“Broke: Champagne Taste with Beer Money"

           

     The ESPN 30 for 30 Film entitled “Broke” aired tonight, ironically the same day TMZ reported that Michael Vick has spent $29 million dollars since filing for bankruptcy in 2008.  Most of Vick’s money is being spent paying back the debt he incurred from the dog fighting case, but his reality is like many of the athletes featured in the film.  My friends probably think I might consider utilizing this film in my class because 30 for 30 films are currently integrated into my course curriculum, but not this film.  This film will be more useful to me when I am facilitating player development with teams or individual athletes.  There are 30 for 30 films that are useful in my class because they address some of the broad topics we cover in sport sociology but others that are designed to speak to individuals.  This is that film.   

            As stated in the film, “that’s not going to be me” is the detrimental mentality that makes some players great athletes but leave most left by the wayside.  As a sport sociologist and aspiring player development specialist, I believe that my job is to offer players the alternative perspective to what “not going to be them” looks like.  What I know for sure, is that you are not going to convince an athlete that there is a possibility they might not make it to the league, or that they could be filing bankruptcy after their first year in their respective sport.  In a world that convinces these young men and women that they are superhuman, anyone who comes along and tells them any different will for sure be overshadowed.  So, I agree, “that’s not going to be you” and this is how we are going to make sure that it’s not.         

 

            The NFL and NBA both host rookie symposiums in hopes to prepare these players for “life” in the professional league.  I am sorry to say that these programs are ineffective mostly because it is simply too late.  Once they sign those contracts I believe invisible ear plugs form and all reason is blinded by the cars, big houses, and jewelry.  Half the money these young men are going to make has already been spent before they even make it to the rookie symposium.  I mean, think about how the average person manages their money.  I am sure that you have said at one point or another, “that paycheck is already spent”.  I think the reason players are not prepared for the professional life prior to rookie symposiums is the detrimental philosophy of athletic and academic institutions that we should not prepare for the unknown.  This means, we do not want to have a professional athletics major because it is not considered a career.  I hope films like this will start people considering the necessity for a professional athletics major.  Worst case scenario, if they do not achieve a professional athletic career at least they are well educated in the areas of business, financial management, sociology, and many other important areas of life.  I will save my campaign for a major in professional athletics for another blog.

          

      I continue to stand behind the belief that the same pitfalls that professional athletes face with being millionaires is simply amplified compared to many others who make the same mistakes.  I actually believe that it is possible for professional athletes to support their friends and families, make investments, and experience the finer things in life.  The way to make this happen is to first accept the fact that these things are going to occur.  How are you going to tell a professional athlete he cannot buy a house for his/her parents?  I know when I start making money it is going to be my first major purchase.  The goal is to sit down with them and budget their desired purchases with them.  The real problem is that these athletes are not a part of the financial planning process as it is taking place.  I believe this problem would improve significantly if a player is allowed to consider desired purchases with a more hands on approach as opposed to the hands off system or simply being told you cannot help your friends and family.     

 

            This film did a great job of covering the variety of ways that professional athletes are left broke after their athletic career.  I hear too often the blame being placed on friends and families who are taking advantage of these young men.  I hope that most viewers will not focus their attention on the portion that reinforces this narrative about “groupies”, baby mamas, and ex-wife “gold-diggers”.  For me, this film was about choices and as an undergraduate college mate of mine presented to me, sometimes “choiceless choices”.  At the end of the day, we cannot just watch these films and hold them totally responsible or blame the people they associate with.  Well we could, but I chose to consider ways that we can help these young men be productive members of society.  Not waiting until it’s too late before we begin to educate them about the wonderful and detrimental experiences that playing in the professional league can bring should be our goal.  Starting with college athletes would be a good change but teaching your sons and daughters would yield greater results.             

            Finally, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this film was completely focused on male athletes.  While there are several female professional athletes who face financial challenges, we have to recognize their story is a completely separate conversation.  The income disparities that exist in professional sports are consistent with those in the broader society.  A conversation about women and “Broke” would probably look like a very different film.  

GLORY BE TO GABBY

Wow!  Can you believe the London Olympics are over already?  I must admit, with all the broadcasting issues I have not enjoyed this Olympics as I have in the past.  I am actually glad that it is over.  Now I can go back to checking my Twitter and Instagram without fear that someone might announce the results before its broadcast.  Thanks NBC!!  Besides, football season is starting so I am good to get my sport fix.  But I do want to take this opportunity to offer my analysis of one of the hottest topics of these Olympic games.  2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas.   

Gabby Douglas shocked the world when she became the first American gymnast to win the gold medal in both the all-around and team competition.  Apparently, based on the twitter commentary, most supporters had completely missed the fact that she was African American.  Most dismissed the significance of race and claimed to be focused on the celebration of an American winning the all-around three years in a row.  Many remarked that they were proud of Gabby because she was an American and did not even see her as a black girl who had won the medals.  This dismissal was spurred by the post win commentary shared by NBC Sports Journalist, Bob Costas.  Many were angry that Costas placed a focus on race as he shared what he considered to be a historic moment.  Costas clearly believes that Gabby Douglas’ race matters as her story is written into American history, and so do I! 

I tweeted a few weeks ago, “Whenever someone says, I don’t see race I give it the same reaction that I do when someone says but.  Anytime that you say after holds zero significance.”  There were many disconcerting things Costas shared during his commentary.  Not to my surprise, are people choosing to focus on his mention of race.  Americans continue to aspire for a post racial society.  If we accept that we live in a post racial society, then Costas belief that “gymnastics is a sport free of racial barriers” and the aged old belief that “Michael Jordan transcends race” would actually be true.  If there is any sport in American society, next to Golf, that maintains racial barriers its gymnastics. There are few sports that match the sacrifices necessary to compete on the elite level.  If we measured these sports based on financial constraints, family commitment, practice time, competition level, and career longevity, the sport of gymnastics will definitely rank at the top of the list.  These facts are what place Gabby’s win in a space that centers on race in sports.  Much attention has been placed on Gabby’s sacrifice to leave her home in Virginia, but little attention has been placed on the Iowa host family.  Is this because the family is Caucasian and might draw more attention to the racial complexities?  In reality, her host family does play a role in Gabby’s narrative and should be recognized for the sacrifices they have made in giving her this opportunity.     

      

It seems that people are surprised that we are still talking about “Black Firsts” in sports in this imagined “post-racial society”.  WHAT?!?  I was not shocked but extremely satisfied.  The constant media attention placed on the hopes that Jordan Weiber would be the “Golden Girl” put me on Team Gabby from the start.  After winning the automatic spot in the Olympic Trials, Gabby’s win was dismissed as an “off day” for Jordan Wieber.  Even after Jordan did not qualify for the All-Around competition, the media did not divert its attention toward the two young women who defeated this Olympic hurdle. As if they were morning the loss of Jordan in the All-Around competition, they commented on her absence on several occasions.  So, I was very happy that Gabby had the ability to prove everyone wrong in a sport that maintains its exclusivity.  And now that Gabby is done with her first Olympics, I pray that she continues to receive the recognition that she rightfully deserves.  I definitely hope to be one of the first to purchase her commemorative cereal box. 

With every high, there is a low.  I cannot ignore the “Black girl hair” discourse that has consumed Black Twitter commentary and the media.  Most unsettling was watching Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien after Gabby won the All-Around Gold.  I usually enjoy her morning “Get Real” but this day instead of focusing on her fellow journalist, Bob Costas’ inaccurate representation of equity in sports; she chooses to fuel this discussion around Gabby's hair. First and foremost, why she would feel it appropriate to have this discussion with an all-white panel that has absolutely no idea about a Black woman's struggle with our hair is beyond me!  A more appropriate discussion for the panel would be their perspective on the tweets and dissension with again her fellow journalist Bob Costas “playing the race card”?  Does Gabby’s race matter in her accomplishments?  Do people really not see a Black girl when Gabby won?  And if they don’t, why not, because a black girl she certainly is!  I suspect Soledad’s intentions were good.  I do not question her frustration with the FEW members of the Black community who focused on Gabby's hair rather than her accomplishment.  I did question Soledad's ability to offer a more informative response to a very critical issue for Black women.    

I suspect these women (girls/tweeters) who chose to draw attention to Gabby's hair are probably the descendants of the girls who gave me hell after my morning swim class. Another sport that has deep ties to racial exclusivity and Black girls hair.  Instead of offering to help me fix my hair they stood in the hallway pointing and laughed at my nappy hair style.  I suspect Gabby will prevail as I did, by learning how to do her own hair (or hiring someone who can) in order to combat public opinion.  Were the comments about Gabby’s hair appropriate after her win? Absolutely Not!  The focus definitely should have been on her accomplishments, especially from the Black community.  However, is talking about how Black women and girls struggle with hair and sport a real concern, it absolutely is.  

Black girls’ hair is a significant constraint for sport participation.  Do I believe that Gabby Douglas’ hair style was not presentable for competition? I looked fine to me!  Her hair was absolutely uniform with her fellow competitors.  Do I believe that many women chose not to participate in sport, or even workout for that matter, because of concern for how it will affect their hair style? Absolutely!  The attention to hair is not new to sport discourse.  Serena and Venus can tell you best about the challenges they faced with playing tennis and their hair.  From the beginning, their beaded individual braids claimed to have created significant distraction to their opponents and were forced to change their hair style.  It was not because the Venus sisters were more talented, their wins were attributed to their “hair distraction”.  Black girls just cannot win for losing. 

This conversation about Black girls’ hair is another example of how sport is a microcosm of American society.  Black women’s hair constraints in sport are indicative of the attention we get on a daily basis.  Whether we chose to wear a natural hair style, weaved hair, or permed hair many of our encounters engage the hair conversation at some point.  It is the reason India Arie wrote a song entitled “I Am Not My Hair” and Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry chose to have an entire segment on her show about “The Politics of Hair”.  Black women’s hair has become something much more complicated than it really should.  Until little Black girls are raised to be confident in their hair and believe “They are not their hair” or that they are, it is a core aspect of self-esteem.  The hair comments that followed Gabby’s amazing accomplishment goes to show that especially within our own community, it is an area that needs attention.     

There are many aspects of Gabby’s accomplishment that deserves attention, but I am sure that as Gabby continues to shock the world, there will be plenty of opportunities for further discussion.  I want to conclude this blog with my emotional moment.  I too admired Dominique Dawes as a young girl.  The “privileged” communities may never understand the impact that seeing ‘someone that looks like me’ has on little black girls and boys academic, sport, and career aspirations.  When Dawes’ emotions flowed during the post win commentary, she reminded me of the challenges that Gabby faces. As if she had earned those metals herself, Dominique’s expression of pride for Gabby gives you a sense of not only the barriers but power in knowing that she played a role in showing Gabby that she could do it also.  While I celebrate Gabby, I too celebrate Dominique for what she did for Gabby and the world!  Be sure to watch Dominique’s response and please leave your thoughts!

Penn State Sanctioned Life Without Parole

We have heard from the NCAA, Penn State university officials, the criminal justice system,  sports journalists, political pundits, and twitter commentary.   Rare voices in this tragedy are current or former students, faculty, or staff of the Penn State University community.  With the exception of the protests that occurred after Joe Paterno was fired, the Penn State community has remained virtually silent on the heinous acts that occurred on their campus.  For this reason, I fully support the NCAA imposing harsh sanctions on the football program.  Whether or not the NCAA is appropriately situated in this tragedy is the least of my concerns.  Ultimately, I am in support of any institution that has the power to speak on behalf of those violated imposing sanctions.  Joe Paterno, university officials, or even the justice system certainly did not, so why would we trust them to do so now.      

The most pressing argument against the sanctions is mostly due to the perceived hypocrisy of the NCAA claiming jurisdiction on the moral and cultural issues of its member institution.  One could argue that the NCAA’s commercialized culture of college sports is a direct contradiction to the expectation that its member institutions place academics over profits.  In my opinion, the sanctions were directly in line with how the NCAA governs; money over the best interest of the student-athletes.  We are glad that the student-athletes have an opportunity to transfer without penalty, however make no mistake about it; many of these players will be left to live through the aftermath of the sanctions imposed.  Transferring programs is not an easy task, and many of the less touted players will probably be forced to remain at Penn State and endure this punishment.  The NCAA being the wrong person to impose the sanctions should have no correlation to whether or not the football program deserved these sanctions to be placed on them.  If not the NCAA, who?  The more important question is what mechanisms are being put in place to help the student-athletes cope with the reality of their new intercollegiate athletic experience.  Falling from grace is not an easy burden to bear!    

       

When we talk about the culture of sports, the word that first comes to my mind is "Loyalty". My alma mater even has a fight song that bears this title.  The problem with the culture of loyalty in sports is similar to "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong". The institution of sports has no loyalty to its athletes or fans but socializes its audiences and players to be loyal to sports. The fact is the capitalistic nature of sports is a serious barrier for sporting institutions. A coach’s primary responsibility becomes winning because he wants to keep his job so that he can feed his family. It's survival of the “winningest”.  The evidence that this culture persists in the wake of the NCAA sanctions is the concern that Paterno is not the only person punished by wins being vacated; the athletes who played in those games are affected also.  My concern is not with the general sense of loyalty in sporting institutions, as it is more disconcerting that this loyalty often leads to college cover-ups.  In these situations, no one wins.   

Changing "The Game"

In the middle of this year’s season of “The Game”, a former college and current indoor football quarterback tweeted “I love The Game. This show is the closest I’ve seen to how it really is in sports”.  Since I am not a former football player, I cannot dispute his claim about “The Game”.  My concern about his tweet is that, if the BET television series “The Game” is an accurate representation of life situations that occur in the world of sports, or at least football, I have much more to worry about than the academic success of Black male athletes. 

I have been a strong supporter of The Game since its first show aired over 6 years ago.  I was excited to see a show that finally depicts the experiences of Black athletes.  My expectations were low, in terms of whether or not the depiction would be “accurate” but high with hopes that it would offer a positive representation of Black male athletes and their families.  I could speak at length about the many theoretical challenges I have had with the show over these six years, but I chose to focus this blog on Season 5.   

I believe that this series is at a crossroads or has already hit a dead end.  Season 5 ends  with an exit of the main characters Derwin Davis (Pooch Hall) and Melanie Davis (Tia Mowry), a happy ending for Jason Pitts (Coby Bell) and Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson), and a heart broken Malik Wright (Hosea Chanchez).  This season has been most compelling for me because of the hype surrounding the start of the season and directorial choices that were made upon its return.  Most notably, the show previously aired on the WB but was cancelled after Season 4.  After a public outcry over the shows cancellation, BET made the decision to air reruns and the 5th season.  However, due to the change, the show took a two year hiatus before re-airing.  The season premiere was heavily publicized and resulted in the show registering millions of viewers, possibly the highest rated show of the BET network.  Despite the enthusiasm of its return, many of the people who know I am a fan of the show told me that they were immediately turned off and did not plan to continue watching.   This included my mother who could not understand how her socially conscious daughter could be in support of a show that in its season opener showed a white woman chastising a black woman for being jealous of her whiteness.  Unfortunately, my attempt to explain my past support of the show even sounded weak to me after watching the first episode of the season.  However, I was determined to believe that the direction of the show would all be understood, if I just gave it a chance.     

Please bear with me as I speak at length about Melanie and Derwin.  They are (were) the main characters of the show but will not be returning for the 6^th season.  I feel as though this warrants a lengthy commentary.

When Tia Mowry tweeted that she would not be returning for Season 6 of The Game, I did not immediately accept it until Pooch Hall followed with a tweet that he also would not be returning.  For fans of the game, Derwin and Melanie’s relationship was the cornerstone of our support.  True to most relationships, their life choices always created the perfect dramatic (sometimes overly dramatic) story keeping viewers in constant question of whether or not they would ever “get it right” or “have a happy ending”.  If there was one thing you could count on with Melanie and Derwin, it was that something bad was going to happen at the end of each season but their love would always prevail by the beginning of the next.  Often, I was personally annoyed, by a constant representation of this black woman who “chose” a football wife lifestyle by dropping out of medical school to travel to San Diego with her then boyfriend, eventual husband but never seemed satisfied in the choice she had made.  Ironically, not only would the director stay true to her story line but would be the eventual reason or explanation for their season ending departure.  As a successful black female, I was always concerned about this depiction of another black woman who could not be satisfied with the success of her man and choosing her personal goals over her family.  Because I have never done an empirical study on whether or not this consistent message is a fact, of not just Black women but often professional women in general, I cannot dispute the claims.  My personal opinion is that a women’s life choices are far more complicated than those depicted on the show and more often than not a women will figure out a way to not only make her dreams come true but support her man along the way.  Why?  Because we are superwomen and have the audacity to believe that you really can have it all.  Though seemingly destructive, the most positive message these characters sent was that true love conquers all.  It took Derwin 5 seasons to agree with Melaine’s claim that her previous sacrifices warranted a consideration to put her needs first, for once.  Hopefully, this will be how people remember their relationship most.  That love is about negotiations and compromises!   

One of the most challenging things to support this season was the significant shifts in blatantly racist and sexist dialogue.  While season after season, Kelly (Brittany Daniel) and Tasha (Wendy Robinson) would trade black girl vs. white girl comments, never before were they as demeaning to black women as this season.  I would like to believe that this overemphasis was to draw more attention to the Tasha Mack, successful but insecure story line.  Overall, I would like to challenge the writers to be more creative in sending this message.  Many of the comments were unnecessary, offensive, and perpetuated the “angry/bitter black women” narrative.  I am neither angry nor bitter and neither are any of the Black women I know.  The self-esteem and relationship issues that Black women have is a very serious issue.  They should be addressed in a more comprehensive and less stereotypical manner.      

           

The most surprising shift to most was the introduction of the character, Chardonnay Jenkins (Brandy Norwood).  It was not a surprise that the show would add a character that could compliment the popular “ghettoized” Tasha Mack personality, but that she would not be paired with Tasha Mack at all.  In fact, she was written into the script to become the new love interest of Jason Pitts (Coby Bell), who for 4 seasons was not only married to a white women but consistently argued against ever dating a black women, specifically for all the reasons Chardonnay was an odd love connection for him.  Interestingly, the writers chose to bring the two together by a “drunken” Mexican marriage as if the only way a black man can learn to see past his stereotypical ideas about black women is by accident.  In the end, not only does Chardonnay totally alter Jason’s perception of black people, she helps him to accept his own blackness.  More significantly, the financial constraints he put on his white wife which caused their eventual divorce, would be the thing that would develop a partnership between he and his new black wife.  The reason this is not so difficult for me to accept however, is because Coby Bell has been happily married to his real life black wife for years in which they have four children together.  We could of course go into a lengthy discussion of the inaccurate perception that Black athletes only marry white women, but we can save that for another blog.      

           Last but certainly not least is the infamous Malik Wright.  Season after season we watched his constant battle with trying to love a black woman only to be hurt/betrayed by their love which results in promoting his promiscuous and alcohol additive behavior.  I could dispute this storyline choice, but I will simply save that for hopefully more seasons that are sure to expound upon his reputation and the narrative that when black men really do want a black women they always hurt them in the end.  My short term analysis is that black women are not the cause of the destructive demise of many black men!  I am confident that more than not black men who truly love black women would say that "she holds him down"!   

     

            Why does this matter to the sport sociologist in me?  Because any representation of the black athlete is important to a movement that offers an alternative perspective from the traditional demonization of the black male athlete.  It is rare that we get an opportunity to see what life is like off the field, so when we do, we hope there is an even balance between critism and empowerment.  The popularity of The Game offers a space for humanizing the black athlete, and I hope in seasons to come the writers can present a less stereotypical representation.  However, if an athlete can say that this show is" the closest to what sport is really like", I guess I have to accept maybe they are not myths at all.   

I would really like to know what you would add to my comments.  Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Penn State on Trial

How Football Culture impacts Social Order

 

On June 6^th, 2012 the jury was selected for the sexual molestation trial against Jerry Sandusky.  While many felt the trial should have been held in another county; or at least the jury selected from another county, the judge denied this motion and all members of the jury were selected from University Park.  Anyone who is familiar with Penn State knows that it is the consummate college town.  The jury selected in the case is a stark acknowledgment of this fact, as 8 members were selected; one is a retired professor, one a current professor, three are graduates, two are employees, and one is a current student.  The most pressing question in the Sandusky trial, for me, is whether or not the young men violated in this case can receive justice in the midst of football culture?

I am a visual person.  So, after the news broke, I needed a visual picture of  how something of this magnitude could impact so many innocent children.  I put this chart together to help me wrap my mind around the many opportunities available that could have prevented these sexual assaults.  

My answer to the above question; Can these children receive justice in the midst of a football culture? I believe they can.  

First and foremost, the general outrage over this case from the NCAA and members of the Penn State community offers some sign of hope.  Do not let the protests against the firing of Joe Paterno fool your perception of the case.  Jerry Sandusky is NOT Joe Paterno.  The circumstances that involved  Joe Paterno in this case is disappointing for most, however the grueling details of the rape and molestation of these eight young boys far outweighs the responsibility to report these actions once brought to light.  The fact is, most sports fans are connected to the overall sports program and the Head Coach.  Assistant coaches are not only a virtually unknown member of athletic programs, but are also more easily expendable when teams are not doing well.  For those not familiar with how hiring and firing work in athletics, when a head coach is fired, in general, the entire coaching staff is fired.  This method of accountability for performance is unique to most public and private sector hiring and firing practices in the entire world.  In general, when a head coach is fired there will be no protest for keeping the assistant coaches on board because most fans could not even give you their names if asked.  I would not be surprised if in the Sandusky case, had it not been reported “Penn State Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky”, most people would not have a clue as to who this man is/was.  With media attention around the case, the jury surely does know who he is but I believe harbors no “loyalty” to him as a "Nittany Lion" in this case.  At this point, Penn State is not on trial here, Jerry Sandusky is the man on trial. 

Athletic department cover-ups are unfortunately common placed with sport institutions.  The recent Ohio State University case is another prominent example of how coaches often participate in a sort of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” practice in cases that are clear violations of NCAA rules.  However, I must admit, never before would I have imagined that any football program in the country would knowingly allow the facts of this case to persist in their program.  This I would argue is probably the most egregious case of athletic department and university cover-up that has been exposed.  When we begin to talk about cover-up, this is the point that Penn State will be put on trial.  This fact however remains to be seen as the focus is now on Jerry Sandusky.  I believe that the verdict in the Sandusky trial will heavily influence how this case will turn in the direction of Penn State and its administrative officials.             

Food for Thought: 

I am most interested in learning the racial backgrounds of the young boys that were raped and molested in this case.  This fact is important to me because it may reveal some of the reason for how the cover-up was possible in this case.  Whether there was a racial component to the case or not, what is clear in this case is that Sandusky took advantage of disadvantaged children.  As the case discusses, all of the young men violated in this case were participants in his charitable program.  It at least begs the question of whether or not some of the people who did nothing in this case, would have made different decisions had all these children not come from disadvantages backgrounds.  Did the administrators know these boys had no one to fight on their behalf?  I guess they miscalculated when Sandusky broke protocol and began molesting a young boy who came from a two parent home.  Point of information: This family was the first to call the authorities.  If not for this family, the world may have never known of Sandusky crimes.   

Activist Break : Faith

Every now and again I consider the world outside of sports.  While sports permeates most spheres of our lives, there are small spaces that sport does not necessarily have an applicable voice.  I hope that my blogs offer you some insight into my sports sociological perspective, as well as the lens through which I view the world, in general.  This lens is developed first and foremost by the personal experiences that inspire and direct my life.  I will share "Activist Breaks" with you in order to expose my lens that should help guide your interpretation of my posts.  Enjoy!

After watching an episode of Oprah's "Super Soul Sunday" with Devon Franklin, he said something that resonated with me.  I share with you a quote that inspired me and my personal thought that followed.

"If I embrace who I am, it will open doors and not shut them" - Devon Franklin

My Thoughts:
I HAVE TO BELIEVE God's plan for me is aligned with the path I am on! 
And if I am on the wrong path, I believe he will put me back on track!
I believe the mistakes I have made has made me a better person, friend, daughter, and eventually THE BEST wife and mother!

I believe this is my sequel!
I am very proud of the hurdles that I have vaulted and the races I have won!
I am READY for my next chapter!

I have always been known for my unconventional methods of leadership development and mentorship.  This thought inspires me to never again question whether or not the choices that I made were right or wrong, but suitable for me to be true to who I am.  Thanks to all my former students who constantly remind me that the space we shared mattered!

The “Bad Negro”: LeBron James and The Decision

 

Almost a month away from the anniversary of LeBron’s historic broadcast, “The Decision”, and in the midst of speculation that he may yet again fail to achieve an NBA championship win, I am intrigued by the extreme hatred for LeBron and the campaign for him to lose again this season.  The 2012 Forbes Magazine “Most Disliked Athletes” poll conducted by Nielson, has LeBron rated #6, which gives him hope to rebounding his reputation but that’s not saying much for people who also feel that Kris Humphries was the  #1 most disliked in the NBA because of his batched marriage to Kim Kardashian.  

Anytime I offer my support for LeBron and the Miami Heat, I always offer a disclaimer.  One of my sorority sisters along with another female sports enthusiast, both diehard Bulls Fans and Heat haters, tweeted an interesting statement that connects to my disclaimer.  The first tweet stated, “My TL is cracking me up w/ all this trash talk.  I’d be mad if I was a Miami fan.”  The other replied, “There is no rebuttals b/c they aren’t REAL fans.”  So, my twitter reply to them both and my disclaimer was “There is no reason to rebut a general contempt for a team solely because of their dislike for one player.  Trying to be unbiased…I think it’s the same reason Laker fans don’t argue back.  Many Heat fans don’t like Kobe for the same reasons people don’t like LeBron, so we sort of understand.  Doesn’t NOT make us REAL Heat fans tho!”  This response was surprisingly well received by the girls and I was even given credit and excluded as one of the fakes.  The disclaimer is that for many of the same reasons people do not like LeBron, most of which isn't connected to his playing ability, is the same reason that I struggle with my support of Kobe Bryant.  While I do not spew as much venom as most throw at LeBron, despite my acknowledgement that Kobe is by far one of the greatest to play the game, I still don’t like him! 

In the past, I have written about the historic connection of the Black male athlete and representation.  In brief, the “The Good Negro” was an ideological assimilation that black people; post slavery, had to adapt to in order to gain acceptability and access into white society.  This label is most notably recognized in connection with the role Jackie Robinson played in the integration of sports.  Robinson admired not simply because of his accomplishment of making a major league ball club, but that he accomplished this in the midst of significant racial hatred.  Branch Richie made clear that while Robinson may not have been “the best” player in the Negro League at the time, he was the person who they felt most confident could be successful in baseball and in dealing with the physical and mental abuse that he would face.  Thus, the antithesis of “The Good Negro” would thus be “The Bad Negro”.  Historically, the most notable “Bad Negro” was Muhammad Ali.  What happens when you are silent and what happens when you speak out is of significance not only to black male athletes, like LeBron, but anyone who challenges the institutional norms currently in place.     

Why do I generally support LeBron?  As a sport sociologist, I am clear about the empirical and theoretical issues of control the black athlete faces in sport participation.  Two popular publications that can inform your personal interest in this topic are “The New Plantation” by Dr. Billy Hawkins and “40 Million Dollar Slaves” by William Rhoden.  These books not only offer an analysis of the black male athlete being considered indentured servants for the sporting industry but offers ways that the sporting industry, athletes, and fans can reverse this problem.  Whether you agree or disagree with this notion, most understand the level of control that sporting institutions have over athletes' choice to play for the team they would like, speak out on issues they disagree with, and interaction with friends and family.  Despite this acute awareness, many people are still challenged with LeBron's decision and the manner in which he chose to make his announcement.      

Over time, you will learn that my fandom is generally more connected to my interest in the individual player story rather than an overall team success.  I want players to win and teams to celebrate the players that helped them gain the title.  I want LeBron to win, so that he does not spend the rest of his life questioning “The Decision” he made to take control of his Black male athletic body.  It is clear that he continues questing, “the way” he made the decision, so I suspect he has moments of fear.  I personally did not have a problem with “The Decision” being broadcasted, nor his choice to consult the players he would eventually partner with or not informing his former coach.  The level of pressure LeBron faced in this decision was evident by the burning of jerseys and removal of the building banner once he announced he was leaving for South Beach.  Most importantly, no one can argue against his decision to donate some of the proceeds earned from the advertising profits gained from “The Decision” broadcast.  Boys and Girls Clubs of America across the country benefited from his broadcast, pumping over 2 million dollars into clubs and an additional $500,000 worth of Hewlett-Packet computers and $500,000 worth of Nike appeal he also contributed to these clubs.  If LeBron had to sacrifice his reputation for the betterment of our communities, I say well done King James!          

 

In the end, I encourage you to want the Heat to lose because you want your team to win.  There is nothing wrong with rooting for the underdog, young versus old, or west versus east.  The desire to watch an individual fail is not only wrong, it is inhumane.  I say god bless to all the young men who are playing in the 2012 NBA Finals.  And a special prayer for the success of LeBron James who is facing incredible odds!