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Post by peterpack on Aug 13, 2020 16:24:02 GMT -5
Look , this is a subject that if opinions differ, opinions differ, you will never get anyone to change their mind on their opinion
It's sad for the sport, it's sad for the girl, for April
But there's bigger things happening in the world right now
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SasukeBanzukeNo1 (Moon12)
Kawashima Takayuki
If this is the SASUKE World Cup, then what would the "SASUKE Olympics" be?
Posts: 352 
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Post by SasukeBanzukeNo1 (Moon12) on Aug 13, 2020 16:30:18 GMT -5
Does anyone know what is going on with Brent Steffenson? He posted a video responding to the Drew Dreschel situation where he blamed the victim and doesn't think having sex with a 15 year old is wrong. He's also been posting a number of conspiracy theories and other controversial topics. I hope he is no longer invited back to ANW. They could have been close friends in ANW, which is the only way of knowing why he would even defend Drew to begin with. But to blame the victim, and the victim only? Of course, "it takes two to tango", but if you're going to just blame the minor who was probably curious as to what she was getting into rather than the man who absolutely knew, then I think he's just as sick and delusional as he is. Also, idk if anyone mentioned this in the thread earlier, but rumor has it that around the time that happened, James McGrath stopped being roommates (and possibly friends) with Drew--which probably implies that he knew what happened and that the event occurred. If that's true, then I'm just surprised that McGrath didn't spill any info out sooner. |
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arsenette
Administrator
Rambling Rican
Posts: 16,632 
Staff Member
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Post by arsenette on Aug 13, 2020 17:26:34 GMT -5
Look , this is a subject that if opinions differ, opinions differ, you will never get anyone to change their mind on their opinion It's sad for the sport, it's sad for the girl, for April But there's bigger things happening in the world right now That's for the lawyers to decide. Someone else's felony shouldn't be a valid excuse to not serve time. If you don't like the law don't do the crime or advocate for the laws to be changed. Otherwise your argument is irrelevant. As for anything else, we really need to be careful on implications and such. That's how this stuff spins out of control. If someone knew they need to contact the police. Outside of that it is character assassination and that's not good nor does it help in the matter. Ernest was prosecuted and found guilty. Drew is on the prosecuted stage. Anyone else shouldn't be discussed or it turns into a witch hunt. |
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Post by roy on Aug 13, 2020 20:42:46 GMT -5
long time smf member here. long time no see.
what the f***...This is just horrible. I feel so betrayed. I think we all do right now. Drew has been someone I've modeled my training after for so long and he was one of my favorite competitors. I've been injured the past few months, unable to train and was going to begin training again next week. Now I've just learned of this.
So often when I'd do something like clap pullups, the cliffhanger or other explosive things in training I'd be thinking in my mind of how Drew would do that, and then I'd feel pumped and ready to do those things. I would do that so often that drawing that inner strength from picturing Drew do it was almost second nature. Just picture him exploding off the bar and do it yourself. How can I do that now?
Watching reruns of Sasuke rising and ANW will never feel the same knowing this was going on around the time of those events. I'm glad I can at least come here and see some of you old timers are still around.
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Post by Ninja Warrior Ryan on Aug 14, 2020 1:33:19 GMT -5
Does anyone know what is going on with Brent Steffenson? He posted a video responding to the Drew Dreschel situation where he blamed the victim and doesn't think having sex with a 15 year old is wrong. He's also been posting a number of conspiracy theories and other controversial topics. I hope he is no longer invited back to ANW. I've not liked Brent for a while cause of the bs he pushes on his professional accounts. This only makes my dislike for him grow. |
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Post by Ninja Warrior Ryan on Aug 14, 2020 1:39:04 GMT -5
Does anyone know what is going on with Brent Steffenson? He posted a video responding to the Drew Dreschel situation where he blamed the victim and doesn't think having sex with a 15 year old is wrong. He's also been posting a number of conspiracy theories and other controversial topics. I hope he is no longer invited back to ANW. They could have been close friends in ANW, which is the only way of knowing why he would even defend Drew to begin with. But to blame the victim, and the victim only? Of course, "it takes two to tango", but if you're going to just blame the minor who was probably curious as to what she was getting into rather than the man who absolutely knew, then I think he's just as sick and delusional as he is. Also, idk if anyone mentioned this in the thread earlier, but rumor has it that around the time that happened, James McGrath stopped being roommates (and possibly friends) with Drew--which probably implies that he knew what happened and that the event occurred. If that's true, then I'm just surprised that McGrath didn't spill any info out sooner. When someone is that popular it can be tough to go against them. It's why you see a lot of people hiding come out after the first public incident. |
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Post by Ninja Warrior Ryan on Aug 14, 2020 1:43:17 GMT -5
Watching the Brent video.. Normally I try not to cuss on here but what the actual f***...... www.instagram.com/tv/CDwZwshJc5S/?igshid=1dvhq7q2awxsmEDIT: Looking at the comments, seems there are a lot of ninjas upset about this video too including Barclay. Dude just killed his rep. |
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Post by subtleagent on Aug 14, 2020 11:42:52 GMT -5
OMFG BRENT! WHY?!
On another note it looks like UniversalTuber deleted a good chunk of his vids. Most of them were him praising Drew (before all this came up of course).
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Post by Philip on Aug 14, 2020 16:26:53 GMT -5
Hi guys. Haven't been here in a while. As a lot of you old-timers on the site would know, I've grown up around the world of ninja. I went from a Sasuke Maniac kid that idolized ninjas to being a ninja competing on the big stage myself with amazing kids that I coach and care so much about. It really just is so painful and unfathomable that someone would manipulate and harm a child in this way.
I wrote something concerning this horrible situation the day after the arrest took place. I'll post it here since it sums up my thoughts pretty well:
"I've been trying to find the words to say for a little while... it's been very hard and emotional for me. We as Ninjas have an OBLIGATION, the RESPONSIBILITY and the PRIVILEGE to mentor the kids that look up to us so much with nothing but trust, kindness, friendship and most importantly SAFETY... and one of the biggest ambassadors of this sport and community, according to the allegations and charges published by the Department of Justice, show nothing but the opposite of what it means to be a Ninja. It has left me absolutely crushed... not to mention this is someone I knew and really looked up to for over 9 years, all the way back to when I was a young teenager. These actions are absolutely despicable. I feel especially for the young woman who came forward to authorities about this extremely difficult experience.
Last night, after having a very long period of overwhelming tears and emotions, I decided to turn that emotion into something better. I went outside and trained. I trained harder than I ever have. I encourage you all to do the same.
We will come out of this horrible situation stronger, and most importantly SAFER."
I would like to add, the timing was a complete coincidence but over the past several months Chris W and Brian K made a very comprehensive NNL coaching certification (it has ninja-centered training material, abuse prevention training and background screening) that is mandatory for any coach or parent that wants to be on the sidelines for their child/student's run in any given competition. Other leagues are taking similar measures which is good to see.
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Post by peterpack on Aug 14, 2020 20:31:33 GMT -5
Look i am not of course excusing Drew, i've said before he deserves some punishment, but i just want to put a few things in perspective.
I used to live in Australia. US Sailors would dock in port now and then. Schoolgirls aged 13/14 through to 17 would dress up and go down to the port town to hang out and yes there were going there to be picked up. US sailors would talk to these girls (knowing they were underage), take them to hotels/motels for sex. Not talking about one or two cases, many hundred a visit. This was not exceptional behaviour by the sailors, this was the norm and has been and is still happening for years and years. I am sure it is replicated in many ports all over the world.
So if you are condemning Drew, you are pretty much condemning over 50 percent of Sailors and god knows who else.
Then you have rock stars/pop stars who routinely bed girls underage.
I'm not saying the above behaviour is right, i'm saying it is not exceptional and i'm not victim accusing, but a lot of girls willingly and proactively put themselves in these situations. That is unfortunately a fact. I remember being at school (15 years old) and 5 or 6 of the popular girls boasting to everyone how they all got f***ed by sailors on the weekend.
The world is not black and white, like the law.
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Post by Ninja Warrior Ryan on Aug 14, 2020 21:36:14 GMT -5
Look i am not of course excusing Drew, i've said before he deserves some punishment, but i just want to put a few things in perspective. I used to live in Australia. US Sailors would dock in port now and then. Schoolgirls aged 13/14 through to 17 would dress up and go down to the port town to hang out and yes there were going there to be picked up. US sailors would talk to these girls (knowing they were underage), take them to hotels/motels for sex. Not talking about one or two cases, many hundred a visit. This was not exceptional behaviour by the sailors, this was the norm and has been and is still happening for years and years. I am sure it is replicated in many ports all over the world. So if you are condemning Drew, you are pretty much condemning over 50 percent of Sailors and god knows who else. Then you have rock stars/pop stars who routinely bed girls underage. I'm not saying the above behaviour is right, i'm saying it is not exceptional and i'm not victim accusing, but a lot of girls willingly and proactively put themselves in these situations. That is unfortunately a fact. I remember being at school (15 years old) and 5 or 6 of the popular girls boasting to everyone how they all got f***ed by sailors on the weekend. The world is not black and white, like the law. Just because others do it doesn't make it right or even remotely ok. This is quite a sick & disgusting post you've made. |
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Post by crimson on Aug 14, 2020 22:30:29 GMT -5
Look i am not of course excusing Drew, i've said before he deserves some punishment, but i just want to put a few things in perspective. I used to live in Australia. US Sailors would dock in port now and then. Schoolgirls aged 13/14 through to 17 would dress up and go down to the port town to hang out and yes there were going there to be picked up. US sailors would talk to these girls (knowing they were underage), take them to hotels/motels for sex. Not talking about one or two cases, many hundred a visit. This was not exceptional behaviour by the sailors, this was the norm and has been and is still happening for years and years. I am sure it is replicated in many ports all over the world. So if you are condemning Drew, you are pretty much condemning over 50 percent of Sailors and god knows who else. Then you have rock stars/pop stars who routinely bed girls underage. I'm not saying the above behaviour is right, i'm saying it is not exceptional and i'm not victim accusing, but a lot of girls willingly and proactively put themselves in these situations. That is unfortunately a fact. I remember being at school (15 years old) and 5 or 6 of the popular girls boasting to everyone how they all got f***ed by sailors on the weekend. The world is not black and white, like the law. I'm not sure I understand the point you're trying to make. Adults should not be having sex with minors. Period. Those rock stars should be held to the same laws as Drew Dreschel (or wherever the crime occurred). The law was designed to protect minors who do not have the capacity to provide consent. The onus should ALWAYS be on the adult to make the right and responsible decision, not the child. If you notice a child pursuing you for sex, you say no, set boundaries and make sure they are safe, not take off their clothes and drag them to a motel for sex. |
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Post by obarizk on Aug 14, 2020 22:38:25 GMT -5
Look i am not of course excusing Drew, i've said before he deserves some punishment, but i just want to put a few things in perspective. I used to live in Australia. US Sailors would dock in port now and then. Schoolgirls aged 13/14 through to 17 would dress up and go down to the port town to hang out and yes there were going there to be picked up. US sailors would talk to these girls (knowing they were underage), take them to hotels/motels for sex. Not talking about one or two cases, many hundred a visit. This was not exceptional behaviour by the sailors, this was the norm and has been and is still happening for years and years. I am sure it is replicated in many ports all over the world. So if you are condemning Drew, you are pretty much condemning over 50 percent of Sailors and god knows who else. Then you have rock stars/pop stars who routinely bed girls underage. I'm not saying the above behaviour is right, i'm saying it is not exceptional and i'm not victim accusing, but a lot of girls willingly and proactively put themselves in these situations. That is unfortunately a fact. I remember being at school (15 years old) and 5 or 6 of the popular girls boasting to everyone how they all got f***ed by sailors on the weekend. The world is not black and white, like the law. It is because young people, boys or girls, may not make great decisions because their brain is not fully developed that adults should be clear thinking enough to realise they should not be having sex with them and choose to rebuff the approaches. The law with an age of consent is there to help adults make the decision they should be making anyway. Those adults who instead exploit the situation for their own desires without thinking about the well being of the underage they are having sex with are disgusting and the law should be used to punish them. |
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Post by lostinube on Aug 14, 2020 22:45:14 GMT -5
Look i am not of course excusing Drew, i've said before he deserves some punishment, but i just want to put a few things in perspective. I used to live in Australia. US Sailors would dock in port now and then. Schoolgirls aged 13/14 through to 17 would dress up and go down to the port town to hang out and yes there were going there to be picked up. US sailors would talk to these girls (knowing they were underage), take them to hotels/motels for sex. Not talking about one or two cases, many hundred a visit. This was not exceptional behaviour by the sailors, this was the norm and has been and is still happening for years and years. I am sure it is replicated in many ports all over the world. So if you are condemning Drew, you are pretty much condemning over 50 percent of Sailors and god knows who else. Then you have rock stars/pop stars who routinely bed girls underage. I'm not saying the above behaviour is right, i'm saying it is not exceptional and i'm not victim accusing, but a lot of girls willingly and proactively put themselves in these situations. That is unfortunately a fact. I remember being at school (15 years old) and 5 or 6 of the popular girls boasting to everyone how they all got f***ed by sailors on the weekend. The world is not black and white, like the law. Considering that it is not hard to find recent stories of US military who have been arrested, prosecuted and thrown out of the military and into prison in places like Australia and Japan perhaps your view is slightly outdated. When David Bowie died, there was discussion about some of the things he had done earlier in his career, especially with underaged girls. And the same will happen when Jimmy Page and other music icons pass away. It's already a mark against Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis that they wooed young women in their teens. Note that in all of the cases you are using, the men have some sort of authority or power that they are exploiting. That is what Drew did with his position and fame. The world as a whole is trying to move past this and a big part of that is men need to stop abusing their power and for other men to stop defending the ones that do or thinking that it is just business as usual. You ARE excusing Drew by trying to give examples where "it is not exceptional" and you ARE accusing the victim. In some of the cases you stated, with modern eyes on them, a lot of them probably would not look at all different from what Drew did. |
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SasukeBanzukeNo1 (Moon12)
Kawashima Takayuki
If this is the SASUKE World Cup, then what would the "SASUKE Olympics" be?
Posts: 352
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Post by SasukeBanzukeNo1 (Moon12) on Aug 15, 2020 0:08:22 GMT -5
They could have been close friends in ANW, which is the only way of knowing why he would even defend Drew to begin with. But to blame the victim, and the victim only? Of course, "it takes two to tango", but if you're going to just blame the minor who was probably curious as to what she was getting into rather than the man who absolutely knew, then I think he's just as sick and delusional as he is. Also, idk if anyone mentioned this in the thread earlier, but rumor has it that around the time that happened, James McGrath stopped being roommates (and possibly friends) with Drew--which probably implies that he knew what happened and that the event occurred. If that's true, then I'm just surprised that McGrath didn't spill any info out sooner. When someone is that popular it can be tough to go against them. It's why you see a lot of people hiding come out after the first public incident. Yea, I complete despise the whole "celebrity card" excuse for their ruthless actions, whereas die-hard fans will do or say anything shallow-minded to defend their idols. Luckily, as far as I'm aware, I've seen more Drew fans actually disgusted than being white knights. |
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Post by madship on Aug 15, 2020 0:53:27 GMT -5
The Lance Armstrong comparison doesn't really hold because Lance actively cheated to achieve those 7 TdF titles. If you follow cycling, they were all cheating. It's why there is no substitute champion for those years. That doesn't make it right. With the level of doping at the time, I think the playing field was pretty level in cycling during the 2000's. Lance may not be be completely analagous but there are any number of American Athletes that have done or been implicated in horrendous crimes who have not been erased from the history of their sport. The NFL is the poster child of this. I don't agree with erasing the past. Acknowledge it, confront it, condemn it, learn from it and make a better future. Erasing bad actors from history helps no one. It creates a false impression of how we got tp where we are and what had to be overcome to get even this far. |
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Post by madship on Aug 15, 2020 1:06:04 GMT -5
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. It is tough, but this is a horrendous issue in the US and the world. It's odd, how things happen in life. I finally got around to listening to this episode of the Making Sense podcast, which Sam Harris had held for a few months due to the pandemic. Later that day I was scanning Youtube and found William's publication. After listening to Sam's conversation with Gabriel Dance, I think the best thing NBC and A Smith can do is confront it head on. Sugar coating this to protect their image helps no one, including themselves. Families, children and parents, need to be informed about the dangers and the predatory tactics. I had never heard of grooming before the podcast or the use of one victim to attract others. G ratings are for fools, protecting the innocent is a fool's errand. We all need to face these fact soberly and discuss the openly with our children. After letting my wife know about this, we spoke with our son, who idolized Drew as a 10 yo. We have memorabilia, with his signature, we are deciding how to handle. It doesn't exist in a vacuum. Most has other ninjas' signatures. I have lost all respect for Drew, regardless of what the courts decide, the statement in the indictment are too damning. There is what is right and there is what is legal. Whether Drew is found guilty by law, what he did was not right. Unfortunately he is still an American Ninja Warrior Champion, he did it, no matter how we feel about it. If NBC and A. Smith want to sue and rescind his prize money, that is fine. As with Lance Armstrong, he may be a World Class A-hole, but he did it. 7 years of no Tour de France champion and replacement champions for other years don't remove the stench of the offense or make anyone fell better about those years. I know they won't do it, but leave the old competitions results as they are. You only diminish yourself by covering up the past. As you can tell I have VERY strong feelings about it. I'm a survivor myself (child abuse) and ran away from home when I was 15 because of it. Had it not been that I'm the youngest and that I have 2 older sisters I would have been worse off like they were. My own mother, both my sisters were sexually abused by pedophiles. Their pain taught me at a very young age to watch for the signs. I was 4 years old when I got the conversation. That conversation saved me. I knew what was about to happen and managed to get out of the situations (yes with an S). It's the people we KNOW that are the worst because your guard is down. So naturally I'm vehemently against this practice, however I understand the emotions from those who didn't see it and that horrible behavior is attached to someone they loved. I know how it feels. It burns in your soul. You question yourself. How could I have missed it? Was it my imagination? Could I have stopped it? I saw William's post when it happened. He and I used to podcast about a bunch of stuff and my health has made it difficult of late to do much of anything but I still follow my friend. His post was so well done because that is the natural reaction from people who genuinely want to see the best in people. The betrayal and just general shock one feels is raw and quite frankly perfectly normal. I call it part of the grieving process. But I also see the perspective of victim #1. She tried to harm herself after the mother's confrontation when her mother tried to call the police in 2015. THAT is a natural reaction of a newly 15 year old. Grooming is a term I know a little too well. I've seen it happen in real time. To be honest in recent cases I think of R. Kelly. The adult women that were chosen early to live with him were all groomed and more than half still defend him. Another phrase I use is Stockholm Syndrome. Again, my upbringing was unique so I don't expect people to learn this stuff early as I had to. Grooming specifically is insidious. It makes my blood boil and I go almost in an irrational rage. As for the show, they have to look at the legal aspects. They are a corporation. What you and I think they should do is not necessarily what lawyers would given that any parent can sue them for exposing a child to a conversation that by law belongs to the parents. When putting on a rated G show .. hang on lemme check. Nope they are PG. They SHOULD use this as an opportunity to bring this up. I was thinking about this because they did that with Flip in the past. THIS definitely should qualify. As for titles, I agree it should stand with an asterisk (for the person not the result). Wiping him from history only hurts the very audience they are trying to "protect" and the cycle continues. However, I don't see NBC doing this at all. Their statement is pretty clear on Season 12. Will be interesting to see how they tackle it, however I'm not hopeful. Again, thank you for the thoughtful reply. I don't know the right words, but I feel awful for what you and your sisters went through. I have empathy from experiences as a kid with an older boy. From my posts I hope they confront it head on in the first episode of season 12. I also hope that they make awareness of child sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material a point in each episode of the season. I think this is literally a federal crime, there should be info on how to report it in each episode this year. |
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Post by madship on Aug 15, 2020 1:17:02 GMT -5
I mean, you said it was illegal "all over the world," which isn't true. Many countries have ages of consent that are 14 or lower, including Brazil, Paraguay, and Japan. People in those countries would probably find it very surprising to learn that Drew faces jail time for what he did. This case is not about consent. Never has been. Again you are being pedantic. You are correct on both points and the United States is a morass of BS when it comes to "consent." |
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YGK
Paul Hamm
Posts: 220
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Post by YGK on Aug 15, 2020 1:18:10 GMT -5
Haven't posted for a while but I guess I'll just chime in...
This whole situation makes me glad that all the Sasuke champions are respectable, upstanding individuals and until this news came out I feel like it's something that's been taken for granted. And of course, not forgetting Geoff Britten as well, his response to this situation felt sincere and genuine, and he seems to be a great guy overall.
Yea I can't really put into words my other thoughts on this. I like Drew as a competitor, it was fun watching his runs on Sasuke. I follow a few of sasuke and ANW competitors on instagram (hardly visit anymore). Interestingly, it was some of Brent's ig posts that made me see the other side to this situation (I unfollowed him before he started posting the antivax stuff) - that how they perform on the course doesn't necessarily reflect on them as people (other than the effort put into training and preparing for the competition)
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Post by madship on Aug 15, 2020 1:26:24 GMT -5
This case is not about consent. Never has been. Again you are being pedantic. You are correct, it is not about consent, because consent was given by the girl. It is about the law and Drew broke the law in the country he lives in. Drew has already paid a huge price for this (loss of his reputation and his career), he will most likely receive more punishment I have no issue with Drew getting punished, i am not saying he is a good person, i am just saying he does not deserve to be lumped together with someone who rapes and murders a 5 year old Yes he does. He knows the laws of this country. He should be aware of the laws of the states he visits. The first encounter may. and I hesitant to use may, be excusable if he was truly unaware of the victim's age. any encounter after finding out is inexcusable. If the allegations of other victims are true, there is no excusing the inintial intercourse. Regarless of whether he is found guilty in court, from the admissions he made to investigators, his exclusion from all involvement with children and the ninja community is appropriate.Whether he is labeled as a sex offender is up to the courts. |
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