Talking trash. Cutting someone down. Calling someone out. Being a jackass. They are all pretty much the same thing. Sometimes it can become a serious issue, and sometimes it's just for fun.

I'm a Browns fan - a huge Browns fan. I support the death penalty for any owner of a professional football team who relocates his franchise. Being a Browns fan is not without its drawbacks, though.

I grew up during a period where my beloved Browns were horrible, while our division rival Steelers were collecting Super Bowl trophies annually. When our hated rivals finally hit a down stretch, our Browns just couldn't seem to make it past the Broncos and their horse-toothed quarterback, John Elway.

People from the part of the country where I was raised honestly feel that the Browns-Steelers rivalry is one of the best - if not the absolute best - in all of professional sports. Although my opinion might be a bit compromised, I would tend to agree with them.

There was always a fair amount of good-natured (and sometimes, not-so-good-natured) banter being tossed around when these two teams meet. Regardless, most of us knew it was about fun; we knew it was about supporting the local team; we knew that at the end of the game, we could shake hands, say,"Hell of a game," and go have a beer.

Since the triumphant return of the Browns to the NFL, it's nice to see the old rivalry pick up where it left off. My family is a member of the local Browns Backers group here in Nebraska. We watch all the games on the big screen at a local bar and grill, getting our own section just for members. The Steelers fans sit directly behind us in their own section. The first year back, our team went 2-14, but one of those wins came against the Steelers. Women danced, men cried, and children wondered why their parents were suddenly behaving worse than them.

After that game, people wearing orange and brown mixed with people wearing yellow and black. We laughed and talked and shook hands. I guess that at least twenty different people told me how glad they were that the Steelers and Browns battles were renewed.

God, I wish Rizzo was still writing. I would relish the opportunity to start up a little good-natured banter with him when my Browns played his Steelers. I never had my opportunity to verbally spar with the legend. I never got to make one of those pointless, but fun, side bets based on the outcome of the game.

"Okay, Rizzo, here's the deal. The Browns win, you gotta play my crappy Dawg Pound hounds deck that I tossed together using the last few puppies my daughter left me at the next tournament."

"Sexy. But, once my Steelers bring it to the dome of those pumpkin-heads, you gotta play my Kordell Stewart all-faerie deck on your next tournament.... And wear a dress!"

"You're on!!"

But, alas, I guess it was just not to be. I started writing only weeks before the Rizzo stopped. Oops, I digress.

Here's my point. There was so much smack going back and forth during the last Browns/Steelers game that the untrained observer would have been calling in police with riot gear to handle the post-game antics.

But there were no incidents. There were no fights. There was a mutual respect among the fans.

Recently, in my own backyard that is my local game store, I noticed a significant amount of poor behavior based on trash-talking. It's one thing when it's a couple friends paired together and holding a little smack-down contest. There is a level of respect there among them.

But when you're paired against a complete stranger and proceed to continually degrade your opponent, their deck, and their families - both during and after the match - that's too much. I actually witnessed one of the regulars to this.

He was paired against a kid who was about thirteen in the first round of an Extended tournament. I was playing a couple tables away against my opponent. The following are all comments I overheard during the course of the match.

"Why the hell you playing that? Only scrubs play with crap like that."

"Hey, you know you're allowed to play something. Just tap your land. Oh, nothing you can play. Sucks to be you!"

"Damn, dude. How about I start with five cards instead of seven this game and still destroy you?"

"You even know what you're supposed to do?"

"God, you just suck!"

The comments didn't stop once the match had ended. The regular continued his vicious attack on the kid throughout the next round.

"Man, I owned that kid the moment I sat down."

"His deck just sucked."

"He knew as soon as he saw me that he lost."

The kid left after the second round. He has not been back. I doubt we will ever see him again.... And that's a shame. And, it's just wrong. There is no excuse that anyone can give me that would justify behavior such as this.

I spoke with the regular later in the evening, and expressed my opinion on his behavior towards the kid. The regular didn't care. His opinion was that, sooner or later, the kid would have to learn to"take it with a smile." Apparently, and without great fanfare, or even a minor press release, the regular must have been anointed by some supreme being as"the giver."

...Until the little snot ends up in the Big House, where I am sure he will gladly"take it with a smile."

Just what is happening to our game? Hell, what is happening to our society? When did every shred of common courtesy and basic human dignity become obsolete? The supporters of this game laud it as an intellectual pursuit. Does berating and humiliating a thirteen year-old kid sound intellectual?

I have to ask myself why this sort of behavior is tolerated and condoned. I have an idea as to how this has come to pass. Maybe, just maybe, irresponsible reporting and improper comments from large-scale events that are regularly posted on the Wizards of the Coast official tournament site, The Sideboard, have something to do with this.

Most of us have probably read the coverage from the Nice: Masters tournament. As such, we have probably all read about the antics that took place during the Benafel/Wise match in the first round. The documented actions took place in the presence of a Level IV and a Level V judge, no less. At the conclusion of the article, the author seemed to be lamenting the fact the conclusion of the match didn't end up in fisticuffs, rather than properly taking the opportunity to chastise both parties for their conduct. The handling of this situation, both by the judges and the reporter, seemed to provide tacit approval for the behavior displayed.

Since then, there was an apology posted from Gary Wise concerning his conduct during that event. Although I enjoy this site, and read about every article posted here, I believe I may be in the minority. Far more people probably read about the match on The Sideboard than read the apology. That is unfortunate.

I wish I could say that this was merely an isolated incident in irresponsible reporting. It is not. This past weekend, the US Nationals were held. Yet again, we get to see another glaring example of poor sportsmanship displayed, as well as the tacit approval from a representative from Wizards.

This incident happened during round nine of the Nationals, where Jon Finkel played against Steve OMS. As reported, Jon and Steve were seated next to each other during the booster draft. At the conclusion of the draft, Steve had asked Jon about a particular card that Jon had drafted. Jon lied; Steve discovered the fabrication during a previous match before he was paired to play against Jon.

I won't get into the debate as to whether or not Jon should have been truthful as to what he drafted, based on the friendship that he and Steve have developed over the years. Essentially, if the design of the tournament would have called for that knowledge to be shared, it would have been Rochester draft rather than booster draft. Personally, I don't think Steve ever should have asked Jon what he drafted. Both players were still in the running for top eight, there was money on the line, and it was improper.

Apparently, per the report, Steve took offense at the misrepresentation, and heated words were exchanged at the conclusion of their match. In fact, it was even reported that most of these words were not publishable.... And this conduct was acceptable at a professional level event.

Is it any wonder why local peons emulate this behavior at their local shops?

Of course, there was one other comment in this article that filled me with disgust. Randy Buehler was quoted. Yes, the same Randy that works for R&D as a developer. You got it - the same Randy that writes a weekly article for www.magicthegathering.com. No mistake about it, the same Randy that seems to exude respectability based on his own Pro Tour experience and his current position within the game.

I will quote the line, exactly as it was written in the article:

"After seeing the whole drama play out, Randy Buehler said 'A lot of people were saying Steve should have thrown his deck at Jon or never forgiven him, but I think ending his career was good enough'."

Why would a well-respected member of Wizards' staff even consider making this statement? He doesn't come right out and say that throwing your deck at someone is a good idea, but you can sure imply that he is not opposed to it! It is completely irresponsible and unacceptable. I mean, come on - are we to accept that these feelings and this behavior could even be permissible? Does Randy feel that way?

Does anyone else see a problem when a representative of the company that runs the Pro Tour is quoted as saying this? I know, I know... Randy didn't actually say that Steve should have behaved in this way - but there is, again, that tacit approval for those actions. Since neither Randy nor the author of the piece used this opportunity to in any way admonish the stated action (throwing a deck at someone), many can come to the conclusion that it just may be acceptable.

And that, my friends, is where the problem lies: Rather than just blindly reporting an incident and making statements that seem to condone poor conduct, maybe those in charge should scrutinize what they put up for all to read. Maybe they should consider the consequences and start using these incidents as an opportunity to teach and reinforce the elements of proper and professional conduct.

Or, maybe, I'm just living in fantasy land.

Till next week.

Peace....

Carl Wilt
Brownsfan56@hotmail.com