Where was this support when kyrie irving suggested boycott

After NBA players decided collectively to use their voices and their platforms to take a unified stand against police brutality following the horrific shooting by the Kenosha Wisconsin police that was caught on video who shot Jacob Blake 7 times in the back in front of his 3 sons, praise came from across the nation. President Obama, Democratic Nominee Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, rappers, actors, movie stars, politicians, everyone was so proud of the good move the NBA players. This collective show of strength and solidarity is what many have been waiting for. Then came the congratulations from Stephen A Smith 

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1298731743395147789?s=21

The problem with your congratulations in particular is that just two months ago, you called Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley “foolish” for even suggesting that players should use their collective voices and take a stand against police brutality and boycott going into the bubble. You went on one of your over dramatic rants and ridiculed them on First Take as if you were personally offended that they had the audacity to let something so ridiculous even come out of their mouths. Your exact words were 

“I absolutely do not agree with them. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that their position has been foolish as I am concerned. I respect the fact — and I want to make sure that I’m clear about this — I am not talking about if you’re not going back to work because of the coronavirus. I totally understand that. If you choose to make that decision for the better being, for the well-being of yourself and the family members who you are near, then obviously that has a profound impact and I totally respect and understand that. But that’s not what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are talking about. … The fact that racial oppression or racial inequality, brutality on the part of police officers and all of that stuff exists is not an excuse not to show up to work. … If you have the LeBron James’, the Kyrie Irving’s and others playing their role in bringing attention to these issues, then you hand it off to people that know what to do with that attention and that elevated level of awareness to really provoke the kind of change that we’re talking about here. We seem to think that, excuse me, just protesting and raising holy hell is going to get done what we need to get done. That is not the answer, and certainly it’s not refusing to show up because of that issue. …  I totally disagree with Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving, and I suspect that I’m not alone, that a lot of people agree with what I’m saying” 

https://youtu.be/OcNEqq-U0Nk

Max Kellerman tried to break it down for you on First Take to show you the error of your ways but you still wouldn’t budge. How ironic is it for a white man to have to break down to a Black Man the oversell significance of what Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley were trying to do and how that related and connected to the bigger picture of Black entertainment being used in the history of this country while conditions for Black People were not improved as it specifically related to police brutality and respecting their position that they didn’t want to be a distraction and take away from the push we were seeing happen across the country after the gruesome murder of George Floyd. A white man shouldn’t have to break that down for Stephen A Smith. But after Max Kellerman made his eloquent points, you still didn’t get it. You immediately pivoted to discussing the money that they were giving up and seemingly missed his entire point and repeated that what Kyrie was doing just, in your words, “didn’t make sense”  to you although Max Kellernman just broke it all down for you. 

Then you attempted to shift the focus to Kyrie somehow undermining Chris Paul and Lebron James by formulating a separate players coalition and not going along with the players association vote to start the season ? So now, because you disagreed with his position you attempt to pit him against his NBA brothers ? 

Then you say and I quote, 

“It’s about making sure you know what you’re talking about before you open your mouth” 

Which is the most insulting response to give someone who you disagree with. It’s demeaning. Belittling. Not that they just have a different opinion than you, but that they need to be educated so that they can fully understand how ridiculous their position is. How dismissive and insulting was that ? 

https://youtu.be/KgQV0khEOnA

But it wasn’t just you. 

Charles Barkley also is guilty of publicly  ridiculing Kyrie and Dwight Howard for their stance.

Charles Barkley said on ESPN’s Get Up 

“I have no idea what Kyrie and Dwight are talking about, but it’ll be a catastrophic mistake not to play.” you also added, 

“I think it would be stupid to not play,” 

“LeBron [James] is probably the most famous athlete in the United States. He won’t be visible anywhere. So out of sight, out of mind. Also, these guys have got to realize, this money ain’t gonna come back and they’re gonna lose billions of dollars that the players can use to go into their own communities and do some great stuff.”

https://twitter.com/getupespn/status/1272558639241445377?s=21

Many more were completely dismissing their positions and using specific language to drive the point home that their positions were misguided, ridiculous, absurd, and that they should be dismissed completely. I wouldn’t say that you all were taking a position that was similar to Laura Ingrahm’s message to Lebron, but it definitely sounded like shut up and dribble’s close cousin. 

It’s important to note that before the 68 Olympics, Kareem Abdul Jabbar elected to not play. Here is a clip of an interview I personally conducted with him for my show The Rematch on FliTV where he specifically explains why he chose to not participate in the Olympics and instead opted to work and get money for school. 

See full interview by clicking on link below 

https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas

Would you Stephen A Smith or Charles Barkley have criticized him for that ? 

John Carlos and Tommie Smith participated in the 68 Olympics and made a statement that resonates even today which was to raise their Black Power fist on the podium after their race. Two different ways both equally deserving of respect. 

It’s also important to note that players such as NBA athlete activist pioneers have utilized the art of boycotting as a way to push the NBA to use its collective power to adopt  policy change so there is precedence.

The 1964 all star game where NBA players threatened to boycott. A list that included 

Hall Of Famers Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Tommy Heinsohn, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Chet Walker, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain and Lenny Wilkens. Here’s what happened. 

“Just hours before tipoff, the players took a strike vote to determine whether they would refuse to play unless the league agreed to implement a pension plan. 

According to David Halberstam in "Breaks of the Game," the vote was 11-9 to strike, with Russell among the leaders of the pro-strike faction and Chamberlain among those who voted to play regardless. 

Fifteen minutes before tipoff, NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy agreed to the pension demands, and pro sports had its biggest union victory by far.“

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/1856287-181/1964-stars-threatened-to-boycott

These are the footsteps the players are following in. 

Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that 

The NBA has scheduled a special Board of Governors meeting on Thursday morning, sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1298778627669143558?s=21

What if the NBA players, now that they have everyone’s attention, demanded that NBA CEO’s like Marc Lasry, Wes Eden, Jamie Dinan (Buccs) 

Ted Leonsis (Wizards)  Steve Ballman (Clippers) Jeanie Buss (Lakers) and evening James Dolan (Knicks) use their influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they didn’t adopt tangible police reform and police accountability measures? I bet you would see results immediately. If they can pressure cities to fund the build of new arenas, I’m sure they can do this. 

That would create tangible change through the power of the NBA that congress hasn’t been able to bring about. That no politician has been able to bring about. That would change the entire country. 

I respect both Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving and Avery Bradley for what they expressed then, and I respect what the NBA and WNBA players are doing now. And no they didn’t sound foolish and it wasn’t “ridiculous” or “absurd” or that they were looking for a reason not to show up to work like you disrespectfully said, and they definitely weren’t “stupid” like Charles Barkley said, they simply didn’t want to divert the attention away from everything that was going on. This is a special movement right now. An awakening. And they wanted and want the focus to remain on that and basketball was the furthest thing from their minds. Lebron James just said 

“I got half my brain locked on the playoffs, the other half on how I can help Black People. 

So,  Stephen A Smith you can see how you now praising the NBA players for boycotting can be problematic. 

You and Charles Barkley and everyone else who publicly ridiculed them owe Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley a public apology. Not a personal text or call, but be as loud and demonstrative on your national ESPN platform with your apologies as you were with your ridicules. 

And PS: 

Stephen A Smith, you also owe Kaepernick an apology for publicly lambasting him and saying that he wants to be a martyr and doesn’t want to play after the tryout hoax put on by the NFL  

https://youtu.be/_y7fzEHKI9Y

Like Elgin Baylor before them, the NBA's Black players have had enough

This week Letetra Wildman, the sister of Jacob Blake, delivered a gripping message: “I don’t want your pity, I want change”.

Apparently, the NBA received her memo.

It all started with the news on Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game after Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back by a white police officerin the team’s home state of Wisconsin. Soon, the NBA cancelled the rest of Wednesday’s playoff games and leagues such as the WNBA, MLB and MLS followed suit.

On television, former player Chris Webber delivered an emotional address as he fought back tears: “We understand it’s not going to end. But that does not mean young men that you don’t do anything. Don’t listen to these people telling you don’t do anything because it’s not going to end right away.”

Everyone has weighed in with their opinions since the Bucks announced their boycott. Many questioned whether a boycott can really change the inequality and racism at the heart of America. Or what refusing to play basketball has to do with Jacob Blake or George Floyd or Breonna Taylor or any of the other countless Black men and Black women who have been unjustly injured or killed by the police with no accountability.

I’m glad you asked. In July, I wrote an article detailing how much power NBA teams – and their billionaire CEOs – wield in the cities where they play. Money talks and it is well known that lost revenue has a way of motivating organizations to action at lightning speeds. Although teams are currently playing in a socially isolated bubble in Florida, people in their home bases will have seen players – and some CEOs – are willing to take action on racial injustice. If, in the future, a team threatened to leave a city if nothing is done on, say, police reform, civic leaders may well listen.

It has worked before. What the NBA and WNBA are doing now is monumental and they follow the tradition of athlete activists who have utilized the art of the boycott as a way to not only make a statement, but to push for real tangible change. A case in point: the great Elgin Baylor

During his first season in the NBA in 1959, the Hall of Famer’s Lakers team were scheduled to play a neutral-site game in Charleston, West Virginia, against the Cincinnati Royals. When the Lakers arrived at their hotel, the clerk looked at the team and said: “The three colored boys [Baylor and his Black teammates Boo Ellis and Ed Fleming] will have to go somewhere else: This is a nice, respectable hotel. We can’t take the colored boys.”

Baylor, Ellis and Fleming ended up staying in an all-Black hotel but he had had enough. He decided to boycott the game, telling his white teammate, and Charleston native, Rod Hundley: “Rod, I’m a human being, I’m not an animal put in a cage and let out for the show.”

Baylor’s decision was important because it hit the pockets of the rich and powerful in Charleston. The game had been sponsored by the the American Business Club of Charleston, which paid $6,500 (around $57,000 in today’s money) for the privilege. They also, damningly, knew in advance that Baylor and his Black teammates would not be allowed to stay with their white teammates and had done nothing to change things, despite the power they wielded in the city.

Suddenly, those rich, white businessman had paid to sponsor a game in which the league’s best young player would not even play. The club later sent a telegram to the NBA complaining that the incident had been “most embarrassing to us”.

Shortly after Baylor’s boycott, NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff promised to make sure such treatment of Black players at hotels would be a thing of the past when they were representing the league.

Later, Baylor would meet with Lakers CEO Bob Short and that too led to meaningful change. “[Baylor’s] refusal to play was a matter of principle with him,” said Short, “and I’m certainly not going to fault him for that ... We will demand a non-segregation clause in future contracts.”

Baylor gave us a blueprint for how current NBA players can employ boycotts as a method to force NBA CEOs to use their power and influence to truly bring about change. Imagine those in the 50s who criticized Elgin Baylor. Who said that he was overstating his importance and his power. His courage to hurt powerful figures in a segregated city caused the NBA and the Lakers to change the way they treated their Black players. The likes of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo can effect similar change now. All they have to do is demand it.

Jacob Blake Is Exactly Why NBA Players Are Taking A Knee

Attorney Benjamin Crump (who has be retained by the Blake family) posted this picture of Jacob Blake with his 3 sons on his instagram page and  wrote 

“This is Jacob Blake. He is 29 years old and a devoted father. Kenosha WI police shot him several times in the back tonight after he was breaking up a fight between two women. His THREE SONS were in the car he was getting into when they shot him!! His sons will be traumatized forever. As a father myself, I am horrified and disgusted. We cannot let this continue! We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our children deserve better!!“

At his postgame interview, after scoring 30 pts 10 assists and 6 rebounds in 28 mins and a winning effort, Lebron James addressed the entire incident, 

“So you’re telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns. You’re lying to every African-American ever Black Person in the community.... If you watch the video there were multiple moments where if they wanted to they could’ve tackled him they could’ve grabbed him, they could’ve done that so why did it have to get to a point where we see the guns firing. His family is there the kids are there, it’s in broad daylight. And if that video is not being taken by that person across the street, do we know if we even see that video ? .....We are scared as Black People in America. Black Men, Black Women, Black Kids, we are terrified.”

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=29735258

After tying the playoff series with the Houston Rockets and scoring 26 pts 6 rebs and 3 assists in a winning effort, during his postgame interview Chris Paul addressed the incident as well, 

“I just want to send my prayers out to Jacob Blake and his family.....we said we were going to continue to speak on the social injustice and the things that continue to happen to our people, it’s not right.” 

https://twitter.com/complexsports/status/1298030906024906753?s=21

Attorney Crump told the Journal Sentinel. “Nobody’s more devastated than his three sons....You can only imagine the psychological problems these babies are going to have for the rest of their lives,"

Somehow miraculously Jacob survived and is in stable condition according to a statement by the family, but make no mistake, the police (who are now on paid administrative leave) did not intend for him to leave there alive. Their aim was to kill him 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2020/08/24/jacob-blake-stable-condition-after-shooting-kenosha-police-shot-7-times/3431519001/

This is the official GoFundMe created for Jacob Blake, his medical care, his family, and more. 

He is going to need so much support. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/justiceforjacobblake?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all

"As we fight for justice and understanding, our family has and will face many trials during this time," the family wrote on the GoFundMe website. "Jacob Blake is a loving father of six that deserves proper medical attention and legal representation."

Just FYI: The reason the family and the attorney Crump are continuously stating that Jacob was a loving father of six and a good person is because of the expected demonization that routinely follows each and every time a Black Man or Black Woman is killed by the police. This happened with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Terence Crutcher, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Akai Gurley, Stephon Clarke, Andrew Kearse, and countless others, the media floods the airways with justifications of why the person who was shot by the police was somehow at fault. 

A Black Man shouldn’t have to be perfect or exceptional or a college graduate or a husband or a father in order to explain why he didn’t deserve to be shot 7 times in the back by police but I digress. 

This is exactly why NBA players have been taking a knee. Why they have been wearing messages on the backs of their jerseys. Why they have collectively let their voices be heard during this entire NBA bubble season, despite the barrage of criticism and vitriol they have received.

Donald Trump called NBA players “very nasty and very dumb” for kneeling during the National Anthem. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2020/08/11/donald-trump-nba-players-very-dumb-kneeling-during-anthem/3343737001/

Right wing conservative political pundit Charlie Kirk said, 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexreimer/2020/07/31/charlie-kirk-and-right-wing-pundits-express-fake-outrage-at-nba-players-protesting-during-anthem/

 “Hilarious to see Black NBA players who make millions a year take a knee to try and tell us black people can’t succeed in America,” he tweeted. “Kick them out of the league. Done watching the NBA.”

Former NFL player, coach, current commentator and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka said, 

https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/07/27/mike-ditka-draws-backlash-for-criticism-of-kneeling-athletes/112701218/

"If you can't respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,“ Ditka said during an interview with TMZ Sports. ”That's the way I feel. Of course, I'm old fashioned. So, I'm only going to say what I feel.

When Michael Vick goes to prison for more time for killing dogs than just about every police officer did for killing unarmed Black Men or Black Women in the past 3 decades, it’s should be crystal clear what the issue is. 

How is it possible for so many people to still not understand that this has nothing to do with the flag or with veterans or they simply dedicated to purposely misrepresenting and redirecting the issue   

I interviewed Joakim Noah for my show The Rematch on FliTV,

https://www.fli.tv/joakim-noah-interview

and he explained to me exactly why he chose “Justice“ to go on the back of his jersey, In his words, 

“Because everyone deserves justice. Everybody does. And the truth is that right now and for a long time, there are a lot of people who don’t {receive justice} I wanted to use that because everyone deserves human rights. All of my heroes have been fighting for justice. Some have died for justice..... and I hope that a lot of these people who have died when you think of {George} Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I really hope that they can get their justice”

And when you watch the clip, you can see Joakim almost get emotional while saying these words. It’s not just a trendy thing to do as some have suggested, this means something to him. And seeing NBA players take stances like this and verbalize to the media why this is important to them as Joakim Noah did, as LeBron did, as Kawhi Leonard did, as Jerami Grant did, as Tobias Harris, Sterling Brown, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Marcus Smart, Kyle Kuzma and so many others did, as coaches such as Doc Rivers and Alvin Gentry did, it should be crystal clear what the issue is. 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29519480/nba-players-use-media-availability-steer-conversation-breonna-taylor-social-justice

What the NBA and WNBA has done this season represents one of the most collective athlete activists movements since the 1960s. This has pushed entire institutions and industries to reckon with a racist history and institute programs and initiatives that weren’t previously there. 

 For example: The NBA recently announced that 

 “All 30 NBA teams will contribute a combined $300 million over the next decade to fund the NBA Foundation, a new charitable initiative dedicated to greater economic empowerment in the Black community.”

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29602899/nba-establishes-fund-support-empowerment-black-community

NBA Coaches For Racial Justice was established by Lloyd Pierce and now every coach in the NBA is working with grassroots organizations in their respective cities 

https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/how-lloyd-pierce-is-leading-nba-coaches-in-the-fight-for-racial-justice/OSCCWK4DEZHODL6W2C3P3MIDWE/

I also interviewed Stan Van Gundy for my show The Rematch on FliTV and he broke it down for those who still seem to be confused on the meaning and importance of the players taking a knee. 

https://www.fli.tv/stan-van-gundy-interview

“If you love something, you want it to be better....As a parent, you’re going to love your kid no matter what, but you’re not going to just let them do whatever they want to do and not say anything or do anything because if you really love your kids, you want them to be the best that they can be and when they’re not doing that, you want to try to correct their course. That’s what the players are doing. They’re not saying I don’t want to live here or I hate America, they’re saying I want it to be the best that it can be.”

NBA players took a respectful stand  together. Not against police but against police brutality and they did it together as an entire league. Coaches, referees, staff, while players, foreign players, everyone taking a stand together while utilizing the media to bring further attention to specific cases of police brutality and calling for police accountability such as bringing Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s murderers to justice. 

With the horrifying shooting of Jacob Blake and the fact that none of the police officers had body cams although Kenosha city technically requires them for all of their officers. And just as in the case with George Floyd, if it weren’t for a civilian‘s recording, the “facts” that people wait for the police to come out with, almost certainly wouldn’t have resulted in any officer being held accountable. It is more than evident that we still have a long way to go. 

The reality of BEing Black in America isn’t ChaNging fast enough

“ We are scared as Black People in America. Black Men, Black Women, Black Kids, we are terrified.” ~Lebron James

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1298119092033945600?s=21

“There are times, a lot of times, where we say we don’t feel safe. It doesn’t matter how much money, doesn’t matter who you are” ~Donovan Mitchell 

https://twitter.com/sportscenter/status/1298478064284860421?s=21

“What stands out to me is watching the Republican Convention and they’re spewing this fear.  All you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We’re the ones getting killed, we’re the ones getting shot.... it’s amazing to me how we keep loving this country and this country doesn’t love us back” ~Coach Doc Rivers 

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1298476250709635072?s=21

It’s hard for Mainstream America to understand why rich Black People like Lebron James, Donovan Mitchell or Coach Doc Rivers would say things like this. It’s hard for them to understand what happens to the psyche of the Black Community as a whole every time a video of Jacob Blake is circulated. The conversations that happen in our homes with our children and our families. The frustrations and fears to as Malcolm X put it “sit and the table, but not be a part of the family” But that is the situation that many Black People are in today living in America. 

Let me start with my own family. The conversations me and my wife have had to have with our children over the years are conversations that white people simply don’t have to worry about having with their children. Just this quarantined summer we’ve watched When The See Us with our kids to illustrate to them how the justice system many times fails us and people (like Donald Trump) will call for your head on a platter and view you as a monster especially if there is a racial dynamic involved. We watched The Hate You Give to show especially our daughter the power of her voice in the face of injustice. We watched the movie Malcolm X (so many lessons too many to list) had our daughter read No Disrespect by Sista Souljah, had our son read Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall and Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime. And yes all of this is advanced for our young children, but we have to prepare them for the world they have to live in. 

I told my kids about the first time I had the police pull a gun on me. I was a little older than my son Malcolm is right now. I told them about the 2nd time and the 3rd time, and how all of that happened when I was in high school. One was mistaken identity, another I looked suspicious, another I was at a counter protest of the KKK rallying in downtown Tulsa. That’s right I said the KKK and no I didn’t grow up in the 60s, I’m not that old. I grew up in the 90s. And if it weren’t for the Grace Of God, I wouldn’t be here right now. 

Again, white parents don’t have to worry about any of this the way we do. We live in two completely different worlds. And just for the record, I played 11 years in the NBA, earned a degree in business management from Syracuse University, I am in the top tax bracket in the country, my portfolio is doing well and diversified enough to withstand a global pandemic, I can afford to send my kids to the private school of their choice, but none of that will save me or my son or my daughters when we are pulled over by the police. 

I coach my son’s AAU team the FBCG Elite Dynamic Disciples, and the lessons I teach them prepare them for life. Now don’t get me wrong, we make a lot of noise on the basketball court, but that’s not why I do it. There are lessons they are going to have to learn in life that will differ from their white counterparts. One of them is the stark difference in how they will be treated by the police compared to how white people are treated by the police. 

We have a TeamSnap and this week I messaged them a reminder of the rules when they start driving and are stopped by the police. First I sent them this tweet of a white man who is not “following the commands” of the police officer and told them that the rules for them are different. 

https://twitter.com/etanthomas36/status/1298353894918172678?s=21

I explained to them as I have done many times that when they are stopped they have to 

1 Turn off their music 

2 Put their interior lights on (if it’s dark)

3 Roll all their windows down 

4 Take out their license and registration and put it on the dashboard so they won’t have to reach for anything 

5 Put their cell phone in the cup holder and press record 

6 Put their hands on the steering wheel preferably at 10 and 2 

7 Yes sir no sir after everything the policeman says no matter their tone or level of aggression (because unfortunately, we have to de-escalate situations that are only escalated because of the color of our skin 

Those are realities for being Black in America that Mainstream America can’t relate to because it isn’t their world. They have the privilege of not being viewed as a threat everyday of their lives from the time they are 10 years old. 

My daughter Imani is 12 years old and she asked me if the person across the street didn’t film the shooting of Jacob Blake, would anyone have even heard of this case ? A few months ago she asked me if the person didn’t film the policeman who killed George Floyd and everyone didn’t react the way they did after it was released, would those police have been fired or would they have returned the next day with business as usual. I want to be able to tell her yes, they would’ve brought them to justice, and have faith in the system, and this country will love you if you love this country, but I can’t. Then she asked me, when exactly was this country great ? What period of time is Trump referring to when he says that he wants to Make America Great Again ? Was it ever great for us ? These are the conversations that happen in Black households. 

Letetra Wildman Jacob Blake’s sister summed up being Black In America when she stated during. Recent press conference, 

“I’m not sad. I’m not sorry. I’m angry. And I’m tired. I haven’t cried one time. I stopped crying years ago. I am numb. I have been watching police murder people that look like me for years....I don’t want your pity, I want change”

https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1298364170962952194?s=21

Words aren't enough. Sports team CEOs must use their influence to effect change

Malcolm X warned us a long time ago to be leery of symbolic victories versus justice and actual progress. 

“The whole world can see it. All this little tokenism that is dangled in front of the Negro and then he's told, "See what we're doing for you”

           ~Malcolm X

Enter symbolic gestures: 

Boston Red Sox unveil a 250 foot Black Lives Matter billboard next to Fenway 

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/508636-boston-red-sox-unveil-250-foot-black-lives-matter-billboard-next-to-fenway

NHL Hockey fans will be greeted with a Black Lives Matter message every time they enter into NHL 20 

https://fansided.com/2020/06/11/nhl-20-features-black-lives-matter-pop-up-screen/

NBA unveils Black Lives Matter on court 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29510169/nba-unveils-black-lives-matter-orlando-court

Roger Goodell makes statement saying he was wrong on player protests and encourages players to use their voices 

https://sports.yahoo.com/roger-goodell-nfl-admits-we-were-wrong-on-player-protests-black-lives-matter-224540686.html

At first I thought all this is great. All of these  professional teams and organizations and coaches and even Roger Goodell all making tweets and statements proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. Unifying decrees exhibiting the  solidarity that is sweeping across the entire sports world. Allies in high places looking into the camera and passionately proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. Every NBA franchise including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, through a statement or public comment from a high ranking official condemning the killing of George Floyd, and again declaring that Black Lives do in fact Matter. 

https://www.nba.com/article/2020/05/31/nba-teams-respond-tragic-death-george-floyd

And not just generic statements but they went into detail. 

The Dallas Mavericks said “ "We will NOT stand for injustice, inequity, and disparity. History goes through phases. Phases in Restoring (justice), Rebuilding (communities) and Rebounding (as people)."

The Bulls said  “There is a crisis in our country, and we need to redouble our efforts and work harder than ever.” 

The Brooklyn Nets said “ Our hearts are broken by the attacks on the personal safety and dignity of the Black community.” 

The Golden State Warriors said “ We condemn, in no uncertain terms, racism and violence perpetrated against members of the Black community” 

The Miami Heat said “ we deeply mourn the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, whom we have lost to acts of extreme and excessive violence against African-Americans” 

The Washington Wizards said “ "The death of George Floyd, and many other black Americans, is unconscionable. We believe that there needs to be action and leadership to tackle and address the social injustices and inequities in systemic racism.”

Every NBA team made a similar statement. And for this I have to give a lot of the credit to Adam Silver for constantly setting the example for the entire league to follow from his first day of taking over the reins when he had to deal with the Donald Sterling situation. He has made it clear that he will stand and speak out for justice and against racism. 

As I was looking at all of these teams make statements I thought to myself, was  this a new beginning ? How beautiful is it that the entire sports world has finally reached a universal point of empathy and are collectively using their voices to take a stand. But then I started to notice that it at least appeared that police violence and brutality seemed to have actually gotten worse after George Floyd’s murder and I thought to myself, we need much more. 

Don’t get me wrong, these statements are incredibly powerful for any NBA CEO (I don’t like to call them owners for obvious reasons) and teams and organization to publicly make, but are these statements enough ? 

I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the twitter exchange between Dallas Mavericks CEO Mark Cuban and Ted Cruz that started over Ted’s opposition to players taking a knee. I thought Mark Cuban handled him brilliantly by challenging him to say Black Lives Matter and Ted Cruz of all people conceding and actually saying Black Lives Matte,  but in this exchange, they got away from the overall point which was police accountability when they murder an unarmed Black Man or Black Woman which is the reason for the kneeling. 

In addition, it’s powerful to see NBA TV constantly run their commercial about social justice and seeing NBA CEO’s Mickey Arison (Miami Heat) and Wyc Grousbeck (Boston Celtics) proclaiming  Black Lives Matter while looking into the camera , but the question is, can these professional teams and organizations and billionaire CEO’s use their power and influence to bring about tangible change beyond their statements of support and solidarity ? Definitely 

What if NBA CEO’s took active roles in their respective cities at pressuring police departments to move toward specific police reform and police accountability ? It’s not as if they don’t have any power in their cities. If you think Mark Cuban doesn’t have any political influence and power in the city of Dallas or Mickey Arison in Miami you are greatly mistaken. They are billionaires. Not millionaires like the players who have been doing an amazing job protesting, using their influence, their power and their voices, but Billionaires (with a B) which is a whole nother level of power and influence. 

What if they took on the quick resulting method Fed Ex just displayed for the world to see ?  

Enter Washington Football Team: 

After decades of NFL CEO Dan Snyder stubbornly refusing to change the name of his franchise despite petitions and pleas and demonstrations from countless Native American tribes and the entire public at large because it was a racist and offensive slur to Native Americans, all of a sudden he had a change of heart. Why ? Not because he had an Ebeneezer Scrooge moment after he was visited by the ghost of Christmas Past and wanted to right his wrongs, it was because sponsors like Fed Ex said,

“change the name or the organization will lose them as a sponsor” 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/10/private-letter-redskins-fedex-said-it-will-remove-signage-if-name-isnt-changed/

And poof,  just like that, the name was changed because that’s what moves the needle, when you threaten to negatively effect an organization’s bottom line. Wu Tang told us a long time ago, Cash Rules Everything Around Me, and they were absolutely right. 

What if the NBA used their power and influence to pressure cities to threaten to cut the funding of police departments if they didn’t adopt tangible police reform and enforce police accountability ? I bet you would see immediate results just as you did with the Washington Football Team. 

This is something that could be done across sports NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL. An entire movement. This would be a way for them to push for real change. Donating to organizations who are fighting for change is great like many of the tech companies have done, 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/george-floyd-protests-tech-company-responses.html

But this would be coming directly from them. This is a way to take a more active role in instigating real tangible change in their respective cities instead of waiting for the players (who don’t have the level of influence that they have) to “speak” on these issues.

Let me be clear, nobody is against all police, but every organization needs checks and balances. Nobody in society can have carte blanche to do as they please and unfortunately, that is the incredibly dysfunctional situation we have fallen into with our police departments. No accountability. 

So while the declarations are great, and  Black Lives Matter painted on the court and the field is a bold statement, and I guess singing the Black National Anthem before NFL games is...... something ? It needs to go far beyond that in order to bring about real change. 

Tiffany Crutcher (sister of Terence Crutcher who was murdered in Tulsa Oklahoma by Officer Betty Shelby, 

told me when I interviewed her for my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” 

“We get moved by the moment....we’re angry, we’re outraged, and then we move on to the next thing.... let’s put some pressure, not just on the local government, but we need to put pressure on Jeff Sessions, on Donald Trump, and let them know that we’re not going to stand for this.” 

Who better to apply that pressure than billionaire CEO’s of professional teams and the sports leagues themselves. They can use their influence beyond powerful proclamations and push for tangible results. Again, the statements are great, but in this day and age, we need much more 

Open Letter To Adam Silver (The Nba Restart Is Not Worth The RIsk)

Mr Silver, 

     As you know I have the utmost respect for you. I had the honor of sitting down with you for an in depth interview for my show The Rematch on FliTV 

https://www.fli.tv/rematch-w-etan-thomas

And we discussed your embrace and support of NBA players’ right to use their platforms to stand up for what they believe in which has led to the current culture in the NBA. Just recently, it was reported that you have agreed to allowing players to use their jerseys to share a social message they care deeply about. So in essence, we could see entire teams with Black Lives Matter or Police Accountability across their actual jerseys ? That’s something that no other league would ever even consider doing. Much Respect 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/28/nba-may-allow-players-wear-social-justice-messages-their-jerseys/

As I said in our interview, that’s what sets you apart from every other commissioner in professional sports. Not only do you tolerate activism from NBA players, but you actually encourage players realizing and understanding the power of their voices and their platforms. You have created an atmosphere in which players are no longer afraid that their speaking out could jeopardize their NBA careers which is something that was a real fear and concern under your predecessor David Stern. There were countless times during my playing days with the Washington Wizards where I was warned about my activism and told to be careful that I didn’t end up white balled from the league like Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf or Craig Hodges. Thus the reason one of the questions I asked you in our interview was if Mr. Rauf and Mr. Hodges would’ve been punished under your watch. It came as no surprise you confirmed that you would never punish anyone for using their platform to express an opinion, belief or idea. You even went into detail about how Craig Hodges’ method of a letter was as respectful you one could possibly be. Which echoed exactly what you told me in my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” when I interviewed you for that. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617755915/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Owi.EbF3CRCFN

You went into detail about your respect for the history of NBA activism. In your words, 

“I inherited a legacy of activism within this league. People like Bill Russell who was not only an activist in terms of things that mattered in society, but also even on behalf of players rights. 

There was a precedent and a history here at the league of using the league and our players’ voices on important issues that mattered far beyond the game of basketball” 

The NBA has become the leader of all professional sports. As evidenced by the reverberating effect your decision to immediately shut down the league after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus back in March had on all sports. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/03/11/nba-suspends-play-player-test-coronavirus/

That set the example for other leagues to follow your leadership. (The NCAA at the time was still attempting to figure out a way to avoid having to cancel their season which is a whole nother issue for another article) 

But every other league then began shutting down, the MLB, the NHL all the way down to AAU basketball. You didn’t delay your reaction jeopardizing the lives of the multitudes (like some Presidents Of The United States who shall remain nameless) you immediately canceled the season, eliminating exposure of players, fans, arena personnel, staff and everyone else associated with the NBA during an unknown pandemic. That’s what leadership looks like and you exemplified it. 

Fast forward to today, we are currently embarking on a 2nd wave of coronavirus cases. Dr Fauci warns of a Covid-19 surge, 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/23/fauci-testimony-coronavirus-house/

spiked cases are in every red state that rushed to reopen under the encouragement of yet another example of poor leadership from the White House, including the state of Florida which has recently become one of the country’s epicenters of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/28/coronavirus-live-updates-us/?outputType=amp

In fact, Florida recently set a national single day record of 15,299 new Covid19 infections which ranks as the highest single-day increase of any U.S. state. About 1 in 5 tests came back positive. If Florida were its own country, it would rank 4th worldwide for new cases, and this is the place the NBA restart is going to happen ?

Let’s just say the bubble is in fact the safest place in Florida for an NBA player to be. What if a player does test positive and has to be rushed to a Florida hospital that has reportedmy been consistently overwhelmed with coronavirus cases to the point that they have maxed out ICU capacities which 40 different Florida hospitals have to date ?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/10/florida-coronavirus-cases-icu-beds-arizona-texas

Recently in a press conference you said and I quote, 

“We’re coming back because sports matter in a society. They bring people together when we need it the most.”

Which is true. But you also said, 

“We haven’t worked through every scenario … [but] if we were to have a significant spread of coronavirus throughout the community, that ultimately might lead us to stop it.....We’re not saying full steam ahead no matter what happens … but we feel very comfortable right now with where we are.”

https://nypost.com/2020/06/26/adam-silver-significant-coronavirus-spread-could-end-nba-restart/

With the recent spikes of Coronavirus cases particularly in Florida, and an ever growing list of NBA players who have tested positive for Covid 19 including Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, Malcolm Bronson, Harrison Barnes, Spencer Dinwiddie, Thomas Bryant, Gary Payton Jr, Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart and many others;

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/coronavirus-russell-westbrook-nikola-jokic-harrison-barnes-among-nba-players-who-tested-positive/

The fact that NBA league officials are reportedly concerned about the long term health effects for NBA players who contract the coronavirus for the simple reason that there are unknown effects it has on lung capacity, cardiac health, kidney functions, all of which could impact a player’s career;

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN24C0VM?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3tZF4TCVsZFA2-h5LX88N7YzgeQ2Hxv_WSD9L7ote3S6PoP6XQZ-Uguqg

The fact that Rudy Gobert reportedly still exhibits effects 3 months after testing positive for the coronavirus, which highlights the fact that we have no idea of the long term effects on a player’s career of testing positive;

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29380004/jazz-rudy-gobert-says-trouble-smelling-3-months-coronavirus-diagnosis

The fact that according to the cdc, older adults are more susceptible to catching the coronavirus, which most coaches and staff fall into the exact high risk category;

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-increased-risk.html

Along with an extensive list of additional reasons, starting the NBA season, or the season any sports is simply not worth the risk. Valuing the lives of human beings over economic motivations is a concept that is absent from Donald Trump. You are not him. You are a man of integrity, honor, respectability, and authenticity. It’s time for you to continue your tradition of courageous, responsible, leadership and cancel the entire NBA restart plan for Florida. 

       Respectfully 

                  Etan Thomas 

Drew Brees Can influence other white allies

 In the wake of George Floyd’s horrific murder there currently exists a large portion of white america who now truly and wholeheartedly have a desire to be allies and feel ashamed and embarrassed for their previously held positions. I’m speaking of the “let’s wait until all the facts come out” crowd and the “he must’ve done something to provoke this” or “If they would just follow commands” crowd. Or the Kaepernick’s taking a knee has no place on football” crowd. 

Or even the white people who supported Trump but have recently changed their position after seeing, well everything. I don’t know which crowd you belong to, maybe all of them, but I do understand that your very ill timed statement at a time where people across the country were dealing with the pain and anguish and frustration of yet another Black Man murdered at the hands of the police offended quite a bit of people, including myself. And it’s good that you appear to have the desire to make amends, but you have to go beyond words. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drew-brees-kneeling-national-anthem-protest-nfl/

As Sports Columnist Dave Zirin pointed out on the show I co host with Seth Everett Center Of Attention on ESPN Syracuse, everyone in New Orleans loves The Who Dat Nation, and they love Drew Brees (prior to this). In his words, 

“If there’s one thing that the people of New Orleans love whether it’s Black folks white folks it’s the Who Dat Saints. It’s the connective tissue of the city, and Drew Brees for many people has been the symbol of that. So when you have people now in the city of New Orleans chanting eff Drew Brees, it shows how he took that platform that he has and did something really hurtful with it” 

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/642298824

This is why what seemed like the entire social media world was hurt, shocked, and angered by your declaration that you would never agree with NFL players who knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. 

https://twitter.com/yahoofinance/status/1268206174073126915?s=21

Most notably your teammate Malcolm Jenkins. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/drew-brees-nfl-disrespect-flag-trnd/index.html

But you apologized and took owness of it. You said you missed the mark and condemned your own comments and called them insensitive. You said your comments lacked awareness or any type of empathy and acknowledged that your  words became divisive and hurtful and you didn’t like the way your words were being weaponized (which they definitely and most are notably by Donald Trump 

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1268998142860627969?s=21

And Laura Ingrahm 

https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/06/fox-news-laura-ingraham-defends-backing-drew-brees-after-telling-lebron-james-to-shut-up-and-dribble.html

They are definitely helping to convince  everyone that you are on their side, and your response to Donald Trump I thought was very well said 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29273182/drew-brees-stands-apology-flag-comments-response-president-trump

But now it’s time for you to go beyond words. As a white ally, you have the opportunity to really make an impact in a way that goes beyond our reach. And I would like to give you some concrete examples of ways to achieve that. 

In my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” I asked wife receiver Torrey Smith who was a teammate of Kaepernick’s what they as a team were doing to directly fight against police brutality after Kaepernick took a knee and this is what he told me

“What we have been doing lately is visiting different police academies. Every away game we have been talking to a different police chief of that city to figure out what they are doing and how they are training their officers.....The team donated a million dollars to grassroots programs who are trying to fight police brutality” 

Drew, this is something you could put in place at the start of the season. That’s a tangible way to show that you do in fact as you said in your apology, “stand with the Black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality, and support the effort for real police change that can make a difference” this is a tangible way that you could use your celebrity and your Influence to bring about real change. 

People like to make it seem as if this were a massive grandiose issue like “solving racism in America”. That’s not the issue nor is that even possible. We are talking specifically about police brutality and we have a several playbooks, it’s just that we aren’t following it. 

For example, after the murders of countless Black Men and Women at the hands of the police in 2014 and 2015, then President Obama put together what would be called the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing comprised of civil rights attorneys, community activists, academics, and police professionals whose specific task was to develop recommendations and a playbook focused on police reform. Which ranged from having specific clear cut policies of when officers can and cannot use force instead of it being up to their own judgement. The effectiveness of community policing. 

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/blog/president-s-task-force-21st-century-policing-recommendations-print-action

And in the final report, they specifically outlined everything and gave recommendations of how to make police more productive, safer, more constructive, more effective, more constitutional and just better for everyone involved both police and citizens. 

And it produced results. Some police departments specifically in Seattle and Cleveland have witnessed positive data from implementing some of the policies of the task force. They’ve proven to work. 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf

But unfortunately, most of the police departments around the country completely ignored the recommendations of the task force. 

This could be delivered specifically by you to every police department you meet with as you use your celebrity to actively influence change. This doesn’t cost money from you. This is not donating to the Boys and Girls Club (although I love the Boys and Girls club and am a actual ambassador for the Boys Club in Harlem) 

But this is specifically dealing with the issue at hand. You could start an entire movement toward police reform with an actual playbook that’s already laid out by the specific group that then President Obama put together. 

Again, your response to Trump was very well said and extremely important as he was attempting to use your words to create more division, something he prides himself on doing. He thrives on it. He plays to his fan base and uses dog whistles to gain their support so that they overlook his myriad of other mistakes such as his handling of the coronavirus which has resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 Americans (but I digress)  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-deaths-100000-united-states-toll/

I applaud the way you handled this and you are well on your way to returning to your place of being the connective tissue for the city of New Orleans 

You represent a large portion of white america who are apologetic for their previous positions and now want to make amends and be an ally. I want to encourage you and all of the new white allies to continue to use your voice, and your public statements standing in solidarity, but to go beyond that and utilize your privilege and influence to bring about real change. 

The NFL And trUmp reek of hypocrisy of George floyd murder

On one hand we have the person who currently occupies the White House Donald Trump urging governors to seek “retribution” and that they have to “dominate the protestors” and calls the protestors “terrorists“ 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/01/donald-trump-protests-george-floyd-dominate

while saying absolutely nothing about holding police officers accountable in any way shape or form when they act as terrorists in cases across the country on an everyday basis from Officer Daniel Panteleo (Eric Garner) to Officer Betty Shelby (Terence Crutcher) to Officer Darren Willson (Mike Brown) to Officer Blane Salamoni (Alton Sterling) Officer Jeronimo Janzez (Philando Castile) and now Officer Derek Chauvin who we watched heartlessly put his knee into the neck of George Floyd while casually putting his hands in his pockets for nine minutes as three other cops held him down. 

On the other hand, we have seen an abundance of organizations, companies, and business entities feel led to issue public statements at the prevalent terrorism that runs rampant through police departments across America and proclaim that Black Lives do in fact matter despite the little to no value that has been displayed by the justice system by the mere fact that most of these police officers are rarely held accountable for their acts of terrorism. 

Companies from around the country have issued statements expressing their disapproval of the vicious and evil killing of George Floyd that was caught on video for the world to see. These companies include Netflix, HBO, Starz, McDonnalds, Target, Apple, Disney, Amazon, Microsoft, Twitter, Google, NHL teams, MLB teams, the Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA and most of the NBA teams (except James Dolan and the New York Knicks but we’ll save that for another article) 

https://www.si.com/nba/2020/06/02/james-dolan-defends-absence-statement-george-floyd-death

Which brings me to the NFL who also issued a statement which you can see in its entirety below (Editor’s note: I would say just post the actual tweet to save word count) 

"The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country. The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. George Floyd and to those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Ms. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions.

"As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league. These tragedies inform the NFL’s commitment and our ongoing efforts. There remains an urgent need for action. We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society. We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs and partners."

“We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society ?” 

Where was all of this when Colin Kaepernick took a knee ? 

I asked Eric Reid specifically why he and Kaepernick took a knee in my book We Matter “Athletes And Activism” and this is an excerpt of what he specifically told me. 

“I just felt that people were losing their lives over traffic stops and nobody was being held accountable for that. The way things kept playing out was, you would have the initial report, they would say it was under investigation, and nothing would really happen. All of these families would be forced to deal with another loss of life, and nothing seemed to be changing. So, since my personal beliefs were in line with his (Kaepernick) on this subject, I wanted to show some solidarity and support for my teammate. He was getting a lot of backlash and I couldn’t just not support him when I felt the same way he did” 

And that backlash came directly from the NFL who has white-balled Kaepernick from the league since the 2016-2017 season when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. Kaepernick became an international symbol of resistance  and non violent protest. He embodied everything that the Roger Goodell just ironically stated that the NFL is striving to represent. 

“We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important walk to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs and partners ?”

Who is advising Roger Goodell ? You mean to tell me that nobody in their NFL office told him that this wouldn’t go over well ? That this statement wasn’t dripping with hypocrisy ? That neither Jay Z or any Inspire Change songs were going to mask the sanctimonious of everything he wrote in his statement ? 

https://theundefeated.com/features/nfl-partnership-an-open-letter-to-jay-z/

This would’ve been an opportune time for Roger Goodell to announce, 

not give a written statement (which let’s be honest is starting to sound a little manufactured by the different companies and entities. Like they all have the same ghost writer preparing their statements) but this would’ve been well -timed for Roger Goodell to call a press conference and actually verbalize something along the lines of...

We have seen the errors of our ways in our handling of the Colin Kaepernick situation and we as the NFL want to reach out to him to make amends for our caving into the pressure from the White House and our conservative fan base who purposely twisted Colin Kaepernick’s message of peacefully protesting police brutality into being anti police, anti veterans, and anti American. We know he was actually utilizing the example set by the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (since they love to bring Dr King into the discussion all the time when they want to talk about non violence which ultimately waters down and twists his message as well but I digress) We know that it is not Anti-American to speak out on the injustices of police brutality and we would like to not only give him a real opportunity to play in the NFL and not the sham of an opportunity that we created before 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/16/colin-kaepernick-nfl-workout-sham

We will come to terms with him and his agent on parameters for the tryout, we can make it all public if they like so that we are 100% transparent and regardless of that outcome, we want to work with him in particular and his Know Your Rights organization moving forward to bring about real change in our country because what happened to George Floyd cannot keep happening. 

Then they can discuss how they recognize the power of their platform in communities and as a part of the fabric of American society etc etc. They don’t even have to throw in Black Lives Matter like most companies have. They would’ve actually gone above and beyond all of the statements made by various companies because they would’ve given a distinct example of something they were specifically going to implement to put their words into action. A lot of companies are giving pretty words without any specifics which is a nice sentiment, but much more is needed. 

Now, I know what I just described is completely far fetched and wouldn’t happen in a million years, but it would take something drastic and far fetched to actually make amends for the white balling of Kaepernick. And it’s not just about one person, it’s about what white balling Kaepernick represents. The suppression of the powerful voices of NFL players out of a fear of being Kaepernick’ed out of the league if they dare to use their voices and platforms to speak out. 

Statements like 

"The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country. The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel.

Are just as hypocritical as Donald Trump calling Violent White Supremacists Protestors who were actually Found guilty of first degree murder for killing paralegal Heather Hayer “very fine people” but calling protestors after the death of George Floyd “thugs”. You both reek of hypocrisy 

It’s wrong to criminalize black players for the Kansas-Kansas State brawl

A day after a brawl that took the entire sports world by storm between rivals Kansas and Kansas State, Dick Vitale publicly called for Silvio De Sousa in particular to be permanently expelled from the NCAA for the rest of his days. 

“Well, just absolutely sickening, unbelievable. The 40 years I’m on TV, I haven’t seen anything like that, unless you go to the NBA and the Pistons’ brawl that took place at the Palace. I think there’s no doubt in my mind that De Sousa never, ever should put a uniform on in college basketball again," Vitale said during ESPN's broadcast of Miami at Duke. "He’s holding a chair. I mean, that’s criminal! He’s going to hurt somebody! I mean, I don’t want to hear any excuse that ‘They stole the ball with time running out, they should never have done such a thing.’ Give me a break. That was ugly.”

https://www.si.com/college/2020/01/22/dick-vitale-silvio-de-sousa-ban-kansas-fight

A day after the fight, Silvio De Sousa issued a genuine apology on his twitter feed. He took full responsibility, didn’t place the blame elsewhere, expressed his regret and articulated how thankful  he was to always have the love and support from Kansas University and fans. All I can say to that is live and learn young fella, there is a blessing in every lesson. 

https://twitter.com/silviodesousa5/status/1220160517496606726?s=21

The expected punishment has been handed out, 

“ The Big 12 suspended four players from Kansas and Kansas State a combined 25 games Wednesday for their roles in a melee that spilled off the court and into a section of disabled seating in Allen Fieldhouse near the end of the third-ranked Jayhawks' win over the Wildcats.

Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa, who already was suspended indefinitely by Jayhawks coach Bill Self, was given a 12-game suspension by the league office. His teammate, David McCormack, was suspended two games while Kansas State forward James Love received an eight-game suspension and Antonio Gordon got a three-game suspension.

Both schools also were reprimanded by the Big 12 for violations of its sportsmanship policy.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-coach-self-school-preparing-punishment-brawl-163631529--ncaab.html

After the punishments had been handed out, Vitale took to Twitter to voice his disapproval of what he called “light penalties”

The @Big12Conference has passed down it’s ruling on the ugly fiasco that took place in Kansas. I am shocked how light the penalties were considering how dangerous that fracas was. In the case of Silvio DeSousa I thought the minimum should have been the entire season.

https://twitter.com/dickiev/status/1220136810036301825?s=21

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated wrote an article titled “Silvio De Sousa Gets Off Easy With Punishment for Kansas-Kansas State Brawl 

https://www.si.com/college/2020/01/23/silvio-de-sousa-gets-off-easy-kansas-kstate-brawl

Which brings me to: 

The over-criminalization of Black Boys. 

I’m not saying that he shouldn’t have been punished, but the collegiate death penalty is a bit much. Many have made the case of what “could have happened” had De Sousa swung the barstool he picked up. But let’s fully examine what actually occurred. Yes he picked up the barstoool. And yes there was an unnamed photographer who calmly attempted to grab the barstool, and Kansas assistant coach Jerrance Howard was also there to intercede as well if De Sousa hadn’t already had a moment of clarity and dropped the barstool on his own admission. But let’s be honest, De Sousa is 6’9 250, If he wanted to use it, no scrawny reporter (no offense of course) was going to stop him with one hand. The fact is, he dropped it on his own. So those making the case of what could have occurred, aren’t paying attention or concerned with the fact that he wasn’t stopped from using it, he stopped himself. 

The reality is, this was a fight. Nothing criminal occurred, it was a fight. It was against NCAA rules, thus the suspensions, but the words “criminal assault” that have been a recklessly thrown around seem to only come from pale lips when describing Black Men. 

Again, I’m not making a case for no punishment. 

In fact, if I were speaking directly to De Sousa, or any other young Black Men like the AAU team I coach FBCG Dynamic Disciples, my message would be that you cannot put yourself in a position where you will be at the mercy of the courts, the police, in school, or in this case, the NCAA. Why ? Because you are going to have people in Mainstream America who will call for your head on a platter. Who will portray you as a menace to society, a criminal, and someone who needs to be taught a lesson as your actions prove that you are ungrateful to everything they have given you. 

I would also explain to them that it doesn’t matter what your white counterparts have done. So it’s pointless to bring up the many infractions of Grayson Allen and him never being called a thug or a menace, or the fact that the same people who are now “outraged” at the “horrific” “sickening” display in front of the children of America , also tune in and attend (with their children) hockey games every night where fights are not only commonplace but encouraged. 

I would explain that it doesn’t matter that bench clearing brawls that occur in baseball typically never results in anyone being called a thug or pursuits of criminal charges of any kind. Even when a player charges the pitcher’s mound carrying his bat like Jon Snow ready to slice through the Night Walkers.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-cuban-baseball-brawl-20140218-story.html

Or other mound charging incidents https://bleacherreport.com/articles/808444-10-most-surprising-mound-charging-moments-ever

Or when hockey players have actually used their stick as a weapon 

https://dailycaller.com/2019/08/13/barstool-sports-hockey-stick-swing-video/

 I would explain that in this society, there are different rules for us. And as seen by the likes of Dick Vitale, Pat Forde, and many of the people outraged at the perceived light sentence handed down by the NCAA, those different rules are not going anywhere anytime soon.  

David Stern's complex legacy is worthy of high respect and close inspection

David stern The passing of longtime NBA commissioner David Stern has prompted impassioned reactions in basketball circles over the past week. On one hand, Stern was a visionary figure of far-reaching influence who transformed a second-class league into a global marketing force. But he was also a man who leaves behind a complex legacy, one that was captured in the comments that trickled onto my Facebook page when I offered my condolences.“All I saw was a slave master when I saw him,” Mann Frisby wrote. “Sorry. It’s 2020, time for rich management/leaders to properly reflect the TALENT that’s generating billions.” Jamie Ayers offered a different perspective: “The analogy forgets a basic, fundamental factor, Slaveowners stripped Black men of every facet of their identity. David Stern propagated the idea that Black male athletes were marketable, intelligent and relatable. No other league has ever accomplished this feat to the extent of the NBA.”

The divergent reaction to Stern’s death, which I spoke about at length on my radio show The Collision: Where Sports and Politics Collide this week, asks the question: Should we be able to highlight the accomplishments of Stern while still pointing out the missteps he made along the way?Definitely.Like countless other NBA players, I have a vivid memory of walking across the stage on draft night and shaking Stern’s hand – a recollection that will be permanently etched in my memory. That moment is what every young basketball player dreams of: it’s your official welcome to the professional ranks.But I also experienced an up close and personal view of the Stern that existed after the cameras are turned off.

I was on the negotiating team for the NBA players’ union’s executive board during the 2011 lockout. I sat across the table in dozens of contentious negotiation sessions with Stern and the CEOs of every NBA team – I don’t call them owners – deliberating into the wee hours of the morning as we made oftentimes minimal progress.

I recall one morning before a bargaining session, I arrived early and there was Stern walking around, looking out the window and having a pre-meeting snack. I don’t remember if it was peanuts or candy, but I remember him very intensely crunching whatever it was. He looked up when I entered with a piercing glare as if he was cursing me under his breath. Then he said: “I see Billy brought out the big guns tonight” – referring to Billy Hunter, then-head of the players’ union.Then he walked up to me, shook my hand firmly, looked me in the eyes and told me – and I thinkhe was halfway joking – that I challenged him in ways that made him want to strangle me. He also said that I had been a royal pain in his … backside throughout these entire negotiations. But then he gave me a smirk and a knowing nod of respect, which was all I was going to get from him, and he walked out of the room. It was a begrudgingly given expression I’d become familiar with over the years.

See, these labor negotiations were hardly the first time I challenged Stern during my decade in the NBA – and anyone who knew the commissioner knew he did not particularly like to be challenged.• I’d felt the controversial dress code he enactedfollowing the Malice in the Palace, the 2005 fight between the mostly black players of the Indiana Pacers and white fans of the Detroit Pistons, was playing to an overarching societal fear of black men and I didn’t shy away from discussing it. It bothered me that sports like baseball and hockey had bench-clearing brawls, but nobody was branded as a “thug” in response. I felt it was ridiculous to believe that by putting black athletes in suits instead of street clothes, that mainstream America’s perception of us would magically change.

* I felt the 19-year-old age limit for NBA draftees, introduced in 2005, was unfairly punishing athletes in a league that’s mostly black as opposed to the the majority white hockey and baseball leagues where young prospects turn pro without anyone batting an eye. Let’s be honest: what logical sense did it make to have no reservations in sending an 18-year-old to join the army and ship them overseas to fight in a war, but at the same time, tell them they are too young to play in the NBA?•

• I believe he never took responsibility for Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Craig Hodges both being whiteballed from the league under his watch. I also feel he never took responsibility for allowing former LA Clippers head Donald Sterling’s well-documented racism and discrimination cases during his slumlord days to go unchecked and unpunished.• I also challenged him on violating the collective bargaining rules by changing to a synthetic ball without consulting the union, and the NFL type hard cap he was inching us toward – where NBA players would become at-will employees like in the NFL.I could go on. And as I look back on our battles, maybe I was a pain in his … backside.

But I have to give credit where credit is due. Stern’s legacy is that he put the right creative minds together to market the NBA and turn it into a worldwide leader in sports. An important fact to remember is that when Stern took over the reins of commissioner in 1984, the NBA finals were regularly shown on tape delay. That’s only the start of what he changed.He instituted a plan to skyrocket the value of each NBA teams. And it worked. For example, Abe Pollin bought the Washington Wizards – then the Baltimore Bullets – for $1m. Today, the Wizards are valued at no less than $1.6bn according to Forbes magazine.

Stern deftly marketed Magic Johnson and Larry Bird with brilliant narrative command – their friendship off the court, their vastly differing backgrounds – and promoted basketball as being the tie that binds. And it worked. Then he leveraged Michael Jordan and the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with designs on making the NBA an international phenomenon. And he did just that.The league as a whole became a worldwide juggernaut defined by megastars with international appeal.

Today, more than a billion people across the globe tune into an NBA game every year. Much of this is again directly attributable to David Stern’s vision.And as present-day NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was mentored by Stern, said in a statement after his passing:

“Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand – making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.”

All of this has resulted in players’ salaries rising to staggering levels that see athletes in other sports envy-tweeting during every NBA free agency period. The NFL may have higher ratings across the United States, but the NBA is a far bigger deal abroad. This is all down to Stern. That’s not an opinion, those are facts. And you can’t debate facts (unless you’re Fox News).

The David Stern legacy should be examined, discussed, remembered, critiqued, and honored for years to come. But it’s important to present the entire story. So to my Facebook commenters: Stern’s legacy can’t simply be cast aside like the objectionable odor of tyranny. Nor can he simply be seen through rose-colored glasses. But he must be remembered – and his impact will be felt for generations to come.

Slip or not, ‘thug’ is a word with a painful, complicated history

After Trayvon Martin was killed by the self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in 2012, Geraldo Rivera went on national TV and said, “I was right about the hoodie wasn’t I? I mean, I hate to brag, but I got criticized by every pundit in America when I said Trayvon Martin would be alive today but for the fact that he was wearing thug wear – he was wearing the hoodie.”

After Michael Brown was killed by officer Darren Wilson in 2014, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said that it could have been avoided “if he’d have behaved like something other than a thug.”

Almost a year after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was killed by police officer Timothy Loehmann in Cleveland in 2014, Miami police union president Lt. Javier Ortiz engaged in a debate on Twitter and said, “Act like a thug, and you’ll be treated like one.”

They all used the word “thug” in their description of the young men in an attempt to justify their killings to America. The word was used as a way to make the public feel less traumatized by the killings. Those statements are usually accompanied by “he was no angel.”

Enter Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Beilein.

Beilein is in his first season as coach of the Cavaliers and during a film session in which he was actually singing praises of the team’s revamped play, he told the players that they were no longer playing “like a bunch of thugs,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Beilein later explained that “thugs” was not what he intended to say, but rather “slugs” was his targeted word.

“I didn’t realize that I had said the word ‘thugs,’ but my staff told me later I did and so I must have said it,” Beilein told ESPN on Wednesday night. “I meant to say slugs, as in slow-moving. We weren’t playing hard before, and now we were playing harder. I meant it as a compliment. That’s what I was trying to say. I’ve already talked to eight of my players tonight, and they are telling me that they understand.”

Has the word “thug” become the new N-word? Is it a code word for black people misbehaving? Is it now a racial pejorative used to describe black men in a way that escapes the description of white counterparts?

I’m not here to judge the authenticity of his apology, or whether the players should forgive his claimed slip of the tongue, but one thing that can’t be denied is that the word “thug” has a history of being used in a very targeted way against black men.

Has the word “thug” become the new N-word? Is it a code word for black people misbehaving? Is it now a racial pejorative used to describe black men in a way that escapes the description of white counterparts?

In many cases, the answer to all of the above is a simple yes.

I remember in high school being pulled over by the police while on my way to a basketball game and being told to get out of the car and sit on the ground while they checked everything. That was routine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by the Tulsa Police Department whenever they pulled over black and brown men back in the 1990s when I was attending Booker T. Washington High School. I remember vividly one of the officers saying, “he looks like a thug to me, keep checking. Sure he’s got a prior.”

That told me everything I needed to know about how those police officers viewed me. Didn’t matter that I was an honor roll student, on the speech and debate team, was a junior deacon at Antioch Baptist Church, all that mattered to those police officers was that I “looked like a thug” and they put me in a specific category.

If Beilein had a slip of the tongue and he apologized, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t happen again.

If I heard a coach refer to me as a thug, it would take me right back to that night in Tulsa when I was sitting on the curb with flashing lights and four police cars surrounding me while I tried not to make any sudden moves while I’m waiting for my fate as my life was in their hands. If Beilein had a slip of the tongue and he apologized, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t happen again.

Language matters, and those are mistakes that simply can’t happen in this day and age. And to all the people who think too much is being made of this, and it’s just the liberal society that is too politically correct now and that everything is offensive, imagine being the mother or father of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, or Michael Brown, and hearing a white person use the same word that was used to justify the murder of their son.

Then tell me we are being too sensitive.

Cleveland Cavs coach John Beilein apologized for the slip, but the damage is done

Coaching The Knicks is a career liability

I have always been a Knicks fan. I was born in Harlem, and although I moved from Harlem to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when I was young, I spent every summer in Harlem. My grandfather was a die-hard Knicks fan. He loved his Yankees and Giants, along with St. John’s and Syracuse. He was a typical emotional New Yorker. Tuned in to every game, yelled at the screen, called the players bums when they didn’t play well, respected guys who played hard and always sported a Yankees cap. As a result, I too became a fan of all things New York, including the Knicks.

I had my Patrick Ewing jersey, was throwing up the LJ sign like Larry Johnson, admiring hard fouls by Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason and their “no easy buckets” mentality; respecting Greg Anthony having his teammates’ back, running from the stands in street clothes. Everyone played with emotion. Those were the glory days of my youth as a young New York Knicks fan.

Which is why it hurts to witness the lowly, sad, pitiful, embarrassing state the entire Knicks organization has been stuck in for some time now. It’s been one catastrophe after another. From Oakley being accosted on live TV during a game by Knicks security, the utter disrespect of Carmelo Anthony by president of basketball operations Phil Jackson, the letdown from not receiving the No. 1 pick and missing out on Zion Williamson to now, the firing of coach David Fizdale after tying the worst start in the team’s history at 4-18, making Fizdale the eighth coach to be fired by the Knicks since 2004 (not including interim coaches).

I’m not a Knicks hater. I want to see my childhood team thrive. It would be wonderful if the success the NBA is experiencing with big-time free agents pairing together to create excitement in their respective cities could run through the Knicks as well. But with the current state of the Knicks, I am starting to wonder if I will ever see this team succeed. But it’s not the coaches. They’ve tried that, and it hasn’t worked.

Doug McDermott (center) of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket and dunks the ball against the New York Knicks on Dec. 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

This is around the time I would begin my campaign for the Knicks to hire former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson. He laid the foundation for the success the Warriors enjoyed, winning three championships in the last four years. However, I can’t in good faith recommend he coach the Knicks. He’s better off remaining in the broadcast sports analysts’ booth with Jeff Van Gundy.

Similarly, Patrick Ewing, who I believe has been disrespected by the Knicks time and time again, should be coaching in the NBA. But again, I can’t in good faith recommend he leave Georgetown. Ewing is rebuilding his alma mater’s team and has a tremendous coaching staff, even as the school navigates controversy around his players, including two who are transferring. Ewing has a level of respect and security at Georgetown that he surely won’t receive with the Knicks.

New York City native and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith also has emerged as a top candidate. He has a wealth of basketball knowledge that is displayed on Inside The NBA with TNT. But again, I couldn’t recommend him leaving the studio where he is part of a show that has become must-see TV for all NBA fans.

Then there’s San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, who has the chance to make history and become the first female head coach in the NBA. She’s ready to spread her wings and fly on her own after 16 seasons in the WNBA and six years as an assistant with the Spurs. But again, I wouldn’t want her to take on this challenge. It would do nothing more than set the stage for all the blame to be put on her if things don’t go well.

How does an organization get so bad that it is more of a liability than an opportunity?

Some say the problem lies squarely with James Dolan, who is in his 20th year as CEO of the Knicks (I don’t use the word owner). Many say that he doesn’t care about the team and is perfectly complacent being that he has secured such a lucrative deal with Madison Square Garden. It doesn’t matter if the team loses every single game, he still wins. Forbes valued the Knicks at $4 billion. The fact is, Dolan made both himself and his investors a lot of money.

There have been “Fire Dolan” chants that have erupted at the Garden, and footage of a run-in that Dolan had with a fan while exiting the arena who screamed for him to “Sell The Team!”

Others say it’s not Dolan’s fault at all and that he is a great person who cares about the community and respects the tradition of the Knicks like no other CEO does.

Former Knicks forward John Wallace recently shared that sentiment with me.

“Dolan has done more for former Knicks than any other NBA team does for their former players,” he said. “He’s also done a lot for pancreatic cancer, and he’s written every check that’s been asked of him. Dolan hired people who were supposed to get the Knicks to the championship and it didn’t happen. Phil Jackson left us in purgatory and when Dolan hired him, everybody, myself included, thought Phil was the answer. So is it Dolan’s fault for Phil Jackson’s wrongdoing?”

Fair point.

It’s not just Dolan. Many have pointed to Knicks team president Steve Mills as the main culprit for causing the Knicks’ woes.

A report in Newsday last month suggested that Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri may have interest in taking on the task of bringing his Midas touch to the Knicks.

You’ll have to excuse my pessimism, but I’m not going to allow them to toy with my emotions yet again.

Let’s be realistic. Why would Ujiri leave Toronto? He brought them a championship. Seems like he has the key to the organization and the city.

Former Knicks guard and current co-host of The Knuckleheads podcast Quentin Richardson told me he doesn’t see the issue as Dolan or Mills, whose record is 167-349 in his time with the team.

“I personally don’t blame it solely on Mills or Dolan. A big part of this whole problem is that for whatever reason, the top-flight free-agent guys don’t wanna go there,” Richardson said. “My take on it is that they have been down for so long that the top guys look at it like if they go there, it’s all on them to bring the title to New York. And from the results, it’s obvious guys would much rather bypass on all that comes with playing for the Knicks.

“Yes, the microscope is there, the spotlight on and off the court and the never-ending media too. The part I feel guys are missing is that if they do go to the Knicks, it’s not just about winning a title. If you go and give those fans in that city all you got and they know you’re laying all you got on the line night in and night out, they will respect you forever! Now, if you do that and win, you’re a made man, period. If you go win with the Knicks, that will be the biggest thing in forever for that city, so that player who is the guy responsible will be MADE.”

Another great point.

But the truth is, Knicks fans are sick of excuses and hearing the multiple reasons that the Knicks aren’t good. We’re tired of rebuilding processes. Fed up with waiting, hoping, wishing, praying for better days. At this point, Knicks fans are not even asking for a return to greatness but at least respectability.

New York is a special place and die-hard New York fans wear our hearts on our sleeves. Don’t believe me? Go up to anyone on the street in New York and ask them what they think of the New York Knicks and you’re sure to receive a long-winded emotional diatribe of frustration, anger, sadness, and more frustration.

Bottom line, whatever is going to happen needs to happen soon. New York is tired of waiting and deserves much better.

I was called the n-word as a player. I was lucky someone heaRd it

The reported accusation that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph directed a racial slur at Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett before their ugly brawl on Monday Night Football takes me back to my freshman season at Syracuse University. I was playing in a game and a white player on the other team called me the N-word. I remember walking away from him after a little tussle, then turning around and rushing towards him the moment I heard it exit his mouth. My teammates restrained me and I managed to get a push and a swing off – that didn’t connect – before I was ejected from the game. 

After my ejection, our assistant coach Louis Orr came to me at halftime and asked me what happened to get me so upset, as it was out of character for me. At the time I was mostly known as being the quiet kid on the team. I remember telling Coach Orr what occurred and him shaking his head and saying that he was sorry that happened and that he would support me – but that I had to think first before I reacted, that I was too intelligent to give anyone that type of power over me and that now I put myself in a position where the media could demonize me the way they do. They can use language like Etan Thomas brutally attacked or violently assaulted or maliciously mauled this poor innocent player and encourage the powers that be to throw the book at me as far as a punishment. You put your fate in their hands, and more times than naught, we will lose that battle. As much as I didn’t want to hear it at the time, Coach Orr was 100% correct. 

Coach Boeheim had a somewhat different tactic when he approached me – but quickly understood that it wasn’t the best time to berate me and quickly backed off. 

However, later on a few of my teammates told me that while they were going through the line after the game shaking hands with the other team, Coach Boeheim said to the player something along the lines of: “You know what you said to my player,  and you were wrong”. 

The newspapers asked me what happened in the locker room and I told them that I shouldn’t have responded the way that I did, but that word should never come out of a white person’s mouth any time for any reason. I added that I didn’t even allow black people to use that word in my presence and with a history as ugly as this country has, it would be disrespectful to my ancestors if I allowed a white person to ever say it. 

Most of my coaches had my back the entire time, but not many other people were willing to believe me until someone in the media who was close to the court verified that they did in fact hear the player call me the N-word. I remember asking Coach Orr why would I need someone to validate my story in order for them to not believe that I was making the entire thing up. And he told me, unfortunately, that’s just the way it works. 

Enter: Myles Garrett.

Garrett made an allegation during an appeal hearing with the NFL on Wednesday that alleged Rudolph called him the N-word prior to their altercation, a claim that Rudolph vehemently denies. Unfortunately for Myles, nobody else is backing his claim or offering him any type of support. His coach didn’t support him the way Coach Boeheim and Coach Orr supported me, at least not publicly. 

Browns coach Freddie Kitchens on Thursday declined to address the incident or his conversations with Garrett regarding the incident.

"What Myles and I talk about stays between Myles and I," Kitchens said. "I'm sure Myles presented himself professionally, like he's done ever since the moment it happened [and] afterward. He's been nothing but professional in his responses.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. 

In addition, none of the players have come forward to support his claim. 

If even one person came forward and said that he heard it would definitely help his case, but for nobody to come forward and support his claim leads a large amount of the public to question the validity of his claim altogether. It doesn’t mean his claims are untrue, but as I learned many years ago at Syracuse, it’s beneficial to have a witness to validate your story.  

Another factor working against Garrett is the question of why he didn’t shout this from the mountaintops immediately after the game? Why wait until a week later to make the allegation during the appeal process? Again, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but the optics are not in his favor.

Not surprisingly, Rudolph told reporters he didn't say or do anything to provoke Garrett or escalate the situation. Although we have all seen the video evidence of what started the altercation and can easily come to the conclusion that Rudolph is far from an innocent victim in this, he maintains that he did nothing wrong. The reality is, we can clearly see that Rudolph was attempting to pull Garrett’s helmet off first and that he started the entire altercation. N-word or not, Rudolph picked a fight and Garrett finished it. And although rumors are swarming that a possible fine could be handed down in the near future, Rudolph hasn't been punished in any way, shape or form to this point and insists that he is completely unaware of any reason for Garrett to react in a violent manner towards him. Garrett asserts that all he wants to do is play football for the Browns and be the best human being he could be. (An exaggeration, but that’s the picture he is painting with his comments.) 

Also against Garrett’s favor, the Steelers issued a statement saying: "Mason vehemently denies the report of being accused of using a racial slur during the incident Thursday night in Cleveland. He will not discuss this accusation any further and his focus remains on preparation for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals."

To pile on even further, Rudolph's attorney, Timothy M Younger told reporters according to ESPN: “In his appeal, Myles Garrett falsely asserted that Mason Rudolph uttered a racial slur toward him, prior to swinging a helmet at Mason's uncovered head, in a desperate attempt to mitigate his suspension. This is a lie. This false allegation was never asserted by Garrett in the aftermath of the game, never suggested prior to the hearing, and conspicuously absent in the apology published by the Browns and adopted by Garrett.

"The malicious use of this wild and unfounded allegation is an assault on Mason's integrity which is far worse than the physical assault witnessed on Thursday. This is reckless and shameful. We will have no further comment."

Naturally, Rudolph’s lawyer is putting a lot of extra on it and earning his fee while addressing the media about his client, but that’s what he’s supposed to do. All the chips are stacked against Garrett. 

To make matters worse, the NFL didn’t budge on his appeal as they “found no such evidence” that Rudolph used a racial slur. They also rejected what was probably a much better argument: that there were no witnesses, the coach didn’t support his claim, and no teammate came forward in support either. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Garrett’s team attempted to use a precedent-based argument pointing to the fact that the NFL's punishment of former Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith in 2013, when he swung a helmet at Richie Incognito of the Miami Dolphins, wasn’t a suspension for the remainder of the season but only a ban of two preseason games and one regular-season contest. In addition, Garrett and the NFL players’ union argued that an indefinite suspension was not legal under the guidelines of the league's collective bargaining agreement. 

So it comes as no surprise the NFL denied his appeal and upheld their original suspension. Doesn’t mean that this didn’t happen. But with no support, no one verifying the story and the coach not backing him, Garrett has painted himself into a corner where he’s placed his fate in their hands. And as Coach Orr told me, more times than naught, we will lose that battle. 

Myles Garrett’s claim that a racial slur prompted his outburst brings back an ugly memory from my career. But as I learned, his fate is out of his hands unless someone backs him up

Colin Kaepernick’s NFL Workout Is A Sham With only one winner

The NFL’s decision to organize a private workout for Colin Kapernick on Saturday in Atlanta is not what it looks like on the surface. Mostly it feels like a guy inviting an old girlfriend to dinner and getting her hopes up at the thought of reconciling when he really has no interest besides ending the relationship on good terms. He wants her to *think* he’s a good guy so she tells all her friends that he isn’t the lying and manipulating pig they all know him to be.

Those were my first thoughts after hearing about the “opportunity” for Colin Kaepernick, who has been out of football for more than two seasons, whiteballed by the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and lethality. 

And, yes, they definitely got his hopes up high as he tweeted:

https://twitter.com/Kaepernick7/status/1194415935890894848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

But upon closer inspection it appears the NFL has made a chess move that Bobby Fischer would admire.

ESPN’s Adam Shefter tweeted that several executives with teams have reached out as a courtesy to Colin Kaepernick’s representatives saying they couldn’t attend Saturday’s workouts, saying they were confused by the NFL’s purpose in scheduling it on a Saturday and on five days’ notice. 

Well, I’m not confused at all. The NFL is fully aware that the majority of teams do not typically conduct workouts on Saturdays, when all the real decision-makers are scouting college players or traveling with their clubs for Sunday’s games. Which is why Kaepernick’s team requested to have it on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, the request was denied. 

The NFL has basically told Kaepernick to take it or leave it, leaving themselves with a no-lose situation no matter how Saturday plays out. Here’s a walk through every scenario.

Kaepernick declines the NFL’s offer of a workout

If Kaepernick refuses to accept the NFL’s less-than-ideal terms, the NFL’s spin will be: We tried to offer him a chance to come back to the NFL, but he declined. We’re not whiteballing him from the league. We would welcome him back with open arms. Look at the great lengths we went to in order to provide him with an opportunity to resume his playing career. We can’t force him to play. We’ve done all we could.

Kaepernick doesn’t perform well during the workout 

The spin will be: While we respect the fact that Kaepernick has a desire to resume his NFL career, the numbers are what they are. He didn’t physically perform well enough to be in the NFL. It would be unfair to the other quarterbacks if we put him in the league despite this poor performance at his workout. He has to be able to have a balance between being an activist, which we all respect, and being able to perform at the level of a professional NFL player. We will do everything we possibly can to further the cause that he raised through our efforts with The Players Coalition (which we generously donated millions of dollars to our Players Coalition social justice program “Inspire Change” and our partnership with Jay Z and Roc Nation to bring actionable items to make a difference. We wish Colin Kaepernick good luck in all his future endeavors. 

Kaepernick doesn’t promise to stand for the national anthem

Saturday’s workout, like most pro day-style workouts, will include an interview session in addition to the on-field workout. Let’s say Kaepernick doesn’t guarantee to teams he will stand for the national anthem.

The spin will be: Well, we wanted to give him a job, but he just was unwilling to convince teams that he wouldn’t be a distraction. Teams want to win football games, and we can’t force them to accept someone who won’t even agree to follow the rules, which clearly state that a player is to either remain in the locker room or stand respectfully at attention for the anthem. We have acquiesced to his right to express himself by giving him the option of remaining in the locker room, against the President Of The United States and our fans who want to see players stand and honor our veterans and respect this wonderful country we live in that affords NFL players to receive million dollar contracts they enjoy. We have done all we could possibly do and apparently, it’s still not enough.

Kaepernick is signed by a team on the condition he never kneels again

What if Kaepernick accepts a contract on the condition he stands for the anthem and never kneels again, as some sources have speculated will be asked of him. Then it will be: This fraud who you have idolized and held up as a hero is nothing but a phony. He was paid by Nike to tell everyone to “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything” but doesn’t follow his own advice. He’s no Ali, he is only about the money. And you will see every Right Wing Conservative commentator across the country run with this narrative as they take their victory laps because they have discredited someone who had become a cultural icon. 

Kaepernick is signed by a team, no strings attached

The spin will be: We, along with the help of our most trusted ally Jay-Z, have been successful at proving to the world that we are truly a league that values black people, black lives and freedom of expression. We are going to continue our plan for progress as we set up concert series across the country with Roc Nation and deliver inspirational messages and actionable items towards a greater tomorrow. By putting this issue to bed, we along with Jay Z and Roc-nation will continue our goal to Make The NFL Great Again.

Like back in the day when Don King would be patiently waiting at ringside to embrace whichever fighter won, jumping into the ring with a big smile and open arms regardless of the outcome, that’s exactly the no-lose situation what the NFL has set up which will in addition extricate themselves from the PR catastrophe they made for themselves. It’s taken three long years to get there, but the NFL’s long national nightmare is over. They win the no matter the outcome. Well played Roger Goodell

The disingenuous decision to organize a last-minute workout for Kaepernick brilliantly creates a

no-lose situation that will extricate the NFL from the PR catastrophe it made for itself. Well played Roger Goodell