ST Murder Investigation Thread

So when can we change the stock narrative from "young black man with troubled past is killed and no one is surprised" to "a young man who was doing everything right was killed trying to protect his family from criminals who wanted some money." When do we get an apology from all the writers who said they were not surprised at all and they just knew this would happen? I suspect we don't, but if this story continues to play out as it currently is going then I think every last one of them owes Sean Taylor AT LEAST that.

So when can we change the stock narrative from "young black man with troubled past is killed and no one is surprised" to "a young man who was doing everything right was killed trying to protect his family from criminals who wanted some money." When do we get an apology from all the writers who said they were not surprised at all and they just knew this would happen? I suspect we don't, but if this story continues to play out as it currently is going then I think every last one of them owes Sean Taylor AT LEAST that.

That's a real good question. I could regain SOME of my respect for certain talking heads if they would at least man up and admit that this isn't a case of ST's past coming back at him.

That's a real good question. I could regain SOME of my respect for certain talking heads if they would at least man up and admit that this isn't a case of ST's past coming back at him.

You know if this for reason turns out to be random, I wonder exactly will Mike Wilbon say then.

You know if this for reason turns out to be random, I wonder exactly will Mike Wilbon say then.

Probably nothing. I would hope for more... but... I don't think it will happen unless he is publicly called out on it.

I tell you one thing that has absolutely been eating me up since Taylor passed away, this whole thing that he's "turning his life around" or "getting on track" or "getting his life together." While that may have been true, you rarely heard that he's simply maturing into an adult.

I can't remember which thread it was, but 70Chip really summed up a lot of misperceptions about Sean Taylor better than anyone I've seen or heard.

Yeah, it's pretty shady how this man's memory was treated. Not so much for us, since I think we pretty much knew all of that to be B.S. but for a lot of people who didn't know much about ST, they might think some thug got shot because he was a thug, nothing more. And that is truly a shame.

Probably nothing. I would hope for more... but... I don't think it will happen unless he is publicly called out on it.

Here's an email I just sent to Wilbon that I'm sure he'll never read. But hey, JLC read my email yesterday and put it up on his blog so maybe there's a chance.

Mr. Wilbon,
I'm sure you have gotten a tremendous amount of email and I suspect you'll never read mine. I actually thought that your column made some good points, and was probably less offended by it than many Redskins fans were. What was offensive, however, was how you said you were not surprised at all when you heard of Sean Taylor's death. I follow the Redskins as closely as anyone I know and I was shocked. I can see how you could say that if you heard someone on the Redskins was shot you might think immediately of Sean Taylor, but to say you were not at all surprised? Come on. Also, as the story is currently playing out (and maybe I'm rushing to judgement as quickly as you did) it seems that the stock narrative that you and other writers overlaid on this story does not fit. If this just was a case where some guys thought they could get some money or valuables, did not think anyone was at the house, were surprised when they found Taylor there, got scared and fired two fatal shots into the night before running away, then how do you explain that?

I can understand, somewhat, your initial reaction, but do you think that you too quickly imposed your own narrative on these events? So Sean Taylor made some bad choices (and really one bad choice that involved anything other than immaturity that we know of, and you have not offered any others that I have heard), but he moved away from his old neighborhood, he did not go out, he devoted himself to the game of football, he did all the right things. He did all the things that you say athletes should do AFTER Sean Taylor's murder. He was doing all that, he was living life the right way. So you're telling me his mistake was buying a house in a wealthy suburb of Miami rather than a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C.? What is it that you wanted from him? What could he have done to ensure that writers like you would not write that you 'weren't surprised' when he was murdered? What will it take for you to replace your stock narrative of 'a young black man killed and I'm not surprised' to a 'a young black man who was doing everything right was killed protecting his family'? When can we expect a public apology from you if events continue to play out as they currently are?

Here's an email I just sent to Wilbon that I'm sure he'll never read. But hey, JLC read my email yesterday and put it up on his blog so maybe there's a chance.

Mr. Wilbon,
I'm sure you have gotten a tremendous amount of email and I suspect you'll never read mine. I actually thought that your column made some good points, and was probably less offended by it than many Redskins fans were. What was offensive, however, was how you said you were not surprised at all when you heard of Sean Taylor's death. I follow the Redskins as closely as anyone I know and I was shocked. I can see how you could say that if you heard someone on the Redskins was shot you might think immediately of Sean Taylor, but to say you were not at all surprised? Come on. Also, as the story is currently playing out (and maybe I'm rushing to judgement as quickly as you did) it seems that the stock narrative that you and other writers overlaid on this story does not fit. If this just was a case where some guys thought they could get some money or valuables, did not think anyone was at the house, were surprised when they found Taylor there, got scared and fired two fatal shots into the night before running away, then how do you explain that?
I can understand, somewhat, your initial reaction, but do you think that you too quickly imposed your own narrative on these events? So Sean Taylor made some bad choices (and really one bad choice that involved anything other than immaturity that we know of, and you have not offered any others that I have heard), but he moved away from his old neighborhood, he did not go out, he devoted himself to the game of football, he did all the right things. He did all the things that you say athletes should do AFTER Sean Taylor's murder. He was doing all that, he was living life the right way. So you're telling me his mistake was buying a house in a wealthy suburb of Miami rather than a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C.? What is it that you wanted from him? What could he have done to ensure that writers like you would not write that you 'weren't surprised' when he was murdered? What will it take for you to replace your stock narrative of 'a young black man killed and I'm not surprised' to a 'a young black man who was doing everything right was killed protecting his family'? When can we expect a public apology from you if events continue to play out as they currently are?

Well written. I hope he reads it, and better yet, I hope he responds to it.

Well written. I hope he reads it, and better yet, I hope he responds to it.

I hope so too. I'll let you know if I ever hear back.

Here's an email I just sent to Wilbon that I'm sure he'll never read. But hey, JLC read my email yesterday and put it up on his blog so maybe there's a chance.

Mr. Wilbon,
I'm sure you have gotten a tremendous amount of email and I suspect you'll never read mine. I actually thought that your column made some good points, and was probably less offended by it than many Redskins fans were. What was offensive, however, was how you said you were not surprised at all when you heard of Sean Taylor's death. I follow the Redskins as closely as anyone I know and I was shocked. I can see how you could say that if you heard someone on the Redskins was shot you might think immediately of Sean Taylor, but to say you were not at all surprised? Come on. Also, as the story is currently playing out (and maybe I'm rushing to judgement as quickly as you did) it seems that the stock narrative that you and other writers overlaid on this story does not fit. If this just was a case where some guys thought they could get some money or valuables, did not think anyone was at the house, were surprised when they found Taylor there, got scared and fired two fatal shots into the night before running away, then how do you explain that?

I can understand, somewhat, your initial reaction, but do you think that you too quickly imposed your own narrative on these events? So Sean Taylor made some bad choices (and really one bad choice that involved anything other than immaturity that we know of, and you have not offered any others that I have heard), but he moved away from his old neighborhood, he did not go out, he devoted himself to the game of football, he did all the right things. He did all the things that you say athletes should do AFTER Sean Taylor's murder. He was doing all that, he was living life the right way. So you're telling me his mistake was buying a house in a wealthy suburb of Miami rather than a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C.? What is it that you wanted from him? What could he have done to ensure that writers like you would not write that you 'weren't surprised' when he was murdered? What will it take for you to replace your stock narrative of 'a young black man killed and I'm not surprised' to a 'a young black man who was doing everything right was killed protecting his family'? When can we expect a public apology from you if events continue to play out as they currently are?

Very good letter. I've been meaning to send Wilbon a letter too. I've been wanting my emotions to subside some. But I hope he reads yours.