The Perfect Disguise

            Have you ever asked yourself exactly how the wealth gap in America became so large? How about the fact that white people have obtained and maintained most of it? Do you believe this was strategical or just strokes of good luck and possible circumstance and/or coincidence? Ultimately, it doesn't matter which one you believe. The facts clearly outline that America the corporation was designed to operate under a capitalistic structure that wasn't meant to include everyone on an equal basis. So what does that have to do with college athletics? Thank you so much for posing that question because I thought you would never ask. Let's examine some recent events in closer detail, starting with the defending National Champions of college football, the LSU Tigers. 

             Recently, this program banned notable alum O'Dell Beckham Jr. Now, I know what you're thinking. It's O'Dell...what a clown...that buffoon got what he deserved...he's always attention whoring and this was no different. You're not entirely wrong, but those thoughts have no bearing on this specific case, so hang with me here. Beckham was banned for joining the team in their locker room to celebrate and pass out money...$2000 in the form of hundred dollar bills to individual players. On the surface, you're probably thinking, "Well of course. That's a violation of NCAA rules." Hold up a second. It's time to open some financial books. On top of his $4 million base salary, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron will receive $500K for 12 regular season wins, $200K for winning the SEC title game, a quarter million dollars for playing in the CFP semifinal, $150K for playing in the national championship game, and another half a million for winning the national championship game. Assuming my math is correct, that comes to an additional $1.6 million he received on behalf of the work completed by the unpaid labor force known as the football team. LSU as an institution also received an additional $6 million for their national title victory. 

            So with those figures in mind, they had the audacity to cry foul at the unpaid labor force (the players...you know those folks whose performances made all this happen) receiving a measley $2000 for their services. Man that sounds a lot like a tradition that used to take place in this country legally and helped to build its foundation. About the only things missing are some chains, whips, a cotton field, and a plantation. Or perhaps the cotton field was just replaced with a football field. In any event...not yet convinced that the NCAA is operating under a slave mentality? Let's continue. Remember a fella by the name of Dabo Swinney? Sure you do...the head coach of Clemson football. The one who's won two national titles within the last five years and really put Clemson on the map as a notable football program. While those accomplishments are certainly impressive, here's where the train goes off the tracks. 

        As a result of his accomplishments and Clemson's last national title, he was rewarded with a ten-year contract extension worth a maximum of $93 million. Shortly after being rewarded with this absurdly princely sum, he proceeds to vehemently speak against the paying of college athletes. To put that in perspective, here's a direct quote on his behalf, "But as far as paying players, professionalizing college athletics, that's where you lose me." Let's pump our brakes there, Dabo! Have you forgotten how you got into position to even remotely be considered for such an amount? How many passes did you complete or catch, how many yards did you gain, how many tackles or interceptions did you make? Don't think too hard wit ya selfish ass because the answer is Z-E-R-O! The players did those things. As the coach, you made a significant contribution, but a contribution doesn't completely equate to the actual performance and execution on the field. With that in mind, it's very clear what you think of your unpaid labor force and what they did for you in terms of getting that contract extension. 

        To your other point about not "professionalizing college sports." In 2019, your very own program raked in $77 million, and that amount was good enough for a number 25 ranking of Division I teams and their overall revenue intake. If $77 million and more ain't enough to convince any reasonable individual that college sports became professionalized a long time ago, they're just being naive or possibly protecting their privilege. At this point, it's impossible to accept a head coach of football or any other sport who just got $93 million to do it speaking against paying the labor force (Who got him that contract) as anything other than modern day slave master rhetoric. Here's a third example that doesn't involve as much money but still carries the same mindset. 

        Last Saturday, likely NFL prospect and Alabama player Jaylen Waddle suffered a season-ending injury in the form of a broken ankle while attempting to return a kickoff. When asked about his injury, Alabama head coach Nick Saban offered up small condolences, but here was the most telling part. "You're not supposed to bring a ball out when you're that deep in the end zone." So, lemme get this straight. The proper response to a player who just broke his ankle playing for free in your program and whose athletic future may now be uncertain is to publicly chastise him for having made the wrong play. That a way to be a leader Nicholas. But then again, you were just showing your true colors and what you really think about your unpaid labor force. 

        As I begin to close out with this piece, allow me to revisit that Swinney fella because his arguable the biggest offender of these three coaches. I'll pose this question. How is Dabo Swinney making millions off the unpaid labor of athletes, a good portion of them young Black men, and using that money to create an exceptionally comfortable life for his family and significant generational wealth any different from the way slavery created a ginormous wealth gap that still exists today between Black and white? What did the athletes ultimately get out of this deal that matched their sacrifice? The potential for serious injury, the waking up at 5 A.M. every day, having your whole day planned for you against your will? Don't let the words "Full ride scholarship" roll off your tongue because it doesn't cost anywhere near $77 million to send entire football and basketball teams to college. What did the athletes get for seeing their jersey sold at the bookstore or mall for $80/piece? The answer is in comparison to what the "Masters" got, the athletes got nothing. They got no way take care of their families or themselves. They got praise for their ability to score touchdowns and slam dunk, but that's about it. How much money did the Fab Five get for having their own sneaker? Pretty sure you know the answer at this point. 

        With all this in mind, it's really no surprise that this system exists. Slavery was entirely too economically beneficial to ever be completely abolished (See 13th amendment). It had to be legally remixed. In finding a way to legally remix it, they found the perfect disguise...college athletics and called it entertainment. And to this day, we stand and cheer for this system that oppresses us while being fooled by its deceptive appearance.  

One Hit Wonder

 

    As I write this, it's been perhaps a month since the Los Angeles Clippers had an epic meltdown reminiscent of the Thunder's 2016 blown 3-1 lead against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Also being up 3-1 over the underdog but highly touted Denver Nuggets, the Clippers managed to deny national and global basketball fans the much anticipated joy of seeing the battle of L.A. for the 2020 Western Conference Finals. For all intents and purposes, that matchup would have been considered the championship for most since it was pretty much an accurate forgone conclusion that the winner would have easily defeated the Eastern Conference champion be it the Celtics or Heat. This conclusion came true as the Lakers went on to easily defeat the Heat in six games, providing LeBron his 4th title, Anthony Davis his first, and the Laker franchise their 17th, tying them with longtime rival, Boston. All of that's well and dandy, but let's reflect on what exactly caused the Clippers (a team predicted by numerous media pundits and alleged analytic experts to win the title EARLY in the season...like TWO GAMES IN EARLY) to fall apart like a cheap suit. 

        The first signs of trouble were their first round struggles against 7th-seeded Dallas. Granted, Dallas had a decent team this season with second-year man Luka Doncic leading the way and Kristaps Porzingis finding his game again. That still doesn't excuse the fact that the Clippers were at one point tied at two games a piece and needed six games to put them away. Given their play in that series, they were actually lucky to not be down 2-0. So, how did a team with such lofty expectations fall so far this quickly? A team that traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, THREE FIRST ROUND draft picks (2022, 2024, and 2026), and two first round picks via Miami for 2023 and 2025 in exchange for simply Paul George. That's not to say that Paul George ain't a bad man on the court (despite his Houdini act for much of the Clippers' playoff run). It is to say that if you give up that much for one player, then you're not allowed to come up short (i.e. the Lakers' trade for A.D. resulting in a title). Let's also not forget the acquisition of two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Combine that dual threat with two quality sixth men in veteran Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell and a future Hall of Fame coach in Doc Rivers, and the Clippers should not only be celebrating their first trip to the Conference Finals, but hanging their first Championship banner as well. 

       Instead, they gave us the Clippers of old. The Clippers of 2015 (a star studded cast led by the trifecta of CP3, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan coughing up a 3-1 lead to Houston). The Q Rich and D Miles era (great highlight reel but not getting it done come playoff time). Again, how did this happen? Revisit the above paragraph towards the end where it talks about the last piece of the Clippers' puzzle. No, not the sixth men duo. Read that part about the future "HALL OF FAME" coach. Read about that fella for whom this is his second time in five years with the same franchise coughing up a 3-1 lead in the semifinals. Read about how in 2003, he was coaching the Orlando Magic and coughed up another 3-1 lead, this time to the Detroit Pistons. So, it's at least somewhat safe to say this is a pattern of behavior for Doc. It's a pattern of behavior that was overlooked given his title run with Boston in 2008 against the Lakers. Adding to that resume is the fact the opposing coach was indeed the G.O.A.T. of coaching, Phil Jackson. He also faced one of the greatest to do it on the hardwood in the Black Mamba (Rest in peace). Anytime you can beat those two guys, the faith in your coaching ability will naturally rise. 

        So, there it is. There lies essentially the sole reason for why Doc was heralded so heavily. We evaluated the lightning he caught in a bottle and crowned him. We considered that 2008 title as compensation for the 2003 meltdown. We also allowed that title to cause us to overlook a few flaws that may have been worth a little more attention. Flaws that included but were not limited to Boston's failure to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone the Finals in 2009 with a semifinal loss to eventual ECF champion Orlando. We believed if he was good enough to go 1-1 against Phil Jackson (with the loss being in 7 games), he surely could be the one to finally get the Clippers past their second tier status in a basketball haven such as Los Angeles. Alas, it was not to be. Despite he and the team being crowned so early, they faltered. As a coach, he failed to check guys like Patrick Beverley and Paul George as they ridiculed Dame Lillard for missed free throws. He failed to adequately address the "Lemon Pepper Lou" situation. He failed to develop the necessary cohesion of a team to keep focused in spite of the pandemic. He failed to emphasize to his team the necessity of keeping their foot on the gas when they had numerous double digit leads on Denver in the middle of the third quarter. He failed to make adjustments for Jokic raining treys like they were layups. He failed to deliver on the expected promise of "The Battle of L.A."

        Within all of these failures, the biggest one was how he failed our expectations. He failed our strong-held belief that he could duplicate the championship magic he showed in Boston during his tenure in L.A. He failed to prove he wasn't a one hit wonder like Timex Social Club or Oran Juice Jones. It is because of these failures combined with the franchise sacrifices and expectations that Doc had to go. As much as it pains me to write those words, it was necessary. Fortunately, he has been given another chance at redemption with the Philadelphia 76ers. While I wouldn't bank on a championship run with that squad, let's at least hope he can do enough on the tail end of his coaching career to not allow those blown 3-1 leads to define him more than his successes. 

The Real G.O.A.T. (Carry over from last year, reflects stats prior to 2019-2020 NBA season)

The Real G.O.A.T.

“You out yo gat damn mind…what you mean Bron is better than M.J.?” shouts one of the men debating a hot topic in sports. “Nah, you out yo mind…other than six rings, tell me what makes Mike better than LeBron,” says the other one. Welcome to a typical day in a black barbershop. A place where endless jokes commonly known as roasting or clowning happen consistently, sports is a daily topic, but most of all fellowship and brotherhood are actively practiced. On this particular day, a popular topic about the possibility of LeBron James being better than Michael Jordan was on the table. 

For some folks, this is a no-brainer in favor of the legendary M.J. For others, it’s just as easy leaning towards LeBron. In a lot of cases, it’s a generational thang. For others like myself, it’s certainly worth noting why the “G.O.A.T.” discussion is often time between LeBron and M.J. instead of M.J. and Kobe, but that’s another discussion for another day. However, despite the generational gaps that exist within the context of the debate, there is a great deal of facts to be placed on the table before deciding either way. It will probably be impossible for me to look at all of them, but allow me to try to get as many as I can. 

We’ve got M.J. at 6-0 in the finals and LeBron 3-6. Each with a Rookie of the year award. M.J. with 6 Finals MVP’s and LeBron with 3. M.J. with 5 seasonal MVP’s and LeBron with 4. M.J. with 10 All-NBA first team honors and LeBron with 12. M.J. 9 All defensive first team honors and LeBron with 5. M.J. with 1 defensive player of the year and LeBron with 0. M.J. with 10 scoring titles and LeBron with 1. M.J. averaged 30 points/game while LeBron through his 16^th season has averaged 27 points/game. As you can see, in most of these categories (save for championships and scoring titles), they are fairly even. 

So the question still remains. Who…is…the…G.O.A.T.? And the answer is….Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Not only is that the answer, it’s actually not even close despite some of the statistical similarities. Let’s go over some of the reasons why. The first one is obvious. 6-0 in championships beats 3-6 all day long. Some will say well LeBron got there 9 times and M.J. only six. Mentioning that doesn’t help LeBron’s case because it highlights the fact he won three less titles with three more chances. Here’s a list of guys M.J. prevented from winning championships. Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton (his sympathy title with the Heat does NOT count), John Stockton, and Karl Malone just to name a few. For good measure, it can also be speculated that Hakeem Olajuwon wouldn’t have hardware either if M.J. hadn’t taken a break to play baseball. 

He also overcame the Bad Boy Pistons (defeating them in a clean sweep in 91 en route to the Bulls first title) and got past those fellas in New York. So, we’ve got the guys he made it past and the ones he prevented from getting titles. Now LeBron’s turn. “King James” allowed the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant to walk around with hardware on their fingers. Granted, the guys I just named are all future hall of famers. However, they are all deemed by most to be inferior in talent and ability to LeBron. I would actually agree with that assessment. It is that assessment which makes his six final losses too difficult to stomach. I probably could have made an allowance for 2007 when he was 23 and swept by a Tim Duncan led Spurs team. Those other five, he must stand accountable for. I can’t recall M.J. ever losing to competition deemed inferior to him. Some will say LeBron brought Cleveland back from a 3-1 deficit to which I respond M.J. never let the Bulls get down 3-1 in the first place. 

While we’re at this, let’s not forget the time LeBron abandoned his “Alpha male” status in favor of teaming up with two all-stars from his same 2003 draft class (Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh), one of whom was a former finals MVP. Like M.J. said, “I never would have teamed up with Larry or Magic. I was trying to beat those guys.” It’s not possible to be the King of the mountain by teaming up with those in your way of getting there. Lastly, when we evaluate LeBron’s physical prowess in comparison to M.J., the game should have been easier for LeBron. That ease should have translated into a better finals record than 3-6 and a decision to team up with one of your rivals. So yes, M.J. is the G.O.A.T. plain and simple. Where I can credit LeBron is that he is the better athlete than M.J. Him being the better athlete is where I believe most people are blinded regarding whether or not he is better than M.J. LeBron is arguably the greatest athlete to ever step on the hardwood (Allen Iverson being one of his strongest contenders). With that said, regardless of what generation you’re coming from, if you want to make a case for someone being better than M.J., neither “King James” nor “LBJ” fit that mold. 

Business as usual

            In this great land known as the United States of America, what do the New England Patriots, Houston Astros, and Christopher Columbus all have in common? Tick tock, tick tock, tick...tock...you guessed it, all three engaged in some form of theft, fraud, and/or CHEATING. Do you know what else they have in common? Correct again. Not a single one of them received anywhere near a fair amount of punishment in correlation to the crime. Hell, Columbus was given a whole holiday and several universities named after him for his theft and genocidal acts. The Pats got a slap-on-the-wrist fine and lost a few useless draft picks despite getting caught twice doing the same bullshit. Lastly, the Astros got to keep their beloved World Series trophy despite knowing exactly every pitch that was coming across the plate in 2017 (and who knows what other years).

            All three got to do this while Reggie Bush forfeited his Heisman, the Fab Five had their banners snatched, and Cam Newton was almost declared ineligible due to a pay for play scandal. Now that we've gotten all of those facts out the way, let's unpack the why behind why certain punishments were handed out, and others weren't. Remember that Italian fella's name I mentioned earlier? You know the one who is celebrated every October for "Discovery of America," but really got lost, stole valuable property that wasn't his, and ravaged an entire nation of people already here? Keep him in mind because terrible as he is, his name is actually central to our other guest, the Houston Astros.

            Okay, so the Space Rangers as we'll call 'em for humor's sake decided they wanted to gain a slight upper hand, and that if you weren't cheating, you weren't trying. No big harm there, right? I mean seriously, who hasn't cheated or at least been slightly deceptive at least a few times in their life? Yeah, I thought so...all hands raised. However, here's the one fundamental difference. How many of us who have done some type of cheating received multi-million dollar contract extensions? How many of us were heralded as rightfully belonging on the top of the mountain of our respective careers? How many of us were portrayed as some kind of borderline hero or true champion? Amazingly but not surprisingly, I don't see any hands raised.

           Awesome, we have now established that cheating in this country only matters if you A-get caught and B-receive some type of handsome reward for your crooked behavior. With that in mind, why are the Astros allowed to keep their title, but the legendary Fab Five's Final Four banners still aren't hanging in Crisler Arena? What is the difference? Is cheating not cheating, and are the penalties not equally applied to all offenders regardless of gender, social class, sexual orientation, or dare I say race? Did you feel that pinch in your spine...maybe your neck? Well for those who did feel it, that was your guilty conscience being activated due to how hard you try to deny that racism is alive and well and will forever remain so. Back to the lecture at hand.

           A group of majority white males playing in a league full of majority white males get caught with their hand ocean deep in the cookie jar and keep the reward they got for their antics. A group of black inner city youth take college hoops by storm, prove the doubters wrong, play an unconventional style of ball, and win everything except a national title have their banners "erased" because one was found to have taken illegal benefits from a booster. Benefits that shouldn't be illegal anyway and speak to the corruption and hypocrisy of the NCAA, but that's another totally different topic that you can explore more in my "Amateur Athletes" article from way back when. Other than the differences I have outlined for you, what else can we use as a point of difference?

         Oh, that's right...there's that pesky fact that only the minority in American wanted to see the Fab Five be successful. The majority wanted to witness their downfall. Since majority of the Astros roster belongs to the "majority," of course they can keep their title. Of course they can be forgiven for this transgression as if it never happened. But can Reggie Bush be given back his Heisman Trophy (even though I always thought Vince Young should have won, but again, another story LOL)? Absolutely not! In this corporation known as the USA, there's absolutely no way a poor black kid from the ghetto can dare to profit from his name and the MILLIONS he generated for the University of Southern California and the NCAA. That young buck better know his place, and it ain't wit his masters in the press box or the back of the limo. It's out there on the field (sound like a familiar place?) entertaining the masses.

        So, why were the Astros not punished in the same way as Reggie and the Fab Five? It's simple. The same reason Brock Turner is walking around free today. The exact concept America is rooted in. WHITE PRIVILEGE. Remember our Italian friend, Columbus? The originator of white privilege. The sole individual who rolled into motion the idea that if I belong to a certain race and/or class, then anything that belongs to others can automatically become mine if I want it to. Think about it, if 528 years later, this country still hasn't seen fit to stop celebrating this ruthless tyrant, why would the powers that be of America's past time see fit to fully punish folks who merely engaged in behavior this country was founded upon?

Return of the Alpha Male

     “Championship, championship, baby!!! LBJ and the Brow in town!! Man, if they get Kawhi, it’s gonna be over!!” These were just a small portion of the quotes I heard from Lakers fans after the completion of the horrendously lopsided trade reminiscent of the 1999 Saints fiasco to acquire Ricky Williams (Genius work Mike Ditka) which sent Anthony Davis to the city of Angels. Then came free agency. At this point, the dysfunctional Lakers became all but completely assured they would be landing current Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. I’m certain LeBron had dreams of having recreated an even stronger Big Three than what he had in Miami with D Wade and Chris Bosh. 

       Wait a minute…stop the presses…a long awaited alert is coming in. Smart phones are waking die hard sports fans up in the middle of the night. Groupme chats are starting back up despite folks having to be at work in the morning. Highly coveted free agent Kawhi Leonard will NOT be going to the Lakers but will still be heading to Los Angeles to rock a Clippers uniform. But wait, the story doesn’t stop there. In supreme silent assassin fashion as only Leonard can effectively accomplish, he successfully recruited Paul George a.k.a. PG-13 from OKC! Who in the hell saw that coming!!? 

       So let’s review what many folks expected versus what we actually have here. Leonard’s departure served as no surprise given his star status and only one year remaining on his contract upon joining Toronto. Given his Southern Cali roots, the allure of L.A. and alleged resurgence of the struggling L.A. Fakers, it was almost a forgone conclusion or maybe a strong desire that Leonard would rock the purple and gold and bring arguably the most historically prestigious NBA franchise back to its long past glory days. That was the expectation. What we got instead was much better. We got COMPETITION! 

         Instead of another LBJ-led trifecta, we got a dynamic duo to match what had been created by the Lakers. Two Southern Cali fellas drafted a year apart versus two stars teamed up in the midst of a trade demand. A significant balance of basketball power in Los Angeles. Another possible title contender. Most importantly, a potential end to the horrendous “Super team era” (Thank goodness!). Perhaps the most intriguing part about Leonard’s decision to join the Clippers is his recognition as someone on par or even potentially better than LBJ. Calm down Bron hive…hear me out before you take that ocean deep dive into that place known as your feelings. 

         Here are some facts and stats. LBJ has three rings, and Leonard has two. LBJ has three finals MVP’s and Leonard has two. Leonard has won with BOTH teams he has either been drafted or traded to. Leonard never had to abandon his ALPHA male status and team up with a former finals MVP (D Wade, Miami Heat, 2006) who was drafted in the same class as him. Also, if not for Jesus Shuttlesworth a.k.a. Ray Allen coming to LBJ’s rescue in 2013, Leonard would be the one with three rings and Bron with two (making his finals record 2-7 as opposed to the unimpressive current 3-6). That would also make not one, but two of those losses against a Leonard led team (2014 Spurs championship against Miami). 

          So, not only do we know this, but Leonard knows this as well. With this knowledge, why would he agree to go potentially be a third option in deferring to one guy who he’s definitely better than and another with whom he is at least on par with? The same way it makes no sense when you review the numbers and say it out loud, I’m sure it made no sense to Leonard and his camp. Given the scenario we have, perhaps fellas will begin to follow suit the same way they did during the Super Team era. Maybe, and this is indeed a stretch, but just maybe we will see a slight resurgence of what we saw in the 80s and 90s NBA. Tons of Alpha Males REFUSING to join forces but willing to battle it out to the very end for the King of the Hill, and may the best man win. Just maybe we will get that nostalgic feeling back. 

H.F.L.

     “And the Oscar goes to….*drumroll*…Halle Berry,” says the announcer while awarding the famous actress for her shamelessly degrading role in Monster’s Ball. Despite the prestige surrounded by such recognition, those who had the great displeasure of witnessing Berry’s performance in that horrendous film, know how undeserving she was of the award. For all you beloved Berry fans out there, don’t worry. She’s far from the only thespian who has some undeserved hardware in their trophy case, but she’s certainly among the top five regarding who is least deserving.

     Now that brings us to the million dollar question. Why? What would actually make people bestow such a prestigious award onto someone whose performance didn’t warrant it? The answer is beyond clear. It’s the same thinking that now has the New England Patriots playing in their third straight Super Bowl against the team they started their dynasty against, the Los Angeles Rams (St. Louis
back in 2001). This is who the powers that be want to be on that platform. This is the storyline they want. In this case, “they” and “powers that be” refer to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and all of his flunkies to include best friend and Patriots owner Robert Kraft (conflict of interest, much?)

     Let’s revisit the details in both of the above mentioned cases. In the case of Halle Berry, she is awarded an Oscar for portraying the whore of a racist correctional officer who hailed racial slurs at her now deceased husband as he was executed. The scene which drives the most disgust is one in where she is blatantly used as a sex object by the officer (Billy Bob Thornton) and consistently hollers out, “Make me feel good.” For those who have seen the film, you know this is drastically different from a traditional love-making scene between two people who express genuine feeling toward one another. This was nothing more than a consensual smut fest reminiscent of the tragic slavery period in which Massa made regular trips to the women’s quarters.

     During Sunday’s conference championship games, the New Orleans Saints were robbed of a chance to win the game by the refs holding onto the flag on a blatant pass interference call. Making this CORRECT call with 1:45 remaining would have resulted in a first down and the Saints’ chance to run the clock down, kick a last second field goal, and punch their ticket to Atlanta. Not making the
call brought up a 4 th and 10 with 1:45 left, a field goal try and enough time for the Rams to tie the game and win it in overtime. Sadly and unjustly, scenario number two played out, and the Rams were unfairly awarded the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

     Now for Belecheat and his crew. The Kansas City Chiefs made what would have been their third interception (and game clenching) interception of the game with 54 seconds left and a 28-24 lead. Sadly, but not surprisingly, a penalty flag was thrown for a neutral zone infraction, negating the interception and allowing Brady and the Patriots to score a touchdown and win in overtime. We
can debate all day long whether or not Dee Ford was in the neutral zone. However, what is not up for debate is that you never make that call in that type of game. You let the players determine the outcome. Furthermore, if the roles were reversed, there is no way in hell that call would be made against the Patriots. I would bet three paychecks on it and make quite the come up, guaranteed.

     So, what do these scenarios have in common? Simple. The outcomes were fixed in order to further an agenda of the gatekeepers. In the first scenario, Berry was awarded the Oscar for being willing to portray a black woman in a role that Hollywood pundits would love to see her in. It’s no coincidence that the original choice for the role (Angela Bassett) read the script and turned it down in the name of dignity. It’s also no coincidence that her being vocal about being robbed of an Oscar in 1993 for her iconic portrayal of Tina Turner garnered her being offered the role in the first place. It was essentially Hollywood saying we know you deserved an Oscar for that piece of work, but we’ll bargain with you by giving you one for trash work instead. No sale.

     In the case of the NFL, we’ve already talked about how Goodell and Kraft are best buddies. The bigger meat and potatoes of these outcomes would be the storylines attached to this Super Bowl matchup. With Los Angeles vs. New England, let’s outline what you’ve got. Longest tenured head coach vs. Youngest head coach of all time, Rams vs. Patriots rematch from 3 February 2002 (17
years ago to the DAY!), a chance for the Patriots dynasty to finally fall against the same team it started against, a chance for back to back NFC opponents to get revenge on the Patriots for previous Super Bowl defeats (Eagles avenging a 2005 Super Bowl loss), a football version of Lakers vs. Boston, a chance for Brady and Belecheat to swindle their way to their sixth ring…need I go on? The
alternative matchups (Saints-Patriots, Rams-Chiefs, or Saints-Chiefs) just didn’t quite give the allure the Hollywood Football league, oh I mean National Football League needs in order to drive its narrative. The closest one of Brady vs. Brees (The two oldest starting
QBs in the league) didn’t give the same flare as the other storylines.

     Ultimately, the same way Hollywood gives preference (and rewards) to how they want to see specific people portrayed, and what way they want to see them portrayed, the NFL i.e. Hollywood Football League operates under that same model. If there’s a better story, or just one that they want to have told, they’re going to find a way to make it happen. One way or another. It’s not until we as the masses decide we will not give our time, money, and ratings to witness work for which the outcomes have already been determined.

Beale Street should be silent

     Where is Beale Street located? Any takers? For those geographically inclined, you most likely believe Beale Street to be located in Memphis, Tennessee. You would indeed be correct. However, for those who saw the most recent film If Beale Street could talk, you may be left questioning your geographical knowledge based on the film’s opening visual stating Beale Street is in New Orleans. The notion of location accuracy is further somewhat complicated by the fact this story takes place in Harlem. Unfortunately, this attempt at metaphorical geography would serve as a preface at the lack of punch this film had to deliver.

     Similar to 2017’s All eyez on me (also a grave disappointment), it starts at the end and shows us a male inmate as the master shot then proceeds to show give us the backstory on how he got there. The problem doesn’t lie in the fact that the film is told in flashbacks, but the lack of character arcs and storyline development. It shows early promise when Tish breaks the news to her family
that she’s pregnant, and they agree to invite “Fonny’s” (her significant other and currently incarcerated lover) family over to break the news. While Tish’s family and Fonny’s Dad are all excited, Fonny’s mother is less than thrilled. So much to the point she actually
curses her grandchild, speaks heavily about Christianity violations, and how Tish is no good for her son. Before her daughters get the chance to echo this sentiment, she is struck down by her husband in a way that momentarily makes the audience feel almost okay with this disturbing act of violence.

     So, we’re good. We’ve got all the characters introduced, and we’ve got a major conflict set up. Fonny’s mother and sisters are set to go to war with Tish’s mom and sisters along with the stronghold by black folks of organized religion. Of course we can’t forget the need to prove Fonny’s innocence and allow him his freedom and ability to provide for his family. Instead of going in that direction
and building on that momentum, we get more flashbacks of how Fonny and Tish met and developed their relationship. In the midst of these flashback scenes, we see the significant struggles with racism, classism, and poverty. We even get to see what led up to Fonny’s incarceration and what he’s charged with. Through constant flashbacks and current prison and lawyer visits, the most exciting thing
that happens to give us hope is the location of Fonny’s accuser. Upon pinpointing her location, Fonny’s Mom visits Puerto Rico to try to convince his accuser to own up to not being sure. Her attempt fails, and we are left wondering what hope there is for all of them.

     Fast forward to the end in which we finally discover that it takes nothing more than an accusation to serve as the burden of proof. Fonny eventually cops to a plea deal and is seen being visited by Tish and his now 1 st grade age son (Kudos to the casting department to be able to find a young man who looked just like him). Credits roll after a medium close up shot of the three of them.
Now for those of you who think I destroyed this film by spoiling it for you, trust me, I didn’t. The film can be simply summed up by this right here: Dude is locked up, and here are numerous flashback images as to why along with the fact that he doesn’t get out and has to take a plea bargain. It’s really that simple.

     As I finish watching the last scene, I can’t help but feel this was an incomplete story. Despite the fact that it does give a conclusion, it’s a conclusion that left out too much of the journey as to how the character(s) got there. One of the key points in writing, especially screenwriting is character arcs. The journey and overall changes a character goes through to transform them into someone completely different by film or story’s end. In the case of Beale Street, Fonny is the exact same person we met two hours ago. The only difference is that his sentence is now final. We saw no further real conflicts or changes. We didn’t get a drastic courtroom scene in which damning evidence in either direction was introduced. We didn’t get a real emotional shift in which the characters think he’s getting out only to find out some technicality. We don’t really get closure on Fonny and Tish’s father joint effort to raise money for his legal defense. Despite the glamorous rewards it may have received, Beale Street left too much on the table to feel like a complete story from beginning to end. Overall, If Beale Street could talk, it should have said way more than it did in its two hour presentation. Otherwise, it should have been silent.