Triumph over Tragedy: Raising my “Fist of Freedom”

I return from my blogging hiatus to pay homage to the reason I study sport.  I have had several requests to blog about the Adrian Peterson tragedy, but I chose to draw attention to a triumph instead.  As I approach the proverbial finish line as a member of #TeamPhD2014, I know that my race could not have been won had it not been for The Struggle that Must Be. (Harry Edwards, 1980)  

I raise my “Fist of Freedom” today in honor of

Dr. Harry Edwards

Tommie Smith

John Carlos

Peter Norman

ALL the athletes of the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the families who support(ed) them!

Today marks to 45^th Anniversary of the resulting action born from Dr. Harry Edward’s Olympic Project for Human Rights Movement.  Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood as #1 and #3 winners of the 200 meter yard dash at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.  On October 16^th, 1968 Tommie Smith and John Carlos made the decision to show solidarity with Dr. Harry Edward’s fight for equal rights by using the Olympics international stage to make a Silent Gesture that still stands as a symbol of hope and progress.  

Tommie Smith writes in his autobiography (2007) Silent Gesture:

“That is what this book is about, not about how Tommie Smith raised his fist in the air on the victory stand.  So much led up to it, and so much has gone on since then, in his life and in this world.  I don’t want this to be the Jesse Owens story – Jesse was great, he ran a race, his mouth was so dry it was like cotton, he ran a race against Germany and he beat Nazism and Hitler.  I don’t want to hear that bull-crap.  I want to hear a humanistic point of view; I want to get Jesse to that race, because that’s just as important as Jesse running that race.  How did I get to that race, where did I go when it was over?

Edwards (1969) Revolt of the Black Athlete, Bass (2002) Not the Triumph but the Struggle and Hartmann (2003) Race, Culture, and the Revolt of the Black Athlete were all responsible for expanding my awareness of the complexity that was the 68 Olympic ‘stand’.  Like Tommie Smith shares in his autobiography, the theoretical implications of the Olympic protest movement remains relevant to equal justice for the black athletes today as it did before, during, and after 1968 in Mexico City.  My study and teachings of sport in society require that I engage with the lessons from Dr. Edwards, Smith and Carlos to examine the transformative nature that society imposes on the black athlete today.  This historical moment renews my feelings that a desire for black athlete protest must be in our ability to allow them to make their own choice.  Dr. Harry Edwards put out a call for a complete boycott of the Olympics; however Smith and Carlos made their own choice.  Just as LeBron James and the Miami Heat basketball players made their choice to show solidarity during the Trayvon Martin tragedy, we must chose to acknowledge and accept that their way may not be our way!  They will heed the call so long as we continue to send the message.             

I acknowledge my first leader, Dr. Sandra Kato!  She taught me the value of hard work and making unpopular decisions.  I will always remember to judge people for who they are 90% or the time and not 10%, because she taught me how to give people the benefit of the doubt.  She introduced me to a world that I did not even consider exploring.  I did not understand then as I do now the value of “social probation” not as a method of punishment but an opportunity for reflection and focus.  Most of all, she taught me that laughter truly is the best medicine!  Boy do we laugh!!      

I also acknowledge the leadership of Mr. Nathaniel C. Banks.  Even with my hard head and big mouth, he gave me a chance. Mr. Banks saw my potential and offered me the chance to do something great.  He rewarded my hard work with an opportunity to meet John Carlos at the 2008 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Orlando, Florida.  My most valued possession today is my 68 Olympic “Fist of Freedom” poster autographed by Mr. Carlos. I flew to Orlando and back home holding the poster tightly in my hand for fear that it might be wrinkled or worse, lost along the way.   My immaturity did not allow me to see the valuable lessons that Mr. Banks tried to teach me at the time but his “silent gestures” have been well received. Now that I am ready to listen! I was a leader in training and Mr. Banks took on a tough student and created a better teacher!      

Contrary to popular belief, Smith and Carlos were not stripped of their medals and were later honored in 2005 by San Jose State University where a statue was erected in their likeness on the medal stand.  They say, “Do not award me for that which I am supposed to do” but I know from personal experience how good it feels to receive warranted recognition for the road less traveled.  The statue at San Jose State University ensures that, at the least, the students who attend SJSU know the story of those who came before them.    

I do not know if my destiny is to change the whole world but I know that I can engage audiences as a professor, mentor, family member, and friend.  I will forward Dr. Edward’s charge that “WE must teach our children to DREAM with their eyes open” (http://www.johncarlos68.com).  This statement drives me to continue raising my “Fist of Freedom”. 

Happy 45^th Anniversary and Thank you for the past and your PRESENT!

Dr. Edwards, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos!   

THE BLACK HEAD COACH: CAPITALISM OR RACIAL INEQUALITY?

There is an old adage that “Those who can’t play, coach”.  Apparently, Black coach’s adage should be “Those who can’t Head Coach, assistant coach” or better yet “Those who Head Coach, can’t miss the playoffs or bowl games too many times or they gonna get fired! 

10 years ago the “Rooney Rule” and the “NCAA Racial and Gender Report Card” was established to address the discriminatory practices against Black head coaches and sport administrators.  In 2002, Johnnie Cochrane and Associates challenged the NFL to establish a rule that required teams to interview Black head coaches when a position became available.  Named the Fritz Pollard Alliance, Cochrane’s team forced the NFL to establish a committee, chaired by Dan Rooney to evaluate the claims set forth against them.  The result of the committee’s investigation established the Rooney Rule.  Similarly on the collegiate level, sport activist Richard Lapchick’s The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) supported by the Black Coaches Association and the NCAA began to study and report on the racial and gender representation of black coaches and administrators which can be found on the NCAA website.

If you want to read more about these reports and their findings, please visit these websites:

 

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES)

http://www.tidesport.org/         

 

American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

http://www.acslaw.org/files/Proxmire%20Issue%20Brief.pdf

When someone tells me that a Black head coach firing is not about race, it is clear to me that many people are still blinded by the belief that capitalism and racial inequity are mutually exclusive.  This year alone we saw the firing of Head Coaches Mike Brown, Avery Johnson, Lovie Smith, and Romeo Crennel (Damn…Coach Crennel watched one of his players commit suicide and they still canned the brotha…sheesh!).  When the total of Black head coaches in the NFL and NBA combined is 17 (12 of which have been hired within the past 2 years), losing 4 Black head coaches is about nothing less than race!  It’s the reason why people are critical of Black films, when you have minimal representation it does not matter that other racial groups are being represented in the same way.  In cases where one race is overrepresented and another is underrepresented it matters how they perform, period!  So, if race was not a consideration in the firing of these men, I am arguing that it should have been and in fact was!          

The fact that we are celebrating the first time two Black head coaches winning BCS title games (Davis Shaw, Stanford and Charlie Strong, Louisville) tells me that we still have a long way to go.  Why are winning Black coaches a reflection of the need to hire more Black head coaches?  Statistically, Black head coaches are more successful than their white counterparts.  The fact is, when Black head coaches are given the opportunity to coach, they are successful, period!  Consider this reported by The 2012 Racial Report Card:

“Eight out of the last 12 Super Bowl teams have had either an African-American head coach or general manager: coaches Tony Dungy (Colts), Lovie Smith (Bears), Mike Tomlin (Steelers, twice) and Jim Caldwell (Colts) and GMs Jerry Reese (Giants, twice) and Rod Graves (Cardinals).” 

Full disclosure, while I was disappointed to see Lovie Smith fired by the Bears, I was glad to see Coach Frazier be successful in Minnesota.  Coach Frazier is one of the most genuine people I met while employed with the Illinois Football Program.  I mentored his son who demonstrated a level of respect, determination, and genuine kindness that was clearly inherited and guided from his father.  I want to see Coach Frazier do well, not only because he is a great Black coach but because he is a great Black man and role model!  He is my real life Tony Dungy!  But that’s another blog!        

The Black head coaching situation is a classic case of what I have termed Blaxspectation.  You all have heard me refer to this before, but those who are reading my blog for the first time, watch the video below as Chris Rock explains it best!

Chris Rock on his home in New Jersey

 

 

Simply put, the reason it is always about race when Black coaches are concerned is because it is!

Happy New Year to all my blog supporters!!

“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.