Was part of an interesting conversation with C.J. Miles after the Portland game on the just-complete trip, a game in which he seemed to be far more himself with more field goal attempts and minutes he’d had in any game this season.

After going through his struggles and how he was working through them, the chat turned to social media, where he’s been taking a beating for most of the season.

That in itself is a bit troubling because many of the anonymous commenters hiding behind pseudonyms and cute, meaningless avatars are simply take shots without any basis in fact or understanding but the more interesting part was Miles’s reaction to it.

He sees them because he’s social media-savvy but instead of getting miffed or angry or wanting to lash out, he understands that they mean nothing and have no impact on him whatsoever.

“The same dude who is talking to me crazy tonight is going to tweet me after this game and say the exact opposite of what he said yesterday. And it’s probably not even his page. Or he’s got eight pages or he’s 12 years old. I’m not going to start living my life based on anything like that,” was his reaction.

Grown up and sensible, for sure. Wish I could be more like that but sometimes people are just so ridiculous that they need to be called out; it’s not right and it may only encourage them but idiots need to be told they’re idiots every now and then, I think.

Not all of them, of course, but the odd one – and maybe it’s just a cumulative effect – rankle so much that you reach a breaking point.

But the bigger question I have, and have had for a long time, is this:

Do making mean-spirited comments with no basis in fact make people feel good? Feel important? Feel less jealous of the lives they will never lead? I know that anonymity empowers people in way that’s totally out of whack with reality, how easy is it just to say something when you know no one can actually come back at you?

I don’t mind civil conversation and I know full well that people have strongly-held and well-thought-out opinions that are worth paying attention to.

What I do mind are mean statements made without any repercussions, people who just want to interject themselves into a situation with a knee-jerk, out-of-context statement that does nothing to advance the discussion.

I think Miles has the right idea and I suppose I knew deep down that he did because he’s a bright guy who has been around.

It was nice to hear him express it.

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Okay, the holidays are coming and that means the days of the week are gonna get all jumbled so let’s start the call for mail now and see what develops.

Drop a line at askdoug@thestar.ca and we’ll see how much interesting stuff we get.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with JA Happ agreeing to terms on a deal with the New York Yankees that could stretch out to two years and $34 million. It pays him crazy good money at 36 years old and should afford him a chance to win, and win big, for the duration of the deal.

There is something wrong with fans who ended last season with even the most fanciful idea that Happ would come back to Toronto because he likes the organization and the city.

That’s not now things work in the real world.

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Money and the possibility for success, count most. Neither of which the Blue Jays can promise anyone today.

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Hmm.

No fine for Nick Nurse yet for his public rip job on the officials the other night in Denver.

Hope the league gets its act together before noon so we can ask him about it at practice. Everyone loves an easy off-day note/story.

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This one totally got lost in Friday night’s Brooks fiasco, where the Wizards, Grizzlies and Suns screwed up a trade that involved MarShon or Dillon, or Foster or Robinson or Mel or And Dunn or whatever one it was.

But the Sacramento Kings absolutely nailed the pre-game introductions before a game with the Golden State Warriors by playing a video of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing when Stephen Curry was introduced.

That, folks, is outstanding and fun and kudos not only to the Kings for doing it but to Curry for seeing the humour in it and reacting with class.

I love it when players and teams don’t take themselves too seriously and don’t over react to a bit of cheeky chiding. And it strikes that the NBA is out in front in that regard.

Too bad the Wizards and them all had to do something even more comical.

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