Say it ain't so Josh

It appears that Josh Howard as smoked one to many blunts. In the cult classic Friday, Smokie's character put it like this-"The weed be letting you know where evil lurks". Yet again another athlete gives us something to debate outside of the arena of sport. This can't come at a more inopportune time for the NBA. Some people are already having a tough time "relating" to this generation's version of the tattooed 2 baby mama having NBA superstar. Before this it wasn't to far fetched to think that the Olympic gold medal would give the NBA a more polished image considering their negative perception among most suburbanites. That's been flushed down the toliet thanks to a guy who admitted on national radio that he rolls fatties with the best of 'em. Money doesn't by love and apparently it doesn't buy intelligence either.

Now before you think I'm about to channel my inner Jason Whitlock- SLOW DOWN. What Josh said was stupid but how many working class Americans have spewed similar frustrations about their plight in this great country? If you really love free speech then you'd step down from your high horse of righteous indignation. We've had the million man march twice, Gay Rights marches on the capital and Ku Klux Klan rallies all over this country. Please fool me into thinking that we as a society can find an ounce of empathy considering some of our own past laments in public or private. Let's face it, most of us aren't that important to make it to Youtube. This will probably spark a debate about how patriotic black people REALLY are. Never mind that thousands of black people that are in all four branches of the military. We will still find a way to have that type of conversation.

Of course you're hear the statement- "America Love it or Leave it" Of course who can forget the world famous "Go back to Africa". Yeah Right... I'll go back to Africa when everybody goes back to where they came from too... Of course Josh hasn't done himself any favors considering his budding public rap sheet. David Stern will do what he has to protect the league. Personally I'm not that upset but I could see why any American who has served this country honorably in combat would be a little perturbed. Now these flag wavers on the hand.. You know the ones who haven't as so much as shined a BB gun. Those are the ones who need to take a chill pill. These are the worst kind of patriots.

This may turn into a public lynching if he doesn't respond with some type of "apology" for what he said. Of course the American public will not oblige him. That would be too much like right. Besides he ain't no Josh Beckett... WE can only hope that he learns from his mistakes and move on to be the guy has shown superstar like talent. Time will tell. Good luck Mr. Howard....

Whitlock versus Rhoden....

I wrote another piece on my college Alumni cite essentially saying the same thing Mr. Rhoden wrote. I must admit I was very disappointed in Young's behavior especially after I defended him. However I was angry when Mark Howard of 104.5 the zone read verbatim Jason Whitlock's account of Young. (I bet he won't read Rhoden's column..) Both columns have a different spirit attached to the explanation of some of the woes that Vince is going through. Most Americans regardless of race will never publically pull a Rush Limbaugh, Al Campanis, the militant black dude (chuck D lol) and bubba with a truck. They will masquerade their bias through mouthpieces like Whitlock. Whitlock's article was socially irresponsible in regards to the perception America is still trying to overcome. Sure we all have our biases but racial bias stinks worst than a newborn's diaper. Racial bias polarizes even the best of us consequently causing most us of not to explore possibilities outside of our preference and comfort zones.



Whitlock attacked Young's personal story in the interest of "telling it like it is". Sure Vince Young's personal background can be deemed as relevant due to his celebrity but it's not why he is struggling thus reducing Whitlock's journalism to venom. Reducing Donovan Mcnabb's accomplishments down to hoping that he surpasses Warren Moon as the Best Black Quarterback is just as ignorant as the NAACP guy admonishing Mcnabb to "play like a black Quarterback". Whitlock has written some pieces that I've totally supported. I love when he calls out the NCAA and other guys who deserves it. However he's essentially become an attack dog for certain aspects of degenerate black culture. In other words he's the black guy they call when people want to appear like they aren't racist. He's thought provoking until he calls out white racism. Then he gets hate mail like Hank Aaron. It's funny how he's accussed Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson of Bojangling for money in support of causes that are no longer relevant. Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black? (Pun and bad English intended)





Few Americans including black people have cared to really hear the plight of the trailblazers of yesteryear. We are so happy that a black guy is being considered for President. We're happy with Tiger Woods dominating a sport that previously banned us. We're satisfied with the status quo of suburbia which causes most of us to accept the mirage of equal opportunity. This society has chosen to ignore the stories of civil rights in favor of a watered down version of past generational folly. Some of this backlash that the Mcnabb's of the world encounter is fear. Don't believe me? Consider this. Most of the skill positions of Running back and receiver are known as black positions. During the 50's many of the college basketball teams had unwritten rules about how much playing time black players got. Some of these northern and west coast schools even gave black players scholarships with no intentions of playing them. It was their sick little way of appearing progressive amongst the social elite of their times. (See Wally we got one just like UCLA)



Was there already a fear that these guys would take over? (In a Will Ferrell voice, yeah) Was it a fear that the heroism of sport could further humanize a people who were systematically dehumanized? The answer is a resounding yes. History bears witness to how Americans have used sports entertainment to validate our own prejudice. Sporting events have long been the cock fight of society. Imagine a polished (The preference of most in the American sports public) Michael Vick with Steve Youngesque skills being the face of a franchise? I'm talking about the Vick with Braids, weed, guns homies and white girls in his entourage. Get the picture? If there were more Tom Brady's that were black how would we respond as a society? (My bad we've had Warren Moon already) Why is it the black quarterbacks are reduced to being "athlete's" playing Quarterback but the Tim Tebow's of the world are showing moxie and intelligence when they are dual threats.

In defense of Tebow that's not his fault. On the surface he seems to be a really good guy who loves to play football. He could probably care less. It's fans(fanatics) and analyst (really fanatics in disguise which skews their judgement) who perpetuate this culture and then wonder why guys respond this way. This isn't an excuse for Vince. He needs to step up and show the leadership that got him drafted. He doesn't deserve a blankie from mommy when people boo or talk about what he can't do. He needs to recommit himself to the game he once dominated and show people that he can play this game. My question for him is where is that fight that he had in him as a rookie, in college and in high school? Show Merrill Hodge he is an idiot. Stop making Hodge and Whitlock look like prophets. I still have faith in him that he can do it. That's why I defend him. He had me at Hello...(USC and Texas championship game)

Whitlock is totally wrong. Rhoden nailed it... End of Discussion. We need a more diverse panel of professionals like Rhoden who can expound on the truth without personal vendettas or biases.

Does Nostalgia make us forget reality?

Thought provoking discussions always get the good ole intellectual wheels turning. In response to the great Zondra Hughes' piece about 80's culture, I wanted to revisit a theory that some of my "preacher" friends and I debate all the time. Of course this perspective isn't new but it's my spin on how the good and evil of the entertainment industry can be both influential and detrimental to youth culture. In particular "African American" youth. Let's consider the account that Matthew chapter 13 gives us. I developed my wheat and tare theory from Jesus' account of good and evil from a cultural standpoint. It reads as follows...24 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”Nostalgia can be a healthy ally for black folks because our history, culture, and idenity has been stolen, misunderstood, and vilified. Nostalgia can be equally decieving because it can bring dishonest reflection that forgets the perils of that particular time in history. If we compare black history to the story of Cain and Abel one could hear the blood of our mothers and fathers crying from the ground. Our presence in the cultural fabric of America is forgotten causing many to believe that we aren't really that important to the cultural identity of America. Jazz, Blues, and Rock were born in the heart of the Juke Joints of the South but became cultural gold in the hands of whites. Hip Hop is different. Our generation produced yet another cultural phenomna that took the world by storm. It gave black hispanic and a select few of white youth an outlet to express themselves in a world that viewed black and latino culture as theirs for the taking. It's like the 15th century all over again. Explorers claimed land in the name of European countries before they murdered the natives of this land we call America. Can we name any black rockers besides Lenny Kravitz? Hip Hop emerged from the slums of the East Coast and hasn't necessarily experienced a takeover from the standpoint of artistry. Sure we've had white MC's like Third Bass, The Beastie Boys and Eminem but largely black MC's have dominated the game. (Vanilla Ice Doesn't count sorry) The innocence of Hip Hop was planted by a generation of ignored teenagers but the evil of materialism, covetousness, violence, and youthful indiscretions was planted at the same time.The 80's saw the artistry of Hip Hop emerge as a force to be reckoned with. Record companies wanted to dismiss it initially because they new it could give a different voice to a lost generation of black people who traded in their protest signs for mortgages in the suburbs. The wheat and tare theory applies to the 21st century because we all know the story of how Run DMC's collaboration with Aerosmith launched hip hop into the mainstream. We all can remember how MC Hammer paved the way for hip hop artist to be a commercial success. The 21st century has produced more opportunity for black people in entertainment but the evil residue that it leaves behind is as equally inspiring as it is disturbing. So shouldn't we do what the scriptures suggest? In verse 29, the master says that when the harvest was ready that he would seperate the evil from the good. I think we can all agree that the harvest is ripe in hip hop. Let's throw most of this garbage in the fire that is impersonating the true essence of hip hop.Misogny, materalism, violence, sexism and ignorance have replaced the voice of activism, education, healthy fun, and expression. When its time to expose hypocrite preachers we are quick to gather a lynch mob but when Snoop Dog talks about Cripping while he raises his kids in the burbs no one calls him out. Does Frank Lucas' benevolence at Thanksgiving compensate for him destroying the millions of families in Harlem and abroad? These are conversations that we need to have. I'm all for parents being responsible for their children but if a nuclear bomb was left in the street while innocent children were playing in the neighborhood then who should we as a society hold accountable? COMMUNITY is what can curve the evil that has been produced in the genere we call hip hop. Today's hip hop is like Stripe from the 1983 block buster Gremlins. Gizmo (real hip hop) is hiding in the closet because most of the "artist" of the 21st century are running amonk.We've taken on a different value system that isn't consistent with the history of black people in America. To a degree we are all guilty of being sellouts because we fail to demand more from the artist that makes us dance. So before you buy your next record ask yourself some key questions. Is this song consistent with how I want to raise my children. Is this song consistent with the values that I believe in? Of course I know that there will never be a Utopia in this life but at least it creates the diversity in a genere that so desperately needs it. The female MC is all but disappeared. Public Enemy was once mainstream but Dead Prez is now considered to dangerous among industry executives. Intellectual hip hop is now deemed as underground. I've never been to a bon fire but I'd attend one for the first time if their was someone organizing a CD burning party of all of these wack rappers posing as MC's...Let's take hip hop back as consumers.

Thanks for reading..

Peace

The Introduction

The purpose of this blog is to engage readers in the multifacted concerns of society. I don't expect for everyone to agree with me but I do hope that we learn from the various perspectives presented. The inspiration of this blog was born out of my affinity for discussion. My wife and close friends contend that I should've been an attorney because of my love for debate. They see debate as confrontation. Of course I don't subscribe to that notion. I see debate as healthy and refreshing. Every since I was a teenager growing up in a tough South Memphis neighborhood, I embraced the fundamental love for debate. I can remember standing on the street corner of Lauderdale and Alston arguing the finer points of religion, sports, society, race and history. It is there where I developed a knack for thinking quickly on my feet and reading more than my peers. That was pretty easy because some of those guys barely read anything outside of school.

I earned my bachelors degree from Rust College in Mass Communications in 1997. My dream was to go into Television until I discovered radio. An internship at a major Memphis radio station made me realize that I wasn't a fit for the hip hop format. I had just taken a job in sales with MCI telecommunications that spring of my sophomore year. The industry was very lucrative and seem to have a bright future. I didn't change my major but I knew that my broadcast days wouldn't be in my immediate future. Simply put I wanted to make money... My career with MCI produced a promotion to Supervisor and a year later landed me in Nashville to work in call center management with Sprint PCS. Moving to Nashville was a very prophetic experience because I knew that God allowed me to leave the comforts of my hometown to further develop me in my purpose.

I settled down and rediscovered my passion for broadcasting by way of sports radio. This career path wasn't as visible to me during my college days. Talk radio seemed for lack of a better term- Boring. In 2005 I heard a sports talk show for the first time and I was hooked. I became a regular pest I mean caller into the show, debating everything from strategy to controversial issues. It was through this show that I met a fellow "goon squader" and began formulating an idea about getting our own show. Most of that zeal has been reduced to blogging because I can at least express my views and possibly spark conversations not privy to talk radio.

One of our brainstorming conversations produced the idea and name for this blog. Too much information is meant to cover controversial topics that typically get sugar coated or ignored. This blog is not limited to sports. I attend on writing about sports, politics, religion, culture, history, society and anything I deem interesting. That's the root of TMI... SO let the games began. I look forward to learning from all of you...

PEACE