This is How a Drunk gets Blocked on Twitter.

[Drunkntailgater]

Here is a screen cap of my conversation with Jeff Pearlman today. When I asked about if Connie meeting a mistress at the HOF was in his book (which it is) he blocked me. Connie has publicly come out and said that this event never happened. As far as I'm concerned, this false statement in his book and the fact that he quotes Bud Holmes of saying that Walter Payton abused drugs, which he also denies, tells me this book is garbage and full of lies.

 

If you question him about his book, you'll get an answer. And that answer always seems to be "Read the Book" then comment. In other words, make his ass some money reading a book of lies, then tell him it sucks.

 

Here's my screen cap.

 

http://twitpic.com/72fne1

 

Enjoy...and tell me your thoughts please.

 

P.S. He also made a youtube video talking about how it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to pass out flyers about his book at Soldier Field with all the angry Bears Fans.

 

I'm planning on making a video response! LOL (evil laugh)

[Guest TerraTor]

Reminds me of getting blocked by Chris Harris, i was being drunk and childish, still a crybaby tho

[Bears4Ever_34]

I think its pretty pathetic that he writes a book like this, especially about a guy that's not here to defend himself.

[madlithuanian]

Right on drunk! Thanks for sharing that!

 

 

 

Here is a screen cap of my conversation with Jeff Pearlman today. When I asked about if Connie meeting a mistress at the HOF was in his book (which it is) he blocked me. Connie has publicly come out and said that this event never happened. As far as I'm concerned, this false statement in his book and the fact that he quotes Bud Holmes of saying that Walter Payton abused drugs, which he also denies, tells me this book is garbage and full of lies.

 

If you question him about his book, you'll get an answer. And that answer always seems to be "Read the Book" then comment. In other words, make his ass some money reading a book of lies, then tell him it sucks.

 

Here's my screen cap.

 

http://twitpic.com/72fne1

 

Enjoy...and tell me your thoughts please.

 

P.S. He also made a youtube video talking about how it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to pass out flyers about his book at Soldier Field with all the angry Bears Fans.

 

I'm planning on making a video response! LOL (evil laugh)

 

[madlithuanian]

He brings up JFK,etc... I'm sorry but there is simply a difference between the leader of a country and a football player. We all have some junk in our past we really wouldn't want to share with the world. Yeah, some of that comes with being a celebrity, but far more of that comes when you're a politician. So, for the guy to compare the 2, I think is off.

 

There's simply too many other books to read by authors I respect.

 

 

 

I think its pretty pathetic that he writes a book like this, especially about a guy that's not here to defend himself.

 

[Drunkntailgater]

He brings up JFK,etc... I'm sorry but there is simply a difference between the leader of a country and a football player. We all have some junk in our past we really wouldn't want to share with the world. Yeah, some of that comes with being a celebrity, but far more of that comes when you're a politician. So, for the guy to compare the 2, I think is off.

 

There's simply too many other books to read by authors I respect.

 

My biggest argument is that Connie has already denied meeting a Mistress at the HOF and Bud Holmes denies that he said Walter Payton abused drugs. These are two of the major highlights that was bought up in his book, and they have already been discredited. Why in hell would anyone want to read a book that they know already has false information? Then when I bring this up to the author, he blocks me!

 

But when you ask him about it, he'll say "You should read the book first before you pass judgement". He's not getting my damn money!

 

I hope he rots in hell.

[Drunkntailgater]

My biggest argument is that Connie has already denied meeting a Mistress at the HOF and Bud Holmes denies that he said Walter Payton abused drugs. These are two of the major highlights that was bought up in his book, and they have already been discredited. Why in hell would anyone want to read a book that they know already has false information? Then when I bring this up to the author, he blocks me!

 

But when you ask him about it, he'll say "You should read the book first before you pass judgement". He's not getting my damn money!

 

I hope he rots in hell.

 

I know.....I'm repeating my self. This guy has me enraged!

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Unfortuntely this piece of trash (Pearlman) is successful for the same reason the National Enquirer is.

 

Thanks for the insight.

[JeffPearlman]

I like this site; like the passion.

 

Here's my take: http://www.jeffpearlman.com/shrapnel-in-de...e-of-sweetness/

 

Hell, I'll cut and paste it below, so you don't think I'm just some greedy SOB trying to snag blog hits.

 

But first, let me say this: I can't win this battle. I know I can't win. Anonymous Tweeter (who clearly loves conflict) takes shots at me and doesn't read the book and launches accusations ... well, all I can do is stand by the integrity of this project and the integrity of my intentions. I would ask someone like Drunkntailgater to read the book before savaging it, but he'd accuse me of trying to make a buck. I'd offer to send him a free copy, and ... actually, scratch that. Drunkntailgater—e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com and I WILL send you a free copy. And I dare you to read it—cover to cover—and say it was a slam job on Walter Payton. I don't know you, but I challenge your own integrity here. It's easy, from afar, to bash something you don't take the time to actually read, then hide behind the, "crap, I'll never pay for that trash!" Well, step up. Read the book. For free. Then, if you hate it ... if you think I went out to destroy Walter Payton ... well, you'll have credibility. Because you'll be backed by knowledge.

 

For the rest here, I will answer any/all questions. Best to e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com. Put Walter Payton in the subject line. I assure you (as long as the e-mails aren't of the "Screw you, you piece of shit" variety) a response.

 

Lastly, I get your angst. I understand the protectionism of Walter Payton; the love and appreciation of who he was. I get it 1,000 times over. But you're wrong about this book, and you're wrong about my intentions.

 

Here's the blog post. Thanks for the outlet ...

 

Back in 2004, when John Kerry was the Democratic nominee for president, many Americans were waiting for the outrage that never arrived. With each passing day, it seemed some Republican was accusing Kerry of being a phony war hero; of warping his own Vietnam history in the name of future political game. Meanwhile, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the kings of conflict avoidance, strutted and talked as if they were Butch and Sundance.

 

It was a shameful turn of events, and all I—hell, we—wanted Kerry to do was hold a press conference, roll up his pant leg and say, “See this 15-inch scar? That’s where the friggin’ shrapnel penetrated my leg. End. Of. Story.”

 

Of course, this never happened. And John Kerry lost.

 

I have no shrapnel in my leg. I barely have splinters in my toes. What I do have, however, is misinformation. Mounds and mounds and mounds of misinformation. It’s all over Twitter; all over Chicago Bear fan boards; pasted throughout many of the vile e-mails I’ve received. I am, according to some, a money-hungry opportunist; a scumbag National Enquirer wanna-be; a hack looking to capitalize on the death of an icon.

 

Enough. I’ve stayed relatively quiet on the individual rips, and now I want to respond. On the one hand, I hate giving in to this; hate responding to the oft-anonymous trolls who hide behind screen names. On the other hand, shrapnel don’t lie …

 

Here we go …

 

• Myth One: My motivation was purely financial, and I’m a money-hungry sack of shit.

 

• Reality One: A sack of shit? Perhaps. Money hungry? Not even close. There seems to be this notion out there that authors make millions upon millions of dollars. This is, with rare exception, baloney. I’m not in the league of a Michael Lewis or Dan Brown. Books like Sweetness pay well—if they were completed in one year. Pretty well if they’re completed in two. Mediocre over three. That’s how long I worked on this—three years. Toward the end I stopped almost all of my freelance work and SI.com columns to focus solely on Payton. I made significantly more money during my days as a staffer at Sports Illustrated and Newsday. This was, first and foremost, about writing a great book. Believe what you want.

 

• Myth Two: What kind of soulless asswipe writes this stuff about a deceased person?

 

• Reality Two: Answer: The greatest biographers of our time. Ever read Leigh Montville on Ted Williams? Jane Leavy on Mickey Mantle? Richard Ben Cramer on Joe DiMaggio? How about Manning Marable on Malcolm X? Tom Riley on John Lennon? Biographies are history lessons; are life stories. They are not sanitized versions, written to save our precious ears from bad news. They are opportunities to learn about people; to understand who they truly were; what made them tick; how they thrived and struggled and battled and fought. If you’re uncomfortable with this idea—no sweat. Don’t read biographies or pay attention to history. But to suggest that it’s somehow evil to write the true story of a deceased person … well, it’s nonsense.

 

• Myth Three: You didn’t interview [FILL IN THE BLANK], so you have no right.

 

• Reality Three: I’ve been accused of not interviewing family members. I had lengthy interviews with Jarrett and Brittney, Walter’s two children with Connie, as well as multiple discussions with Eddie Payton, his brother. I visited with Walter’s mother, Alyne Payton, for about a half hour in an informal discussion in her front yard. I agreed to an interview with Connie, flew to Chicago, then was told her plans changed and she had to attend to family business. Hey, it happens.

 

I’ve also been accused, by Steve McMichael in the Tribune, of not interviewing Roland Harper or Matt Suhey, two of Walter’s closest football friends. Pure fiction: I sat down with Matt twice and spoke with him myriad times via phone; I had a lengthy interview with Roland via phone. The Tribune never called me to confirm.

 

• Myth Four: Connie never met Walter’s girlfriend, as was stated in Sweetness.

 

• Reality Four: I have no beef with Connie. None whatsoever. Walter was a tough man to be married to, and she held on. That said, when Connie told a Chicago TV station that she and the girlfriend never met, well, I was dumbfounded. Maybe Connie has suppressed the memory … maybe she’s protecting herself … maybe she’s fibbing. Whatever the case, she is—without doubt—incorrect. I interviewed multiple witnesses (people with no reason to lie; people who couldn’t have compared notes before speaking with me) who saw or were present when the two women came face to face. This is an undeniable fact.

 

• Myth Five: Walter never relied on pain killers.

 

• Reality Five: Again, Connie was recently asked in a Chicago TV interview about this subject, and she replied by saying she never saw Walter take anything. Which may well be true—but Connie and Walter did not live together for the last decade of his life. Literally, they did not reside in the same house, and this was the time when he was struggling with medication. So, knowing this, why would a TV reporter even ask Connie about this? Baffling to me. Just baffling.

 

• Myth Six: Bud Holmes, Walter’s longtime agent, never said Payton was a drug addict.

 

• Reality Six: This is the strangest one to me, because nowhere in the book does Holmes accuse Payton of being addicted. What he does say in the book—and what he’s never denied—is that Walter used a lot of pain killers. Which, as Bud told me (and which is also in the book) was hardly unusual for NFL players during the 1970s and 80s. The initial Bud-denies-the-book rumor came from a TMZ report that was, put simply, a fabrication by a website itching for buzz. I called Bud after it ran, and he just wanted to make clear that he never referred to Payton as an addict. As I told him, “Nowhere in the book do you call him one.” And it’s true—he doesn’t. On a side note, I just love the guy. Love him.

 

• Myth Seven: You picked the SI excerpt because you knew it’d sell books.

 

• Reality Seven: I had no say in the excerpt. I saw it, knew it was coming, but was—rightly—never asked to select. Were it up to me, I would have gone with the Super Bowl XX chapter. But it wasn’t up to me. Such is life.

 

That said, I’m not mad or angry or upset. SI put the book on the cover, and ran an excerpt from a fascinating portion of a mysterious life. I understand.

 

• Myth Eight: You relied on sources with axes to grind.

 

• Reality Eight: I actually get this one. At some point, it seems, everyone had some sort of falling out with Payton or—after he passed—the Payton family. Bud Holmes, the agent, was on spotty terms with Walter, who blamed him for a premature (in his eyes) NFL retirement. Ginny Quirk, his assistant for 15 years, isn’t beloved by the Payton estate. Linda Conley, Walter’s close friend and former associate, no longer speaks with Connie. Eddie Payton, Walter’s brother, is mistrusted by Walter’s nuclear family. The thing is, these people—all these people—had extremely close relations with Walter at various points in his life. To not speak with them would be akin to not asking Brian Cashman about Joe Torre, merely because they split at the end of the Yankee years. You check what people say, then check it again. And, if possible, again. But just because two people had a split doesn’t mean the ex- can’t serve as a source. Were that the case, why does everyone still seek out Connie? Answer: Because, for a long spell, she was close to him.

 

OK, I’m exhausted. Feel free to toss more at me, and I’ll happily answer. Also, remember: For all the early complaints from former Bears, nobody said the infotmation was untrue. Same goes for the family—the official statement said that there’s correct and incorrect information in the book—but never was the incorrect pointed out.

[madlithuanian]

Mr. Pearlman,

 

Assuming it is really you...and in this day and age, it's not easy to determine so when posting on messageboards to say the least...I appreciate the time you took to defend your book.

 

I was a vocal opponent to your book when news came out on it. I still am. But, I do defend your right to write. As a consumer, I simply am defending my right not to consume.

 

I get that there's more to the Walter story than the PR, etc. However, I, as a fan, am simply not interested. Walter was an extraordinary athlete that was a genuine role model. He never committed any heinous crime, he worked hard, and he appreciated his fans. What more as a fan could one for in all honesty? I'm a fan of all knids of things...football, rock music, etc. So to learn someone had an affair, or took some drugs is simply not newsworthy to me. Only unless someone is preaching to others that they shouldn't do so, while doing so themselves...like Jimmy Swaggart as an example. None of the "negative" bits about Walter are surprising. Through the gravevine, I've heard may of those stories...including others that could be deemed worse. I have no idea what is really true. But stories are out there.

 

I get that your book covers all elements, including a vast amount of positives. However, anyone in this day and age, that believes the positives will get the press is out to lunch. Turn on the news. The opening story isn't someone donating time and effort to the poor. It's a car chase, or a drug bust, etc. I believe you knew what you were getting into when you decided to print your book. How could you not? You had to know there would be staunch opposition to your publication. It's unfortunate, that some of that opposition have crossed the line. I regret people are sending you death threats and the lot. That is not only uncalled for, but outright against the law.

 

Again, I thank you for your candor and taking time to set the record straight. But, I will not buy your book. I simply am not interested.

 

 

I like this site; like the passion.

 

Here's my take: http://www.jeffpearlman.com/shrapnel-in-de...e-of-sweetness/

 

Hell, I'll cut and paste it below, so you don't think I'm just some greedy SOB trying to snag blog hits.

 

But first, let me say this: I can't win this battle. I know I can't win. Anonymous Tweeter (who clearly loves conflict) takes shots at me and doesn't read the book and launches accusations ... well, all I can do is stand by the integrity of this project and the integrity of my intentions. I would ask someone like Drunkntailgater to read the book before savaging it, but he'd accuse me of trying to make a buck. I'd offer to send him a free copy, and ... actually, scratch that. Drunkntailgater—e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com and I WILL send you a free copy. And I dare you to read it—cover to cover—and say it was a slam job on Walter Payton. I don't know you, but I challenge your own integrity here. It's easy, from afar, to bash something you don't take the time to actually read, then hide behind the, "crap, I'll never pay for that trash!" Well, step up. Read the book. For free. Then, if you hate it ... if you think I went out to destroy Walter Payton ... well, you'll have credibility. Because you'll be backed by knowledge.

 

For the rest here, I will answer any/all questions. Best to e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com. Put Walter Payton in the subject line. I assure you (as long as the e-mails aren't of the "Screw you, you piece of shit" variety) a response.

 

Lastly, I get your angst. I understand the protectionism of Walter Payton; the love and appreciation of who he was. I get it 1,000 times over. But you're wrong about this book, and you're wrong about my intentions.

 

Here's the blog post. Thanks for the outlet ...

 

Back in 2004, when John Kerry was the Democratic nominee for president, many Americans were waiting for the outrage that never arrived. With each passing day, it seemed some Republican was accusing Kerry of being a phony war hero; of warping his own Vietnam history in the name of future political game. Meanwhile, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the kings of conflict avoidance, strutted and talked as if they were Butch and Sundance.

 

It was a shameful turn of events, and all I—hell, we—wanted Kerry to do was hold a press conference, roll up his pant leg and say, “See this 15-inch scar? That’s where the friggin’ shrapnel penetrated my leg. End. Of. Story.”

 

Of course, this never happened. And John Kerry lost.

 

I have no shrapnel in my leg. I barely have splinters in my toes. What I do have, however, is misinformation. Mounds and mounds and mounds of misinformation. It’s all over Twitter; all over Chicago Bear fan boards; pasted throughout many of the vile e-mails I’ve received. I am, according to some, a money-hungry opportunist; a scumbag National Enquirer wanna-be; a hack looking to capitalize on the death of an icon.

 

Enough. I’ve stayed relatively quiet on the individual rips, and now I want to respond. On the one hand, I hate giving in to this; hate responding to the oft-anonymous trolls who hide behind screen names. On the other hand, shrapnel don’t lie …

 

Here we go …

 

• Myth One: My motivation was purely financial, and I’m a money-hungry sack of shit.

 

• Reality One: A sack of shit? Perhaps. Money hungry? Not even close. There seems to be this notion out there that authors make millions upon millions of dollars. This is, with rare exception, baloney. I’m not in the league of a Michael Lewis or Dan Brown. Books like Sweetness pay well—if they were completed in one year. Pretty well if they’re completed in two. Mediocre over three. That’s how long I worked on this—three years. Toward the end I stopped almost all of my freelance work and SI.com columns to focus solely on Payton. I made significantly more money during my days as a staffer at Sports Illustrated and Newsday. This was, first and foremost, about writing a great book. Believe what you want.

 

• Myth Two: What kind of soulless asswipe writes this stuff about a deceased person?

 

• Reality Two: Answer: The greatest biographers of our time. Ever read Leigh Montville on Ted Williams? Jane Leavy on Mickey Mantle? Richard Ben Cramer on Joe DiMaggio? How about Manning Marable on Malcolm X? Tom Riley on John Lennon? Biographies are history lessons; are life stories. They are not sanitized versions, written to save our precious ears from bad news. They are opportunities to learn about people; to understand who they truly were; what made them tick; how they thrived and struggled and battled and fought. If you’re uncomfortable with this idea—no sweat. Don’t read biographies or pay attention to history. But to suggest that it’s somehow evil to write the true story of a deceased person … well, it’s nonsense.

 

• Myth Three: You didn’t interview [FILL IN THE BLANK], so you have no right.

 

• Reality Three: I’ve been accused of not interviewing family members. I had lengthy interviews with Jarrett and Brittney, Walter’s two children with Connie, as well as multiple discussions with Eddie Payton, his brother. I visited with Walter’s mother, Alyne Payton, for about a half hour in an informal discussion in her front yard. I agreed to an interview with Connie, flew to Chicago, then was told her plans changed and she had to attend to family business. Hey, it happens.

 

I’ve also been accused, by Steve McMichael in the Tribune, of not interviewing Roland Harper or Matt Suhey, two of Walter’s closest football friends. Pure fiction: I sat down with Matt twice and spoke with him myriad times via phone; I had a lengthy interview with Roland via phone. The Tribune never called me to confirm.

 

• Myth Four: Connie never met Walter’s girlfriend, as was stated in Sweetness.

 

• Reality Four: I have no beef with Connie. None whatsoever. Walter was a tough man to be married to, and she held on. That said, when Connie told a Chicago TV station that she and the girlfriend never met, well, I was dumbfounded. Maybe Connie has suppressed the memory … maybe she’s protecting herself … maybe she’s fibbing. Whatever the case, she is—without doubt—incorrect. I interviewed multiple witnesses (people with no reason to lie; people who couldn’t have compared notes before speaking with me) who saw or were present when the two women came face to face. This is an undeniable fact.

 

• Myth Five: Walter never relied on pain killers.

 

• Reality Five: Again, Connie was recently asked in a Chicago TV interview about this subject, and she replied by saying she never saw Walter take anything. Which may well be true—but Connie and Walter did not live together for the last decade of his life. Literally, they did not reside in the same house, and this was the time when he was struggling with medication. So, knowing this, why would a TV reporter even ask Connie about this? Baffling to me. Just baffling.

 

• Myth Six: Bud Holmes, Walter’s longtime agent, never said Payton was a drug addict.

 

• Reality Six: This is the strangest one to me, because nowhere in the book does Holmes accuse Payton of being addicted. What he does say in the book—and what he’s never denied—is that Walter used a lot of pain killers. Which, as Bud told me (and which is also in the book) was hardly unusual for NFL players during the 1970s and 80s. The initial Bud-denies-the-book rumor came from a TMZ report that was, put simply, a fabrication by a website itching for buzz. I called Bud after it ran, and he just wanted to make clear that he never referred to Payton as an addict. As I told him, “Nowhere in the book do you call him one.” And it’s true—he doesn’t. On a side note, I just love the guy. Love him.

 

• Myth Seven: You picked the SI excerpt because you knew it’d sell books.

 

• Reality Seven: I had no say in the excerpt. I saw it, knew it was coming, but was—rightly—never asked to select. Were it up to me, I would have gone with the Super Bowl XX chapter. But it wasn’t up to me. Such is life.

 

That said, I’m not mad or angry or upset. SI put the book on the cover, and ran an excerpt from a fascinating portion of a mysterious life. I understand.

 

• Myth Eight: You relied on sources with axes to grind.

 

• Reality Eight: I actually get this one. At some point, it seems, everyone had some sort of falling out with Payton or—after he passed—the Payton family. Bud Holmes, the agent, was on spotty terms with Walter, who blamed him for a premature (in his eyes) NFL retirement. Ginny Quirk, his assistant for 15 years, isn’t beloved by the Payton estate. Linda Conley, Walter’s close friend and former associate, no longer speaks with Connie. Eddie Payton, Walter’s brother, is mistrusted by Walter’s nuclear family. The thing is, these people—all these people—had extremely close relations with Walter at various points in his life. To not speak with them would be akin to not asking Brian Cashman about Joe Torre, merely because they split at the end of the Yankee years. You check what people say, then check it again. And, if possible, again. But just because two people had a split doesn’t mean the ex- can’t serve as a source. Were that the case, why does everyone still seek out Connie? Answer: Because, for a long spell, she was close to him.

 

OK, I’m exhausted. Feel free to toss more at me, and I’ll happily answer. Also, remember: For all the early complaints from former Bears, nobody said the infotmation was untrue. Same goes for the family—the official statement said that there’s correct and incorrect information in the book—but never was the incorrect pointed out.

 

[Drunkntailgater]

OK....if this is Jeff, which I can believe that it is because you have been known for posting on Chicago Bear fans Message Boards to get more publicity for your book, why didn't you answer my question and then block me on twitter?

 

You say that I'm bashing this without getting the full story by not reading it myself, yet the exerpts that you allowed to be released in SI clearly state that in your book that you are claiming that Bud Holmes said that Walter "Abused Drugs". Which is something that Holmes has come out publically saying that he never said that. My second arguement, which is not only in the book but the interview you did with someone from ChiCitySports.com where you claim that Connie Payton met with Walter's Mistress, the mother of his "out of wed-lock" child at the HOF induction. Again, Connie has gone public saying that she never met any "other" women at the HOF induction.

 

These are two major acusation that are fueling the fire to this book. And I would chose to believe Bud Holmes telling me what he said, and Connie herself telling me what she did. As far as I'm concerned, these are two things proven false in your book, from the exerpts alone which discredits its validity. Why would anyone even want to start reading a book which they know will have false accounts to his life?

 

Your recent youtube video with you ranting from your car makes me curious to know...."How big of a football fan are you really?" you were shocked when you found out it costs $30 to park for a NY Giants football game near where people tailgate. Anyone that goes to NFL games in major cities know that $30 for parking is where the cheapest parking lots are. A lot of people will pay from $75-$275 in certain places just to park and tailgate. So even as far as being a football fan, have you ever even gone to a game?

 

As far as me being an anonymous tweeter.....to most computer literate Bears fans, I'm all over Google like the plague and very easy to get a message to. All you would have to do is ask anyone on these boards about my youtube page, my tweeter, or getting a hold of me on places like this message board.

 

Because you tracked me down on here, and went out of your way to do it, all I'll ask of you is to answer my questions about Holmes and Connie Payton's discredit to your exerpts. Depending on that, I will consider sending you my personal information. You do like to vlog? Maybe you would just want to get on cam, and make a video explaining your end of the discredits from Holmes and Payton? I would have no problem getting on cam and answering you.....I really hate beating these keyboards to death.

 

 

[Drunkntailgater]

Ok....I have to apologize, I did not read the lengthy novel you posted all the way through before I posted my reply. So you mean to tell me that Connie is publically lying, and you can quote people that will admit that Connie and this Mistress met? And you are telling me that you did an interview with Jarrett Payton?

 

It looks to me now like you are saying Bud said he "Pounded his self with pain killers" like most atheletes did? Are you saying that Bud Holmes did not say that "Walter abused drugs"? Because the exerpts that you allowed to be published in SI sure sounds more like that. And if those are false, exaggerated exerpts that are in SI, why are you not seeking legal action?

[BearsFan1974]

Ok....I have to apologize, I did not read the lengthy novel you posted all the way through before I posted my reply. So you mean to tell me that Connie is publically lying, and you can quote people that will admit that Connie and this Mistress met? And you are telling me that you did an interview with Jarrett Payton?

 

It looks to me now like you are saying Bud said he "Pounded his self with pain killers" like most atheletes did? Are you saying that Bud Holmes did not say that "Walter abused drugs"? Because the exerpts that you allowed to be published in SI sure sounds more like that. And if those are false, exaggerated exerpts that are in SI, why are you not seeking legal action?

 

 

He's said himself as long as he's been writing the book for 3 years and his money would be "Mediocre over three. That's how long I worked on this—three years."

 

So what better to sell books than controversy to make up for lost potential money. I'd let SI say I have nude pictures of Jessica Alba in "Cat in the Hat" if it sold more books. That's why he hasn't said anything to SI...bottom line is the money, not journalism.

[lemonej]

I like this site; like the passion.

 

Here's my take: http://www.jeffpearlman.com/shrapnel-in-de...e-of-sweetness/

 

Hell, I'll cut and paste it below, so you don't think I'm just some greedy SOB trying to snag blog hits.

 

But first, let me say this: I can't win this battle. I know I can't win. Anonymous Tweeter (who clearly loves conflict) takes shots at me and doesn't read the book and launches accusations ... well, all I can do is stand by the integrity of this project and the integrity of my intentions. I would ask someone like Drunkntailgater to read the book before savaging it, but he'd accuse me of trying to make a buck. I'd offer to send him a free copy, and ... actually, scratch that. Drunkntailgater—e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com and I WILL send you a free copy. And I dare you to read it—cover to cover—and say it was a slam job on Walter Payton. I don't know you, but I challenge your own integrity here. It's easy, from afar, to bash something you don't take the time to actually read, then hide behind the, "crap, I'll never pay for that trash!" Well, step up. Read the book. For free. Then, if you hate it ... if you think I went out to destroy Walter Payton ... well, you'll have credibility. Because you'll be backed by knowledge.

 

For the rest here, I will answer any/all questions. Best to e-mail me at anngold22@gmail.com. Put Walter Payton in the subject line. I assure you (as long as the e-mails aren't of the "Screw you, you piece of shit" variety) a response.

 

Lastly, I get your angst. I understand the protectionism of Walter Payton; the love and appreciation of who he was. I get it 1,000 times over. But you're wrong about this book, and you're wrong about my intentions.

 

Here's the blog post. Thanks for the outlet ...

 

Back in 2004, when John Kerry was the Democratic nominee for president, many Americans were waiting for the outrage that never arrived. With each passing day, it seemed some Republican was accusing Kerry of being a phony war hero; of warping his own Vietnam history in the name of future political game. Meanwhile, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the kings of conflict avoidance, strutted and talked as if they were Butch and Sundance.

 

It was a shameful turn of events, and all I—hell, we—wanted Kerry to do was hold a press conference, roll up his pant leg and say, “See this 15-inch scar? That’s where the friggin’ shrapnel penetrated my leg. End. Of. Story.”

 

Of course, this never happened. And John Kerry lost.

 

I have no shrapnel in my leg. I barely have splinters in my toes. What I do have, however, is misinformation. Mounds and mounds and mounds of misinformation. It’s all over Twitter; all over Chicago Bear fan boards; pasted throughout many of the vile e-mails I’ve received. I am, according to some, a money-hungry opportunist; a scumbag National Enquirer wanna-be; a hack looking to capitalize on the death of an icon.

 

Enough. I’ve stayed relatively quiet on the individual rips, and now I want to respond. On the one hand, I hate giving in to this; hate responding to the oft-anonymous trolls who hide behind screen names. On the other hand, shrapnel don’t lie …

 

Here we go …

 

• Myth One: My motivation was purely financial, and I’m a money-hungry sack of shit.

 

• Reality One: A sack of shit? Perhaps. Money hungry? Not even close. There seems to be this notion out there that authors make millions upon millions of dollars. This is, with rare exception, baloney. I’m not in the league of a Michael Lewis or Dan Brown. Books like Sweetness pay well—if they were completed in one year. Pretty well if they’re completed in two. Mediocre over three. That’s how long I worked on this—three years. Toward the end I stopped almost all of my freelance work and SI.com columns to focus solely on Payton. I made significantly more money during my days as a staffer at Sports Illustrated and Newsday. This was, first and foremost, about writing a great book. Believe what you want.

 

• Myth Two: What kind of soulless asswipe writes this stuff about a deceased person?

 

• Reality Two: Answer: The greatest biographers of our time. Ever read Leigh Montville on Ted Williams? Jane Leavy on Mickey Mantle? Richard Ben Cramer on Joe DiMaggio? How about Manning Marable on Malcolm X? Tom Riley on John Lennon? Biographies are history lessons; are life stories. They are not sanitized versions, written to save our precious ears from bad news. They are opportunities to learn about people; to understand who they truly were; what made them tick; how they thrived and struggled and battled and fought. If you’re uncomfortable with this idea—no sweat. Don’t read biographies or pay attention to history. But to suggest that it’s somehow evil to write the true story of a deceased person … well, it’s nonsense.

 

• Myth Three: You didn’t interview [FILL IN THE BLANK], so you have no right.

 

• Reality Three: I’ve been accused of not interviewing family members. I had lengthy interviews with Jarrett and Brittney, Walter’s two children with Connie, as well as multiple discussions with Eddie Payton, his brother. I visited with Walter’s mother, Alyne Payton, for about a half hour in an informal discussion in her front yard. I agreed to an interview with Connie, flew to Chicago, then was told her plans changed and she had to attend to family business. Hey, it happens.

 

I’ve also been accused, by Steve McMichael in the Tribune, of not interviewing Roland Harper or Matt Suhey, two of Walter’s closest football friends. Pure fiction: I sat down with Matt twice and spoke with him myriad times via phone; I had a lengthy interview with Roland via phone. The Tribune never called me to confirm.

 

• Myth Four: Connie never met Walter’s girlfriend, as was stated in Sweetness.

 

• Reality Four: I have no beef with Connie. None whatsoever. Walter was a tough man to be married to, and she held on. That said, when Connie told a Chicago TV station that she and the girlfriend never met, well, I was dumbfounded. Maybe Connie has suppressed the memory … maybe she’s protecting herself … maybe she’s fibbing. Whatever the case, she is—without doubt—incorrect. I interviewed multiple witnesses (people with no reason to lie; people who couldn’t have compared notes before speaking with me) who saw or were present when the two women came face to face. This is an undeniable fact.

 

• Myth Five: Walter never relied on pain killers.

 

• Reality Five: Again, Connie was recently asked in a Chicago TV interview about this subject, and she replied by saying she never saw Walter take anything. Which may well be true—but Connie and Walter did not live together for the last decade of his life. Literally, they did not reside in the same house, and this was the time when he was struggling with medication. So, knowing this, why would a TV reporter even ask Connie about this? Baffling to me. Just baffling.

 

• Myth Six: Bud Holmes, Walter’s longtime agent, never said Payton was a drug addict.

 

• Reality Six: This is the strangest one to me, because nowhere in the book does Holmes accuse Payton of being addicted. What he does say in the book—and what he’s never denied—is that Walter used a lot of pain killers. Which, as Bud told me (and which is also in the book) was hardly unusual for NFL players during the 1970s and 80s. The initial Bud-denies-the-book rumor came from a TMZ report that was, put simply, a fabrication by a website itching for buzz. I called Bud after it ran, and he just wanted to make clear that he never referred to Payton as an addict. As I told him, “Nowhere in the book do you call him one.” And it’s true—he doesn’t. On a side note, I just love the guy. Love him.

 

• Myth Seven: You picked the SI excerpt because you knew it’d sell books.

 

• Reality Seven: I had no say in the excerpt. I saw it, knew it was coming, but was—rightly—never asked to select. Were it up to me, I would have gone with the Super Bowl XX chapter. But it wasn’t up to me. Such is life.

 

That said, I’m not mad or angry or upset. SI put the book on the cover, and ran an excerpt from a fascinating portion of a mysterious life. I understand.

 

• Myth Eight: You relied on sources with axes to grind.

 

• Reality Eight: I actually get this one. At some point, it seems, everyone had some sort of falling out with Payton or—after he passed—the Payton family. Bud Holmes, the agent, was on spotty terms with Walter, who blamed him for a premature (in his eyes) NFL retirement. Ginny Quirk, his assistant for 15 years, isn’t beloved by the Payton estate. Linda Conley, Walter’s close friend and former associate, no longer speaks with Connie. Eddie Payton, Walter’s brother, is mistrusted by Walter’s nuclear family. The thing is, these people—all these people—had extremely close relations with Walter at various points in his life. To not speak with them would be akin to not asking Brian Cashman about Joe Torre, merely because they split at the end of the Yankee years. You check what people say, then check it again. And, if possible, again. But just because two people had a split doesn’t mean the ex- can’t serve as a source. Were that the case, why does everyone still seek out Connie? Answer: Because, for a long spell, she was close to him.

 

OK, I’m exhausted. Feel free to toss more at me, and I’ll happily answer. Also, remember: For all the early complaints from former Bears, nobody said the infotmation was untrue. Same goes for the family—the official statement said that there’s correct and incorrect information in the book—but never was the incorrect pointed out.

This long winded self promoting post is just that long winded and self promoting.

 

First of all some of the rumors about Payton being a "Ladies Man" are old news.Former NFL players and pain killers old news as many of the 63 Bears openly talked about taking injections on the sidelines during games.Dick Butkus famously was shot up so that he could continue to play.I'm sure that if you asked Dan Hampton who routinely was off for the minimum of 4 weeks after an arthroscopic surgery how he was able to play,I'm sure he would say that pain killers helped.The fact that Payton's liver did him in is also a tell-tale sign that he might have had a few pain killers too many in his system, since that is the organ that has to filter what we put in our systems.All I want to know is why it took this long for you to decide that you should "Out" this info?

 

I have know idea what you expected the reaction to be when you come on a Bears message board after attacking one of the top 5 iconic figures in Bears history. I personally have never read a tell all book about any celebrity/sports figure /politician etc., so I for one will not spend my money for your book ever even if it shows up at my local resale shop for $.49. I could care less about Payton's conquest off the field because that was his business. When he was on the field in a Bears uniform he gave his all and thats all that most true Payton fans care about.

[Drunkntailgater]

The biggest question I keep asking myself is, "Why?" Every time I see something new with Jeff Pearlman, it even has me questioning his love of the sport.

 

I've always believed that a good Biography has been put together from someone close to that person, maybe hiring a writer to put their story together for them. Or someone that would have a true, genuine interest, such as a fan. The fact that he's shocked about the price to park at a N.Y. Giants game and now a video of him doing phone interviews (clearly wearing a red jersey which looks like an alternate Giant's jersey) makes me believe that he isn't even a Bears fan at all. When Walter played, Pearlman was either in 1st or 2nd grade, so that tells me that he never REALLY watched Walter play in a game. (I was lucky enough to draw interest in football in 5th grade back in 85)

 

The one thing I will give Pearlman credit for now is, I have never seen someone take to the internet like this to defend his work. From answering people bashing him on twitter to tracking people down on message boards, he sure is persistent on trying to insure people that his work is legitimate. (And yes, I do believe this is him on this board)

 

When word of this book came out I was enraged, being the "Over the Top" fan that I am. When I read the excerpts from SI and saw the TV interviews from my childhood heroes discrediting his book, I probably got more pissed off than the average fan and took some offensive jabs at Pearlman, again being overly outspoken. If he does answer me back on this board about his motives, if he's even a Bears fan and why, or to what extent he interviewed the family members like Jarrett or Brittany, I would probably have to apologize to the guy for acting the immature part that that I did. I'd probably consider the book from him, but would more than likely decline, and wish him luck from here on. I have to say, the last couple weeks have had my thoughts and emotions about this book on one hell of a roller-coaster ride of frustration. LOL

[madlithuanian]

Great points lemonej...

 

This long winded self promoting post is just that long winded and self promoting.

 

First of all some of the rumors about Payton being a "Ladies Man" are old news.Former NFL players and pain killers old news as many of the 63 Bears openly talked about taking injections on the sidelines during games.Dick Butkus famously was shot up so that he could continue to play.I'm sure that if you asked Dan Hampton who routinely was off for the minimum of 4 weeks after an arthroscopic surgery how he was able to play,I'm sure he would say that pain killers helped.The fact that Payton's liver did him in is also a tell-tale sign that he might have had a few pain killers too many in his system, since that is the organ that has to filter what we put in our systems.All I want to know is why it took this long for you to decide that you should "Out" this info?

 

I have know idea what you expected the reaction to be when you come on a Bears message board after attacking one of the top 5 iconic figures in Bears history. I personally have never read a tell all book about any celebrity/sports figure /politician etc., so I for one will not spend my money for your book ever even if it shows up at my local resale shop for $.49. I could care less about Payton's conquest off the field because that was his business. When he was on the field in a Bears uniform he gave his all and thats all that most true Payton fans care about.

 

[lemonej]

The biggest question I keep asking myself is, "Why?" Every time I see something new with Jeff Pearlman, it even has me questioning his love of the sport.

 

I've always believed that a good Biography has been put together from someone close to that person, maybe hiring a writer to put their story together for them. Or someone that would have a true, genuine interest, such as a fan. The fact that he's shocked about the price to park at a N.Y. Giants game and now a video of him doing phone interviews (clearly wearing a red jersey which looks like an alternate Giant's jersey) makes me believe that he isn't even a Bears fan at all. When Walter played, Pearlman was either in 1st or 2nd grade, so that tells me that he never REALLY watched Walter play in a game. (I was lucky enough to draw interest in football in 5th grade back in 85)

 

The one thing I will give Pearlman credit for now is, I have never seen someone take to the internet like this to defend his work. From answering people bashing him on twitter to tracking people down on message boards, he sure is persistent on trying to insure people that his work is legitimate. (And yes, I do believe this is him on this board)

 

When word of this book came out I was enraged, being the "Over the Top" fan that I am. When I read the excerpts from SI and saw the TV interviews from my childhood heroes discrediting his book, I probably got more pissed off than the average fan and took some offensive jabs at Pearlman, again being overly outspoken. If he does answer me back on this board about his motives, if he's even a Bears fan and why, or to what extent he interviewed the family members like Jarrett or Brittany, I would probably have to apologize to the guy for acting the immature part that that I did. I'd probably consider the book from him, but would more than likely decline, and wish him luck from here on. I have to say, the last couple weeks have had my thoughts and emotions about this book on one hell of a roller-coaster ride of frustration. LOL

Don't change your deal DTG. Don't give Pearlman credit for crap. He followed you to continue to create more buzz and I'm sure that if he really wanted to participate in real Bears discussion he wouldn't be inviting people to email him @ whatever his email address is and intstructing people what to type in and what he won't respond to.

[madlithuanian]

Wait! What? You have nude Alba pics!? Please share!

 

 

PS - It was a body double in "Machete"!

 

He's said himself as long as he's been writing the book for 3 years and his money would be "Mediocre over three. That's how long I worked on this—three years."

 

So what better to sell books than controversy to make up for lost potential money. I'd let SI say I have nude pictures of Jessica Alba in "Cat in the Hat" if it sold more books. That's why he hasn't said anything to SI...bottom line is the money, not journalism.

 

[madlithuanian]

Drunk,

 

I think your reaction came straight from your heart. (Maybe bypassing the brain on a few quotes!) I know I'm guilty of the same a lot!

 

I like your re-takes after some pondering...

 

Even if true and even if Connie is saying no just to save face...the bottom line is it doesn't matter. This book simply isn't newsworthy. It's tabloid. No one will grow as a person by reading it. The only thing that will grow is Pearlman's pocketbook. This one just doesn't interest me. Read Steve McMicahel's autobio...it's funny fast reading.

 

 

 

 

The biggest question I keep asking myself is, "Why?" Every time I see something new with Jeff Pearlman, it even has me questioning his love of the sport.

 

I've always believed that a good Biography has been put together from someone close to that person, maybe hiring a writer to put their story together for them. Or someone that would have a true, genuine interest, such as a fan. The fact that he's shocked about the price to park at a N.Y. Giants game and now a video of him doing phone interviews (clearly wearing a red jersey which looks like an alternate Giant's jersey) makes me believe that he isn't even a Bears fan at all. When Walter played, Pearlman was either in 1st or 2nd grade, so that tells me that he never REALLY watched Walter play in a game. (I was lucky enough to draw interest in football in 5th grade back in 85)

 

The one thing I will give Pearlman credit for now is, I have never seen someone take to the internet like this to defend his work. From answering people bashing him on twitter to tracking people down on message boards, he sure is persistent on trying to insure people that his work is legitimate. (And yes, I do believe this is him on this board)

 

When word of this book came out I was enraged, being the "Over the Top" fan that I am. When I read the excerpts from SI and saw the TV interviews from my childhood heroes discrediting his book, I probably got more pissed off than the average fan and took some offensive jabs at Pearlman, again being overly outspoken. If he does answer me back on this board about his motives, if he's even a Bears fan and why, or to what extent he interviewed the family members like Jarrett or Brittany, I would probably have to apologize to the guy for acting the immature part that that I did. I'd probably consider the book from him, but would more than likely decline, and wish him luck from here on. I have to say, the last couple weeks have had my thoughts and emotions about this book on one hell of a roller-coaster ride of frustration. LOL

 

[madlithuanian]

Agreed. If pearlman wanted to discuss, he would have come back to check repsonses. There have been a few...and all I can hear is crickets other than the statements by our Talk Bears fans...

 

Don't change your deal DTG. Don't give Pearlman credit for crap. He followed you to continue to create more buzz and I'm sure that if he really wanted to participate in real Bears discussion he wouldn't be inviting people to email him @ whatever his email address is and intstructing people what to type in and what he won't respond to.

 

[Drunkntailgater]

Don't change your deal DTG. Don't give Pearlman credit for crap. He followed you to continue to create more buzz and I'm sure that if he really wanted to participate in real Bears discussion he wouldn't be inviting people to email him @ whatever his email address is and intstructing people what to type in and what he won't respond to.

 

Not really changing my stance....maybe a bit regretful of the extremely harsh comments I have left him on his youtube page, or comment on another message board about him. Really, at one point I said the "Idiot should die of ass cancer". LOL.....so yes I've been immature, but I guess that is how feelings fly off the handle when you have this type of passion for your favorite Sport, Team or your Childhood Heroes.

 

If the guy turned around and proved he was a true Bears fan and wrote a Biography on Sid Luckman.....then I might believe that he's really a Bears fan! Hell, even I would buy that book! LOL

 

I still won't read the book. I just feel that it wasn't put together or told from someone close to Walter, yes he may have interviewed a ton of people that Walter knew, but this story does not come from someone that was there threw thick and thin during those moments of his life. And there are far too many people still around that know and love Walter that could have put together a Biography their self.

 

But I can be and asshole from time to time.......Ever see a Drunk Tailgater that didn't have vulgarity spewing from the mouth? LOL......may be Drunk and Vulgar, but always passionate about my that team!

[lemonej]

Not really changing my stance....maybe a bit regretful of the extremely harsh comments I have left him on his youtube page, or comment on another message board about him. Really, at one point I said the "Idiot should die of ass cancer". LOL.....so yes I've been immature, but I guess that is how feelings fly off the handle when you have this type of passion for your favorite Sport, Team or your Childhood Heroes.

 

If the guy turned around and proved he was a true Bears fan and wrote a Biography on Sid Luckman.....then I might believe that he's really a Bears fan! Hell, even I would buy that book! LOL

 

I still won't read the book. I just feel that it wasn't put together or told from someone close to Walter, yes he may have interviewed a ton of people that Walter knew, but this story does not come from someone that was there threw thick and thin during those moments of his life. And there are far too many people still around that know and love Walter that could have put together a Biography their self.

 

But I can be and asshole from time to time.......Ever see a Drunk Tailgater that didn't have vulgarity spewing from the mouth? LOL......may be Drunk and Vulgar, but always passionate about my that team!

As the son of a truck driver there are really no words that can offend me when I was exposed to the colorful language at an early age. I do believe that if you are at a keyboard and typing vulgairties then maybe you should check yourself but, if its in the heat of the moment lol....

 

You have a right to take someone to task about one of your personal heroes and like I said when I responded to his post,what did he expect?