Hoping A Shoe Drops
August 23, 2008
I have a post written Thursday night readied for Monday. The event that took place that evening has not been touched upon by any media, mainstream or otherwise, though it was televised globally. However, I am giving everyone, mainstream or otherwise, ample opportuinity to discuss the happenings of that night before dropping my article.
The televised event was clearly shown at the time and there was no mistaking the acts. That it has, predicably, escaped perusal by those who would normally create ceaseless “programming” segments around it illustrates that racism is prevalent in our society, that it is prevalent within sportswriting, and that racist reporting equal profits. And unfortunately the lack of writing about “the event” shows that black reporters and columnists suffer from myriad ills that allow them to miss what should be obvious to the journalist’s eyes.
See you Monday.
The Sports Writing Blues: Confessions of an Angry White Fan
August 20, 2008
“I’m not Dead Yet”: Why are Stars Past their Prime Treated so Badly?
August 13, 2008
Recently we saw both Manny Ramirez and Brett Favre being escorted off the premises in Boston and Green Bay. Both had delivered a title to each city after decades of losing. Both were slightly past their prime, but still at least among the top 25% in the league at their position. Yet they were widely vilified for their attitudes, and management tried hard to get rid of them. Why did this happen? Are you going to tell me that Manny and Brett’s attitudes have spontaneously changed from team player to spoiled divo as they aged? Or that their attitudes were so bad that they could only be tolerated when playing at an MVP level? Both theories are highly suspect.
ThinkLinks: Lebron Backs Obama; Brad Miller; AOL FanHouse; and New Female Sports Blog
July 30, 2008
Today’s version of ThinkLinks brings the “Big Blog Edition”. As I stated in the very first ThinkLinks, the idea is to promote positive and under-reported stories wherever we find it. Anyway, let’s start with DeadSpin (yeah, I said it!). Read more
Notes: AOL FanHouse Adds Another Hue to Its True Colors
July 29, 2008
If you haven’t noticed AOL has embarked on a marketing blitz for “FanHouse.” “Brought to you by “FanHouse” has begun to infiltrate televised commercial space across the country during sporting events giving the impression that the crew of blurb bloggers there equates to something more than idle morning pre-first cup of coffee prattle that is so numbing in its sameness, so filled with hateful readers-commenters, that it serves as a silent reminder of what passes for quality is sometimes solely quantity and that racism is very alive and very well as a national sickness.
Despite this baleful environment there has been one laudable aspect to FanHouse. It included women and treated them as equals in its own white, male, snark and circumstance-dominated bandwidth and pushed women as equals to the rest of the white, frat boy-patrolled sports blogosphere.
Netroots Nation, Saturday: Walls Held Up, Points Missed, Problems Glossed Over (and they all shot 72)
July 19, 2008
From the birthplace of soul (or at least Strevie Ray Vaughn ’s) Austin, Texas, it is day 3 of the Netroots Conference. Bloggers abound, there was an Al Gore sighting this morning. Yes. our ex-VP and roll over than fight president two could have been was flown in unannounced, to the throngs, but not the insiders, to bail out keynote speker Nancy Pelosi to keep her ass from being gfrilled on everything forem the Iraq War to the gross misappropriations of national funds and why no Repiblicrats or Demublicans are being held to the fire for fucking our country completely.
So, Al swooshed on in on the wings of Nike breeze and, while Pelosi hemmed-and hawed and hemmed some more, Al was Southern gentleman eloquent, charming and gave his spiel in his new-found “voice of the common man” and addressed all our concerns like a man freed of governmental responsibility…. but not freed form his duty to maintain the power structure inherent in the U.S.
Notes: Netroots Conference Post - White as, White Is….
July 18, 2008
Guess what… I’m downtown at the Netroots Conference with MODI, who came all the way from Silver spring, MD to Austin to conference with bloggers from around the country…. let me tell you what I’ve seen from th “black side.”
First off, this shit is really, really white… no, let me say, REALLY REALLY WHITE!… So white, that when a black person - me - walks in, heads turn, “Who’s he, who’s he?” So, as I saunter by doing what I do I see the Real World’s Kevin Powell (for us, black people, if he’s “the answer,” it was a stupid question…) .
So, what has happened to me besides I don’t know who he is looks? I put down my Netroots bag given to me upon registering and we go find our seats for the first talk which is with the author of “Nixinland.” I put my bag down to get some water, leaving MODI to talk with someone he met earlier.
First, I ask a Mexican cat where the concession stand is.
(Matt Jones Update)… White Boys Gone Wild: It’s a Racist, Racist World
July 11, 2008
Matt Jones update: According to this AP article, Jones was busted with six grams of cocaine (the threshold for distribution is one gram). Yet he was being held on only a $2500 bond, which he met and was released.
Jones was arrestred with two other people, Jared Hicks and Benjamin Cook, but here’s what a prosecutor “determined”:
Police said 6 grams of cocaine was found. The threshold for potential charges of possession with intent to deliver is 1 gram. However, prosecutor John Threet said there is no evidence that Jones intended to deal the drug.
No evidence of that Jones intended to sell the drug? Now I know that Matt Jones has money and probably bought the coke for he and his buddies. However, when one person has six grams and the other people have no grams (apparently) is it not possible that Jones was selling to the other two people?
As a comparison, when Davon Boddie, Michael Vick’s cousin was busted in a parking lot with friends - how this went down has never been sussed out - with around four ounces of pot, he was charged with possession of pot with the intent to distribute. Now, Boddie lived in a beautiful 4,500 square foot home and obviously had some money at his disposal. How could the prosecutor of that case not see thgat Boddie had the weed for he and his friends?
But in Jones’ case it is automatically assumed that he had no intent to sell the coke?
The prosecutor’s action is a leap over the boundaries of drug laws as they stand - stringent as they are - that can only be intended to lessen the potential for Jones to walk away from this experience with anything more than probation.
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THINK LINKS: Len Bias, OJ, Imus, & Buzz
July 6, 2008
Hope that everybody is recovering from the weekend. Here are some links from the last couple of weeks worth exploring:
Len Bias: The Day Innocence Died: Okay, this is a loooooong “E-Ticket” piece by ESPN… If you only have a couple of minutes, please scroll down to section labeled “Sports and Politics”. Forget the Celtics, few athletes have ever had a greater impact on our COUNTRY than Len Bias. The lesser known part of the Bias story was the tragic way politicians manipulated the Bias death to implement the racially biased crack vs. cocaine laws and additional mandatory minimum sentencing as part of the ”war on drugs”. Ironically, Len Bias never used crack and only only died of a cocaine overdose.
William C. Rhoden on OJ Mayo: Want to know one of the reasons I like Rhoden from the New York Times (besides his great book 40 Million Dollar Slaves)? Because he is one of the few mainstream writers who might actually let an athlete speak for him or herself. I guess that it is possible to print more than two out-of context quotes in the same article.
Sports Media Analysis – a brand new blog — gives grades to media on 2008 NBA Draft Predictions using a complex and fair formula. Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen had the best score while Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Sam Smith of Sporting News, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Krista Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press rounded out the top 5. On the flip-side, ESPN’s Chad Ford and John Hollinger ”were woefully bad”. Interestingly, local writers did not fair to well on making picks for their hometown teams. SMA’s data analysis is quite thorough and should satisfy your inner stat geek (if you have one like me). After their debut they are a welcome blog addition to the ongoing assessment of sports media. (Hat tip to True Hoop)
DON IMUS:How can clear thinking rational people actually buy Imus’ latest explanation for his remarks about Pacman Jones? Easy. Some people will grab any possible psychologically comforting straw than admit that they have supporting a racist for so many years. Or quite simply: “Racism makes You Stupid” says Raving Black Lunatic
BUZZ-WILL AIN’T DEAD:How does the Bissinger-Leitch affair look from the point of view from someone beyond the sports blogosphere? Check out this thoughtful post from Mixin’ it Up
Sports & Hitler Pt. 1: Media Hit-Job on Jemele Hill
June 30, 2008
She was suspended by ESPN for a week, and rational thought was suspended even longer. On talk radio she was called “hypocritical bitch!” and “dumb broad!”… by email she was called the “n-word” many times over… and by telephone she was harassed at her home. These were some of the responses Jemele Hill received after recently stating that rooting “for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim.” Was the Hill backlash in response to anti-Semitism? Or anti-Celticism? Or more than that?…
