Dr. Morbius (Bill Weber) RIP

Aside from pro sports being one of very few routes to wealth, status etc for a very large number of people from certain backgrounds and class

― nob lacks, noirish (darraghmac), Saturday, January 9, 2021 11:17 AM (fifty-eight minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Um, this is a huge problem, not something to be cheered on? It might be possible that encouraging young, mostly Black men to ruin their bodies (and often their brains) for life to enrich a bunch of already rich white dudes because "it's the only way out of poverty" is the biggest indictment of sport as it relates to race and class in the US.

Yeah definitely i wouldnt romanticise it either, alternatives should be there that don't leave sports as an "only way out"

But i think youve to acknowledge that starting from where we are its not a wholly negative aspirational motivator

Paying junior athletes fairly and managing the safety nets and all that as given

Teaching kids to get their hustles on early builds strong adults and healthy society. It teaches meritocracy and doping skills to the youths, and so of course they should be paid.

It also weeds out the laggards who werent born in february or whatever that gladwell bullshit says, and it allows them to start assimilating to their slavery gig futures sooner.

1 id take my last post off this morbs thread if i could

2 i was being more than a little facetious and its not like junior pay MUST make it worse than now cause its terrible.

NZ just announced the end of "professionalised" youth prep in sports, no idea what it means but sounds generally good

Um, this is a huge problem, not something to be cheered on? It might be possible that encouraging young, mostly Black men to ruin their bodies (and often their brains) for life to enrich a bunch of already rich white dudes because "it's the only way out of poverty" is the biggest indictment of sport as it relates to race and class in the US.


^we have a problem where we put all sports convo through the lens of the NFL. I don't think that basketball, soccer, or baseball are particularly destructive, not that injuries can't happen, but I'm not sure on balance those sports are more destructive than sitting at a desk 40 hours a week

hockey is probably closer to football esp w brain injuries (possibly worse but must ppl just don't pay attention to hockey)

also I think people who don't like sports forget that it's fun! most of the players like it and want to play, and lots of people who aren't close to pro go to the YMCA and play in their free time, I would say most players were obsessed with the sport and getting good and taking the time to practice and work on their craft and study the sports

this discussion prob deserves its own thread at this point? much as Morbs might have been interested in it

I think i have a thread i can bump where we started this discussion a year ago, ill look it up and post the above

Thank you VG

<3

can u link it deemz?

Well it's the wrong one but

What sports do you play? What sports would you like to play?

Yeah sorry I filled yr thread with BS, Bill, big love to you

Just heard a shoutout to Morbs on WFMU Give the Drummer radio (one of my favourite and daily stations now). DJ Stork played a Noel Coward tune "in honour of Bill Weber". Im sure they've done loads of these but I was glad to catch one live.

I ate pancakes for a late, leisurely Sunday breakfast. Thought of Morbs as I did.

Almost forgot about that

Watched King of Comedy last week. It was so good :-(

I'm really glad I have that Letterboxd list

the WFMU fundraiser had me thinking of him, as he always put up reminders on ILM

Hey y'all. It's Bill's birthday today. He would have been 59.

Happy Birthday Morbs <3

Happy Birthday Morbs ❤️

Happy birthday Dr Morbius you magnificent bastard.

I'll raise a Tyskie or 4 to the memory of him later, hb Morbz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrTiUDhjLNA
Happy Birthday, Bill.

Just donated to WFMU (missed it before)

I never had a chance to do much drinking with him - he was into the Polish beer?

I haven't a clue what his fave booze was. It's just that a crate of Tyskie cans landed on my doorstep yesterday so that's what I'll be raising to his memory!

happy birthday morbs <3

He wasn't much into spirits -- he stuck to beer.

Aw, this came up on my Facebook birthday list today. Happy birthday, Morbs.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/df/bb/e9/dfbbe9e4f296d9a6ec71f0fa74d6a562.gif

April 21 birthdays represent. I'll raise a Negra Modelo in Morbs' memory.

happy birthday, Morbs

Aries-Taurus cusp, that's Morbs

Happy anniversary of your birth, Morbs.

I hadn't noticed this thread until just now, but I watched Mikey and Nicky tonight and thought of Dr. M.

probably fitting that the mets got blown out on his birthday

and that he shares it with jesse orosco

<3

Ace in the POLL!! BILLY WILDER DIRECTS
You're gonna be Jean Arthur to Morb's Marlene, Alfred.

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 December 2008 16:23 (twelve years ago) link

Morbs is not sultry.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 16:25 (twelve years ago) link


in season, I am.

― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 16:57 (twelve years ago) link

*bane voice*

hahaha

Bill has been gone one year ago today. Watch a classic comedy in his honor. Might I suggest It Happened Tomorrow (René Clair, 1944)? it's on YouTube here.

I knew the day was coming up soon, and as it turns out I'm watching Tsai's Days tonight.

A Days-W.C. Fields double header = the Weberian spirit invoked.

Feels like so much longer.

Soto, I haveIt's a Gift on the film docket tonight!

been thinking about the big man often recently. he’s been passing through my idle thoughts

thanks for the bump on this. i knew it was coming up soon. RIP bill, i miss you.

I dreamed about him the other night.

(Morbs, wherever you are, don't get excited)