March 11, 2007

ANOTHER FIRE DRILL!!! Well, almost…

Business…here’s a little ditty on Tyler Hansbrough’s mask.

So some clown pulled the fire alarm again last night.  They didn’t require we evacuate this time, but that was ucked fup, baby.  I came in yesterday exhausted and with a splitting headache, and these jokers wanna play like that shit’s funny.  Trust me–it’s not.  Had I it been a real fire, whoever desensitized the staff last night may as well have burned up, too.

Why?  There’s a distincy chance a sixtysomething woman that looks a lot like me and a twentysomething woman, both of whom are foolish enough to love me, would give you yours.  Trust me on that one.

This hotel’s been a trip the last two days.  And I don’t mean that in no good way.

You’d think this place is full of college students or something with this fire alarm stuff and the ridiculous drinking I’ve seen in the lobby.  After last night’s faux fire, I saw old folks on Cootie Brown just swiggin J.D. like it ain’t nothin.  Just lit.

I ain’t mad, but those same people would check out this piece if the same thing was going if they were at a hotel for work and caught a similar CIAA crowd.  I assure you of that.

But it’s all good…a great tournament final’s coming today, and by big brother will be in town soon.  Shawty yay-yuh!

March 10, 2007

FIRE DRILL!!!

Business…here’s why Tampa ain’t the heat for the tournament.

So I’m in front of my hotel right now.  Why?  Because we were told to evacuate the friggin building.  I’m wondering if someone pulled a dorm room move and just pulled the fire alarm.  Clearly, they don’t realize I’ve got work to do, and I left my notebook upstairs, meaning I can’t finish the piece I need to file for tomorrow.  Clearly, I’m not thrilled.

Anyway, the tournament has been fantastic.  Lots of great games, lots of great stories, and lots of free food.  Can’t beat that with a bat.

March 8, 2007

Another Awkward Moment In Airport History

Greetings from Tampa.  I’m here for the ACC Tournament.  Judging from early reports and what I saw at the airport, I can’t say the same for you.

Anyway, got stuck in Charlotte for a while, which wasn’t fun.  The funniest thing was that my girlfriend wasn’t so keen on helping me kill the time because she was engrossed in “The Wire.”  Know what?  I ain’t mad at her!  I wouldn’t have talked to me, either.

So I get on the plane, and I’ve got the middle seat.  No idea how I keep getting stuck with those, given that I’m a bit over average height.  The gods ain’t so keen on your boy.  Anyway, I’m in the middle and a lady’s got the aisle, with no one in the window seat.

So the flight attendant comes up and tells the two of us in the row that someone may come and take that seat.  We’d have to see.  That threw us off because, well, we’d been sitting on hte plane for 20 minutes.  This after the plane was departing more than 90 minutes behind schedule.  Where would these people be coming from?  Are they just buying tickets and running up to the gate?  Who are the stragglers on a delayed flight?  I just don’t get it.

No matter…a seat in the row behind us got double booked–don’t ask me how–so a gentleman moved into the window seat.   All good in the hood, far as we can tell.

So dude gets in the seat with no drama or discussion.  Just sits down.  Then, the flight attendant rolls up to the row and says…

“This isnt really a problem.  You know, my best friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer.  That’s a problem.”

Ummm, it sure as hell is.  But do what?  Huh?

Quite the uncomfortable moment.   That isn’t to say she wasn’t right, but ain’t nobody do nothin’ to merit gettin’ that one.  Nope, nope, nope.

And on that note, I’m going back to sleep.

March 6, 2007

The N-Word in Time

So Time–at least time.com–has this piece up on New York City’s ban of “nigger.”

This is, and probably always will be, a tricky subject for me because, well, I say it a lot.  I also have a tendency to enforce upon people that use it when I deem it out of turn.  Out of turn could mean the connotation bothers me, or sometimes I’m just bothered by the person saying it.   An example of bad connotation would be from one of those people that makes the delineation between black people and “niggers.”  Not a fan of class warfare am I.  By “the person,” I mean “somebody that ain’t black just said it.”

The problem, of course, is there’s no standardization of the use of the term.  There are no clear boundaries for when someone says it and it’s cool or it’s not.  Some black people don’t mind people of other races using “nigger” as a term of endearment.  I’m not one of those black people, but I do understand how someone could let it slide in this day and age.  Because of the proliferation of this rap music, it’s difficult to determine who means it in a good way or a bad one.  Trickier is that I’ve heard good people slip and say it when they shouldn’t, and their goodness as people trumped the use of the term, in my mind.

Then there’s the story my brother tells about a white dude he plays basketball with putting an arm around him and saying, “you’re my nigga, but you know O.J. did it.”

See, that one just don’t sound right in no kind of way.

And I’ve yet to hear it sound right coming from a non-black person (and I don’t know what to say about Puerto Ricans that use it because I didn’t grow up around any).  That said, I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with being some white person’s nigger.  Just not going to happen.

But I do think it’s different being some black person’s nigger.  As in, “you’re a nigger, ha?  Well, you’re my nigger, and I still got you.”

Either way, it’s gray.

But let’s move the discussion to something I find most interesting–how come nobody’s talking about banning “bitch?”  There is no gray on that one.  There’s no positive connotation for referring to a woman–or man, for that matter–as a bitch.  None.  The only time it seems halfway passable is when women are talking amongst each other and using the term playfully and in a way that mocks the use of the term at all.  Granted, that’s little more than an outsider’s perspective, but I can’t think of any other way where calling someone a “bitch” is anything but hateful.

Anyway, I just want to know why all these moral crusaders that are prepared to vomit when they hear “nigger” say absolutely nothing about “bitch.”  They’ll complain about it in that rap music, but not much after that.  Why don’t I get “Ban the B-Word” e-mails?  Where’s the city-wide resolution on that one?

Thoughts?

March 6, 2007

In The Bullpen Today

SSP…catch me on 620 The Bull in the Bullpen with Chris Clark and Co.  Always a good time.

Got some interesting mail on Durant/Texas.  I was surprised by how many people defended Barnes.  I have no idea who could watch that team and not think that Barnes hasn’t done a great job with that offense.  He’s a good defensive coach.  And?

Another interesting point of contention was D.J. Augustin.  Is Augustin nasty?  Absolutely.  But I’m not letting assist totals blind what I see–he doesn’t make anyone better.  Steve Francis has put up some nice assist totals in the NBA, but no one was better off for playing with him.  Keep that in mind while you secretly pine for Augustin to run the point on your lottery-bound team.

Also, my man Rell raised a great question–does anyone know what Black Snake Moan is about?

March 5, 2007

No One Saw Black Snake Moan

Business…here’s why Kevin Durant needs to get the hell outta Dodge.

Moving on, Black Snake Moan made all of $4 million.  “Wild Hogs,” by comparison, made $38 million.

Did these people really think folks were gonna see a movie where the trailer says nothing about the plot and only shows a black man putting a white woman on a chain?  Was that supposed to make money?  Are you serious?