Sports: The unspoken drug of the black community

Well here we go again, Don Imus has put his foot in his mouth again concerning black people(athletes) and we also have Shaq displaying mediocre at best free style rap skills, dissing a few people notably Kobe. As I was driving to return a rental from a long weekend trip, I listened to hours of talk radio sounding off on both and people were calling in to offer their views. A lot of comments made sense , while other callers just wanted to hear themselves on the air. However, the one thing know one seemed to mention was the issue beneath the surface of both of these events. A comment or two about the harmful effects sports has on the black community. In my opinion it's right up there with illicit drugs, and alcohol. I was reminded of a conversation I had about 15 years ago with a fellow parent at a pop warner football game, my sons participated in. Both my sons played on a inner city team and we were playing a suburban team, at their very nice field. We engaged in a serious conversation about sports, and the opposing views of our parent base versus the white faces staring directly at us from across the field.

We talked about the role of sports in the respective communities (White/Black) as we watched the pint size gladiators clash, as we concluded, the brother I was speaking with summarized what we spent the whole time verbalizing in one short profound statement " in the white community they raise their kids to use sports as a vehicle to access higher educational opportunities, learn team work, run an organization, network , etc, but in the black community we try to raise pros". I never forgot that statement.

So playing the role of an attorney I will present my case as to why I say sports should be classified in the same category as drugs and alcohol for the damage its done to the black community.

When you look at the impact of sports on the black community and the tight strangle hold it has on the community, tell me what have been the overwhelming positive effects? Yes it has provided a few opportunities for employment , chance to attend certain colleges and universities, others would argue it's a healthy activity, kids are learning character( I don't agree with that philosophy) I think sports reveals your character, but that's for another time. A few of our athletes have made it out of the ghetto and financially can help their family and friends, sports can take you around the world, sports does brings people from different racial , social and political backgrounds together for a common purpose(root for the home team) and these are all true statements, but do the positives outweigh the side effects? consider if you will too many of our young people think the only way to make it in life is through sports( insert entertainment) , many of the athletes that do go on to college, never finish their degree requirements, despite using up all 4 years of athletic eligibility, we spend an absurd amount on clothing(sneakers, shorts, etc), church attendance is down on game days, thousands of young men put all of their stock in making it to the league, and once the dream ends, they often suffer from depression, shock, guilt, and withdrawal. Many of these young men if they had the opportunity to play major college ball lived in a world (illusion) created by the universities, one in which they lacked for nothing, they stayed at the best hotels, traveled first class, ate at the finest restaurants, access to high powered people, groupies, tv exposure, and the best medical attention that money could buy. But once they exit those doors and leave the friendly confines of the school they gave their hearts and souls to what happens to them next? Many will end up right back to the place they started, broken, demoralized, sometimes chemical dependent ; how else will they get the same pain meds that helped them run for a touchdown or make the big hit at the Sugar Bowl, when they are back on mama's couch with no medical insurance these are just some of the ill effects of sports dependency.

Additional arguments to support my case,

Exhibit A: go to any basketball court or playing fields and you will see hundreds of guys out there playing not just for the love of the game or to stay in shape(health conscious) many are there trying to recapture past glory, or play in countless semi-pro / recreational league in hopes of maybe catching someones eye or receiving one more invitation to a free agent camp. Ive witnessed this vicious cycle first hand, when I dreamt of playing pro-ball NBA, CBA, USBL, Europe anywhere, (coming from a small college, I knew the odds were stacked against me) I attended quite a few free agent camps of semi-pro and start up leagues in hopes of catching on. While at one free agent camp in Atlanta, I saw something that became a sobering reality for me as to how powerful the world of sports had become, first off there was a long line of people registering more people than I ever saw before, there were 2 ex NBA players trying out. One of them was an NBA scoring legend( he was playing when I was a small kid) and the other was just a year or two removed from winning a NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, yet here they were in a camp with the rest of us, trying to live that dream. Something else profound also happened during this camp experience, myself and a couple of friends who traveled down to the camp for the experience were at the motel, it was here that we had a chance encounter with the wife of a young man who had just come from a basketball camp in Indiana and had at least 6 more lined up after the Atlanta camp all to chase the dream of becoming a pro ballplayer. This young sister needed to vent and we were the unsuspecting audience, she shared her frustrations and it was visible how much she had become worn down, she wanted to support her husbands dream, yet she was getting sick and tired of the traveling and staying in motels and small no where towns for days on end. The picture of the powerful addiction of sports was starting to become clearer.

Drugs, alcohol and sports have a lot in common they are there to take your mind off daily pressures, there are dealers and pushers (for sports its the media and the carefully crafted images of black athletes who appear to have made it) they make you feel good for a moment, but you eventually come crashing down from the high, they are addictive, they are used for entertainment purposes and its no coincidence that when you have a large number of people living within or below poverty, the one thing you can count on is that they will spend just about every dollar on entertainment . The people on Madison ave know this(check out the type of commercials that air during sporting events), so don't all of the so-called shot callers, the poor are preyed on, look around your community what type of businesses do you see? most of them have something to do with entertainment: hair and nail salons, fast food, Liquor stores, easy access to check cashing, pay day loans, furniture rental companies, (because you just have to have the Big screen HD TV to watch the games)etc. Sports is interwoven into our daily lives, especially in this country but it must be kept within the proper context, too many lives have been ruined by its pursuit. The prosecution rests!

Brotha's Gonna Work it out (The rise of an endangered species)

As I awoke this morning a huge sense of pride greeted me along with the arrival of the bright morning sun. The Boston Celtics are the 2008 NBA Champions. However this pride had nothing to do with the fact that I live in Boston, its much deeper than that. The sense of overcoming and heart felt jubilation stems from the recent success of Black men demonstrating to the world what many of black Americans knew far too long. That if given an equal chance and with the proper resources and support, we can be successful. This country has never witness such a time as this, with the recent victories of men like Tony Dungy, Doc Rivers and Barack.

Yes, there have been other brilliant black leaders in the past in a vast number of industries and organization's, however this is a special time in history, particularly because of the role sports serves as a microcosm of the country. We have seen in the past few years, 2 black men make history by leading their teams to the Superbowl, and a coach (Doc) do what hasn't been done in 22 years in a league made up of over 95% of black males. And the icing on the cake , we have a black man who is months away from becoming the president of the United States. People are learning that there is nothing inferior about black leadership. These brothers are flying in the face of perpetual stereotypes and myths that black people(particulalry black men) can't perform under pressure or somehow less capable of leading large organizations, sports franchises, political establishments and the country.

These brothers have met the challenge of dispelling the negative images of black male intelligence, fatherhood, leadership etc, they have inspired a new generation of believers and they have done so with class, dignity and honor. The time is now for all of us to shout with joy, while at the same time keeping our eyes and ears open, for we know that the majority(white America) will not relinquish power and control that easily, expect the unexpected as there will be calculated attempts to discredit the recent successes of these men, after all if these men and others continue to rise and shine on the biggest stages and platforms of their respective industries, they will inspire the next generation of young black males to become positive and productive citizens and assume the rightful role as protector and leaders of their families and communities, who then will be left to fill the jails, do countless studies on, or discourage from seeking higher education and better employment opportunities. The success of these 3 brothers will have a larger impact than the million man march(no offense). Well done my brotha's , well done !

Michael vs Kobe (alike or different?)

At the start of the NBA Championship series between the Celtics & Lakers, there was a lot of comparison and discussion about Kobe measuring up to the greatness of Michael Jordan and his taking the rightful place of securing the mantle of greatness. If his Lakers can some how come back and win this series, the comparisons an debate will only continue. A lot of people have weighed in on this topic and depending on your personal opinion you fall into one of two categories Yes they are one in the same or No way ,there will never be another Jordan!

Below are my Top 5 Reasons why I say they are more alike than different:

5. Both men have a competitive nature that thrives in crunch time, its that something special that separates them from the rest and packs arena's , people expect to see something spectacular and witness history each time they step on the floor

4. Both are can't miss Hall of Famer's , who in their prime are or were the most feared and respected player in the league and have captured multiple championships

3. Both men are media icons and have generated lots of revenue for large corporations(shoe companies, menswear, personal products, etc) question I wonder how many people of color(in particular black) have they helped to employ at those companies?

2. Neither of them has ever publicly come out in support or endorsed any causes(political , economical or social) that effect people of color

And the number 1 reason why I think they are both cut from the same cloth:

They both cheated on their beautiful wives or in Jordan's case ex-wife with some homely looking women, these sisters are fine why go elsewhere and settle for less? ( yeah I said it)

All Hail Doc Rivers ( A Class Act )

OK all of you Doc haters (you know who you are) the ones who would chant "Fire Doc, Fire Doc" with all of the lung capacity you could muster. Has he earned your respect yet? coming into this series most of the experts gave the coaching edge to the Lakers and the Zen Master Phil Jackson, after all the man just happens to own double digit championship rings. But I've been observing Doc Rivers during this final series and if I didn't know better I'd think this was Jackson's first trip to the big dance instead of Rivers. He has done a masterful job of motivating the troops to play harder, smarter and with more passion than the boys from LA(this is a good old fashion we are tougher than those pretty boys mentally at its best). Rivers is relaxed, jubilant, enjoying the moment, and doing one hell of a job of keeping the pressure off the players.

His dealings with the press have been open and honest, yet respectful no sour grapes or sending messages to the referees about the discrepancy in foul shots. And should the Celtics close out this series on Sunday, you can expect the same humility and class that Doc has always shown to shine through, oh yes he could stick it to his critics, but you see he's not that type of person. It's because of all these things that he has positioned his team to within one game of the NBA championship. If he pulls it off he will be the first African-American coach to lead his team to victory since KC Jones did it in the 80's. While I'm praising individual, let me give a big shout to Danny Ainge for getting his coach the tools(players) he needed to be successful. Any coach will tell you that he or she is only as good as the players they have to work with. You don't win Championships with mediocre players, you may pull off the occasional upset, but in the long run the clock will strike midnight. Doc has always been a good coach, he kept that terrible team of a season ago at least competing until the end and that takes more coaching than when you have talent. But this season his true mastery of the X's and O's are shining through, and his ability to manage and get players to buy in, is a Large reason why the Celtics are on the brink on winning their 17th championship.

is the Sports Media creating a perpetual Racial Division?

As we prepare for Game 3 of the Lakers vs Celtics championship match up and the continual hype machine that tried to link this series back to the classic series of the 80's. I've noticed something taking place that's ever so subtle, its the way the media is playing up the affair. Of course there's the endless showing of the Mchale close line of Rambis and Magic is getting lots of face time ,as well as former players of the 2 squads, however I've noticed an increasing pattern, when the news media interviews or wants to get fan reactions , notice whom they select for each team, the Celtic fans are almost always white, and the Lakers fans are either brown or black. Don't take my word for it, do your own informal poll. From here on out count the number of times you see this transaction take place and send me your count. Maybe its just my imagination?? or is it Holla back!

One down, 3 to Go (Score 1 for the Good Guys)

Well after all of the hoopla leading up to Game One of the NBA Championship, it was good to start the actual games. Overall I thought the game was well played(these late night starts are brutal) you could see a lot of time was spent on both teams getting familiar with each other. Kobe wasn't his normal aggressive self until late in the contest, and if you are a Celtic fan , you can live with his philosophy of getting others involved first, he made some really nice passes, I'm not sure , but it looked to me that he was going out of his way to show the world on the biggest stage the evolution of his game, from being a me-first , to the consummate team player. I'd much rather see him playing the role of PG than going on those huge scoring bunches he's capable of. Game 2 will see a more aggressive Kobe(bank on it), I'm sure Phil will put a bug into his hear to set the tone from the opening tip.

The heroics of Paul Pierce returning definitely gave the game a dramatic story line, but I agree with Doc Rivers, I was more impressed with how the team stepped up when Pierce went to the locker room. LA had some great runs, but to me they just seemed a step behind or out sorts, which allowed the C's to take control of the game down the stretch. If we learned anything from last nights game its the importance the supporting cast will play for both teams. It was good to see the Big 3 all score in double figures, but it was a welcomed site to see Rondo come out looking for his shot, Pj Brown and Sam Cassell each made significant contributions off the bench. And in case many people didn't notice one key sequence in the game that set the tone for the C's game plan to be the more physical team , was Posey's hard foul on Kobe's drive down the lane in the first half, the Lakers bench and staff erupted, that was a huge indicator of what the C's were thinking and they pounded the Lakers every chance they had. The Lakers will come back strong in game 2, and maybe this time they won't worry too much about how pretty they looked for the camera (many of them had fresh cuts and shaves did you check out Turiaf's dreads ? ) and will focus on playing the style of ball that got them to the finals. Will See,

Go Celtics and while we are at it, Good Job Coaching Doc, if nothing else I hope you finally get some credit for being an outstanding coach

Celtics vs Lakers , This time I'm rooting for the Home team?

Well here we are just a few days from the start of the 2008 NBA Championship series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Something strange has happened since these 2 teams last met over 20 years ago, I've become a fan of the home team, something I swore I'd never do. Growing up in Boston during the glorious days of the Championship run of the 80's I found myself rooting for every team that stood in their way? I was a Detroit Pistons fan, Laker fan, 76er fan(much love Dr.j), Houston Rocket supporter, you name any team besides the Celtics and I was their biggest cheerleader. But it's funny what two decades of time can do to a person, now I find myself yelling at the TV set with a passion and voracity that was solely reserved for the opposing team when they'd do something stupid to blow the game (Think Isiah Thomas ill fated pass). What changed, (I don't know maybe I've grown fonder of this City, or maybe I've just embraced the old style tradition that Bostonians are famous for) yeah right and maybe we should all just hold hands and teach the world to sing!

What changed is a greater appreciation of the make up of the current team and coaching staff, they are predominately African-American. Something that I thought I'd never see in this City. I was too young to remember any of the Celtics Championship teams that were so dominant during the Bill Russell era, but I heard and read stories of how disenfranchised Russell became with some of the narrow minds of the area's local sports fanatics who despite having the player many regard as the greatest ever in their midst, many of them could not see beyond the color of his skin to welcome him as a neighbor. That fact that an African-American man was leading a team aptly named the "Celtics" I imagined was tolerated, but not beloved. In my opinion, I think it would be years later that people truly appreciated what Russell and his teammates accomplished.

Many of today's fans don't remember the Celtics of days gone by, the teams that drums up all kinds of nostalgia are the Larry Bird led teams of the 80's. What's the difference between the two era's (take a good guess) that's right Bird , who had multiple skills a little "Flash" and was considered an over achiever from small town USA, just happened to be White, and in a City with a deserved or not reputation for being a tough place for people of color, it was easy to see why so many people packed the Old Boston Garden to see the man who delighted in letting his defenders know they were in a for a long night. There's no denying the fact that Bird is one of the greatest players ever to lace them up, but his championship run pales in comparison to Russell, yet Birds face became and still is for those who like to reminisce the face of the organization. Be honest how many people remember that K.C Jones Coached a couple of those teams? K.C an African-American former player was never given real credit for being a good coach (much like Doc Rivers today) it was widely considered that he won because he had TALENT!

I use to hate the hype that those Celtic teams and their illustrious leader would generate, I'd swear there were times in the game that if you even breathed on Larry it was a foul. And no matter how much the team won, I couldn't bring myself to root for them, maybe it stemmed from my deep seeded animosity I harbored from witnessing turbulent times when forced busing was implemented and Blacks could not venture into certain neighborhoods for fear of their lives. (Boston still remains one of the most segregated Cities in the US) or maybe that despite my young age, it always bothered me that the fans never revered Bill to Birds status or maybe it was just reverse racism. It just seemed everything was great in the City as long as the Celtics were led by a White Superstar. Whatever the reason, I just couldn't stand the Celtics, I never attended any of the victory parades, never wore a shamrock shirt or hat, nothing with Green and black would adorn this physique, with the exception of my high schools green uniform( I had no say in the matter). If you think I was alone on this boat , you are sadly mistaken, I recall a Boston Globe article that was written during that time, when the Celtics were facing the Lakers and it touched upon the split facet of the fans and their rooting interests in the respective teams, it came as no surprise that an overwhelming number of blacks and perceived liberal whites interviewed were pulling for the Lakers, who were led by Black Superstars (Magic Johnson and Kareem).

The Lakers represented Fast break basketball a style that's commonly associated with inner-city youths, they had the bling, and all of the glamour, style and sizzle your heart could stand, plus all of the celebrities from Hollywood would pack the Forum for a chance to get free face time from the CBS TV camera's while sitting at court side.The Celtics were polar opposites, their style of play reflected the characteristics of the Blue Collar worker , deeply rooted in Old World tradition of hard work, getting your hands dirty, doing the little things to get the job done without all of the hoopla and although we certainly know that this description is without racial classification, it was more widely associated with white America.

Flash ahead twenty plus years and the aforementioned description of the 80's Celtics, is exactly what you could say about today's team and coach. Maybe that's the reason I am cheering for the men in green. Because I truly want to see them win the Championship, I LOVE KG's intensity that he brings every night, I've become a legit Paul Pierce fan and have learned to appreciate his game and skills(not flashy or a sky walker) and I'm pulling for Doc Rivers(how many coaches have been raked over the coals more than him win or lose?), and lastly as I get older and realize these type of parades come few and far between, I'd like to make up for lost time and attend a victory parade to exclaim that the Celtics are the best and attest that Boston has come a long way.