February 16, 2016 by bbgcmac

Race, Responsibility & Basketball Moms on That Spice (Explicit Language)

Those that know me, and those that read me are not surprised to know I am not afraid to confront so called controversial issues. This includes the most sensitive topics concerning politics, race and religion. Those who are closest to me know that I am just as active, aware and nuanced in my living.

When I first started officiating I had long dreadlocks. And as a new official, many of the places I reffed were far away from home. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to travel 40-60 miles away from home for 1 or 2 Jr. high school games. Some games would be in small towns in Southern Illinois or Southeast Missouri. In many cases, I was the only person of color I would see until I was close to home again. Most of those experiences were positive. There were plenty of times I got funny looks. Curious looks perhaps. But I always focused on two things. #1) Doing my job. #2) Being myself. Part of my personality is to have fun with young people. Anytime there is an opportunity for a little laugh, or even a moment to insert some humor, I would do it. It put kids at ease, some who may have not ever had any interactions with a black male. It also made many of the parents, family and fans comfortable too. Often many would walk up to me on the way out and say something like, “Hey ref, I really like how you teach the kids.” Or, “It’s so cool how you interact with them. Thank you.” Those words always encouraged me. This is because I always felt that when it comes to meeting new people, or people who have different backgrounds and experiences, there is an opportunity to connect. As a black man, I always believed it is my duty to be a part of the solution when it comes to race. I know that if I am the one in a few people of color some white people come across, they could never say they didn’t witness a black man of grace and class… and dreadlocks.

Those that know me know that I tend to practice what I preach. I don’t embrace sacred cows. I can praise and support a person 100% in one area, and criticize a behavior of the same person in the next breath. Mostly we are not the sum of one act or two mistakes. There are many opportunities for nuance. We all need to make improvements. And then there are times when right is right and wrong is wrong.

Saturday, while officiating some youth basketball, a group of women walked into the gym and assembled along some bleachers underneath one of the baskets. (They happened to be black) Soon it became obvious which 6th grade child on which team belonged to them. One woman in particular really got into ‘coaching,’ shouting instructions for all to hear. My partner, who was white, (a man I had never met before) called a foul on her preferred team. She shouted to the penalized player that he did nothing wrong and that the official made a bad call. We ignored her.

At halftime he and I discussed the sideline ‘coach,’ and he told the tournament supervisor and myself that on the previous night, the same woman called him a ‘cracker ref.’ We both noticed the smell of marijuana around the entire family where they sat. If I wasn’t going back and forth, I would surely have caught a contact. I told my partner, “She can coach all she wants. No worries there. But if she calls you anything like that this game, she’s going to leave today. And let me tell you up front, you won’t have to say a word. I will take care of it myself.”

We got to the second half of the game and 5 minutes didn’t go by before this woman stood up, and while talking at the kids on the court said, “I don’t give a fuck!” I paused for a moment, a bit surprised at what just flew from her pie hole. I blew my whistle and told the sister she had to go. She started to make a scene stepping towards me. I told her that she was not allowed to stay in the gym while lobbing F bombs in the presence of these children. The supervisor then came over and asked me what was going on. After hearing me he concurred and instructed her to leave. This is when things got really incredible. The woman, in addition to saying that she didn’t have to go anywhere walks up to me and goes on a tirade.

You a punk ass bitch! Yea that’s right I said it. Whats up? *Walking towards me. (I smiled at her but held my ground.) That’s right you and your momma a punk ass bitch. You can suck my dick you bitch ass motherfucker! (I smiled more waving my hand as she walked slowly backwards to the exit) You and your momma can suck my dick! Bitchass! You too! (talking to the supervisor) I’ll be back motherfuckers!

*** And here I was thinking that weed made you more lax, not psycho! She must have been smoking that spice or something!

After all the madness we finished the game. Many parents came up to me and thanked me for ridding her from the premises. It’s as if they were waiting for someone to step in and remove this cancer of presence. They said she disrupts the games every weekend. The coach of the team she favored asked to speak with me privately. He thanked me profusely. Said it embarrasses him as a coach as well as her son who has to put up with it in front of his teammates.

The supervisor of the gym (who happens to be white,) and who happens to be a friend, felt comfortable enough to say to me, “And people wonder why there are problems sometimes between blacks and whites.” Though the fan could have been any color, I knew what he meant. She exemplified every single negative stereotype known to man about black people. What I told him was this however, “This is the bigger point. As I told my partner, he wasn’t going to have to deal with her if she acted a fool. I would. This is all I ever ask of white people. When they see their own acting out a certain way, handle it! Don’t leave me out there by myself. I’ll stick up for you when you are right. She wasn’t going to be able to say, “the white cracker ref” did anything to her. I need that same support. So stick up for me when I’m right even if others who look like you may think you’re wrong!” (Cause her entire family mother-fucked me on the way out the door.)

I’m glad my supervisor and friend had my back this day.

February 15, 2016 by bbgcmac

Don’t Cry for Him Judge Scalia? Conversations and Conflicts of a Judicial Tyrant

Sitting at my computer I got a notification on my phone. I opened it and said, “Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Found Dead in His Home.” The moment was surreal. Kind of like the moment I learned Natalie Cole had died. For me it just came out of nowhere. Mouth wide opened I took my phone to where my wife was sitting and just showed her the screen. She hesitated as well with a look of, “like for real?”

The next thing I told her that as the members of the GOP find out what we just learned, they will be scrambling as hard as they ever have in order to come up with a talking point about the open position on the court that President Obama has 11 months to fill. “Make no mistake. There are emergency meetings and conference calls being set up we sit here to orchestrate a plan. For them the timing couldn’t be worse. They are going to block whomever he nominates.

Within minutes my wife and I went to dinner. By the time we started to eat I saw that Mitch McConnell had demanded that the POTUS not nominate anyone in Scalia’s seat and that if he did, they would block the nomination. By the time the GOP debate in South Carolina began, the message had been repeated a thousand times. I started posting my own views on social media.

You know how after every mass shooting republicans never want to talk about gun control? They say things like, “We haven’t even had the funerals yet and here you are trying to politicize this tragic experience.” It’s not like they ever want to talk about it regardless of how much time goes by. But I digress. I expressed that the man’s body isn’t even cold yet and here they are politicizing his death. I expressed that right wing conservatives don’t care anything about Scalia. They only care about what he stood for and what he represented. They cared that he reinforced their beliefs and helped solidify laws that crushed black people, poor people, gay people, and women. Their court appointed ace in the hole, their god who brought vengeance on anything that wasn’t rich, Christian and Caucasian was suddenly and without warning taken. And now just a few hours from him being put in a morgue, the right wing establishment is devouring their god like he’s high priced steak and lobster.

In the midst of this I became fascinated with my own response to finding out Scalia was dead. Unlike Natalie Cole death, I wasn’t at all sad. I felt some kind of joy about it. I’ve had a secret list of 3 people who I’ve said to myself, ” I won’t wish death upon them. But if they die, I won’t be mad.” Scalia happened to be on that list. And no I won’t write the others. 98% of me rejoiced that this tyrant of a man won’t be able to ruin anymore lives, or do any more damage than he’s done beyond previous judgments that the rest of us will have to live with. 2% of me felt kinda bad for the 98%. Because I am a person who is full of love and compassion, it seemed a tad bit unsettling that I rejoiced. I could never see Scalia, a man who loved himself perhaps more than any other Supreme Court judge in history actually retiring. Death was the only way out.

mitch

As I posted short commentaries on Scalia’s court decisions and the GOP’s hateful responses to Obama’s presidency once again, I waited for reactions from people who may agree or disagree with my observations and opinions. I wondered especially if any of my African-American friends were experiencing the same inward duality that I was. Black folk in general are raised not to celebrate ones death. No matter how evil that person is or was. My guess is that’s related our faith and history in Christianity. It hasn’t been often in my lifetime that a significant oppressive figure had passed on. I know well the history of assassinations against progressives. I know of state sponsored murders of people who fought for freedom for me and those who look like me. But when was the last time a figure whose name is so polarizing for black people been so suddenly and permanently removed… even naturally?

I sent text messages to a few friends of mine. “Dude, Scalia is dead!” One wrote back, “I see. Sad.” I responded, “Sad for who? Not us!” He responded that loss of live is loss of life. He did not agree with Scalia judicially or politically. We exchanged a few more sentences and phrases. But one of the things I mentioned is that if I did not grieve for Osama Bin Laden when he met his end, how could I grieve a man who has spent his life’s work attempting to destroy every piece of equality and progress we’ve fought to achieve? It was only a couple months ago when Scalia said in open court that black people needed to go to lesser and slower schools because we were too stupid to function in the ‘big ones.’

As custom, it’s natural to speak good of any figure who holds such a prestigious position. People have described him as brilliant, colorful, a legal giant. I wouldn’t use those words. But I’m not the only one.

Tim Wise put it this way: While I revel in the death of no one, I cannot abide the hagiographic nonsense that is presently being offered by persons across the spectrum about how Scalia was “passionate” and brilliant, ad infinitum. There is nothing brilliant about putrescence, nothing insightful and worthwhile about venality posing as insight. To say that there is nothing unconstitutional about executing innocent people (as he did in fact say), or that it’s OK to imprison persons for “gay sex,” among other things, is never the work of a genius no matter the big words and poetic flair with which they might say it. Those opinions are evil, vile and worthy of utter derision. They are not the work of a genius, but a fetid little man whose moral calibration slouched towards those of Torquemada and the Inquisitors. I feel for his family and mourn their personal loss. And that is the extent of my mourning, as it is the only type of which one such as this is deserving.

More on Scalia’s legacy in this link:

Perhaps some may think my Bin Laden comparison was a stretch. Though I could argue judicial terrorism on blacks, women, gays and poor people, I can bring it closer to home. If I lived during The Civil War, would I mourn the death of Robert E. Lee? How about Jefferson Davis? These people fought to keep my people in bondage. If Scalia had the wherewith while he was here, whose to say he wouldn’t bring back slavery? I can easily see him saying, “If the Founding Fathers wanted slavery to end, they would have indicated this in the text. Since they didn’t, I don’t see anything unconstitutional about it remaining in tact.”

I discussed some of this on social media with a very well respected minister Traci Blackmon. She is as progressive and courageous as Christians go. She expressed via her Facebook page; “Tonight I offer prayers for the family of Justice Scalia. He was not a friend to me or my people. But he is still God’s child.” As I write this it has 430 likes. Some talked about his children and the devastation they must be feeling. Others were less than sympathetic. One person’s response in particular touched on my earlier thoughts: “Yes I know. I felt guilty and unChristian like to have no sadness in his passing, almost a glimmer of happiness. I checked myself and voiced it. But there it is.” Another responded, “What an example of God’s grace. Thank you for helping me check my own internal feelings. I did not wish him ill, but I am delighted he’s no longer on the bench. I pray that our next justice will have more compassion and understanding.”

Ahhh see where I’m coming from? What is to say the original sentiments were wrong? Is it possible that it’s natural to delight in the death of your oppressor and not at all unrighteous? If it is righteous, would I care to pray for the family now that he’s dead? Does it matter what his family thought of his work? Did the Jews say prayers for Adolph Hitler’s family members after he died? Did my Christian parents and grandparents believe it properly pious to pray for the family of Alabama Governor George Wallace after he died? I understand that THEY were not the ones siccing vicious attack dogs on us and spraying us with water hoses while authorizing police to savagely beat us in the public streets.

Where exactly is the line of demarcation? As I told Traci, I just don’t know. Proverbs 11:10 says, When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

Regardless, I know what the right wing establishment feel. Not only will they hold Scalia up as a hero of epic proportions, they want to do everything in their power to replace him with one just like him if not worse. Someone who hates me, my wife, my mother, my kids, my grand kids. Hoping and praying that this doesn’t happen is not something I am conflicted about at all.

SCOTUS Blog on Recess Appointments to the Supreme Court

February 5, 2016 by bbgcmac

Fool Me Once… How Maurice White Got A #1 for EWF and ‘Dabbed’ on Barry Gibb!

I won’t go on and on about how much of a genius Maurice White, the original front man for Earth Wind and Fire was. We all know this, right? Not to be missed he was also an astute businessman! Here is just one example:

The year was 1977. A film was being made and produced called, “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band.” This film would be based on a rock opera as told through songs created by The Beatles. An all star cast was assembled full of music artist, rock bands and Hollywood’s acting royalty, including. Peter Frampton, Aerosmith, Billy Preston, Alice Cooper, Steve Martin, George Burns, and at the time the hottest group of the year The Bee Gees; still blazing from their successful blockbusting soundtrack from the film “Saturday Night Fever.” Each recording artist was to remake and perform a Beatles song as part of the movie.

Earth Wind and Fire were asked to be a part of the project as well. But Maurice White was not amused or interested. Many in the industry didn’t understand why. Music in movies were lightening in a bottle. In addition to Saturday Night Fever, the producer for Sgt. Pepper, Robert Stigwood, was also working on another blockbuster hit in, “Grease,” starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John as it’s main characters. Michael Shultz was brought on as director. Shultz had directed dozens of top grossing and cult followed projects such as, “Car Wash, “Which Way Is Up,” “Greased Lightening” and “Cooley High!” Easy decision. Right? Wrong.

Earth Wind and Fire (EWF) had already played in a movie previously called, “That’s The Way of the World.” It starred Harvey Keitel as a record company executive. EWF portrayed fictionalized characters of themselves, a struggling group trying to get a record produced and released. The movie however, how can I say this… ummm it sucked! Like it was really bad! Even Keitel says it’s the worse movie he’s ever done till this day. In spite of that, Columbia Records’ release of the LP by the same title became one of the group’s biggest signature records. White was not about to put himself or the group in a position where the possible failure of a movie could hurt the sales of EWF’s music and brand. It was Paul McCartney’s persistence that convinced White to take on the project. He encouraged Maurice to do the song HIS way. He had 100% autonomy. The chosen record was, “Got To Get You Into My Life,” from The Beatles 1966 album, “Revolver.”

Maurice got to work on the vocal arrangements and the brass sections performed by the, “EWF Horns,” played by members Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Michael Harris and Rahmlee Michael Davis. He obsessed over every detail convinced it had to be a hit. When McCartney heard the finished product he absolutely loved it! It was a great tribute but done in true EWF fashion. Basically it would become and Earth Wind and Fire song, not merely a remake.

After the movie was completed, cast and production members were allowed to see a pre-screening. All of the music was to be kept secret from the public until the company promoted the movie and the soundtrack. After the viewing, Maurice wasn’t just devastated, he was pissed off. This movie was bad. Really really bad! (Not again!)

Not to be defeated, White had a few months to work with before this colossal failure of a movie was to be released. Though Stigwood’s record company (RSO) had the rights to the soundtrack, Maurice via EWF still had rights to the song through Columbia. Maurice, confident he had a hit on his hands arranged for Columbia to release the record as a single several weeks before the movie debuted. Since EWF was not releasing new material that year, they attached “Got To Get You Into My Life” on, “The Best of Earth Wind and Fire Vol. 1″‘s album. To his delight the single shot to #1 on the Soul Singles Chart and #9 in the Hot 100. As he predicted, “Sgt. Pepper,” the movie bombed. So did the soundtrack. Since I was a Bee Gees fan, at the age of 11 I caught a city bus to Scottsdale Mall in South Bend, Indiana to see the movie. After falling asleep during this debacle, I walked out of the theater dazed and confused.

Meanwhile as Maurice White smiled all the way to the bank with yet another hit single, Barry Gibb, lead singer of The Bee Gees seethed! He called the pre-release of the single a double cross. Why? Because in spite of the other artist in the movie, the main focus of the characters in were on the Bee Gee brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice. Since the movie flopped, nobody looked down on Aerosmith or EWF. They were looked at like co-stars. The backlash was solely on The Bee Gees! Barry refused to ever speak to White again.

There are many stories of great times, sex, drugs, debauchery, back stabbing and money disputes in the music industry. This is by far one of the shrewdest moves and funniest stories I have ever heard.

Maurice White, Thank you for the music. It will last forever!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJPWXq6b1fA

January 31, 2016 by bbgcmac

Why I Could Never Again Be a Christian in America

First clarifying a couple things:

I dislike or hate people of Christian faith: To the contrary. My mother is a Christian woman who’s faith shapes everything she is about. She is a loving, wise, and generous soul. Of the many times we talk, rarely does a conversation end without her talking to me about prayer. She says often that, “God hears your prayers, son.” She doesn’t say that like, ‘God hears everyone’s prayers.’ It’s one of those, ‘you have a gift and because your heart is good, God hears you,’ kinds of things. Many of my close relatives, friends and social heroes are Christians. Coming from a Christian background myself, there was a time when I based everything I lived on what I was taught within it. If only I had a dollar for every time I was told I was going to be a preacher!

I am not an atheist: I am a believer in evolution by the truest definition. There is easily accessible evidence that people and nature evolves and has been since the beginning. No way in hell do I trust that all that is glorious and magnificent in the universe is random. It’s simply unintelligent to witness science, which is also merely discovering what is already, be fascinated by the wonders of what we could never duplicate, witness how nature and the world works together to sustain order and still somehow arrogantly believe it’s all by chance. What I tend NOT to believe however, is that if we were to somehow be privy to the genesis of the universe, the answers would revolve around a religious mandate. In other words, I don’t believe the Architect, if you will, would be obsessed with him/her/itself. “Hey guys, its all about ME! Worship ME! Sing about ME! Pray to ME! Want rewards? Come to ME! Avoid destruction? Come to ME! ME ME ME! Anytime there is an obsession with the WHO of God, there is by extension a narrow distinction which separates and isolates those who are not within that same group. Basically it’s a group of people saying they have the market cornered on the WHO, and if you don’t accept their version of this entity, you are doomed for all eternity.

I’m courageous enough to ask critical questions and live within the journey as things unfold. My faith tells me that anything I need to know to live my best life in this world is available to me. This world is the only one I am present in and therefore assuredly accountable to.

With that, there are many schematic reasons why I cannot embrace Christianity. But I am not going to quibble with theology, dogma or doctrine. My frustration is simply the wildly selective, inconsistent, hypocritical and vile display of all the worst in human nature that cuts against every basic principle taught by Jesus himself. Though this is nothing new, specifically as it relates to Christian Conservatism. I remember going to church during George W Bush’s re-election campaign. The pastor of a local church here in St. Louis, named Raphael Green said, “I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. But as a Christian you shouldn’t vote for anyone who is for killing babies.” – Translation – Vote for Bush. Nothing wrong with being anti-abortion. But being pro-life in all phases of humanity is consistent with the teachings of Christ. It is now as it was then that Christians tend to care a helluva lot about the unborn, while caring little for the child who has ventured past the womb. During that election cycle the church by in large took the position that the areas of abortion, gay rights and school prayer were the only issues that really mattered when choosing a given candidate.

I look at today’s embracing of Donald Trump by Christian Conservatives now as,”the more things change, the more they stay the same”. The reality is that those Trump supporters who carry Christianity as a banner are race and religious separatists. These are the same people who hate Barack Obama with all of their hearts.

Let’s look at Mr. Obama (regardless of politics). Married to one woman; faithful husband and father of two daughters, has brought no scandal to the White House whatsoever during his 8 years in office. His daughters are stellar and controversy free! Christians should love them for modeling ‘traditional’ family, right? No. Their lives as a witness never stopped Evangelicals from railing against him at every turn. Never did they stand up to birthers who questioned the president’s citizenship. Christians refused to acknowledge the President’s own claim to the Christian faith. According to Pew Research Center, 70% or Republicans are white evangelicals. 80% of Mormons are Republicans. According to The Hill, 43% of Republicans still believe the POTUS is a Muslim. These evangelicals have never embraced President Obama on any subject matter. There were even preachers who hate him so much they had the nerve to say God hates him, and even prayed for his death! Imagine that! I never heard the Christian Right criticize this or other ministers who used their pulpits in churches as platforms for attacking the president’s character and at times calling for his literal execution (from White or Black preachers). Meanwhile, unemployment numbers are down to record lows. The stock markets rose to epic levels even after the deepest recession in decades in 2008.

Now let’s look at Donald Trump. The Donald, a serial adulterer, who publicly flaunted his new women while being married to the old ones. He had a child with #2 while being married to #1. He ‘joked’ that if Ivanka wasn’t his daughter, he would sex her up as well. Not a big deal?

But let’s put Barack Obama in Trump’s shoes and then tell me if the person who takes this point of view is going to feel the same. Trump claims to be Presbyterian, but openly admits that he has never and will never ask God for forgiveness regarding anything. This eliminates him from the possibility of being a Christian according to Christian teaching.

“Why do I have to repent, why do I have to ask for forgiveness, if you are not making mistakes? I work hard. I’m an honourable person. I have thousands of people who work for me. I have employed tens of thousands of people over the years.” – Trump on Anderson Cooper 360 July 2015

This dude is so biblically inept that he blamed his ‘Two Corinthians” comments on the Evangelical Minister Tony Perkins who gave him his talking points for his speech at Liberty.

“Tony Perkins wrote that out for me. He actually wrote out the 2, he wrote out the number 2 Corinthians. I took exactly what Tony said, and I said, ‘Well, Tony has to know better than anybody.'”

Militarily, Trump criticized Arizona Senator John McCain for ‘getting caught’ as a POW. Of McCain he said, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” He refuses to attend a debate because Megan Kelly is a moderator, saying he’s going to raise money for wounded veterans. I wonder why? I would think he would be more approving of veterans who didn’t get shot or wounded from IADs. The reality is, he doesn’t want to be a part of any situation where he does not control 100% of the narrative. All of this and yet… he is the leading GOP candidate among American Christians.

I was watching CSPAN the other morning. The subject for the open phone section was for Conservative Christians as to whether they were voting for Trump or Ted Cruz. Most all of them chose Trump. The moderator asked a few of the callers if they believed Trump was a Christian. One lady said she believes he is. When the moderator talked about how he didn’t feel the need to ask for forgiveness, she said, “I know. He’s still a Christian in my heart.” WTF???? I guess its the way he mocked a mentally disabled journalist that was indicative of the character of Jesus.

When asked about Trump’s comments about having so much support that he could shoot someone and still not drop in the polls, another Christian caller laughed it off and said it was funny. When asked about Trump’s 3 wives and history of infidelity, another Christian caller said, “As long as he keeps it with women!”

This isn’t just for white Christians either. A plethora of Black Conservative Christians that came out the wood-work early on slobbered all over Trump for his money. They tout his business savvy in spite of several bankruptcies. When questioning that logic they say, “Well he just took advantage of the system the way it’s set up.” Not quite like calling him a welfare businessman or predicting he would be a food stamp president as Newt Gingrich called President Obama. I wonder if these people know that ultimately the tax payer picked up the tabs for these business decisions that put thousands out of work? Now these Christians who criticized Obama for being ‘ungodly’ after almost a decade when confronted with Trump’s shenanigans, all of a sudden say they are electing a president and not a pastor. The hypocrisy revealed by irony has been on warp speed in 2015 and the start of 2016.

trump-traditional-marriage

The Trump phenomenon is just an example. The rest of the Christians favor Ted Cruz. This is a man who’s father tags along with making statements like, “What many people don’t understand, is the fact that Obamacare was actually put in place to act as a bridge for ISIS terrorists. A bridge that’s supposed to enable them to come here illegally and pose as doctors who allegedly want to help. And that’s not surprising, considering the fact that fewer and fewer doctors in our country are actually Caucasian, which is something Obama is well aware of, hence Obamacare as his weapon of choice. Do you understand what I’m saying? Our president is actually helping terrorists come to this country and not only that, he has created a permanent way for them to be able to wreak havoc all across America.” Ahh, just let that sink in a moment!

I’ve talked to some of my black and white conservative friends about this subject. Most of them are so blinded by their hatred of abortion, and same sex marriage, all the other scriptures regarding love, truth, justice and righteousness seem irrelevant. For instance:

Mass Incarceration: These are the numbers for the federal prison population increase for mostly low level drug offenses:

1990 – 64,936

1995 – 100,958

2000 – 145,125

2005 – 187,394

2010 – 210,227

For states the total is well over 2 MILLION! In most of these states prison is privatized and in addition, these institutions are guaranteed by the state to have a certain percentage of inmates. Where is the church on this?

We have a water crisis of epic proportions in Flint, Michigan. This was caused by men who decided that poisoning an entire mostly minority and impoverished community was suitable. Where is the outcry from the church regarding how Jesus said that how you treat the least of them is how you treat him? I remember when Pastor Marvin Winans, in Detroit, refused to baptize a young woman’s child because the woman had the baby out of wedlock! Won’t hear a word from him on this! Black ministers are the worst for being fixated on material things, building mega churches and flying in private jets. If you held your breath waiting on them to speak on other issues like what Michigan’s governor did to residents in Flint, you would pass out.

I’ll tell you some of the reasons why they won’t say a word.

They are bought and paid off. These ministers make much of their money by networking with other ministers. They don’t want to jeopardize those relationships and compromise future earnings from speaking engagements and perdiems.
White Evangelicals have defined the metrics for what is moral vs what is ‘just the devil, and is therefore ignored.’ While they railed against gay rights and abortion at the turn of the century, they ignored the lies by a previous Christian president (Bush) that got us into war, murdered tens of thousands Iraqi civilians and mentally destroyed thousands and thousands of US servicemen and women. Clearly for them God only moral emphasis deals with who has sex with whom, and whether women keep the babies they are impregnated with, even if they are raped. Many black ministers were given their biblical points of emphasis and marching orders by their white counterparts. Since these white ministers are the majority that provide the gateways to get wealth, they close their eyes and ignore the obvious.
Tribalism: Like most other religions, there is an US vs THEM state of mind. If you’re not in the group, there is reticence to ask serious question and challenge any thought that doesn’t already support the status quo. When 5 Americans were released from Iran recently, one of my Facebook friends only mentioned Christian pastor Saeed Abedini’s release as ‘an answered prayer.’ In other words, to hell with them other dudes. I guess they’re just lucky or got to roll on the pastor’s coattail.

I’ve had conversations with black ministers. There is only one that I know who agrees with me. The others tell me that I am using my intellect too much. When I challenge their ideas of traditional marriage with facts about the historical precedence of marriages being arranged for money, class, and inheritance, or how the god in the bible never challenged men who had multiple wives, even Solomon who had 700 of them along with 300 extra concubines, they say I am rejecting the word of God with my rebellious logic. When I ask them which sex hermaphrodites should choose and who are they to marry, I get nothing but a dismissive smirk. I’m sorry, but I just cannot accept this American Western civilization’s version of morality and base my life on it. I cannot suspend serious questions just to make it into their heaven. I cannot suspend critical thinking for the sake of the fear that I won’t have fire insurance. I cannot live in a bubble that ignores police brutality, and mass incarceration, while denying climate change. I refuse to submit to a theology influenced and based on (that continues to be filled with) White Supremacy.

The Black church, while never perfect, used to be about something. Going back to the 50s and 60s, ministers like Martin King would use his influence to force those in government to hear the issues of the poor, those who were discriminated against and so forth. In the tradition of Moses they echoed they cried, “Let my people go,” when those at the bottom were being trampled upon. Today’s preachers just want to be in Pharaoh’s house. They want to rub shoulders with him and speak of his great virtues. “He’s a billionaire and knows how to make money!” They have become concerned with prestige and profits instead of being prophets. These days far too many black churches have allowed themselves to be spiritually manipulated into fighting culture wars. I’ve had to debate black Christians who have defended Kim Davis for breaking the law of the Supreme Court. And yet Kim Davis would never ever stand up for them if they were profiled and shot dead unjustly by police. She doesn’t desire to worship and associate with black Christians. Think about it. THE most segregated hours in America remain on Sundays between the hours of 10:00 am and Noon.

Martin Luther King Jr., with the Rev. Ralph Abernathy (center) and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, defied an injunction against protesting on Good Friday in 1963. They were arrested and held in solitary confinement in the Birmingham jail where King wrote his famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”

Can you imagine Martin King, Fred Shuttlesworth and Ralph Abernathy caping up for Trump, Cruz, and Huckabee over same sex marriage, abortion and guns?

Encouraging enough, some of my Christian friends praise me for my stances and the challenges I bring to their thought process. More of them pay attention to my social media posts than I ever imagined, though they rarely make it publicly known. I appreciate that. My goal is only to provoke thinking and searching. If something is true, it will continue to be true after further investigation. If it’s not, one should strive to grow beyond remaining in a comfortable lie. It was very difficult for me to walk away from that which I knew my entire life. But I am thankful to have the courage to ask questions and not be afraid of the journey. The problem with religion is that it doesn’t trust people with that journey. It has to tell us what to do and how to find God it’s way. It sets the perimeters and doesn’t allow for any personal discoveries. It’s controlling. I’ve always said that if technology progressed like religion, we would still be riding camels and horses. We certainly wouldn’t have computers and smart phones. Technology is growing by leaps and bounds simply because of a hunger and thirst to learn more and reach for the possibilities. And yet everything we are supposed to know about The Divine and our own lives has been completed hundreds of years ago? I appreciate the United Church of Christ for their slogan, “God is still speaking.” It gives us hope. **Shout out to Rev. Tracie deVon Blackmon, a real 21st Century warrior and an excellent example of the teachings of Christ!

I am for a faith that is concerned with promoting all that is good, that speaks out against all wrongs without any sacred cows. A faith that isn’t too afraid to think, question, challenge and grow from it’s evolution. A faith that loves justice, grace and kindness. If all this Evangelical Jesus cares about are the things they emphasize, as Curtis Mayfield once said, “If there’s hell below, we’re all gonna go!”

July 8, 2015 by bbgcmac

NBA Defenders and Pretenders, or the Saga of DeAndre Jordan

So DJ has changed his mind about leaving the Clippers, and the players are acting like The Church of Scientology refusing to leave his house till he can sign… Mark Cuban is the Biggest Loser.

This is such a fascinating story! DJ should have never had to even contemplate leaving LA. NEVER! Fact is, Doc Rivers’ lack of leadership in controlling the CP3 narrative wasting time trading for Lance Stephenson and bringing back 150 year old Paul Pierce shows his lack of competence as GM. Doc should have squashed this a long time ago. He let’s CP3 do whatever the hell he wants in spite of the fact that the dude has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

So, DJ is courted by Cuban, Paul is on a banana boat with two cats who have rings and another that don’t, while his defensive player of the year/shot blocking/rim protector extraordinaire rides on horseback down the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, every hoop fan in America clearly understands that the underachieving Clippers are about to be the Indiana Pacers of the West; and it takes the only sane person in the organization, JJ Reddick to call Doc out saying that his off season performance as GM was an F- to get their attentions?

Perhaps Steve Ballmer had one of his aneurysms and Doc saw his rep flashing before his eyes. Lose DJ, ain’t nobody buying the Doc hype no more. Hell Blake will be out after a couple years and the Clips will be the 76ers tanking up looking for the next Danny Manning… and being the Lakers’ bitches just like the Sterling years.

Now why in the hell do I know this and I’m just a dude on the keyboard?

I feel kinda bad for DJ. The man just needed a little love and he deserved it. If Paul were the leader he acts like he is, he would have balanced some of that bitchery with some tenderness knowing that DJ bust his ass every night and makes Paul’s life easier than it ever was in New Orleans. But naw instead of tending to his team’s business he out there riding Lebron’s jock. – Like ya’ll equals or something. Hell Lebron got his thing together in Cleveland. He got Kevin Love before he bolted. He got Tristian Thompson about to get paid! He got Mo Williams… he can ride the damn boat!

THIS is why the Clippers still won’t beat the Warriors or the Spurs. They are merely delaying the inevitable.

August 20, 2014 by bbgcmac

A Twist of Process, or Why We Don’t Trust Them

“Mark Geragos (CNN contributor) is going in about the results of this autopsy! It doesn’t sound good for the cop’s argument!” That’s what my wife yelled to me as she sat in the living room, and I in the basement. We were both watching different news stations as they covered the events in Ferguson and the case for Michael Brown vs. Officer Darren Wilson. I said to her, “Well that may mean something to The Feds.”

“What?,” she questioned. “Well, (I elaborated), federal officials are the only ones who would seek to use such information as a means of why they should or shouldn’t prosecute. Certainly The County isn’t. They aren’t looking to seriously investigate a case that would hurt Wilson regardless of any facts.” Then it hit her… “Oh yea,” she said.

This conversation brought to bear the inward struggle that many of us are facing in the midst of this ‘investigation’ and ‘waiting for all of the facts’ to come out from the state. You see if Michael Brown had shot officer Darren Wilson under any circumstances whatsoever, he would have been arrested at the very least. He wouldn’t be home receiving a pay check with enough benefit of the doubt by authorities to keep Al Capone out of court for tax evasion. There wouldn’t be cries from authorities telling his family, friends and supporters to calm down, and wait for the investigation; all while strategically releasing information to defame the officer’s name and reputation. There would not be a militarized police presence in Wilson’s neighborhood telling angry residents to go home, shut up or be pelted with rubber bullets and smothered with tear gas. There wouldn’t be tanks in Wilson’s neighborhood. There would be no photos of white friends of Wilson’s holding their hands up in surrender while several officers point automatic rifles at them. No, in essence what we have if a reversal of fortune, a twisting of the process. Those who are supposed to advocate for the death of an unarmed man and his family, are in reality doing the total opposite. They are working 24-7 to convict Brown of being a menace to society; A worthless thug worthy of at least 6 bullets including two to the dome for simply existing. They don’t see Michael as a young man with a future ahead of him, on his way to college. They see him as a wretch to their America; a nuisance to be tolerated only when totally necessary. After all, they can no longer legally be enslaved and they can’t be made to go back to Africa. What an inconvenience.

This sobering reality came crushing down to my wife as she pondered the thought. Not that she didn’t realize it before. For there is still something inherent in black folk that says, “If the evidence is there ‘they’ will pursue it and “they” will follow it where it leads. They have to!” That county prosecutor Bob McCullough would actually do the job of pursuing the truth in the shooting of Michael Brown. Alas it is not to be. McCullough, the man who publicly scorned Governor Nixon for replacing his merry band of trigger happy police officers, the man in charge of leaking information condemning the 18 year old dead kid, is in charge of the evidence presented to a secret grand jury as opposed to public preliminary hearing.

As we talked more about the predicament we find ourselves in, we discussed our Caucasian friends, some who happen to be conservative and their reactions to what they are witnessing since August 9th. As events have passed and information has been revealed, they have conferred with us to tap our hearts, to get our perspectives. They see us as people who lean to what we believe is right regardless of one’s ethnicity. She explained in this case some of our Caucasian friends seem to vacillate between, ‘Maybe the cop was wrong,’ and ‘Gee he may have been justified. They are struggling with admitting that a police officer could actually be a sinner and do something sinful while in uniform. That he could have biases, prejudices, and that he would act them out in the line of duty. I told her that is absolutely the truth, but equally true is that people who feel this way also have a difficult time believing that the black people who are victims of these cops are legitimate people, citizens who are worthy of such considerations. The first is easy to get them to admit to, the second, no so much. But in uplifting the cop’s moral standing in one’s mind, you must downgrade the target of his affliction. Can’t have one without the other.

Much has been made of the military-like presence with the police. Some dress in fatigues as if they are in Fallujah and many have removed their name tags so that they couldn’t be named if they themselves commit crimes against the citizens. Are they attacked before they shoot, or are they challenging those in the streets protesting peacefully? Regardless I question the tactics. Why are they patrolling the streets anyway? While they were in the streets Sunday night there was looting. There hasn’t been any fighting in the streets. The only conflicts have been between people and the police blocking paths and drawing lines in the sands. If they are concerned about looters, who not stand in front of businesses instead? I suppose that isn’t as much fun and confrontational. After all, how often does one get to use the military equipment they got from the Pentagon for the ‘war on drugs?” How often does one get to scream “Bring it on you fucking animals!” to a crowd of black folks he’s just waiting to sink his teeth of hate and rage into?

Then there is the history. If white people honestly think that this case and the anger of Black America is solely about Michael Brown they are deceiving themselves. This case is on behalf of every black person who has been pulled over, arrested, beaten, or killed for merely being black, and the officers who gets away with it. Locally speaking, go to any municipality among St. Louis County on traffic court night. All you will see is black folk standing in a line long enough to wrap the building. These municipalities get the majority of their revenue by giving out traffic tickets. Doesn’t matter if it’s Ferguson, Florissant, Dellwood, or Hazelwood. And don’t talk to me about population, because that would assume that the only drivers in their towns are residents. And though every police study in these United States show that Whites are more likely to carry contraband, stops by the police don’t reflect the data.

As for this case, so far we know a few important facts. In the biggest case of St. Louis County Police history, they not only are choosing to use a grand jury (secret) vs a preliminary hearing (public and standard for a felony potential crime) county prosecutor McCullough is assigning his assistant to do the case. **Now we KNOW McCullough is pulling the strings and making all the decisions on whats presented and how it’s presented.** However, he won’t be the face of it. In addition, Darren Wilson IS BEING ALLOWED TO TESTIFY TO THE GRAND JURY… (which I repeat is in secret)… (How often does THAT happen) Consider too that McCullough has been legally challenged for decades regarding the amount of jury strikes he’s used against African-Americans. What do you think the grand jury will look like? Lastly, McCullough has said this process will take weeks or months. Why is that? This is not a whodunit, but the contrary. Not to mention, if Michael Brown ‘bumrushed’ Wilson and beat the hell out of him as the county officials are alleging, that should be easily proven with hospital records and photos. McCullough could end this quickly! One would think anyway right? I’m reminded of the Kermit Meme when he sarcastically says, “But that’s none of my business.”

As of Tuesday night supporters of Darren Wilson have collected over $25,000 for him. The question is why? He’s on paid leave. In addition, he won’t be charged with a crime by the county. In essence Wilson’s defense is already being paid by tax payers. Seems to me the money is a reward! A thank you for his part in keeping the tone and precedent alive regarding black male life. As I told my wife, “This isn’t about Mike Brown to McCullough and county officials; They do NOT want to send a message that any unjust shootings by a White police officer to a black male/female could be challenged in a court of law. McCullough has the support of police for a reason. It’s a long standing relationship. Question one, and they would have to question every fatal shooting or beating going forward. They are going to stick together on this one like they have previusly. This is about precedence and a tone set throughout the area. He is not going to be ‘that guy’ that prosecutes his own.

Some of our well meaning white friends are having a hard time with resonating with our position. They love my wife and I. They think highly of our character. They feel we are exceptional. We continue to try to dismiss that myth. That we are not exceptional and more important, we are not the exception. We are in the same boat as Michael Brown. And truth be told, no matter what they think of us, if we were to be confronted and shot dead in the streets by a white police officer, they too along with many other white folks who don’t know us will believe it justified regardless of the circumstances. What will it take to open their eyes? A courageous exercise in self awareness and American history. It’s a challenge for humans to perform. For in doing so they would have to consider reevaluating so much of what they have inherently believed their entire lives. Its the same challenges that exist when it comes to opening ones mind about their life long religious beliefs. And that’s hard. Especially when our White conservative friends are used to having their interest represented in a court of law. They haven’t been hurt or labeled in the same vain as their Black counterparts in the justice system.

I mean… just look at this satirical yet truthful summation of events. If this doesn’t confirm the hypocrisy, I’m not hopeful. And I can tell you this, when they let Darren Wilson off, preserving the precedence, history will yet again repeat itself. Another black youth will be murdered by white police, and the same song and dance will be sung and danced by the same white people who have not confronted their prejudices favoring the cops while cursing the value of Black life.

August 13, 2014 by bbgcmac

Before You Judge…

Mental health is still getting it’s true due in society. Christians think one can just “pray about it” and Jesus will fix you. Secularist say, “get over it.”

At issue is that if one breaks a leg we can ‘see’ the leg and understand that there is fixing the leg then the process it takes of healing it. There can also be a propensity for re-injury to that leg…or scar tissue. No one bucks at that.

When it comes to mental health, unfortunately we are still far too uneducated and therefore less insightful and compassionate when people suffer from depression. We call suicide victims selfish. Sometimes we send them to hell.

I submit however that if you do the research, and ask some people, you will find that many of us suffer of some forms of depression, low self esteem etc. It’s a daily battle and the difference between having a mind full of confidence and optimism vs fear, dred is a very thin line. If you never fall into despair you should be thankful. I ask you to consider not judging those who have a harder time coping day to day.

As I said we can’t see one another’s brains. We are still learning about genetic pre-dispositions that are no different than physically being short or tall. There is plenty of help out there however whatever one’s situation.

With that I hope that when one thinks of Robin Williams or anyone else who has committed suicide or considered it, compassion, understanding, within an environment of love can help those at the bottom and see no way out. Perhaps then more will be willing to seek the help they need and not remain inward where it’s most always hopeless.

June 30, 2014 by bbgcmac

NBA Free Agency…ready, set…

July 1st is upon us and it’s time to get back into the what-what of the NBA, speculations, dollar$ and sense….or no sense.

Let’s start with the Heat! That LeBron thing is settled in that as I said before that D-Wade opting in would settle that. The man is not opting out of 42 million without guarantees that he is going to get to ride LeBron’s coattail a few years longer. He will get a longer term deal that stretches out that money and saves him face. Brian Windhorst reported that Bosh is on vacation after the Big Three (along with Udonis Haslem who also opted out on 10 million) broke bread over the weekend. What does that tell you? It tells me that since LeBron has never been the highest paid player of his team since he entered the league, that will change now with Bosh getting the second highest salary and Wade the third.

At issue is really what Riley will do with the roster… besides moving up two spots to get LeBron’s college crush Shabazz Napier. I also suspect that LeBron’s contract may not be as long term as permissible. Being an astute business man that he is, he’s going to want to keep Riley and owner Micky Arison’s feet to the fire long term.

Sick of Derrick Rose! I was off the Rose wagon after he got his first major injury two season ago, and while that team was struggling to play the Heat in the playoffs. Luol Deng was having spinal tap issues while Joakim Noah and Nate Robinson were killing themselves balls to the wall for the Bulls, Rose is shooting jumpers and dunking in front of the cameras during pre-game. ‘Oh he may be back or not.’ All along the word in the streets were he wasn’t going to play period. As soon as the Bulls were eliminated he started talking shit about how explosive he was. Fast forward he tears a meniscus, (a month long injury) and he again sits out the rest of the season. Now that it’s time to get some free agency help with the roster, this primadonna out here talking about if Carmelo wants to come he will come but it ain’t his job to recruit. Yea OK I see. Hell I guess he doesn’t care seeing that in January of 2015 his broke body ass probably won’t be playing anyway. If I’m Melo…. ‘F’ Derrick Rose! I don’t want to play with Mr. Glass anyway!’

Does Houston have a problem? There seems to be this talk about how the Rockets have such an attractive team. But when I look at that roster I see problems. D12 can’t be relied upon though he had a pretty nice 2014 playoffs. And your most dominate personality and ball hogging handler on the team just refuses to play defense! Just flat out refuses! I see that as a hot mess more than an opportunity. If they were in a bigger media market, they wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt the way they do. Some really good star free agent may take the chance (Melo) but being in the West, I don’t know how that’s going to ultimately work out in the end. The Rockets are a great regular season team, I don’t see them being made for championships!

Lakers draft well! Being a Laker man as I am, I am ecstatic with Julius Randle. I just have to see more. I suspect not having a head coach is all about remaining attractive to potentially Melo and James. Funny as they don’t give a rats ass about what Kobe thinks. Letting Gasol walk would be a mistake. And since Boston took Marcus Smart, Rondo has to be on the block and we need to see about getting him! I’m far from trusting Jim Buss… so we’ll see!

**Andrew Wiggins is country as hell. His daddy may be Mitchell, but his uncle must be CJ Memphis from A Soldier’s Story!

Feeling sorry for Jabari! I bet JP has GOT to be thinking, “What kind of BS am I walking into now? First the Bucks drafted me… they play in MILWAUKEE! Cats from Chicago know how piss poor sorry Milwaukee is, especially for black folks. They wear them ugly ass uniforms, they play on an ugly ass floor, and NOBODY wants to live there. Losing in Philly is not as bad as at least the city is popping! I’m just saying, I may elect to live in Cleveland before Milwaukee. All of that is bad enough… now you got this Jason Kidd situation. What the hell is THAT about?

Jason Kidd to me is a rat fink! Let’s look at the facts. He gets a job in Brooklyn, NY of all places straight out of his playing days with no coaching experience. He didn’t even sit at an ESPN or TNT booth and talk about the game like Doc Rivers, Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr did to give the perception he knew how to run a team while not dribbling the ball up the court. Nets ownership put all this money into the team attracting free agents for him, KG, The Truth and Joe Johnson all got on board with him and even stuck with him during the Lawrence Frank debacle. And now because Derek Fisher got more $$ than he did, he wants to flirt with his buddy in Milwaukee about getting the job there with more money and power. Oh and wait a minute… here’s the really fun part: Larry Drew was coaching the team and was still under contract. That didn’t stop Kidd… a narcissistic ‘BAN’ who went all the way O’Jays and won the BET award for back stabbing. (I’ll deal with BET and other black award shows in another blog soon.) Now he’s going from Brooklyn USA… to fuk’n MILWAUKEE…. with that team’s history, with that roster, with that dysfunction! Good luck with that cause in most NBA circles he’s done! To that coaching fraternity, especially among the black coaches, he’s dead to them! I’m sure Mikhail Prokhorov told him, “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. You ungrateful bastard! And no you can’t come get your shit! I’ll ship it to you if and when I damn well get ready!”

Anyhoo… all the major moves should be decided by the weekend!

Happy 4th!

June 19, 2014 by bbgcmac

Random Thoughts about the NBA 2014 Finals +

As we spring off into NBA free agency, otherwise known as The Decision II, here are my thoughts on the 2014 NBA season.

* The Spurs exercised the hell out of Game 6 demons of the 2013 Finals.

Say what you want, but the to lose a series that was in your hands based on missing a crucial rebound and seeing Ray Allen step back and rip your hearts out with a corner three ball; live with that all summer; start your training camp by watching the film of that game making that the theme of your redemption story; work your way through the season with a game plan so precise that you not only earn the top seed in the playoffs, but none of your players averaged 30 minutes per game; work through the playoffs in the Wild Wild West including a riveting 7 games against the Mavericks… want the Heat, get the Heat, then dismantle the Heat winning 4-1 by an average of 15 points per game… that’s goal setting, game planning and execution at it’s best. PERIOD! That entire organization is a model of a great lesson of perseverance, unity, and trust. Kudos the Spurs for not panicking and blowing the team up. Kudos to Tim Duncan who played his ass off last year and missed the bunny at the end of Game 6… and continued to turn back the clock this year. He meant what he said when he predicted victory this time. To Danny Green who shot the lights out last year for the first couple games, then dropped off the map. He returned with vengeance. So did Manu, who was H20 (HumanTurnOver) in last year’s finals. That dunk in Game 5 over Bosh and Haslem summed up his resolve. And Boris Diaw, Mr. Do Whatever It Takes!

* The Spurs are every coach’s dream.

In this day and age of AAU one on one ego ball gone wild, the way the Spurs shared the ball, cut, moved and mixed in drives with jumpers. Their dedicated team/accountability defense was a textbook script for successful basketball. If the NBA were a copy-cat league like the NFL, every team would be trying to replicate the Spurs formula. For youth and high school coaches, they should be salivating at the opportunity before them to promote team play! I can only hope!

*The Heat Had a Helluva Run.

Four straight finals is four straight finals. 2-2 is better than the Buffalo Bills 0-4. Nuff said!

*LeBron Haters are Ridiculous

The one thing I hated about the playoffs, is the social media hateration of LeBron James. I don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a champion, an MVP, and will one day be a billionaire before he becomes Hall of Famer. But the utter jealousy of such a positive and awesome young man is very disturbing to me. LeBron has never been in legal trouble, never beat his wife, objectified women, has employed many people and given more of himself that most mainstream athletes over the last 25 years. He is a talent we won’t see again in our lifetime. And after he’s gone dammit he will be missed. I suggest we appreciate him while we have him. Unfortunately, some people are so utterly and distastefully jealous. Twitter/nemes make for some bold cowards!

* What Now For The Heat

Obviously the Big 3, (Big 2 little 1) can opt in or out. D-Wade is holding the trump card in all of this because he’s in the slot for $40 million over the next two years. Want to know what LeBron is going to do? Look at what D-Wade does. He can blow this all up with a little paperwork faxed to Pat Riley in a heartbeat. Whatever he does, business is business. He has the right to take the loot. But I tell you what, that guy is washed up. A huge Wade fan from his Marquette days, I’ve long grown tired of his refusal to get back on D, (we could call him E Wade) and his whining to officials if not pointing to his teammates to pick up his man. James logged hundreds of minutes more than anyone else on the team because they were pacing Wade. He claimed he was healthy, so I’m going to take him at his word. No excuses he sucked! As much as LeBron may be able to trust Pat Riley, Pat can only do so much. Owner Mickey Arison is NOT one to want to go into the luxury tax. And he’s already shown that he will let players walk in order not to pay them, I.e Mike Miller. If LeBron takes a pay cut, he’s going to demand that Arison spends that extra loot. He’s been carrying the piano on his back long enough. P.S. Carmelo Anthony is NOT the solution.

* Best NBA Stories of 2014

Wizards, Warriors

*Worst NBA Story 2014

Pacers/Sterling

Speaking of Sterling, after all the hub-bub of Adam Silver slinging the hammer like Thor on The Donald, it seems the Sterlings have played the NBA at their own game. After saying none of the Sterlings’ would have anything to do with the team, it’s been leaked that the Steve Ballmer agreed to let Shelly Sterling have 2 floor seats, parking, and be ‘owner emeritus’ of the team. If that’s not back tracking I don’t know what is. I guess $2B wasn’t enough. Regardless of what one thinks about whether they should have been forced to sell the team in the first place, the NBA has totally walked back just about every demand they made at the press conference. Most notably, the NBA owners didn’t have to vote. Which brings me to this… Why the hell hasn’t the NBA re-scheduled the vote since Donald Sterling is again suing the league? Isn’t this why they were having the vote in the first place? Are they not back to where they started? I’m thinking that BOTH the Sterlings’ are playing the NBA. Don and Shelly have been married for over 50 years. Is it not obvious?

February 10, 2014 by bbgcmac

Olivia Pope does Stillwater, or the Quashing of a Scandal

Here is what common sense tells us about what happened in Lubbock, Texas over the weekend:

1: When Marcus Smart the Oklahoma State forward fell into the crowd initially, he never made contact with Jeff Orr. Smart started to retreat after Orr said something to him that was so stirring, he immediately went back to confront Orr.

2: Orr claimed that he called Smart ‘a piece of crap’ and did not use a racial slur, and yet Orr agreed to stay away from Texas Tech for several games including away games. I’ve been to quite a few college basketball games, and I know that players are accustomed to a lot worse than ‘piece of crap.” I don’t think that Orr would stay away from his so called favorite team if he all he did was heckle Smart. Case in point, it’s a common occurrence for other Big 12 coaches to warn players who play against Tech about Jeff Orr specifically. The school has known about his antics for years. But since he gives a lot of money to the program, no one has confronted him about heckling 18-22 year olds.

3. The Big 12 made a decision about both Smart and Orr licktey split, before Monday. If middle aged Super Booster Orr hadn’t said anything crazy, he wouldn’t have agreed to stay away from the remainder of Tech’s game. Smart acknowledged Orr by name in his statement of remorse. How does that happen? Tech obviously didn’t want to offend Orr and Smart took all of the heat upon himself. The tape that was released by the Big 12 only had partial sound to it. We only heard part of what was said not all.

I see this as a clean mop up by the Big 12 and Texas Tech. A finely wrapped present of keeping scandal away from the school and moving on as quickly as possible. Perhaps Olivia Pope was called and succeeded at fixing another problem.

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