February 28, 2007

HBCUs and that Good SSP

Business…here’s my look at the changes in HBCU athletics.

SSP…I’m on today at 4:20 with Adam Gold on 850 The Buzz in Durham.  Hit it, Ben.

SSP for the future…on Friday morning at 8:15 with Joe Ovies on 620 The Bull and later that evening on Kentucky Sports Radio with Matt Jones and Co.  See, Matt, you get pub when you tell me in advance that I’m going to be on the show!

Back later.

February 27, 2007

MAIL CALL!!!

Business…here’s why I think the NFL’s three strikes proposal is a crock.

Well, didn’t get as much mail on Duke as expected.  But I got the type of mail I expected, for the most part.  The prevailing opinions in my inbox were “thank you” and “why can’t you just let it go?”

Well, I would argue that those that loudly support this team are the ones that aren’t letting go of the case itself.  The majority opinion, at this point, is that the accuser was not raped.  I haven’t heard too many people saying anything otherwise.  The folks wearing the “Innocent” armbands are keeping the case in the public consciousness, which is their right.

Perhaps people like me aren’t letting go of the team’s documented behavior, and we wonder how folks like the vast majority of the crowd at Saturday’s game are letting that stuff slide.  I don’t think you can have it both ways.  If you let it go, let it all go and treat the return of the lacrosse team like any lacrosse game.  To make it into a larger event is to clearly imply that some things aren’t being let go.

Anyway, let’s get into the mail.  Here’s Justin.

I’m a frequent reader of your columns, and the briefest of glances at my email
address should indicate that I took a personal interest in your thoughts on the
lacrosse game. As a graduate student, I’m somewhat sheltered from what could be
called “student life” here on campus, but for the first time I’m wondering
whether that’s such a bad thing after all. I’ve been appalled at the openly
racist backlash that’s been going on, led by a few very vocal and well
connected conservatives, and at many of the undergraduates’ refusal to deal
with the questions you’re posing here.
In short, I think you’re asking the right questions, however uncomfortable they
may be for many (I also think you’re going to get a lot of hate mail from the
same folks who would fire half of our faculty if given the chance). Why exactly
have so many undergraduates invested so much in the lacrosse team without
stopping to consider a situation that was so obviously “broken” long before
last year’s incident?

Here’s a student at Scranton that didn’t leave a name.  That detail should give you a hint of what’s coming.

You couldn’t be any more biased. Football players and basketball players
are involved in shootings and rapes semingly every day. USC’s backup
quarterback was accused of sexual assault recently, but there was hardly
a big debate over that.  How dare college kids drink underage and say
stupid things, because that would be really weird. But a black woman
accuses white kids of rape and all of a sudden its Black vs. White and
Rich vs. Poor. A poor woman who happens to have made false accusations
of rape in the past, and had had sex repeatedly with people other than
the accused.
      In case you didn’t noticed. The rape charges were dropped. These
kids lives are tainted for the rest of their lives. One of them lost the
job he was supposed to have after graduation because of this. Getting
strippers and gettin drunk was a bad idea. But is it really something to
hold a life-long grudge over? No. Its not. But because of moronic people
like you it is. College athletes get drunk and do stupid shit all the
time. Give these kids at least some kind of break. Its bad enough that
there always going to be remembered negatively just for being Duke
lacrosse players. These kids are just as guilty as every college athlete
in America when it comes to acting like an asshole when your young. Get
over yourself 

Anyone that saw the last interview the accused did with “60 Minutes” would disagree with the notion that these guys will be tainted for the rest of their lives.  Hell, I saw a woman at the game with a bumper sticker affixed to her jacket that said “Free the Duke 3,” as if they’re political prisoners.  Perhaps there are some that will never let them slide for what they were accused of, but I doubt it’ll be that bad for them in the circles they run in.

This is from Bryant, who describes himself as “A WHITE READER WHO IS BEYOND FED UP.”

You despicable racist buffoon. Your pathetic
race-baiting has continued long enough. I am tired of
your constant articles regarding supposed racial
transgressions and injustices amongst the certainly
non-prejudiced American Caucasian society. The fact I
am finally sending an e-mail concerning this absurdity
subsequent to reading all of the pitiful rants by your
shameful colleague Scoop (whatever the fuck that
means) Jackson should really indicate how fed up I am
by this garbage. The heroic Duke lacrosse team should
be commended for tolerating such nonsense, and after
unequivocally being proven to be the unfortunate
targets of a vast left-wing Negro conspiracy, all you
can do is see black and white in this despicable
series of events.
If you ever stepped foot on a college campus, you
would realize partying goes on among all groups,
including hip-hop aficionados to basketball players to
preppy lacrosse players and frat boys. That team holds
a 100% graduation rate and the majority of players go
on to impressive employment opportunities on Wall
Street and many on to prestigious law school and
graduate programs. Compare this to the anemic
graduation trends  saturating high-major college
basketball and football programs and then you may
reconsider your misguided thesis you so haphazardly
just reported.  Sure, these goofballs went out and had
a good time once in a while, but public urination and
other goodhearted shenanigans is not endemic to this
squad nor to whites in general. Why don’t you just
admit you have a problem with white society as a whole
instead of camouflaging your prevailing racist
attitudes though something as ridiculous as typical
rowdy college behavior. Get over yourselves as an
oppressed group and maybe a little progress in this
realm may be achieved. It is misguided rants which you
just posted, to a national audience, which perpetuates
racist feelings within the white community. Until you
and all your “brothas” get over the admittedly
horrifying transgressions by my people, albeit DECADES
AGO, the racist tensions will never be soothed or
remedied. As I say to all of my friends who look to me
for advice on how to deal with the constant sophomoric
whining among blacks on our campus, any negative
feelings directed toward them is their fault. We are
ready to move on, clearly you are not. As I like to
say, THE IMPETUS OF RACIAL RECONCILIATION IS IN THE
HANDS OF THE BELLIGERENT BLACK MAN. And you,
sir, are most certainly a belligerent. So next time
you consider raining on the parade of this wonderful
team, or gratuitously incorporating race into one of
your pieces, consider the large number of previously
benign and color-blind fellow white American citizens
you caused to reevaluate their thoughts on race in
America. Just get over it, you have a good job, so
racism and the so-called principles of white supremacy
could not have had much of an impact on your life. Or,
since you have obviously led a successful business
career, does it just make you feel better to convince
yourself that racism exists and you were able to
prevail over this nonexistent facet of America life.
Does it sooth you? That’s a really good question and
something you should deeply contemplate. Anyway, if
you didn’t begin feeling sorry for your pathetic,
non-oppressed self and have made it this long in my
indignant (or is it ignant) rant tell Scoop that in
addition to your needless infatuation with race, he
creates many more racists with his hyper-focus on race
as well. Not a good scenario. So I’m finished with
you, and I will continue reading your still
well-written work just so I can get riled up. Say
hello to Tawana Bradley when you get the chance.

Uhhh, okay.Rodney’s up next.

I do not believe the support was for bad behavior. It was support due to the railroading by the DA, black leaders in Durham, extreme feminist and the group of 88. I think they deserve the support and this is only the beginning. Wait to the civil lawsuits start and you will see these boys, rightly so, made into heros. Also, the movie rights will make them national stars.

Should the lying prostitute be supported for making a false rape claim?

Who’s supporting the dancer at this point?  And why should they be national stars?  Because they didn’t do something?

Brian places this in a team context in an interesting way.

Nicely written article.  I totally agree with you.  Coming from a team sport in college, the actions of a few should directly impact the team as a whole.  You’re a team and if your captains are the ones involved in something they shouldn’t be doing, that’s a reflection of you.

Regardless of what occurred that night, I think forcing them to take the season off served as a wake up call for those playing today – 36 separate incidents in inexcusable.  I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that one of the three boys accused had a rap sheet a mile long.  The school should not be celebrating the team coming back…they should be holding them over a microscope making sure they don’t slip up again.

Anyway, well written and well thought out article.

Check this from Roger.

I find it very disturbing that your article must redo the redo of the redo concerning kids drinking, sluring, hiring strippers, and being loud.  So What!!!???!!!  First of all you are a liar.  You are a fraud.  It has never been proven that one kid delivered a slur to a slurring lying felon. Those were Kim’s words.  And she admits on 60 minutes that the slur(if there was one) was delivered by one kid. Your presentation of the facts just exemplifies the length to which your side of the ball will go in order to hold onto the fraud. How low will you go?  In the context of rape, sexual assult, and kidnapping, your article is a joke.  You are insignificant to life except to the racist radical marxist left.  Heil Hitler you facist. Your philosophy is that of the Reichstag Fire!

Thank you, Duke Alum(1976) and a jock and drinker and a poon tang chaser.

P.S.
Are you that bad a writer that your only audience are the agenda driven suckers, losers, and radical racists?

Yes, this was written by a man that’s at least 50 years old.

Say hi to Gil.

How is the lacrosse team bad behavior any different than any other sports?  Gee, racial slurs happen all the time.  What about black athletes who demean white athletes.  Look at the NBA.

Racial slurs or not, the girl falsified her account of what happened.  The kids were punished if they were falsely accused.

Do with that what you will.

Tony’s not pleased.

I’m very bothered by your take on the attendance at the Duke Lacrosse game this weekend.  It’s a bad thing that 6000 people came out to support a group of innocent kids thrown into the national spotlight by the media for a crime that never took place because an “overzealous DA” saw a chance to get some face time in an election year. A 20 year old kid had his entire life taken away although he has evidence of him entering a cab, stopping at an ATM, picking up food and entering his dorm all at the same time he was raping a very credible exotic dancer who has only changed her story about 300 times at this point. This “overzealous DA” wouldn’t even let the student’s lawyer present this evidence to him. He just indicted him and let ESPN and Newsweek turn him into a national villain by plastering his picture onto every publication out there.  A community rallies around this and you bring up the record of a few individuals who committed very minor infractions involving underage drinking to justify that these kids shouldn’t be supported.

Irresponsible reporting led to this mess in the first place. The media saw a chance to play the race card in this “perfect storm” of a case. You continue to pile on even after the DA has been taken off the case and disbarred and the accuser now admits a rape never took place. When and where can these 3 individuals go to get their good name back? It seems to me like Duke Lacrosse and these individuals need support and deserve as much as they can get. They have been put through enough why cowardly members of the media like yourself ignore facts for the sake of a story. 

Innocent of the crime they were accused of?  Perhaps.  Innocent overall?  These ain’t babes in the woods, playboy.

Charles is up next.

Your column makes no sense. You feel that Duke lacrosse games should not be attended because some of the players have been involved in sophmoric behavior.

OK, if we accept your argument, then you certainly must feel that Miami should abandon football altogether, as should Florida State and Tennessee based on the arrests and misbehavior over the last few seasons. Is that correct Bomani? Isn’t that what you are suggesting? You obviously have no trouble with the Hurricane’s “7th Floor Crew” do you? Guess we can assume it wasn’t your ho that was being “muddied by 7th Floor Crew”.

Are you suggesting the Cincinnati Bengals fold up their football team. Should fans not attend the games? Surely you must be appalled at the Ravens fans who celebrate Ray Lewis, his dances, and his antics. Lewis, an accessory to murder, was party to the savage murder of two men in Atlanta. Lewis even had blood from the victims on his shirt. Yet Lewis was permitted to slide, and escaped justice. Lewis refused to testify against his gangster friends. Fans celebrate him in Baltimore, and you don’t seem to have any problem with it. Why not? The Ravens fans also celebrate convicted drug dealer Jamal Lewis.

I’d be happy to see Duke abolish their men’s lacrosse team, if we would see similar responses from every sports team college and professional sports that had players who were guilty of anti-social behavior. Are you also advancing the notion that we abolish the NBA as a whole?
No, the only crime committed in Durham was by Mike Nifong. The fact that three innocent young men were “Tawana Brawlied” doesn’t bother you at all. The fact that these peoples lives were ruined by a street whore who was trying to make a buck is OK in your eyes. That isn’ the tune you were singing when an opportunistic whore filed a rape suit against Kobe Bryant, you slimy hypocrite.

Go play a round of golf with O.J. 

I love how people say that my being black must fuel my opinion on this.  What’s the basis?

Ryan hates Duke, but disagrees with me.

Bomani,

I don’t understand the negativity directed at Duke students in your article.  The alledged racial slurs are clearly unacceptable, but outside of that, what exactly are you expecting of the students?  They watched their school’s season be cancelled for what appears to be completely bullshit story, further instigated by a DA more interested in his own career than the truth.  And you expect the students to be outraged because the lax team partied like, well, college students?  If anyone should be blamed for celebrating the return of Duke lax, you should focus more on your employer than the students of Duke University.

Ryan
San Diego

P.S.  Dook Sucks!

That crowd wasn’t just students.  And students didn’t tell the band to show up.  There’s lots to go around here.

And finally, we close with the most ironic e-mail.  It’s from Doug.

that article was pathetic and you should be ashamed of writing proffessionally yuo know nothing about lacrosse. you amplify the media crap surrounding that lacrosee team. your a pathetic person and its sad how i feel stong enough to write to you about how much of a joke u are

I dont’ like to pick on people’s spelling, but this is funny.

February 26, 2007

My Day With Duke Lacrosse

Business…here’s the scene from the first Duke lacrosse game.  Bring the hate mail on.

Speaking of that, my editors and I made the decision to disclose the fact that I have had affiliations with both Duke and North Carolina in my four years living in Durham.  Their concern was with people digging through my archives or this site, finding out some things about me, and assuming I was operating with bias when I wrote the piece.

Allow me to assure you that any opinion I offer on anything is from an objective position.  That isn’t to say I don’t hate Duke basketball.  I do.

But I also wrote what might be the most glowing piece on J.J. Redick on record (even though I had a blast taking shots at Duke, the piece is fair to Redick).   I also wrote a reverential look at Duke’s run of ACC tournament dominance since the late ’90s.  I also have written on the Duke lacrosse situation in an unbiased manner.

What I like and what I don’t like have nothing to do with what I think.  And, for the most part, I write from what I think.  Emotions are irrational, and I’m not irrational when I write.  I might be wrong, but never irrational.

As it relates to this piece, I wrote what I saw and what I was told.  Based on that, I wrote what I thought and noticed.

That’s the job.  And nothing is more important to my job performance than integrity.

So say what you want about me, or call me what you will.  But never, for a second, question whether I’m fair.   I’m passionate and imperfect, but I’m not a fool.  Neither are my editors.  They never would have sent me to the game if they didn’t think I’d do the job right.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

February 21, 2007

Missing The Point

I’ve got a short missive up on Page 2 on the retirement of Chief Illiniwek at the University of Illinois.  Look below the picture of Captain Kangaroo.

Well, here’s a brief MAIL CALL!!!  This is from Travis.

Because of you pc hammer-heads, we have to make a big deal about a guy dressed in full Indian gear.
How about making yourself a hero and find out who is using steroids in baseball or rail against the NBA thug-reefer league

instead of college mascots.

Give us a break 

You know, I love how the retort to an attack of a stereotype involves invoking another stereotype.

The funniest part to me, though, is being called a “pc hammerhead.”  I’ve been called lots of things.  Politically correct?  Well, this is a first.

February 21, 2007

Another Crank Call Classic

I just wanna know this…

When’s the last time somebody called you at work just giving away free shit?  I’ve never been sitting around and gotten a call for nothin’.  In fact, I throw away the mail that says that I’m getting something free because it sounds like a scam.  So how do these dudes stay gettin trapped?

Anyway, the humor of this clip is mostly generated by linguistics.  Indians tend to speak very properly, which adds to the humor of this.  Classic stuff, man.

Listen here.

February 19, 2007

All-Star Weekend

Business…here’s a look at how wack the All-Star festivities were.

Running crazy busy, but here’s a quick update on what I’m gonna have coming soon.  Gonna be hitting the ACC Tournament in Tampa and, hopefully, checking out a few spring training games while I’m there.  Then, it’s to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem.  From there, good question.

But I should be back later.

February 16, 2007

Confession Time

In case you’re curious, the best part about working at home is that I get to watch “The Young and the Restless.”

Anyway, I just have to say this because my girlfriend’s busy, and I need someone to agree with me on this one–Colleen Carlton is possibly the dumbest character in television history, rivaled only by Ziggy Sobotka on Season 2 of “The Wire.”

February 16, 2007

Let’s Keep This Rollin’ Some More…

SSP…I’m gonna be on with Adam Gold on 850 The Buzz today at 4:20.  Should be fun.

So let’s roll a little longer with this CTA thing.

Now, let’s see how well we really know this movie.  I’m gonna start with a line from a scene, and then someone pick it up from there.  If a scene is done, then someone else is welcome to start another scene, and then we roll from there.

“Hey, Stu.  Your rent’s due, muthafucka…”

Go with the next line, then pick it up when Akeem, Semi and the landlord go up the steps.

February 15, 2007

Let’s Keep This Rollin’…

Business…here’s a look at the travails of trying to follow Pac-10 hoops.

Name your favorites from the following categories re: Coming To America. Mine are in parentheses.
Favorite Eddie Murphy Character (Clarence the Barber, with honorable mention to Jackson Heights’ own Mr. Randy Watson).

Favorite Quote (“I said, ‘Dr. King,’ and he said, ‘oops, I thought you was somebody else.’”)

Favorite Non-Eddie Character (Cleo McDowell, because simply casting John Amos was absolute genius)

Favorite Scene (Samuel L.’s ill-fated robbery attempt)

Most Ridiculous Outfit (anything from Lisa’s sister Patrice, who is not to be confused with Bomani’s brother Patrice)

How Many Times Have You Seen Coming To America? (At least 100. For real.)

February 14, 2007

25–Love Songs

The last two years on Valentine’s Day, I provided a few playlists to help you folks deal with this day in whatever manner you needed. You can find those lists here.

Instead, I will break out the somewhat tired move of listing 25 dope songs with the word “love” in the title. I was going to try to do my 25 favorite love songs, but that would take me a month to just compile the semifinalists. With this list, I can just put “love” into iTunes and break out some of the winners.

Note–this isn’t a top 25, so save the righteous indignation for another post.

“How dare you not put Kilo’s “Love in Your Mouth” on the list? That’s musical genius, you small minded bastard!”

Nah, not today.

A Love of Your Own – Average White Band. Yanno, that’s the greatest name ever for a band…simply because they’re anything but average.

Love and Happiness – Al Green. Put it like this–this was still making parties crack when I was in high school. But how did you guess I went to high school in the country?

All You Need Is Love – Beatles. I’ve yet to figure out why I like this song so much.

Crazy in Love – Beyonce. Of course, this has nothing to do with the lyrics Rich Harrison wrote while hung over.

Make Love To Your Mind – Bill Withers. Except…well, whatever, Bill. You’re makin love to her mind because that’s the ticket to the body. Don’t try to pass that psychobabble shit off as anything other than game. Weak game at that.

Modern Love – David Bowie. Kirk and I once met a woman at a bar that described Bowie as “a pervert, but in a good way.” Ummm..

The Look of Love – Isaac Hayes. I mean, you can listen to Dusty Springfield’s version if you want. But why would you if given the choice? Oh yeah, you cna go to the store and back five times and Isaac’s version will still be playing.

For the Love of You – Isley Brothers. Except I’m really down on ol’ Ron right now.

To Be Loved – Jackie Wilson. Name that movie.

Bold As Love – Jimi Hendrix. “My yellow in this case is not so mellow/in fact I’m trying to say it’s frightened like me…” Been there, Jack.

Love You For Life – Jodeci. Yanno, these cats might have been the biggest influence on contemporary R&B. So does that mean this shit’s all they’re fault?

Because I Love You – Lenny Williams. THE. GREATEST. LOVE. SONG. EVER.

Feel All My Love Inside – Marvin Gaye. If only the kids today weren’t so vulgar, man. Or so goes the story. The song is pretty much what the title tells you.

Inside My Love – Minnie Riperton. Same here.

That’s How Strong My Love Is – Otis Redding. Yanno, if I was a woman, I’d be afraid to tell Otis no.

Slow Love – Prince. I’ve said for years that this song is begging to be covered. Is it just me?

The One I Love – R.E.M. Am I the only person that just kinda likes R.E.M. and is tired of being told he should think they’re just the greatest?

Is This Love – Bob Marley. Technically flawless.

Nothing Can Change This Love – Sam Cooke. “If you wanted to leave me and roam/when you got back, I’d just say ‘welcome home.’” I wonder if, on the unreleased remix, he said, “Welcome home! Now, meet Cynthia…”

Fallin’ In Love Again – Sleepy’s Theme. To me, this is from one of the most overlooked albums of all-time. Organized Noize never lets me down. Except for that World Party trash.

All In Love Is Fair – Stevie Wonder. Narrowly making this list over “I Was Made To Love Her.”

When Love Comes To Town – U2 and BB King. I do wonder, though, if BB knew a single U2 song when they came up to him about this. He’ll do a song with anyone with a check. As would I.

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley. Two Elvis songs I can ride with–this one and “Jailhouse Rock.”

I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know – Donny Hathaway. Knowing what we know about Donny, does listening to him often feel a little creepy?

Same Ol Love – Anita Baker. Has anyone ever been on top of the game while being as different from her contemporaries as Anita Baker?

Gotta start my day. Be easy.