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! 

"MORE OFFENSE THAN DEFENSE": THANKS DR. HARRIS-PERRY

             After Dr. Harris-Perry appeared as a stand in for Rachel Maddow, I wrote a letter to MSNBC urging the cable news channel to consider giving Dr. Harris-Perry her own show.  I gave various reasons for this addition to the MSNBC “face” of political news/commentary, but the most important plea was personal. I aspire to one day share the public intellectual space with Dr. Harris-Perry, and am always in need of evidence that my dreams are possible.  So, you must know that when Dr. Harris-Perry announced on Twitter (@MelissaHarrisPerry,@MHPShow,and #Nerdland) that she would be getting her own show, I responded with my own twitter campaign by encouraging people to watch.  While, I realize that my little letter made no difference in Dr. Harris-Perry getting her show, nor do I know the results of my twitter campaign to support her, I was glad to see it happen.  Every Saturday and Sunday morning I awake looking forward to the lessons that Dr. Harris-Perry and her panelists share week after week.  Thank you MSNBC and Dr. Harris-Perry!

           

Why did I choose to share my thoughts about the MHP show today?  On Sunday, June 3rd her content reminded me of why I believe Dr. Harris-Perry was fit for this platform.  Whether it was her intention or not, I believe the show was her breakout effort to provide an affirmative voice for our President, Barack Obama.  I am a strong supporter of President Obama and am often frustrated with the discourse surrounding his presidency.  While I agree that we must be critical of his policies, the more vocal republican message is that he is “destroying our country”.  This is not to say that there are not people who do not publicly recognize his decision making (most notably comedian, Bill Maher), however the docile democratic method of “truth telling” is overshadowed by the republican lie.  The reason I appreciated this particular show was because she gave a call to action that served as a worthy affirmation but critical voice where this voice is often silent.  Her most critical point was that President Obama’s campaign must begin to play more offense than defense.  For a “sports President”, this is something surely he can relate to and probably considers on a daily basis.  Why Coach Obama has not called this play, I speculate, will be a fourth quarter takeover strategy.               

           

One of the rare voices that we hear in the 2012 re-election campaign is that we are proud of our president.  I take this opportunity to make my statement, “I am EXTREMELY proud of the job our President is doing”.  For the first time in my young life I feel that my President cares about MY future and I am genuinely invested in being an informed voter.  The MHP show touched upon several affirmative actions’ President Barack Obama has taken to ensure the future of this country.  For those of you who did not watch the show, some of these accomplishments included his social, foreign, and economic policies that move the country toward a more equal society.  The signing of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, GM Bailout, Killing of Osama Bin Laden and not to mention igniting a national dialogue in support of Same Sex Marriage only touch the surface of his accomplishments.  If you want a more comprehensive list of the President’s accomplishments…GOOGLE IT! 

Two of the most informative portions of the discussion were the application of policies that impact the black community and the commentary from the first African American Governor of Virginia and the nation since Reconstruction, Lawrence Douglas Wilder.  One of the greatest lessons that I have learned through the introduction of President Obama’s leadership is that something does not have to be labeled “Black” to be in support of black people and our community’s progress.  My attention was drawn to the 2008 election because of the racial background of then Senator Obama, but what drives my continued support and desire to learn more about politics is because of his dedication to family, informed leadership, defense of our freedom and genuine love for the American people.     

         

            

It is clear that a conversation about race is one of the most feared dialogues in American society.  This was evident; as Dr. Harris-Perry pointed out in a speech I heard her give, by the fact that President George Bush considered Kanye West’s statement that he did not like black people the lowest point of his presidency.  I cannot relate to people who say “I don’t see race”.  The MHP show not only sees race but is able to articulate effectively how our President’s accomplishments considers race also.  When people do not acknowledge the good work that the first African American President is doing, it reminds me of the constant challenge that face people of color in leadership positions.  Blaxspectation (yep I made that up!) is REAL and Black people in the public eye have no room for error!  I believe that republicans would want President Obama out of office regardless of his race, but I do believe that their hatred for someone who is moving this country forward has some connection to his ethnic background.  More profound in the discussion of our President’s ethnic background in relationship with Blaxspectation is not the Republican Party agenda, as we expect them to hate the president, but mostly is the shift in support of Independent voters who elected him into office.  This is a discussion that I hope we begin to expound upon in the next five months leading up to the November election.       

The conversation on the MHP show at least allows some truth and acknowledgement of success to the progress that President Obama is making toward MY future!  So, I say again THANKS DR. MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY!!!   

CALL TO ACTION:

On Monday, July 2^nd at 9am, I encourage us to show support for the president.  I will tweet the below listed hashtags, and I ask you to TWEET and/or RETWEET, along with me.  Let’s not only create a trending topic but clog the world’s Twitter Time Lines with support for the president.  Let our tweets be heard!

I am calling for this national day of recognition to show our appreciation for President Barack Obama’s service to our country and equal justice for all.  I chose this date because it marks the 48^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being signed into law.  This law outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation.  This date recognizes the legislative order that shifted the national consciousness towards right for all people, and connects the legislative order (LilyLedbetter Fair Pay Act) that was amended by President Barak Obama as his first federal statute signed into law after his inauguration.   

On Monday, July 2^nd, 2012 please Tweet and RETWEET the following!

#PROUDOFMYPRESIDENT

#ISTANDWITHTHEPRESIDENT

#THANKYOUMRPRESIDENT

#REELECTPRESIDENTOBAMA2012

#AFRICANAMERICANSFORPRESIDENTOBAMA (or your ethnicity of choice)