If Richie Incognito is an Honorary “Black Man” what does it say about Brotha’s?

It was fishy from the start, and as the black Dolphins kept opening their mouths the possibility of something truly unsettling began to manifest. The NFL is a bottom line business, productivity is king and guys like Richie Incognito sprinkle the league like undetected maggots. To make matters worse the league is largely black, and many of those brotha’s saw far more violence in their neighborhoods growing up than what they’ve seen on this here “job”. This reality breeds a certain ethos, a culture not dissimilar to that in jail or Hip Hop, a funhouse mirror where ethically everything is blurred-in other words there are no good or bad guys. The concept of “good guys” is something they sell in commercials, something that salves the consciences about what it is we are truly addicted to watching every Sunday. Controlled, State Sanctioned assault.

Unfortunately Good Guys would probably get exposed as weak if they are not so willing to sacrifice humanity and brain cells- like Jonathan Martin is being exposed now. Real intellectuals don’t participate in the high speed collision of bones, tissue, ligaments and brain matter-warning: the men who take this on for an occupation aren’t privy to your idea of what is civil nor politically correct.

And this is often at odds with the billion dollar partnerships and corporate largess curried by the suits in New York.

It’s Gladiatorial, and men like Incognito are insulated and preferred to men like Jon Martin. And there will be jackasses like Incognito in the future; as long as Football “is” what it is you will need the Richie Incognito’s of the world to be human battering rams for our entertainment. You will also need him to scapegoat when every team probably has two of him, that’s 60 (if you’re counting) douchebags folks. What I have a problem with is the racial aspect of this hazing story, the fact that Incognito was given honorary black man status and sanctioned by black teammates in his slurring of Jonathan Martin.

I won’t take an angle that will make it easy for you to dismiss me as an old dude, because I too have had white friends that I considered “honorary” but not for their propensity for degeneracy. No, it’s the standard I’m bothered by, and the fact that this clown being an honorary brotha says everything about the brotha’s that granted him such distinction. In segments of the Black Community we have this irrational need to delegitimize intelligent (or sensitive) blacks as inauthentic and then wonder why said target isn’t comfortable. If Martin was “soft” and unproductive there’s no way he would have avoided being out of the league soon, but I sense his black teammates wanted him gone sooner and Incognito was the instrument they used to facilitate that.

When the inept, faceless Coordinator masquerading as a coach went to Incognito to “toughen” Martin up he knew it could get ugly but what he didn’t know about is the low cultural standards of his black players. Many black players come from troubled backgrounds and the low self-esteem is dripping off of them like HGH, you can see it the way they act on the field and some of the stupid shit they get themselves into off the field.

What kind of person would look at a scumbag like Incognito and see a kinship? Someone from a screwed up environment that’s who; and the NFL depends on screwed up places for natural resources. We created the culture of envy in our music, relationships and language; remember it was black folks who introduced the concept of “hating” to the lexicon. Money is not a cure all for the broken psyche and if you are broken you gravitate to other people who are just as broken as you be they any ethnicity creed or religion-enter trash like Incognito. The Black Community is essentially fatherless, and that’s a whole lot of broken young men gravitating to sports for identity and masculinity. Men like Incognito are the kind of white peers you find in football, his story isn’t emotionally threatening to brotha’s but Jonathan Martins can be viewed as a deep source of envy.

The father teaches you to be a self-respecting black man first, this may encompass standing up for yourself but being cartoonish “hard” is something embraced mostly by the fatherless. Jonathan Martin was an outlier, a Stanford man in a locker room of black men who went to Football factories, his “Cosby Kid” background was so resented by the black men he worked with they looked the other way while Incognito called him a Nigger. Which speaks of brotha’s willing to prioritize being gladiatorial over being a self-respecting black man.  

I repeat, if he couldn’t “ball” he wouldn’t be there long anyway, but it was the self-hatred of his black teammates that turned this into a hate crime. We’ve struggled with it in our community long before Football became a haven for the descendants of Slaveries “eugenics” programs. We struggled with it when W.E.B Du Bois was calling Marcus Garvey a “monkey” and when Malcolm X called Martin Luther King a “House Negro”. ESPN struggled with it when Hugh Douglass, the big, tough “real” brotha attacked light skinned Michael Smith with the same slur. What does it say about us when we identify louts like Incognito and say to ourselves; “you know, that dude reminds me of a black man” I think I’ll give him honorary distinction.

Why wasn’t Ryan Tannehill, a seemingly great guy (who ran a 4.6 40 yard dash) and family man given “black guy” distinction? Is it because he’s too well adjusted? Why don’t Brotha’s give Payton Manning that distinction? is it because he’s authoritarian and black men don’t see themselves that way?. Too organized? What do you think of yourself if you think Richie Incognito is black?, I’m pretty sure there’s many Italian Americans who wouldn’t spit on his ass if he was on fire!-  because they  have the good sense to decry trash like “Mob Wives” while “we” love us some “Basketball Wives”.

Had Jonathan Martin killed Incognito’s “whole family” as his text message suggested would he then be black enough? “hard” enough to garner the respect of “real” brotha’s in the locker room. Do those African American “brotha’s” understand what the term (brotha) denotes? Do they understand what brotha’s have had to do in order to create an environment for them to showcase their talents for white consumers who idolize them? Real Brotha’s boycott the 1965 AFL All Star Game in New Orleans because local merchants called them “niggers”-how would Richie fare in that locker room?. Real Brotha’s like Jim Brown said things with conviction to the white establishment, and ruled a locker room that was 90% white finally retiring abruptly when Art Modell (and the Cleveland Media) addressed him as if he were chattel because he didn’t  report to camp when they wanted him to. Real Brotha’s are on some regal shit, and “Incognito’s” stay clear of them. Real Brotha’s made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame from small, Historically Black Institutions where young MEN were trained in every way (Mentally, Physically, Spiritually) to crush guys like Incognito. Real Black Men don’t frivolously associate with empty bullies, and they certainly don’t make him feel comfortable enough to do what they do and say what Incognito said. Real Black men don’t follow someone who is obviously mediocre; because real men can see for all his bluster this “guy” has never been a part of a dominant offensive line-he’s a clown. But then again I’m referring to real black men, while the Dolphins have shown themselves to be Nigga’s and Nigga’s are all about some substandard bullshit.

 

Open Letter To Adrien "Raw Dog" Broner: If You Really Had a "Big Brother"

 

 



I’m alone on this topic, but I feel I make enough valid points that people understand because we’ve all had complicated, duplicitous friendships-we all have had experiences with loved ones who want us to succeed on very limited terms. Mr. Broner, I’m not writing this in judgment of your conduct because I was once young, dumb and destructive like you-however I wasn’t young in the digital age. Also, I wasn’t rich, or semi (sorry kid) famous and I certainly didn’t have someone of Floyd Mayweather's caliber advocating and kinda pulling for me. A lot of young brotha’s have nobody, we come from poor family structures and the few of us with talent (like you) end up not having the skills to step out of destructive patterns of behavior into “responsible” wealth. By then Homies become dependents, and parental figures end up brushing our hair as we say things on TV that make us look like the sexually irresponsible savages bigots make us out to be- no I get it, it’s all “WorldStar” right?. At some point realize your mimicking what you “think” your “idol” did to get rich (flushing 20 dollar bills)  and now all of a sudden you find yourself boning a couple of skanks on somebodies cellphone. Did Floyd, you know your idol tell you he’s been there, done that? did he point out that most brotha’s don’t really get to his level without his with sex tapes?.

Did he even bother to tell you before you leaked it that Ray J went back to the Chitlin circuit after going that route? That the whole purpose of the tape is useless if you’re not banging an heir of some sort?

His Daddy (Mayweather Sr.) doesn’t know you like that, and the old man had no problem saying you aren’t exactly his son-in fact most view you as a knock off from the waist up. Not between the ears. When Floyd was your age he probably didn’t have a manager that could shove him down the throat of programmers and force him into PPV in his mid-20’s- do you honestly think you are working as hard as he did?. I mean how many older people take a liking to a cheap imitation (of themselves) who won’t have to work as hard to get paid-how old were you when your big brother was seriously at risk of becoming another underpaid black defensive specialist who can’t draw flies?. Do you think he really wants your career to be easier than his? so you can do this?.  He created the climate that allows you to coon for WorldStarHipHop, but acting like your Big Brother for a couple of years don’t guarantee you’ll be around as long. Do you know how many “next Michael Jordan’s, Michael Jacksons and Oscar De La Hoya’s” have come along? Hell Floyd has beaten about 4 of them. Do you think annoying black males benefit from sextapes the way pretty white girls do? You do know porn is about women right?, that no man of any real substance shows his face in these things, while Kim Kardashian took off Ray J became one of Floyds male groupies-kinda like you. These are things a Big Brother says to you, have you even noticed that as the zero’s added up on Floyd’s checks  his conduct (before camera’s) mellowed? It’s called “Covert Corporate conduct” little brotha.

And he won’t tell you about it.

Floyd Mayweather is not your mentor, if he were this video wouldn’t be out there, in fact he didn’t get to be where he is for so long keeping future threats from destroying themselves. You may learn this too late, you may learn this when your lifestyle catches up to you and you’re an old 30 while he’s still a pristine 42 with no reason to step down. By then you’ll realize what I’m saying now, and you’ll be bitter but unable to do anything about it, if Bernard Hopkins can do what he’s doing your "Big Brother” (with “help” you can’t afford) is more than capable of pulling the trick.

Payton Manning gave his little brother everything he has between the ears even at his own expense; do you think Eli could get away with acting the way you act today? Even with 2 Super Bowl rings? Not a chance. In fact the function of a Big Brother is to keep you from making some of the mistakes he made, sort of like a father without the lingering guilt of wanting to make him proud. How can Floyd be a Big Brother when he’s not really far removed from the same kind of chick? only a lot smarter. The only thing he can teach you outside of the ring is how to go from skanks with lay away tattoo’s to swapping DNA with Ray J (The Godfather of SIMPIN) through a “dime piece” who sets you up to be robbed while you’re in the ring.

Ever think of Giving B-HOP a Call?

Adrien, the best thing you can do is seek out older men who have made the transition from the hood in more than just money, because there’s nothing more detrimental than the lingering taste for trash. Your Big Brother won’t tell you he’s seen cats like you come and go, it’s not his job to stop you from playin yourself, but he will have a job for you washing his cars if you waste your talent chasing hood rats. He will help you when you’re washed up and no longer a threat and you can be his next Ishe Smith (no offense) at the rate you’re going. You see Adrien 17 years is a long time bruh, longer than Hopkins at middleweight and Joe Louis at Heavyweight, being a champion right now may be fitting but being immortal is completely different- and it isn’t a birthright. But I’m sure Floyd won’t tell you that, that’s right! Because he isn’t your big brother- he loves you like he loves any other flunky, from a distance. If he has imported anything to you it would be to get your money, and you little brother are really not good at that since he is clearly the “Boxing Bank”. He knows the longer you’re “at large” you won’t wake up to the hard cold facts, he also knows as long as you remain too stupid to walk through the front door of a bank (as he did in 2007) but willing to go around the block (literally and figuratively) for a beastie you will ultimately get what you deserve.

Nothing.

 

 

LeBron James Commercial: Further Proof We Have no "FACE OF BOXING"

My perspective is boxing, my sentiments are boxing, and as a sports lover I view other sports with my Boxing goggles on. As a niche sport we draw the eyeballs and interest of the sports world twice a year in correlation with the self-ordained “Face of Boxing” Floyd Mayweather's "Mexican stimulus plan". It’s a great gig for all of those involved but when you see LeBron James’ latest commercial you realize how far we’ve fallen in relevance-and this is relative to the overall lack of a real face to keep the sport in the more acceptable segments of our society. Actually we haven’t had that kind of figure since Ray Leonard, so even party animal Oscar De La Hoya failed to put a civilized face on the fight game.

Consider this, LeBron James circa 2010 was a pariah due to his exit from Middle America and now he’s in two of the most heartwarming commercials on air today! The commercial that highlights LeBron playing with his sons while his wife records them with the new LG Galaxy smartphone is one of the more humanizing pieces of propaganda I’ve seen in years. Mind you, he’s tattooed, he “knows” rappers and he wants his money the same as Floyd Mayweather- he just chose to not make these traits a significant part of his persona. Our guy markets himself on it not realizing elite products “whisper” exclusivity- Floyd could have easily been in Diddy’s vodka commercials but he exudes the kind of wealth classy wealth avoids .LeBron can actually sell his character, and thus the brand as well as his sport, even in Football season. We have a “face” with a rather contentious relationship with women (aka “family), a man who loves his kids (like any parent) but most of his private footage is filled with stooges and blank faced booty models staring at their phones. Just a bunch of people sitting around listening to him talk shit. If there is anything likeable about any Boxer Madison Avenue wouldn’t know it, LeBron’s “family” commercial made me think of Andre Ward who isn’t anonymous due to style alone. He’s also in a sport that sends the clear message that black boxers have to be jackasses to get merely noticed, something resorted to by Floyd- because black folks are NBA fans.

When Floyd tells you “Boxing isn’t a gentleman’s game” he’s right but that isn’t the point, and it certainly isn’t an excuse for why he isn’t in that damned commercial- he isn’t marketable because he’s unlikeable. And believe it or not, that makes Boxing unlikeable- commercials often lie, and we don’t even have representatives smart enough to lie to people who want to be lied to.

Once upon a time(more like 1981) an African American BOXER smiled and did a commercial for a soft drink that is still on the shelves at your local grocery store. His then adorable son made the commercial iconic by answering kids who called Sugar Ray Champ “no, that’s just my dad” and it worked-so much so that LeBron James and Samsung used the formula today. Money don't make you the face of an industry, in fact if that industry is marginalized and you are the “face” you shouldn’t brag about it. Even the President is experiencing some shame due to the Affordable Health Care Act bearing his name, if he was a Boxer he’d be bragging about the shit. Floyd Mayweather is the leader in boxing generating earnings, nothing more, to be the “face” of something you have to be an ambassador and we haven’t really had one since Sugar Ray Leonard. In terms of endorsement, our sport resembles the Dave Chappelle skit “When keeping it real” goes horribly wrong- and with Adrien Broner “on deck” look for this trend to continue into the foreseeable future.

Basketball gets cute Family Commercials, We get Sex Tapes.

 

 

Mayweather vs Canelo Post Fight Press Conference EXCLUSIVE

CANELO: IN OVER HIS HEAD; UNTIL HE ISN'T, BOXING AND PRODIGY

Flunky De jure Leonard Ellerbe would say the former, that the red headed Mexican is yet another version of “insert Latin opponent here” and many of you agree. Picking Floyd to win at this stage in his career isn’t the mark of “knowing some shit about boxing” as Uncle Roger would say; it would merely be seen as a sign of playing it safe. But where’s the imagination in that? And what can be more exciting than seeing a young man grow into himself before your eyes? History would illustrate that Floyd Mayweather (despite the issue of size) is as safe a bet as a primed Mike Tyson or Sonny Liston, but time tells us conventional wisdom is often offset when a prodigy arrives. We can plan on reliable veterans like Miguel Cotto putting on a great show, but we never know when a youngster decides he is more than what you’ve labeled him as. Canelo asked for Floyd, and Floyd “asked” (no I’m not buying it Leonard) that he chop off a leg which is telling given the fact that Floyd reminds us that he beat De La Hoya “at his weight” of 154 lbs. That concession alone is foretelling, evidence that Mayweather wasn’t too secure against the unforeseen, that unpredictable element a prodigious youth can provide.

Floyd is a genius at messaging, but the trait we love and hate about young folks is that they don’t listen. Canelo is famously serine, a byproduct of being thrown into an adult setting so young like many Mexican greats.

Ultimately the “Money Team” got around to letting all opponents know they aren’t used to being “under the bright lights” and they are in over their heads. Usually this may be a fact with anyone giving up huge advantages in Big Fight experience and skill, except in the rare case of the prodigy, something Floyd knows all about. He may be comfortable with “the stage” but the stage will always be in concert with nature, when the time has come it (the stage) will send no notice. Floyd himself was “the kid” all the way back in 1998 when he stepped in against Genaro Hernandez and looking back on it we forget the common wisdom that he was moving a bit too fast. What we didn’t know then and still don’t know now is the exact time a “would be” prodigy blossoms, but when they do it is always at the expense of an All Time Great. Could “All Access” or “24/7” have been able to capture a hint of anything in 1964 when Cassius Clay bloomed into a big, athletic postmodern heavyweight? I doubt it, because even Clay wasn’t as sure as history leads you to believe. We only see the prospect being “moved” (Mayweather points out Canelo’s presence on undercards)  with expertise up a ladder but we never see any hard evidence of greatness, Canelo like most is a “subject” of projections-even Floyd himself contends he’ll be “great someday”. We however tend to be like Floyd, watching and calculating based on data  (analyzing past performances against common foes)  so we have to remain cold and analytical about something that really isn’t when youth is involved. Ever notice men raising daughters always find out too late she’s developed into a young woman right under the same roof? because we look at hard evidence like birth certificates-we don’t do day to day.

In Boxing a youngster coming of age can be extremely dangerous to elders.

Young people have the benefit of contempt for authority and “order”, a 30 year old is more likely to start mentally spending his money when Floyd Mayweather starts whipping counters over his jab than a prodigy who inherently is willing to die. When faced with assured destruction an experienced “man” (Cotto, Guerrero) knows how to subdue his internal adrenalin just enough to lack urgency- while young George Foreman did what he “did” to Joe Frazier because he was scared shitless. Even Bernard Hopkins had to learn which youngsters it was ok to mess with, Mayweather just might be messing with the wrong kid.

Cotto didn’t think he was conceding, because only a 23 year old version of himself can tell him this. Alvarez in his youth is less likely to “think” Saturday night and I applaud this because it’s the “thinking” that gets Mayweather opponents in trouble. Floyd’s father can predict fatigue with a world of credibility but since when has he or his son been 23? Do they even remember what that sense of immortality feels like? Floyd’s underrated chin is rarely checked, and when it has been it has been at the hands of “men” like Judah and Mosley who either peeter out or admire their work- Canelo is a boy and vicious boys break things.

There is no prodigy (Tyson, Chavez Sr., Louis etc.) in the history of Boxing you wanted to “see” at 23 regardless of “who” they were facing-the only question is will Canelo join this group.

“If” Canelo is a prodigy he will be childlike, precocious and destructive, unaware that he isn’t “supposed” to be doing what he’s doing- because revolutions are always initiated by the young. Most of Boxing’s vandalism is committed by young men hell-bent on letting you know they “exist”, what better way to announce this than to piss on a monument?. 30 year olds succumb to chess players like Floyd, but a prodigious 23 year old may just have the balls (and youthful clarity) to flip the damned chess board over. It never crossed Wilfred Benitez’s mind he was only 17 when he did what he did to Antonio Cervantes in 1976, and given what followed he didn’t have any reverence for the feat afterwards. He thought he’d do stuff like that forever, but age taught him that forever is written in blood.  Canelo is so young that he (like Yusiel Puig) can do a lot of things “wrong” but end up doing the big things right, like most new music genres that coincidently always kill off  superior musicians with guts and intensity alone.

It’s up to Canelo if he is to be Johnny Rotten, Kirk Cobain or Grandmaster Flash. And it will be our pleasure to lie about it 10 years from now (as we do with Floyd) and say “I told you so”.

Floyd playing the “Resume Card”

Floyd likes to hold his resume against every opponent reminding them of his legacy and all of the great fighters he’s defeated. 21-0 in Championship bouts is worthy of a TMT T Shirt but it too can be debased in a blood sport like Boxing, if Canelo is committed to putting Floyd on his ass there’s no piece of paper in the world that will save him. Mayweather's confidence (and comfort)  is well founded because 17 years is a long time, so long that his critics can’t even talk to a whole segment of his fan base  who were 10 years old  in 2002-many of them (like Canelo) are 23.

Let’s play a little “name game”, what do Doug Jones, Andy Price, Pete Ranzany and Tony Pep all have in common? These were all guys who faught Ray Leonard, Cassius Clay, and Floyd Mayweather before they “became” who they are and none of them were of the caliber of Austin Trout. In fact none of these men have a victory over a fighter the caliber of Miguel Cotto before facing the 3 prodigies listed above.

Canelo may suffer from our perception of what a prodigy “is” because we generally associate this moniker with athletic, slick boxers. Prodigious fighters simply have to be talented and mature beyond their years, had Cotto (32) punched in the combination (and variation) of a “green” Canelo in his 2012 bout with Floyd he may have again been the opponent this past May. Even Shane Mosley warns not of power (Floyd has seen it all) but maturity, the kind of “grown man” skills that won’t tip his hand so early in a fight like older contemporaries. When Floyd was young legendary trainers spoke of subtleties and nuance unseen since the 1940’s and Canelo (if prodigious) may possess some of the same intricacy. In terms of confidence Floyd may be looking at the closest facsimile of himself (between the ears) since he started his bankable run as Boxing’s PPV star.

Prodigy is not of our making, and seeing one emerge is one of the more magical aspects in Boxing because they come along so rarely. Canelo Alvarez “is” in way over his head, until he isn’t; and that alone is why this is not just another fight.

This is The One