a long-standing record of writing or directing critically or commercially acclaimed films and stage productions. The transition, though, from their medium to the small screen, can cause a lack of quality that may hinder the series for years to come.
[edit]
Other
A theatrical film based on the series runs between seasons (such as with the X-Files and The Powerpuff Girls).
Change in day or time of air, which affects the commercial pressures on a show.
The producers start to dilute the show's brand with too many spinoffs (as with the case of Love, American Style which, directly or indirectly, spawned a large number of spin-offs including Happy Days and its spin-offs); or other networks do the same with cheap imitations of the show.
Likewise, the show gets into merchandising or its stars start doing ads. However, this was a common practice during the early days of television, when characters of a show pitched a certain product either as part of the gag or during a commercial.
A substantial reduction in the show's budget in a way that is noticeable on screen.
Excessive or obvious use of product placement.
[edit]
"Jump the Shark" references
[edit]

[crashnburn'd]

Sitcom or dramatic series references
Arrested Development has a character played by the Fonz himself, Henry Winkler. In the episode "Motherboy XXX" he remarks "I missed breakfast, so I’m on my way to Burger King" and then hops over a shark. The joke being that Arrested Development sold out to Burger King, and jumped the shark. Another case has been made for that episode, such as the fact that it had two celebrity guest stars (Carl Weathers and Dave Attell) but that might not be as intentional.
It has been argued that Buffy the Vampire Slayer's sixth season can be viewed as an extended reference to various Shark Jumping moments (including a musical episode, a wedding episode, a major character leaving, and a character being killed off); it has also been (uncharitably) suggested that the writers really were running out of ideas, although this theory may not fully explain the sheer density of such moments in that season.
That '70s Show had an episode where Fez imagines jumping over a shark, thinking how cool it would be to be the Fonz, then commenting on how he never really watched the show after that episode.
The X-Files episode "Jump the Shark" in the last season (season 9) concluded the roles of The Lone Gunmen in the series.
MADtv once had a skit in which the infamous "jump the shark" episode was partially redone in "Spanish", featuring dialogue such as Laverne saying "Aww, Shirl, Fonzie es jumpo el sharko!".
[edit]
Cartoon references
Clerks (the animated series) featured a clip show episode consisting almost entirely of its four main characters reminiscing previous incidents from the series. This was the second of the six produced episodes, and most of the incidents were in fact entirely new. At one point, the characters reminisce about their favorite Happy Days episodes - the Shark Jumping episode is among them.
Dora the Explorer began its 2003 season with an episode in which the title character literally jumped a shark. Changes to the show that ensued made fans wonder if the writers were trying to tell them something.
The Ed, Edd n Eddy episode "The Good Old Ed" is a spoof of the ubiquitous clip show. In the episode, the boys collect items for a time capsule, several of which prompt memories of schemes from previous episodes. However, the only "flashbacks" are to incidents not yet seen on the show, and when Ed tries to flashback (to about ten minutes before in the same episode), Eddy cuts Ed off by smacking him upside the head and protesting "I hate clip shows!"
In the episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends titled "Sweet Stench of Success", Bloo gets a job as "Deo", a spokesperson for deodorant, which leads to a job on a sitcom titled "What's The Big Deo?", and at the end of the pilot episode of this show within a show, there is an announcement saying "Tune in next week when Deo jumps a shark."
Sealab 2021 featured a shark jumping over a pool of Fonzies.
In What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Scooby water-skis over a shark, following which Velma says, "I never thought Scooby-Doo would jump the shark."
The South Park episode Probably begins with a "Previously on South Park" segment, where interspliced with actual clips are cartoonized scenes of Fonzie about to jump over a shark. In the South Park versions of events, Fonz doesn't make it. Aside from making fun of "Previously on..." segments, this could be seen as implying that South Park had jumped the shark at that time. The South Park episode, 'City on the Edge of Forever' also spoofs the ubiquitous clip show by showing clips from earlier episodes but altering them such that each one ends happily with the children receiving ice cream, toward the end of the episode they even flashback to previous points in the episode, but again replace tragedy with ice cream in their recollections. After each flashback at least one character always says "now that's what I call a sticky situation".
The production logo at the end of the credits for the television show Stargate Atlantis features a shark riding a tricycle jumping over a typewriter and getting hit by a falling anvil.
An episode of Family Guy entitled The Thin White Line ends in a cliffhanger when Brian is shown leaving for the airport. The next episode, Brian Does Hollywood, begins with a voiceover: "Previously, on Family Guy..." What follows is a series of clips that never occured, parodying many cliffhanger cliches (Peter in a coma, Meg trying to difuse a bomb), and finally ending with the only clip relevent to the previous episode. Another episode of Family Guy parodied the "evil twin" cliche with a flashback which showed Lois on a rooftop pointing a gun at Peter and Peter's evil twin (who had never been mentioned before in the series). She finally shots one, but it is suggested that she actually shot the real Peter. Keeping in line with every other Family Guy flashback sequence, the sequence ends without any real resolution, the episode continues as normal, and the events are never again referenced.
[edit]
References on The Simpsons
The Simpsons has referenced jumping the shark in its opening credits, as well as in the following scenes:

Itchy & Scratchy Land, which depicts the family's visit to an amusement park built around Itchy & Scratchy (a cartoon cat-and-mouse duo based on Tom and Jerry). In one scene, Bart and Lisa visit a gift shop, where they see stuffed toys of the characters "Uncle Ant," "Disgruntled Goat" and "Ku Klux Klam." Bart explains these characters were hastily created to provide a supporting cast for "The Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour," and subsequently forgotten by most viewers. A pre-JTS reference, "The Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour" spoofed several cartoon shows of the 1970s (including one built around Tom and Jerry), where extra characters are created (usually with little or no thought put in their character development or stories) and introduced for no apparent reason other than to provide "friends" for the main characters.
The show built an entire episode around the ill-fated attempt of The Itchy & Scratchy Show to reinvigorate the show by introducing a new character, Poochie, voiced by Homer but so unpopular with the show's fans (the Comic Book Guy introduced the catchphrase "Worst. Episode. Ever.") that he was killed off in his second appearance. The episode abounded with knowing references to how this affects television shows. In one scene, Lisa complains that it's a sign of TV shows going stale when they suddenly add new characters, and immediately we see a new college-aged man, Roy, (who looks suspiciously like Poochie) sitting at the Simpsons' breakfast table and saying "Morning, Mr. S." He does nothing during the episode and disappears at the end of the episode claiming that he's moving into an apartment "with two foxy ladies."
The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase (4F20), which features three pretend spin-off shows starring minor characters, is also mainly a parody of jumping the shark. The show ends with a preview of the new season, which includes magic powers, multiple weddings, lost cousins (all of whom bear a striking resemblence to Bart) and a tiny green space alien named Ozmodiar that only Homer can see. Ozmodiar is a parody of The Great Gazoo, a character introduced in the last season of The Flintstones. They even show a "Simpsons Comedy Hour" where Lisa is replaced by an older woman. Ironically, this episode itself has been labelled a "shark jumping" episode by critics of the series due to its poor quality.
The parody documentary Behind the Laughter (BABF19) also spoofs sneak peeks of future episodes, including one with Homer's bold declaration, "The Simpsons are going to Delaware!" This is a joke on the fact that after the family's many contrived vacation destinations, future possibilities have been nearly exhausted (in the next season, the Simpsons actually do go to Delaware, with Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa reciting their lines verbatim).
The clip show Gump Roast (DABF12) ends with many jumping the shark allusions, including a shot of Homer water skiing over a shark. It includes a song (an indirect parody of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire) where (apparently) Matt Groening and his staff answer to fans worried over comments he made that he was running out of ideas, saying "Have no fears, we got stories for years." They then give examples of supposedly upcoming episodes including Marge becoming a robot, Bart owning a bear and Moe getting a cell phone.
Certain episodes have also been centered around an act of jumping the shark listed above, such as Maude Flander's sudden death during a sports event, or when Marge's sister Patty Bouvier suddenly reveals that she is a lesbian in the episode There's Something About Marrying.
[edit]

[assgasorgrass]

I'll flip flop you...and waking up in some resort town when you're 33 and having to go noodle around with some investors when it's playoff season and thinking damn that's what I could be doing if only. Then it's February and you can rent a chopper exclusively and knock back as many runs as possible with your giant ass paycheck, bonus for making the playoffs...whatever.

I would be willing to wager that any team that signed Bloom would have contract language as such that dangerous activities, with activities listed i.e. skiing, are verboten. He would then be forced to returning a good chunk of change to the team upon doing said activity, especially if he got hurt. So I really think for Bloom to take it to the next level football wise (NFL), he is going to have to give up skiing for his tenure in the NFL. He might be able to get skiing put in his NFL contract, but quite possibly at a reduction in contract dollars. Just my take on it. He is an incredible athlete.

[ill-advised strategy]

Tippster

Yeah, I think we're more in agreement than I thought.

Everyone I know is in the middle to lower class and might need public assistance if something went wrong. I spent an hour last night talking with my roommate about how hard it is for his brother, who was a wage earning stand-up homeowner with a family in MA before a bad car wreck and head injury, to get some public assistance with basic food and shelter issues.

I equate the 'refusal to subsidize laziness' comment with a whole philosophy about basing people's worth on their income.

That's not really what you were saying, I get it.

Fuck it. There's just no point in trying to change anybody's mind in here anyway.

[warthog]

It is not what you do for a living or how much money you make at it that determines your value as a person.




I'll make you a deal, I'll take a shower after work tonight if you stop posing (from DC no??) as a skier and insulting people who revolve their life around our sport.

Nobody has attacked your way of life here. If anything, we applaud it. What was attacked is the thought that not being a ski bum, and actually earning a few bucks, is somehow not as "core" as the guy who washes dishes and skis every day.

We all love this sport, and that is why we are here on this board. So you ski every day in the winter and work at night. Sweet deal, I made other choices. I don't consider you more "core" than anyone else on here, though. We all have an interesting ski history to tell. Trust me, if the ski areas were only concerned with the core individuals, this sport would have gone the way of the dinosaur years ago. Us working stiffs are the ones that keep the places open.

Why did you have to call Tippster out for living in DC? I can't stand this fucking argument. It is as silly as "locals only" bullshit in surfing. So what if Tipp lives in DC? I live in Florida, and I bet I can still out-ski 90% of the kooks at any given ski area, on any given day. That 10% that kicks my ass is you and your buddies living the life and doing what makes you happy. Good for you. I was happy as hell doing that when i was 22. I did see the writing on the wall though. I didn't want to be dirtbaggin it at 42 with no future. My journey into the working world brought me to Fla. Now I ride 10 days a year, and love every second of it. That was my choice, you have made yours. Leave the bullshit "I live in the mountains so I am better than you" arguement at home. You don't know who you are talking to.

I'll give you an example. KS lives in St Louis. I skied with him (briefly) at the summit. If you just judged him based on where he lived, you would be very humbled after skiing with him. Don't judge us because we don't live the life you live. We have all been there.