Showing posts with label ESPN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESPN. Show all posts

Thursday, September 14, 2017

TRUMP VS HILL



Based on very recent tweets, Donald Trump is not done feuding with Hillary Clinton. But if Trump vs. Hillary wasn't enough to satisfy him, now we have Trump vs. Hill. That would be Jemele Hill, ESPN commentator. Pretty easy to pick sides in this one. Granted, Jemele Hill's area of expertise is sports - not politics. But as someone who is also a human being, Jemele is allowed to have opinions on the Clown in Chief. I suppose that in being a public figure who is a spokesperson for her employer, there are some limitations on how she chooses to express personal non-sports opinions, no matter how accurate they are. Politics is neither sports nor entertainment, despite what we often see on TV. But sometimes no matter who you work for, you just have to get something off your chest. And ESPN, a network that is supposed to be about sports and nothing but sports, has certainly spent some of its valuable air time delving into non-sports areas. They even once decided to dedicate an entire show to this subject...






If we were able to make it through that well intentioned effort from the most peculiar of messengers then surely our patriotism can take the hit of Jemele Hill calling it like it is about the man who has taken the US presidency hostage.




































Trump supporters who claim not to be bigots need to closely examine his words and deeds along with their own hearts. If they don't/won't, Michael Jackson was clearly right.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

When Sports and Social Issues Collide



Lately there has been a flurry of press about The Undefeated, a web site under the jurisdiction of ESPN that was supposed to provide an African American perspective on issues in the world of sports. It has been described as the "Black Grantland" and was to be headed by Jason Whitlock, but he did not prove to be up to the task. Lack of managerial skill on Jason's part is supposedly to blame, though I expect he begs to differ and will eventually do so publicly. In some way, shape or form The Undefeated will eventually become a thing that sports fans know and care about. Or else it won't.  Time will tell. This Deadspin article gives a thorough summary of the situation.


Depending exclusively on The Undefeated to maybe one day be the definitive "black word on sports" seems unnecessary. After all, I have been providing my own particular African American perspective for years. I used to do so when I had a monthly column entitled Sports Issues at the now defunct Suite101.com. I've contributed writings to a variety of other publications as well (e.g. - this John Amaechi profile), and plenty of my thoughts on sports/societal ills have been presented here at A Line a Day.




I invite you to browse. In so doing you'll find pieces such as:









Breaking News: There Will Be Race(ism)
Covid versus Sports


 What I'm saying is  - If you are interested in the intersection where sports and race and inequality talk meet up and you don't feel like waiting for ESPN and The Undefeated to get its act together, I'm here for you.  


Below you will find links to six older articles that addressed social issues such as racism and sexism in notable sports events.  I hope you take the time to walk down memory lane by reading them.  If you do, you'll find that what's old is often enough new again. Just recently for example, as Serena Williams drew close to a calendar year Grand Slam, there was much talk about the fact that Maria Sharapova has considerably more endorsements than her even though Serena has enjoyed a great deal more success on the court.  Years earlier I saw this coming when I wrote From Anna to Maria.   





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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Rivalry Revisited







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ESPN recently aired their latest 30/30 documentary about the famous/infamous Fab 5 team from Michigan. Their rivalry with Duke was by necessity a major area of focus. Jalen Rose talks about (and as producer he could of course include and exclude whatever he wished) his impression at the time that Duke recruited black players who were “Uncle Toms.” This didn’t go over well with at least one of those former Duke players – Grant Hill. So there was a little back and forth between them, none of it actually face to face, much of it sent indirectly towards the other rather than naming names. On Twitter Jalen wrote: “I didn’t say anything in the doc that I didn’t say to a players FACE”. Okay, not sure how this excuses the idiocy of his thought process. At best it gives him more “street cred”, something that a so called Uncle Tom would of course be sorely lacking. Jalen continued: “For those MOANING about how something or someone was portrayed in the doc note that it was FRAMED from 1991-1993 not 2011 #quit crying.”

The moaning Jalen Rose referred to was an Op Ed piece written by Grant Hill and published by the New York Times in rebuttal to characterizations made in the documentary. He speaks eloquently for himself so I won’t bother to do much summarizing - [Hill's own words]. Bottom line, Grant Hill does not agree with nor appreciate what Jalen Rose had to say. No surprise there. But what I did find somewhat alarming was people taking sides on Twitter, with a surprisingly robust amount on Team Rose. I’m not talking about people who thought Hill overreacted because Rose was expressing the way he felt in the distant past as a teen, not his current opinions as a grown man with public platform. It’s not entirely clear to what degree Jalen has changed his tune but I’ll take him at his tweet that the mentality was “framed from 1991-1993 not 2011”. No, I’m referring to people who believe that what Jalen Rose said and felt in 1991-1993 was then and is today still valid. Certainly if they think Rose was accurately describing Hill then they themselves describe countless African Americans in such manner. For what sins? Growing up in a two parent home? Getting a college degree? Or perhaps a degree is okay but better not be obtained from too “white acting” a college. Having a corporate job? Speaking in grammatically correct sentences? Writing eloquently? Marrying a white woman? Wait up, Grant Hill didn’t even do that last one. But surely he intends to one day dump Tamia for Kim Kardashian. That’s what Uncle Toms do, no? Perhaps I should have picked someone less ethnic than Kim to make a stronger point. Dame Judi Dench?

Grant Hill’s response may very well have been overkill, but I know why he reacted strongly and I’m glad he did. His rebuttal was not merely directed at Jalen Rose but at everyone who ever thought of him (or any other black person) in such a manner, including all those tweeters I just mentioned. What I read in his words is what I’ve always believed in my heart. There is no right or wrong way to be black. There’s no one way to be black at all. There’s simply being human in the best manner you can manage, regardless of your particular set of window dressing. Be who you are and don’t quietly let anyone disrespect you on account of it. But when they inevitably do, it will always say a whole lot more about them than it says about you.

Below are some thoughts I expressed on the matter one tweet at a time, with a few retweets of sentiments expressed by others sprinkled in. What’s your take?








Didn't see the Fab 5 documentary, just tweets about it. Only catching up now to controversial remarks by Jalen Rose & Grant Hill's response.


The concept that if u aren't "keeping it real", speaking mostly slang, dressing 4 opposite of success, classifies u as "Uncle Tom" must die.


I'm tired of black people beating up on black people for not being "black enough". Progress impossible if holding your own self back


The most devout Jew doesn't criticize another for being less Jewish. Super Italian doesn't diss another for not being Italian enough. But blacks…


Complexion adds a whole other layer of complexity. U can wear dashiki & afro & keep fist raised in air all day, but u light skinned? Denied.


As if people are selecting how much DNA from which branches of the humanity tree they wish to have. That's 5 yrs down the road, minimum


Melanin argument is at least tangible. Retarded, but tangible. Calling someone "not black" because they like to read & excel at math? WTF?!


No people are more bigoted against black people than certain black Americans. There, I said it. It's factual. I see proof on here EVERY DAY.


Just let people be whoever it is they happen to be. If they're not personally f'ing with you, their mode of existence isn't your concern.


p.s.- White people are way less preoccupied w/ keeping blacks down than you may believe. Most people of all races are simply looking out for selves.


And by "selves" I don't mean members of same race. I mean you look out for your own damn self, then your family, then out from there.


You give the biggest white bigot a choice between doing something racist for hell of it or accepting $100, cash gets snatched 9 of 10 times.


And that's the biggest bigot I'm talking about. Most of you have been lucky enough never to have actually met that A-hole, whoever he may be.


So in the words of my man Spike Lee - WAKE UP. After that, get smart & get paid. After that, give back to your community & world at large.


And as you'll see if you check out tweets by @ClarenceGaines2 most know zilch about Uncle Tom & are insulting incorrectly. READ A BOOK!!!


Surely there are black men out there named Tom who have nephews & nieces. Does this pose a problem for them?


RT @ToureX Grant notes that in the doc Jalen leaves it unclear what he now feels about Black Dukies. His tweeted "clarification" isn't clarifying much.


RT @rodimusprime: Uncle Tom thing is more abt class at this point than it is about race.
To which I replied - Name 1 white man not named Tom ever called Uncle Tom


Fact: No man of any race ever felt badly about being called an Uncle Nate Dogg. Simply implies improved quality by mere presence.


RT @LLCoolChels Bottom line is GH has a right to respond and defend who he was THEN and where he came from just like JR has a right to tell his story.


There is no intelligent explanation for an ignorant opinion. "I was young & misinformed" is the best anybody has ever come up with.


I'm older but not any wiser is a particularly poor argument.


Calling someone an "Uncle Tom" is not matter of perspective (as I just saw somebody categorize it) in most cases, just plain wrong.


RT @Brandale2221 As a Person who has been labeled BOTH an Uncle Tom & a COON .. both by black folks...IMO the problem is how we label ourselves.


To all those tweeps out there raising your kids in two parent households or being raised in one yourself, keep Tomming.


RT @BritniDWrites Folks shld be happy Rose is able to articulate his past hurt & isn't knocking somebody upside the head cuz he can't express his emotions.
To which I replied - Interesting point. I suppose a documentary is slightly less blunt than a bat upside the head.
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Thursday, July 8, 2010

What you up to, LeBron?











My blog allows me to speak publicly about the wonder of the world that is LeBron James, and my beloved Twitter allows me to speak not only of him but TO him. Are you listening, LBJ? If so, the following is what I have to say to you and fellow basketball fans.



"…a high % of sports fans hold little interest in parity. They want a clearly defined best team, a dynasty, led by an easily recognizable star, its emperor." I wrote these words in '01 in response to false Michael Jordan comeback rumor.



Do NBA fans want to see 3 of the game's elite (far more stacked than Boston's Big 3 or even Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) join forces to dominate league?



Do you like parity in sports, to wonder which team has what it takes to come out on top? Or do you prefer obvious supremacy from get go?



Do you prefer when 2-3 guys a team drafted grow into elite status & create a formidable team, or is free agent shopping spree fine by you?



Ideally I like to see homegrown talent blossom with a couple key acquisitions made to fortify (see '86 Mets for prime example).



Breaking News: Every NBA team has fired every player on their roster & are now all sufficiently under the cap to sign LeBron & his entourage.



Mel Gibson has courtside seats at Bulls, Heat, Nets & Cavs games but isn't allowed in Madison Square Garden. #FoodForThoughtForLeBron



Sign #LeBron & co-stars, meet Lakers in Finals, end reigns of Kobe & Phil Jackson for good. The mission is clear. #Knicks



I wonder if way back in 1776 our forefathers & foremothers realized that Independence Day weekend would eventually be all abt NBA free agency.



Nice of Knicks not to wait on announcing Amar’e signing. He deserves moment in sun prior to LeBron signing, at which point earth stops spinning.



I think LeBron should make his decision based on loyalty. Two teams have shown an abundance to him over his career, the Cavs and the Knicks.



The Knicks have assembled teams in recent years good enough to get 8th or 7th seed, but they kept dismantling squad & kept eyes on ultimate prize.



The Knicks strategy is unprecedented, I think. They put all their eggs in one basket, neither rebuilding nor quick fixing, just maintaining a holding pattern during which they’ve sabotaged all chances of improvement in the name of cap space preservation.



The Knicks have almost acted as if a secret deal has been in place all along. Fans kept supporting team of rented players while keeping faith in long term plan.



Obviously any team in NBA would love to have LeBron, but only the Knicks have made public a multi-year strategy to wait for chance to get him.



Will LeBron be a super rich, super famous, superstar anywhere he plays? YES. Is NY the greatest city on earth? YES. To play in? YES, when you win.



LeBron either has burning desire to be the ultimate hometown hero, or else he wants to rule Metropolis like Superman, emperor of Empire State.



If Nets were already in Brooklyn, maybe odds are 33% Nets, 33% Knicks, 33% Cavs, 1% retirement. Since they aren't (Newark, NJ just doesn’t cut it and Brooklyn is nice, but simply not synonymous with NYC the way Manhattan is), Cavs or Knicks it should be.



Newark, NJ already has coolest mayor ever in @CoryBooker - so it would be unfair if they also landed LeBron.



If LeBron goes elsewhere such as Chicago or Miami this story strikes me as having a lame ending. Not just as a Knicks fan but as a storyteller.



If LeBron doesn't come to NYK, Dolan & Walsh will be Lucille Ball, fans will be Desi, Lucy will have plenty of 'splainin to do about last few years.



If LeBron has so much love for hometown team he's played whole career for, why put them through this hellish circus?



How unfair is it that @kingjames has WAY more followers than me even though my tweet game is so much stronger?



What team will you sign with @kingjames? If you're concerned about putting your biz out in public domain, DM me. You'll need to follow me 1st though.



Reading "Why Lebron Will Go To NYK" articles is the equivalent of porn for Knicks fans. Or is it just me?!



LeBron refuses to give journalists the tip they crave. Eventually he'll sign with someone, but he's ticked off those who buy ink by the barrel.



WTF holds a press conference to announce they're staying where they've been all along? If LeBron remains a Cav he's getting #PimpSlapped



Will LeBron beat around the bush for 55 minutes to build drama before finally making announcement at end of his show? That would be a tad overkill, no?



My prediction is that LeBron will reveal on Thursday that he's still thinking about it, then bring out Brett Favre who'll reveal "me too".



People who ordinarily know nada & could care less about basketball are talking about LeBron. He has set the stage nicely. #JordanTigerApproved



It doesn't matter if LeBron has won championship rings yet. The only important thing to him is nailing performance of Man in the Mirror on Thursday. We already know he can dance like MJ. Practice your bawling LBJ, not just your ballin’.



LeBron James will do just fine no matter who he picks. Unless he picks Sarah Palin, that is.



LeBron is going to sign with some team and make a bunch of money just because he's black and black people get everything. #RushLimbaughLogic



Those who believe LeBron will team up with Bosh & Wade believe titles are most important to him, not proving he's game's best.



You can't believe that LeBron has a giant ego AND that he's ready to concede his only shot at title is by playing for an All Star team.



We already know LeBron can win it all when teamed with best of best (see US Olympic Dream Team)? Can he win with merely a solid squad?



How does LeBron continue being LeBron if he has to share the ball with Wade who deserves & will demand it just as much if not more?



LeBron and Bosh makes sense to me, as does LeBron and Amar'e, as does LeBron staying put. But All Star team in Miami? Not so much.



Of course plenty of things that make little sense to me end up happening anyway. I'm making no predictions just sharing my two cents. Okay, perhaps I’ve gone a bit over two cents by this point.



If LeBron joins up to win with Wade & Bosh he simply can't be next Jordan or Kobe. He can't be next Tim Duncan. Barely the next Paul Pierce.



There's no such thing as a co-King. You're either The King or you're one of many subjects.



Prince was right!!!! The internet is going away. Or rather, it's getting a new name. Starting tomorrow we'll be surfing the LeBronet.



Only thing these NBA star summits have been about is establishing timing of individual press conferences, not creation of SuperFriends team. But one never knows, do one?



My respect for LeBron is gone if after all this fuss he stays in place, or if he teams up with D-Wade rather than challenges him for dominance.



So ESPN couldn't or simply refused to send camera crew & reporter to Akron? 'Course not. Why travel to CT to announce that you're staying in OH?



I'm pulling for LeBron to end up on Knicks but can respect (unhappily) if he chooses Bulls or Nets instead. If it's Heat or Cavs, he's an idiot. #PointBlank #ReasonsHaveBeenClearlyStated



As if Twitter wasn't addictive enough before this LeBron craziness. Damn damn damn!



Beware Marbs encore! RT @ShamSports This time last year the biggest thing happening in world of the NBA was Stephon Marbury eating Vaseline.



We're all officially no longer allowed to make fun of Brett Favre.



If LeBron joins Wade & Bosh on Heat, "F Miami" is my new battle cry that I'm sure millions will join me in. Go Kobe, Go Howard, Go anyone else!



Granted "F the Heat" was already one of my battle cries, and not only on these 100+ degree days here in NYC, but ante will be upped big time.



Jordan didn't need to team up with Olajuwan & Malone, just needed a quality wingman and some spare complimentary parts. #JustSaying



Ideally, Wade+Bosh in Miami; LeBron+Amare in NY; Rose,Noah,Boozer+ in Chicago makes for reasonable parity & great rivalries in East.



It will be real nice if the Knicks obtain player who in all likelihood will be the NBA's best over next decade. But I'll settle for any players who make them relevant again. Also, I've changed my mind. Continue poking fun at Brett Favre if you wish. It's fun and the last thing I want to be is a buzzkill.


Is the way LeBron's handling this whole DECISION matter an eensy teensy bit overdramatic? Of course. But you'll find no mockery from me about it. He may manipulate the media however he wishes in whatever ways he's able, but he can't force the public to be riveted to his every calculated, strategized move. He guessed that we'd be fascinated by his plans and the rationale behind them, and the plain truth is, he guessed right.



RT @KingJames Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.



Mr. James, my questions to you are – 1) Did you really think declaring yourself “King” was a good idea, even if you’re just claiming the kingdom of Akron for now? 2) Do you really want people to view you as NBA royalty? If so, do it the way prior kings have since the formula is a proven one. Lead a team that you’re clearly the best player on to multiple titles. My recommendation is the New York Knicks.


Final Note: LeBron is and will be a Superstar no matter what his next move is, but his buddy Jay Z is right - Everyday a star is born.




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Sunday, February 11, 2007

John Amaechi - Journeyman Trailblazer


Recently it was announced by former NBA center John Amaechi, as preface to the release of the autobiography he is peddling – Man in the Middle, that he is gay. As a player, Amaechi did little to gain the attention of any but the most attentive of professional basketball fans. He was by no means a star in the league, but rather, what is commonly referred to as a journeyman. This is not to say that his career was completely uninteresting, for there were certainly some noteworthy accomplishments during his time on the court. Although it is rare for a male professional athlete to come out of the closet, particularly those who played team sports (the short list consists of the NFL’s David Kopay, Roy Simmons and Esera Tuaolo, along with Glenn Burke, and Billy Bean from Major League Baseball), John Amaechi had already claimed rarity status prior to telling the world he is homosexual by being a British player in the NBA. Even though the league has become increasingly international over the past decade plus, England has not been a primary exporter. Not only are players from the UK few and far between, but so are intellectuals who admit they performed not out of passion for the game, but simply because it was a logical business decision for a man measuring six feet – ten inches and weighing 270 pounds. Off the court he was known for being cerebral, introspective, multi-faceted, and a pretty good interview. On it, he only managed to score 6.2 points per game over the course of a career that spanned five seasons, with 10.5 ppg the most he ever averaged in a season. His focus was probably diluted by intentions to become a child psychologist and various charitable endeavors. Yet he managed to earn maximum significance from his baskets by being credited with the first hoop ever scored in Miami’s American Airlines Arena, and also scoring the first NBA points of the new millennium on January 2nd of the year 2000. Other than this, his most notable play was not cashing in on his best season by accepting a six year $17 million deal to sign with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, instead returning to play for the Orlando Magic for about a third of that. This was a loyal and perhaps even noble decision, but not an especially bright one from a financial perspective. For his sake, the deal he made for his book was hopefully a shrewder one.

Three years after his playing career came to an end, John Amaechi has made headlines by becoming the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports (basketball, baseball, football, hockey) to acknowledge being gay, and the first pro basketball player to do so. There was a time not too long ago when this would have been a considerably bigger issue. But in the post Brokeback Mountain / Will and Grace era, overt homophobia is no longer politically correct. In this day and age when an actor on a TV show makes derogatory comments about the sexual orientation of a cast mate, it is not the outed actor who finds his job in jeopardy. Instead, the offending speaker is forced to remove his foot from his mouth and opt for rehabilitation. I’m not exactly sure what going into rehab for insulting someone’s preference of mate even means. Up until the Grey’s Anatomy incident, I was under the belief that rehab was strictly for substance abusers. But apparently there is a correctional facility for just about any socially unacceptable behavior. Perhaps employees of the advertising agency behind the Snickers commercial that first aired on Super Bowl Sunday, and was quickly denounced as insulting to the gay community, were sent to rehab as well. Might this also be the eventual fate of Jerry Sloan, Amaechi’s coach when he played for the Utah Jazz, who has been accused of being less than accepting of his former center’s alternate lifestyle? After all, when you consider that John Amaechi’s autobiography has been published by none other than ESPN, it seems clear that the sports establishment is officially choosing the path of enlightenment over stereotypical belittlement and old school disgust. The only thing missing is a catchy slogan. Let me the first to suggest – You’re so gay, and with that I’m okay.

Reaction to Amaechi’s admission throughout the NBA has been predictably mixed. For every “to each his own as long as he does his part on the court and doesn’t dare hit on me” there has been a “that is not cool because we shower together”. To the perspective of some Amaechi has no doubt attained heroic status, the Rosa Parks of Black British Ballers. Then again, Rosa did not claim she had every right to sit her tired self in the front of that bus from the safety of the curb after choosing to quietly ride in the back. She took her stand, literally her seat, while she was in the line of fire of those angry glares from white passengers. So let us reserve the highest of praise for the first player to acknowledge he is a gay man while still an active player, preferably one who is of All Star caliber. A journeyman player can be cut from his team and not picked up by any other without much being made of it. But if Michael Jordan in his prime had said he was gay, what would have been the reaction to that by teammates, opponents, fans, sponsors, endorsers, and the media?

Amaechi spoke on the subject of gays in the NBA in an interview back in 2002. “If you look at our league, minorities aren’t very well represented. There’s hardly any Hispanic players, no Asian Americans, so that there’s no openly gay players is no real surprise. It would be like an alien dropping down from space. There’d be fear, then panic. They just wouldn’t know how to handle it.” This strikes me as an accurate characterization of a hypothetical situation at that point in time. Would it be accurate in 2007? 2012? 2020? The answer, whatever it may be, is probably inevitable.
By Roy L. Pickering Jr.
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