Dak Prescott might not have hurt his chances to cash out with the Dallas Cowboys, but he certainly didn’t help his image as a leader who makes shrewd decisions when he threw a gathering that reportedly had 30 people in attendance.
Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott are partying like it's NOT 2020 in the middle of a pandemic — hanging together for a celebration that appears to violate the Texas "safer-at-home" order. https://t.co/rzw1jiyvZm
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) April 11, 2020
The coronavirus lockdown is real for everyone. Usually, the rich and famous are protected from the harsh consequences of social catastrophes and injustices, but COVID-19 has paralyzed the world and doesn’t discriminate based on gender, financial status, creed or color.
More than 2 million Americans have contracted the disease, including athletes such as Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert, entertainers from Scarface to Idris Alba to Tom Hanks, politicians such as Chris Cuomo and world leaders.
In fact, athletes throughout the major sports have taken the lead on preaching the importance of social distancing, washing your hands, keeping your social circle below 10 people and staying in the house.
Prescott has refused to sign his franchise tag and is sticking firm to his contract demands. Dallas also refuses to budge until Dak lowers his asking price. Right now, it doesn’t really matter because the coronavirus has pro leagues in a virtual standstill. Eventually, this will become an issue, but the uncertain timeline and the fact that Dak is only going to miss virtual preseason seasons really just makes this good theatre right now.
You can always count on the Cowboys for that. If I’m Cowboys shot caller Stephen Jones, I also want to be able to count on my young quarterback making sound decisions. We already know that Ezekiel Elliott is capable of doing some Plaxico Burress, shoot myself in the club sh*t.
Antonio Pierce was the veteran leadership on that team, but he was slipped that night at the Copa and he didn’t stop Plax from going in the club with the burner with the Giants en route to back-to-back Super Bowls. It became the blind leading the blind. That never ends well. The gun goes off, the Giants season goes down the drain and Plax goes from the hospital to prison. He was never the same player after.
This situation doesn’t involve a gun, but potentially spreading coronavirus is equivalent to a mass weapon of destruction. Dak is supposed to be the calming influence, but he slipped up and got caught in the moment of having a birthday party in the midst of a global pandemic. A time when the government and every medical professional known to man is saying “don’t have social gatherings.”
When people do stuff like that we all suffer. Then the government mandates it, we lose our rights and eventually just living freely leads to arrests…all because Dak wants to throw a party that’s in direct violation of the Texas governor’s social distancing order.
It’s so much more important than talent to the franchise you want to break the bank for you. Dak’s decision- making and discipline have to be called into question in this instance.
Dak denies that he had 30 people at his house and implies that it is a lie. He says he had a small gathering that was under 10 people.
I understand and accept that there are additional responsibilities and media scrutiny that come with being an NFL quarterback, but it is very frustrating and disappointing when people provide completely inaccurate information from anonymous sources, especially now,” Prescott stated.
To set the record straight — I know that we all need to do our best to socially distance and like everyone else, I am continuing to adjust to what that requires, but the truth is that I was with fewer than 10 people for a home dinner — not a party — on Friday night. I am very sensitive to the challenges we are all facing and making sure to support the first responders and medical personnel and everyone else putting in long hours.
We are all at a time when we need to keep educating ourselves about the importance of health and isolation during this pandemic and I will continue to make sure to do my part by following the guidelines until we are approved to start returning to normal activities.”
Who would make this up? And why?
If this was the first incident with Dak ignoring quarantine restrictions then maybe he could get a pass. However, NFL analyst Mike Florio already called him out for working out Dez Bryant on video early in the quarantine process.
🔬 work @drobalwayzopen pic.twitter.com/bTNtrhAOqS
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 7, 2020
Florio wrote a piece in which he lambastes Bryant and Prescott, who he says ”continues to disregard important restrictions to out-of-home activities as communities throughout the world try to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus.”
The NFL insider claims the two “continue to flaunt their defiance of rules that have caused millions to change their habits dramatically.
When the Cowboys launch a virtual offseason workout program next Monday, Dak won’t be participating without a new contract. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Prescott will not take part in the stay-at-home preparations for the 2020 season, unless and until he has a long-term deal.
That’s cool and most people agree that the Cowboys should just pay him. But if Jerry Jones has any reservation about Dak being capable of doing all of the little things that Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks do, then Dak’s decision to party knowing people are looking to athletes as role models for how we should approach this coronavirus pandemic, doesn’t help his financial desires.
His actions don’t reflect a guy who you can count on to make the shrewd decision under pressure. He didn’t want to sacrifice for the good of others. Dak needs to humble up a bit, get his head out of the sand. Money aside, if he wants to carry the prestige of the star then do it right, in the toughest fo times, on and off the field.
There has been much discussion about the disproportionate number of Black and Brown people being diagnosed with coronavirus. While the pandemic has swept the globe with 2,088,425 cases as of 11:11 am today (April 16), Blacks, even in areas where they represent a low number of the population are seeing much higher instances of COVID-19.
This is a reminder of how historically people of color have been disenfranchised and belittled when it comes to resources, access to health care, healthy meals, safe living environments, safe working conditions, overall opportunity.
Structural racism makes Black & Brown ppl more likely to die from #COVID19. We've launched the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to directly impact the disproportionate effect #coronavirus is having on our communities. #WeGotUs 🖤✊🏾 Donate at: https://t.co/ag2euE1Qtz pic.twitter.com/aBcjKku2kC
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) April 16, 2020
This coronavirus has opened up society’s eyes to a lot of the social injustices that still remain. It has lessened the importance of sports and raised the significance of issues that Kaepernick was blackballed for bringing to light. Therefore, Colin Kaepernick’s journey continues. History continues to be on his side.
Back on this date in 1999, a film was released that many weren’t expecting, and some still couldn’t digest years afterward. Starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, and directed by Ted Demme from a story written by Murphy, Life told the story of two unfortunate souls from different backgrounds who find themselves caught up in a mess based on being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong skin color.
The dramedy spans 65 years in the lives of Ray Gibson and Claude Banks. Murphy and Lawrence are two New Yorkers from Harlem in 1932. One is a hustler and a petty thief while the other, played by Martin Lawrence, is an honest albeit selfish individual who recently accepted a job as a bank teller.
Gibson looks to prey upon Claude, who he has already labeled as a mark, but the resulting commotion finds them in the bad graces of club owner and local gangster Spanky, played by the late Rick James.
To get out of their collective bind that he caused, Ray volunteers himself and Claude to go on a bootleg liquor run to make up for it. As a viewer, I recall being filled with trepidation when it was mentioned in the film that the liquor run would take them to Mississippi.
Indeed, it was easy to surmise what was going to happen next without having any knowledge of the script, especially from a black perspective. It was the reality of mass incarceration, chain gangs and Jim Crow that filled the engaged viewer with fear of what was to occur.
Eventually, the shoe dropped on our protagonists as they’re framed for the murder of a local card shark by the town sheriff. They are tried, convicted and sentenced to life in a very short span.
In the camp, they spend the next 65 years of their lives trying to escape a fate that was not meant for them.
Among the personalities, they came across at the prison were Biscuit, played by Miguel A. Nunez Jr, Jangle Leg (Bernie Mac), Radio (Guy Torry), Can’t Get Right (Bokeem Woodbine) and Cookie (Anthony Anderson).
Much of the rest of the film dealt with their friendship, their disagreements, and their almost never-ending quest to escape from the correctional facility.
Although it had two of the biggest names in comedy on the bill, “Life” only made about $73 million at the box office off of a production budget of $80 million, which is considered a flop. Additionally, many in the mainstream media did not see the sense in placing these two comedy geniuses in cinematic circumstances that were depressing by their very nature. They didn’t get what was supposed to be so funny about prison and racism, but to many black folks, these are everyday norms.
One could consider the motions of Claude and Ray to be indicative of the real-life struggles of black men in America.
In the film, whenever there was a chance that justice would be served, it is snatched away by circumstance, such as when Superintendent Wilkins, played by Ned Beatty, is minutes from issuing them a pardon when he suffers a fatal heart attack.
Or when Can’t Get Right leaves for the Negro League after giving the two some hope that he would be their ticket out, which causes a split between the two that lasts 30 years, despite being in the same facility.
One factor that is apparent based upon the ending, which found the duo escaping and enjoying a game at Yankee Stadium in their 80s, is that hope is a most necessary commodity when it comes to overcoming any obstacle. Filled with laughs and moments of melancholy, “Life” remains an underappreciated classic 21 years later.
In honor of yesterday’s Jackie Robinson Day celebration, Tulco launches #Operation42 to donate $4.2 million in PPE (personal protective equipment) for medical workers health care workers and essential workers who serve African-American and other communities and are risking their health everyday battling on the front lines against the COVID-19 pandemic.
PPE will be offered to African American communities who have been hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic.
Tulco has partnered with FIGS, the designer and manufacturer of modern medical apparel, to execute on the distribution of scrubs, n95 masks, and isolation gowns to hospitals impacted most by coronavirus.
TULCO is the holding company founded by Thomas Tull who produced the Jackie Robinson film “42.” starring Chad Boseman.
Emoni Bates became the only sophomore to ever win National Gatorade Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9,16-year-old is a freakish sight to behold and conjures memories of some of the greatest high school hoop stars of any era.
History was made today.@BatesEmoni is now the only sophomore ever to win National Gatorade Player of the Year. @SLAM_HS pic.twitter.com/myGHILBOxE
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 14, 2020
Now that he’s received national accolades people will finally start getting on the bandwagon and singing his praises as the next big thing. But I knew about this phenom since last season when he was tearing cats to shreds as a freshman at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
It was Champ Guru our Shadow League NBA insider from Detroit, that hipped me to the greatness of Emoni Bates. I didn’t hear about this kid from any of basketball’s anointed movers and shakers who will eventually receive the credit for co-signing this incredible talent.
Sure the go-to pubs like Ballislife and Slam were following his journey as they do all of the top-rated hoops players, but Bates still has some non-believers out there. Champ, however, isn’t one of them.
Champ went on ESPN radio last year with Stephen A. and told the media star’s millions of followers and listeners that Bates — who led his HS to the State championship as a freshman — was as good as LeBron James or Chris Webber at this stage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-917DwF6kx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
It was hyperbole to most, especially coming from Champ, who has ruffled the feathers of ESPN audiences in the past by refusing to put LeBron James in his Top 10 all-time players. That’s another story for another podcast, but Champ continues to have a shrewd eye and unique vision when it comes to hoops.
Bates – rated as the nation’s top prep player – is now the fourth player to win the award from Michigan joining Torbert, Chris Webber (Detroit Country Day, 1990-1991) and LaVell Blanchard (Ann Arbor Pioneer, 1998-1999).
The award, which has been given to the nation’s best player since 1986, puts Bates in an exclusive group of basketball bullies, placing him in the same realm at this point in his career as NBA greats Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Jayson Tatum, who is cool with Bates.
Past winners of the honor have combined for five NBA MVPs, 69 All-Stars nominations and 26 first-round draft picks.
Like Biggie said, “ Sky is the limit.”
As far as Champ goes, he’s the same guy that was singing Melo Ball’s praises when the kid was at Spire institute and everyone was still bashing Lavar for letting his teenage son go overseas to play with grown men. Melo wasn’t anywhere on the mainstream radar as a potential lottery pick, but Champ said he was going to not only be a Top 3 pick, but also a brand that could live up to the hype of his celebrity.
Ball,18, is positioning himself for such blessings and is also in negotiations to become the youngest majority owner in sports by leading a group that intends to purchase the NBL team he played for this past season, Illawarra Hawks.
There’s been a list of blue chippers over the past half decade that were highly touted and considered possible candidates to take the baton from Lebron James. Bates might be that guy and if he is, then you heard it here first.
Edyoucore and The Shadow League are continuing their “Get Lit” live chat series this week.
Tune into a Zoom/YouTube discussion on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET with actress, singer, producer and director, Tamara Tunie. Bart Scott and Drew Hawkins will talk with Tamara about money issues facing the entertainment industry during COVID-19, as well as other financial topics related to everyone who is faced with challenges during this time.
The live chats are part of a series during Financial Literacy Month.
Tamara is best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has also appeared in film, most notably playing the key supporting role of Margaret Thomason in the 2012 film Flight.
Edyoucore and The Shadow League have teamed up to provide this series of content with the objective to raise awareness about the importance of financial education.
For more details and to watch the chat live, visit Edyoucore.com/GetLit.
As the world becomes smaller and cultures collide so do sporting options.
Sports that traditionally were outside the cultural realm of communities of color suddenly became relevant to them. Sports like race car driving, e-sports, extreme sports and more have crossed over, however, the cultural intersections are still raw.
Well, @KyleLarsonRacin apparently dropping an n-bomb could be the biggest story in sports this weekend. pic.twitter.com/5gmkbcK6yM
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) April 13, 2020
During a virtual race on Twitch on Sunday night, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson was caught dropping the “n-bomb”. Larson is white and NASCAR suspended him indefinitely on Monday. Right before the official NASCAR suspension, Larson’s race team suspended him without pay.
On Monday morning, NASCAR issued a penalty report for Larson listing his offense as “behavioral”. They also said Larson must attend sensitivity training “as directed by NASCAR.”
“NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event,” a spokesperson for NASCAR said. “Our Member Conduct Guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base.”
NASCAR is trying.
For starters, they have the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. It aligns its drivers with a team of executives, athletic trainers, crew chiefs and mentors helping them achieve professional success. The hope is to improve their likelihood of reaching one of the three NASCAR national series.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx27bxVHNoA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Selected drivers will compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series or Bojangles’ Summer Shootout Series.
Each year the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program along with its competition arm, Rev Racing, seeks high quality applicants from diverse backgrounds. They work to develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. There is even a selection process that begins with a Combine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx20GOpHOk3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
However, that is corporate. The culture behind the sport might differ from corporate’s interpretation of the future of the sport.
Casually uttering the slur shows comfort with usage, and Larson seemed very comfortable. Once another driver realized the Larson didn’t know he could still be heard live, he was warned, “Kyle you’re talking to everyone bud.”
If that wasn’t already cause for alarm, peep the statements from Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR and Larson. There is no real culpability for what went on.
“The words that he chose to use are offensive and unacceptable,” Chip Ganassi Racing said in a statement. Larson’s team suspended him without pay for an indefinite amount of time. However, they did not call the driver racist.
NASCAR’s initial statement was, “NASCAR is aware of insensitive language used by a driver during an iRacing event on Sunday, and is currently gathering more information.”
There we go again, redefining words. The “insensitive” should have been replaced with racist. However, if you live in a culture where locker room talk includes racial jibes, well, we all know what happens to high profile locker room speak adherents.
Kyle Larson used a racially charged word. All affiliated with him have given him a pass. Until they can understand why and work on true inclusion, there will always exist a divide that without work will remain an ever-present obstacle.
Lamar Jackson was dynamic, revolutionary and dominant at times en route to his 2019 MVP season. He slapped his haters with two hands and ran and threw his way into the history books while establishing the Ravens as a Super Bowl contender moving forward.
How did LJ reward himself for rising to the top of a supposed “legendary” 2018 rookie quarterback class?
He recently unveiled a massive chest tattoo that features the word “family” as well as a pigskin in the center of his chest with what appears to be purple ravens feathers extending from it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2ctLGnJ4u/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
There are two names on each side of the football: “Felicia,” and Lamar.”
The word “Truzz”is at the bottom. It symbolizes trust and became one of the Ravens’ themes during last season’s run.
Jackson’s tattoo artist from Ace of Spades Tattoo Studio posted the fresh ink on Instagram, cautioning that the current artwork was just the start of a “monster piece,”
The artist can’t complete the tattoo until the coronavirus quarantine is over, but that’s fine because this masterpiece in the making won’t be Jackson’s first marriage with the ink. He has his grandmother’s name and his mom’s favorite Bible verse (Mark 6:4) on his arms. And underneath his biceps he has “Living” on the left and “Legend” on the right.
Here are some takeaways from Lamar’s tattoos.
Lamar is all in with the Ravens and believes that he will spend his entire career in Baltimore. At least, that’s what he’s implying by permanently brandishing his body with Ravens feather and colors. We’ll see how that works out, but right now Lamar’s 150 percent invested in leading Baltimore to a Super Bowl; mind, body, and soul.
Despite being the last quarterback and player chosen in the first round of the 2018 Draft, Jackson’s confidence never wavered. He still thinks very highly of himself.
To tattoo a “living legend” on your biceps is not only borderline obnoxious, but some competitors could take that as a premature taunt. The moniker is self-anointed for one. Lamar hasn’t won a Superbowl yet and he’s only had one sensational pro season. We know that he’s already a legendary figure in Florida, but the tides can turn quickly for a quarterback who uses his legs more than his arm in the NFL. Lamar is on his way to mastering both, but you can’t predict anything past the current play in the NFL. On the other hand, you have to have his level of confidence to accomplish what he has after facing so many obstacles. Imagine if this guy actually switched to wide receiver?
Jackson knew that once he got his opportunity to ball out, he would make fools out of anyone who doubted him. The B-More Ravens are the team that embraced him, believed in him and allowed him to showcase his incomparable talents. He has embraced the organization as family and going forward, will lead a culture of trust.
His mother and his grandmother seem to be the two most important people in Lamar’s life. They are his driving force and very spiritual. Jackson trusts his mother, who is also his agent, unconditionally and his grandmother’s influence on his life is obviously strong and positive.
Jackson plans to walk around without his shirt on a lot next summer and hit up a ton of beaches.
With all of the turmoil that the Trump presidency has met, it’s always settling to reflect on a time when America was thriving under President Obama.
And thank him for his eight years of service to this once great nation.
President has to be a leader for all people regardless of his personal ethnicity, race or beliefs. So, when deciding which President in your lifetime was the best POTUS, myriad factors are taken into account. A candidate’s position on abortion, welfare, healthcare, the military, unemployment, mass incarceration, police and the many issues confronting our nation affects whether or not that candidate represents everything we want in a President.
Those decisions vary from person to person depending on a number of factors. As Obama made his final address to America after eight glorious and legendary years, it kind of reminded me of when Magic Johnson retired. There was a finality that can drive anyone into a temporary depression. But once you get over Obama’s departure you can immediately begin to reflect on what has been a tremendous and incomparable legacy in American history.
Obama’s jumper on the hardwood is what forever lifts him into the GOAT category when discussing the greatest American Presidents. People say he didn’t do enough for black folks, but being able to kill the pill is the blackest skill a human being can have. It’s the reason they call Jason Williams “White Chocolate.”
George W. Bush played some baseball in prep school and he most definitely threw a baseball better than Obama (and 50 Cent), but pitching is not recognized as a discipline requiring superior athleticism and according to the numbers, brothers don’t play baseball anyway, right?
He may not have the greatest form, but compared to past Presidents, Obama’s got a jumper. It’s wet too. He is the only President in history who can still run a full court. The way he moves on the court and the natural urban arc of his release reflects years of getting it in on the hardwood and concrete courts of inner-city Chicago. Its his connection to the people. Its proof that we had a President who wasnt a has-been, but was growing and moving and existing in real time. And he was undeniably Black.
In fact, his shooting form has been broken down and analyzed and criticized more than his foreign policy.
Whether Obama was predicting the NCAA field of 64, hosting the Lakers at the Black House or honoring influential African-American sports figures in American history such as Ernie Banks or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Barack always had a pulse on the sports world and it served his popularity and relatability well.
Charlie Deitch of the Pittsburgh City Paper summed Obamas sports legacy up best:
“Obama knows how to bring people together, and his love of sports made him engaging, accessible and, in a way, familiar to the rest of us. He wasnt the stuffed shirt awkwardly throwing out first pitches, or tossing footballs like his arm was a catapult instead of a rocket launcher. Sports made Obama seem regular in a way that other presidents didnt. The Bushes and Reagan seemed the opposite of approachable, and while Bill Clinton tried to project the regular-guy vibe, it never seemed completely authentic.”
Basketball is the most popular sport in America and gaining on soccer internationally as well. It was an ice-breaker for Obama throughout his political life. That rainbow jumper is the epitome of cool. And who doesn’t want a cool POTUS?
Yes, hoops has served him well. In November of 2012, he was seen playing a pickup basketball game with Scottie Pippen, before the election results dropped. While some past President.s sat in a room pounding brandy and bogies, Obama was soothing his mind with the healer of all social healers; hoops.
Even before he was President, Obama was hooping against other Senators. Undoubtedly gaining his colleagues respect and setting up his meteoric rise to President of the United States with every deft pass, bucket and hustle play.
Clips of the President show a relentless penetration, willingness to pass and exceptional court vision, which is reflective of his demeanor. He quickly surveyed the court and made decisions to minimize mistakes. He put his team first, understood his function in achieving the collective goal and executed it pretty well. He was willing to run the show and do all the dirty work.
What makes it even doper — and the reason why he’s the crown prince of authenticity — is that the Prez has skills. He wasn’t just out there trying to relive his glory days and failing miserably at it.
Who can forget when he went Steph Curry-stupid against half the UConn Lady Huskies National Championship squad on the White House court? Prez had lethal, All-American sharpshooters airballing and all that.
He even won a skeptical military over with his basketball prowess. When you can nail a jumper, people start thinking you can do anything. Celebrity will get you everywhere in this country.
Obama played ball with actor Don Cheadle and deceased icon Kobe Bryant. He kicked it with Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant of Team USA and even tried to secure a basketball scholarship for Joe Biden’s 10-year-old granddaughter with women’s basketball coaching guru Geno Auriemma.
So remember The Obama Era however you like as he rides off into the sunset with an unemployment rate at a 9-year low of 4.6 %.
But NEVER forget the fact that the brother could hoop.
It doesn’t get any more American than that.
On tonight’s episode of “#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson,” Turner’s EJ will host Hall of Famer and NBA all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kareem, a life-long social justice advocate, will be joined by National Urban League President Marc Morial to discuss how the coronavirus is disproportionately impacting communities of color and the ways the NBA family is supporting response efforts focused on health and economic equity.
See where the six-time MVP and NBA champ ranks on The Shadow League’s Top 10 Lakers In Franchise History.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-7rFe-nhK1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson features high-profile guests from the basketball community and streams on the NBA’s Twitter account Monday and Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. ET.
Previous guests have included Commissioner Adam Silver, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri.
Following each show, highlights and clips are also available via @NBAonTNT Twitter account.
Jackie Robinson’s impact and his legacy extend far beyond the baseball field. He was a three-sport college athlete, politician, social activist, civil rights leader and philanthropist during his lifetime. With so many distinguishing characteristics, MLB squads represent Jackie Robinson’s success and sacrifice in many different ways throughout the year.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks will engage fans in a series of activities to celebrate Jackie’s legacy, including a new coloring activity, a D-Backs Jackie Robinson Day essay contest and a virtual proclamation from Mayor Gallego’s office declaring April 15th as Jackie Robinson Day in the city of Phoenix.
Cleats worn by Texas Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields on Jackie Robinson Day in 2016. #BaseballIsCool pic.twitter.com/DbC6WPtVZj
— Keep On Playing (@ikeeponplaying) April 17, 2017
Chicago Cubs
This school year, Cubs Charities together with Educational Endeavors launched The Players’ Journal to give students enrolled in RBI Scholars a place to elevate their work. In light of COVID-19 and e-learning, the Cubs opened the opportunity to their full RBI league including a writing prompt about Jackie’s nine values.
A tremendous day for baseball royalty: Jackie Robinson born on this day 100 years ago. 12 years later, Ernie Banks is born on the same day. Tremendous impact not only on @MLB but on the United States and the world. Not overstating it in the least. @Cubs @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/BrEDaMvWel
— MBDChicago (@MBDChicago) January 31, 2019
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day with a special YouTube video playlist that showcases footage of the organization’s previous Jackie Robinson Day interviews and events.
On April 14, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson joined play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and a dozen young players from the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) program for a virtual video discussion reflecting on Robinson’s legacy.
The White Sox continue to invite young fans to enter the 5th Annual Jackie Robinson Video Contest by submitting a video about an inspiring man or woman who helped paved the way for African Americans in baseball.
Entrants are encouraged to shine a spotlight on “unsung heroes” from the Negro Leagues who greatly contributed to the sport’s rich history. Videos are due April 27.
Houston Astros
Houston Astros Youth Academy members will participate using social media to upload content of themselves demonstrating at least one of the nine values that Jackie Robinson represented while breaking Baseball’s color barrier, or what Jackie Robinson Day means to them. Academy members will write a short narrative to describe/accompany the content on any of the platforms they use.
Here's the Houston Astros Jackie Robinson Day jersey (pic courtesy @astros): pic.twitter.com/ij2AEqQd5k
— SportsLogos.Net (@sportslogosnet) April 15, 2014
Kansas City Royals
In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, the Kansas City Royals held Club 42, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, a webinar between front office associates and area secondary students.
Did you know? Jackie Robinson played for two #Royals organizations.
The first, with Kansas City in the California Winter League. The second, breaking the International League color barrier with Montreal. #BlackHistoryMonth
https://t.co/CQmmOMp0WB— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 19, 2019
Eight members of the Royals front office from diverse backgrounds shared information about their positions and their path to the Royals with 42 local students from area nonprofit organizations. Highlights of the program will be shared via Royals social media on Jackie Robinson Day.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day digitally, highlighted by a special Zoom player forum on Robinson’s legacy and his continuing impact on today’s game. The team will celebrate the day on all of its social media channels by posting current player tributes, game highlights from past Jackie Robinson Days and on-field highlights from Robinson’s Hall of Fame career.
With the Robinson family and LA Dodgers Foundation Executive Director Nichol Whiteman at Jackie Robinson Day! pic.twitter.com/SdFApj1RdO
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 16, 2019
https://publish.twitter.com/?query=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FMagicJohnson%2Fstatus%2F1117973908114665474&widget=Tweet
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins will look to make an impact in celebration of Jackie Robinson Day with various activities in South Florida.
Drive-thru Food Distribution at Liberty City in partnership with Farm Share
The Miami Marlins Foundation, through the Home Plate Meals Relief Fund, has organized a distribution of meals, in collaboration with Ark of the City, for 500 households that will take place on Wednesday in Liberty City. The families will receive a bag of essential food items along with an educational pamphlet on Jackie Robinson.
Food Deliveries to KIPP Sunrise Families in partnership with Bridge to Hope
With Bridge to Hope, the Miami Marlins Foundation, through the Home Plate Meals Relief Fund, will provide home delivery of essential nutrition items to 25 KIPP Sunrise families from Liberty City dealing with food security needs.
Home Plate Kindness
The Miami Marlins Foundation will launch this new safe at-home volunteer opportunities program. The Marlins front office will take the lead, with select members participating in four (4) volunteer opportunities, while also providing fans with two (2) safe at-home volunteer tips via social media – in honor of Jackie’s #42.
Connected to 42: A Roundtable Discussion with Marlins Players and Alumni
Marlins players and alumni will be featured in Connected to 42, a virtual roundtable conversation about the impact of Jackie Robinson throughout the generations. Marlins alumnus Charles Johnson serves as moderator for the discussion, which includes Marlins players Lewis Brinson, Jazz Chisholm, Sterling Sharp and Stephen Tarpley, bench coach James Rowson, and alumni Cliff Floyd and Juan Pierre. The exclusive event will air Wednesday on the Marlins’ YouTube channel – YouTube.com/Marlins.
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins will engage fans with a video featuring players, coaches and alumni discussing the enduring impact of Jackie Robinson on their own lives and careers, and on baseball, sports and society as a whole. The Twins will provide a series of Club-specific worksheets designed to educate children on Jackie’s life and impact – the “who” and “why” behind the #42 kids see in left field every game at Target Field. Videos and worksheets will be shared via Twins social media channels and at Twinsbaseball.com.
On Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 1:00, I will have the honor or throwing out the first pitch at the Minnesota Twins baseball game in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. This day is celebrated by all of Major League Baseball and is a recognition of the legacy of this great man. If no snow. pic.twitter.com/2xs54YPgjj
— James Burroughs II (@Inclusion_Chief) April 14, 2018
Oakland Athletics
Oakland A’s outfielder Ramón Laureano will spend Jackie Robinson Day contributing to the community by providing meals from two Oakland-based restaurants to hundreds of healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and at the Oakland Fire Department’s 24 fire stations. Additionally, the Oakland A’s will honor Jackie’s legacy with various social media posts throughout the day.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day through community and media engagement, as well as honoring diverse business partners in their community:
Community Engagement:
Meal deliveries – the Pirates will partner with Silver Star to provide over 100 boxed meals in the Hill District, an underserved black community in Pittsburgh. This effort will serve the families of Neighborhood Resilience Project and Macedonia FACE.
Jackie Robinson played shortstop only one time in his major league career. Here he is on that day making a leaping grab on a line drive off the bat of Danny O'Connell of the Pirates, September 22, 1953. #Dodgers #Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/rB39Zu8Q0y
— Matt Dahlgren (@mattdahlgren12) April 25, 2019
Financial contribution – Pirates Charities is making a $5,000 contribution towards the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and Koppers’ AllOnePittsburgh initiative. This initiative will put cleaning/sanitization products into the hands of those in the minority community.
Media Engagement:
Former and current uniform staff will be featured in stories and on-air interviews with local black media outlets (i.e. New Pittsburgh Courier and WAMO 100.1 FM) discussing the impact Jackie Robinson and his accomplishments had on their careers.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners will host a Jackie Robinson Day Roundtable, moderated by club announcer Dave Sims and featuring current Mariners Dee Gordon, Mallex Smith and Shed Long Jr. Mariner alum and MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds and Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, also will participate. The Mariners also will feature social content throughout the day.
Join us tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT for a very special event on YouTube as Mariners broadcaster @TheDaveSimsShow hosts the Jackie Robinson Day Roundtable presented by @AlaskaAir. #Jackie42
💻 https://t.co/XuvVOdxjRD pic.twitter.com/mAhhOpp7k2
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 15, 2020
Tampa Bay Rays
During Black History Month, the Rays partnered with People Empowering & Restoring Communities (PERC), the City of St. Petersburg, the 16th Street Business & Neighborhood Association, community leaders and volunteers for a beautification project at the David T. Welch Center for Progress & Community Development, just south of Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay #Rays sporting their No. 42 jerseys for Jackie Robinson Day #MLB #bluejays #jays pic.twitter.com/KMoz7sqPph
— Gregory Strong (@GregoryStrongCP) April 15, 2015
The project was planned in collaboration with community leaders throughout Tampa Bay in honor of Jackie Robinson Day and Robinson’s nine core values, including citizenship, commitment and justice. Additionally, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Rays Baseball Foundation supported Rays RBI Tampa and Burg Baseball with financial donations to continue and grow their respective missions.
These organizations provide free and low-cost opportunities for young boys and girls to play baseball and learn Robinson’s core values, such as teamwork, dedication and perseverance. Throughout the day on April 15, the Rays will honor Robinson’s legacy with social posts remembering Jackie Robinson Day celebrations of the past.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers will launch a local Breaking Barriers contest for members of the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy to provide an avenue for the youth to write about how they are incorporating Jackie’s nine virtues into their lives during these tough times. Additionally, FOX Sports Southwest will rebroadcast last year’s game on Jackie Robinson Day, which featured a number of Academy athletes and stories. The Rangers will also be localizing posts on social media featuring players and alumni.
Major League Baseball has celebrated Jackie Robinson’s legacy in an extensive and unified League-wide show of support over the years, including retiring his number throughout the Majors in 1997, dedicating April 15th as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004, and requesting that every player and all on-field personnel wear his Number 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.
It was always an intimate and festive occasion around the league. Just because there are no games doesn’t mean MLB will abandon the celebration of one of baseball’s champions and America’s iconic figures.
https://www.facebook.com/TheShadowLeague.TSL/videos/1628280297200873/
Usually, all of MLB’s ballparks are jam-packed with fans eager to bask in the glory of Robinson’s iconic journey. It was just last year that MLB held a year-long centennial celebration of Jackie’s birth, leading off with the Spike Lee film “Impact‘ and rounding out the lineup with the grand opening of Manhattan’s Jackie Robinson Museum in December.
Today, MLB, its Clubs, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day in a virtual nature, centering on social media and online platforms to underscore the importance of staying safe and healthy at home.
Designed to engage and educate fans about Robinson’s enduring legacy, efforts will incorporate MLB partners, MLB Clubs, Major League players, and youth baseball & softball players.
These will range from educational programs with the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Jackie-inspired social media content, archived footage, special broadcasts on MLB Network, and a celebrity DJ set.
Information on the educational resources, special Jackie Robinson Day content, a schedule of the day’s events, and more can be found on MLB.com/42.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwStfx0gwoS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
MLB Clubs will host a series of activities, including digital roundtables with current & former Major Leaguers (e.g. Tim Anderson, Dee Gordon, Lewis Brinson, Charles Johnson, Cliff Floyd, etc.), community giving initiatives, educational platforms and more.
The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) will launch the new “Jackie Robinson Day Virtual Learning Hub,” a platform to deliver educational programming to educators and parents for students in grades K-12, at JRLegacy.org. Divided appropriately by age groups, the programming will address different aspects of Jackie’s life and legacy. The Hub will feature video vignettes of Jackie’s daughter, Sharon, as well as former MLB players (including CC Sabathia and MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds), reading excerpts of her book Jackie Robinson: American Hero. Additional resources will include conversational prompts for in-home discussion and more.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B–gKtshUeA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
MLB also will feature virtual and printable education activities aimed at providing kids information on Jackie’s life and legacy at MLB.com/42. Activities include a coloring page, crossword puzzle, connect-the-dots and word search.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET, MLB.com will live stream 12 hours of Jackie Robinson-related programming:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B–XtwSJGEX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Throughout the day, MLB will feature custom, original Jackie-inspired content across MLB’s social media accounts (MLB, Cut4, PlayBall, MajorLeagueLife, MLBDevelops), including a timeline graphic of Jackie’s life, interactive games for kids, eye-catching graphics, and more.
Featured participants will include Major League players, student-athletes of MLB’s diversity-focused youth initiatives (e.g. the Hank Aaron Invitational, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, MLB Youth Academy, Trailblazer Series), and more.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0WishhguBq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Fans are invited to celebrate the day and post recorded messages and photos on social media of what Jackie and his legacy mean to them, using the hashtag #Jackie42.
The Instagram Live legendary hip-hop producers battle between RZA and DJ Premier was as advertised. Verzuz came off again with another historical, musical showcase to feed the masses during a tough coronavirus quarantine time.
THE CULTURE WON TONIGHT!!
Thank you @RZA and @REALDJPREMIER
My love for Hip-Hop only gets bigger with these moments!! ❤#NowPlaying la playlist "RZA vs. DJ Premier" em @TIDAL https://t.co/6hZ5bG2MfN
— scations ❔ (@Vascations) April 12, 2020
Legendary producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz laid the groundwork with the inaugural VERZUZ battle series, which was taken to another level when WuTang‘s iconic beat chemist and Premo, the orchestrator of the incomparable Gang Starr sound, matched blades.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-3IMCkHU7N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
When it was over, 849,056 people tuned into the clash between all-time talents, who have worked with all of the legends in the industry while contributing to rap’s incredible rise from the backyards and concrete parks of the ghetto to the most consumed music on the planet.
The viewers were a who’s who of the entertainment and music world — everyone from Nas to Diddy– and these game-changing talents went head to head playing memorable hits that they crafted over the past three decades.
It brought back memories and took the 35-and-over crowd back to a place that seems like yesterday, but also a century ago when the reality of current life takes hold.
There are varying opinions on who won. Rza had some technical difficulties coming out of the gate, but once he got that handled, he was releasing bangers, everything from classic WuTang to Biggie.
https://twitter.com/Shakean410/status/1249175832356151298
Preemo did the same, dropping his many A and B-side gems with legendary artists like Das EFX — even collabo’s with Wutang rappers. The two producers also discussed hip-hop history in between the songs, which really made the moment a movie of enlightenment.
Look, we sure can’t fault the NBA for being creative and trying to keep the fans engaged during a coronavirus shutdown that has basically wrecked the season.
The NBA2k Players Tournament has been met with lukewarm interest. The larger gaming community is somewhat engaged, but NBA fans aren’t exactly racing to the TV to see Patrick Beverley talk trash from a chair in his crib. It is good to see Kevin Durant recovered from his coronavirus diagnosis, but now we want to also see him jump and land on that Achilles with no pain.
Young stars like Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker do generate interest, however, and allow the NBA to showcase the personalities of the league’s future gatekeepers.
ESPN2 will show all four quarterfinals matchups live on Thursday night, while ESPN will carry the semifinals on Saturday.
For those who want to see pros actually playing hoops, NBA All-Stars Chris Paul, Young and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Tamika Catchings will headline the first-ever NBA HORSE Challenge presented by State Farm, exclusively on ESPN beginning April 12.
In total, eight NBA and WNBA players and legends will participate in a single-elimination shooting competition.
State Farm will donate more than $200,000 in support of Coronavirus relief efforts. This donation builds on the more than $74 million that has been contributed by the NBA Family to date to support coronavirus relief efforts through its NBA Together campaign.
I’m not confident that the NBA’s game of horse will be entertaining. Hope they prove me wrong, but right now I’m not convinced. pic.twitter.com/kMgO0Epvgu
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) April 9, 2020
Beginning Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, Paul, Young, Catchings, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will match shots against one another in a single-elimination HORSE competition from their respective, isolated home courts. ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones will serve as the official host.
RULES
NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm participants will be divided into two groups of four, with the winners of the first two games in each group meeting in the semifinals. The winner from each group will move on to the championship round. ESPN will present the four quarterfinal games on Sunday. The semifinals and the championship game will air on Thursday, April 16, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
A coin toss at the start of each game will determine who shoots first, with the more senior player calling heads or tails. Players must describe each shot attempt, specifying the type of score they intend to make before taking a shot, such as a bank shot or swish. Dunking is prohibited. The first player in each game to accumulate the letters “H-O-R-S-E” after failing to match five shots is eliminated.
You can’t knock the NBA for trying. MLB players seem to be in hibernation and NFL players are still hoping to have a season in the Fall, so they are just chilling right now.
MATCHUPS
APRIL 12
Quarterfinals Group 1: Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups
Quarterfinals Group 1: Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley
Quarterfinals Group 2: Zach Lavine vs. Paul Pierce
Quarterfinals Group 2: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley
The semifinal round for each group will be played on April 16th, immediately followed by the HORSE Championship game.
Yahoo Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation presents #WeKeepPlaying, which will bring together female sports icons to discuss resilience and mental health for young athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#WeKeepPlaying will be live-streamed at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, April 11, 2020, exclusively on Yahoo Sports mobile app and YahooSports.com.
List of elite and influential athletes participating:
Scout Bassett: A Paralympic track & field athlete and world record holder. She is the 2013 recipient of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Travel & Training Fund grant.
Sabrina Ionescu: The first basketball player (female or male) in NCAA history with 2,000 points – 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds, and the all-time NCAA leader with 26 career triple-doubles. She will be entering the WNBA draft this month after most recently playing for the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Conference.
Katie Ledecky: A two-time Olympian in swimming who has won five Olympic gold medals, 15 world championship gold medals, and is the current world record holder in several events.
Carli Lloyd: A captain of the USWNT who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year, and a three-time Olympian.
Kendall Coyne Schofield. An ice hockey star who was the first female in history to skate in the NHL skills competition. She is an Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist and current member of Team USA and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA.)
Katie Sowers: NFL assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, the first female and the first openly gay coach in history to be on the sidelines for the Super Bowl.
Chiney Ogwumike: A two-time WNBA All-Star for The Los Angeles Sparks and NBA analyst for ESPN. She is a graduate of Stanford University.
Social rights activist, tennis pioneer and WSF founder Billie Jean King and special guest former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice will also join journalist and moderator Cari Champion, for an empowering and inspiring conversation
“Sports play a vital role in the mental and physical health of young athletes, so, as the global athletic community pauses its activity, it is more important than ever to have a candid conversation about the wellbeing of our youth,” said Guru Gowrappan, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Media.
“Yahoo Sports is committed to connecting people to their passions, and providing fans with comprehensive access to sports content and commerce that they crave. We are proud to bring our audience content that addresses the needs of our young athletes during these unprecedented times.”
Thousands of young athletes across the world have been deprived of the many advantages and opportunities that sports provides them. The comradery and friendships built. The concepts of teamwork and practice. The mental stability sports provide for many kids, as well as the positive coaches and leaders that help shape lives and open up their eyes to the value of athletics beyond the playing field.
“During this challenging time of COVID-19, we know that young girls all across the country cannot participate in sports or live out their passions on the field, court, ice, pool or anywhere they play sports,” said King. “Our Foundation is the ally and advocate for all girls and women: we know her, we cheer for her, we believe in her, and we are here for her. That is why we are bringing together our community of prominent women athletes and leaders to empower, support and inspire young girls – and each other – during this unprecedented time.”
These women will share their own stories of personal resilience to engage and inspire young athletes across the globe. Viewers will be able to submit questions in the lead up to the live event via Twitter and Facebook by using #WeKeepPlaying.
The Chicago Bulls have come under fire from a handful of the NBA’s black executives and were even ripped on ESPN First Take today for failing to consider any minority candidates before hiring Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas as executive vice president of basketball operations
With a plentiful list of capable African-Americans available, the Bulls continue the pattern of white privilege that has made it difficult for qualified coaches and executives of color to get a shot.
As the NBA and NCAA continue to take pride in being drum majors for diversity in sports — despite some watershed moments that give an appearance of progress — the overall numbers still reflect the unwillingness of white power brokers to hire Blacks to head coaching and leadership positions.
According to a recent report from the Post-Gazette, there are only 14 black head coaches (18.7%) of the 75 programs in college basketball’s six major conferences. And if you just figure the Power Five conferences, then the number dips to 13.8%, given that the Big East has five black head coaches.
In 2015, The Shadow League wrote a story entitled, “The Vanishing Of Black College Coaches At Power Schools.”
https://twitter.com/Dr_Tyrie_L_Fant/status/640756730956115968
As the number of black scholarship players continues to increase, gains made in the head coaching ranks seem to be going in the opposite direction.
According to data collected by Richard Lapchick, the director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, “As of the 2017-18 season, 53.6 percent of Division I men’s basketball players were black, up 0.6 percent from the previous season. However, those numbers spike at the elite levels as the players get better because nearly 80 percent of scholarship players at major conference schools are black.
Of the 104 players that were named first, second or third-team all-conference in the sport’s seven biggest leagues last season — the ACC, American, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC — 87 of them were black, or 83.7 percent. Of the 15 players that were named All-Americans last year, 13 — or 86.7 percent — were black.
Those numbers don’t mesh with the number of black head coaches in the college ranks.
In statistics released by NBCsport.com:
“In 2000, 25 percent of head coaches in the six major conferences were black. In 2010, the number was 24.7 percent. As recently as 2005, 32.3 percent (22 of 68) of high major head coaches were black.
Today, there are 353 Division I men’s basketball programs, and just 103 of them — or 29.2 percent — have black head coaches. When HBCUs are taken out of the equation, the number falls to 24.1 percent.”
In the sport’s Big Seven conferences, that number is 22.9 percent. The Pac-12 does not have a single black head coach. The only black head coach in the Big Ten is Michigan’s Juwan Howard.
Of course, in those seven conferences, more than 59 percent of the assistant coaches are black. Every single one of those 87 programs has at least one black assistant coach.
Why are the numbers declining?
When just (12.6 percent) of schools in the seven major conferences, have a black AD and just one of those 87 universities has a black president — Ohio State’s Michael Drake — the root of the problem has long been discovered.
“People hire people that look like them,” Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said. “It’s not necessarily racist. Most of the time you hire a person you can relate to.”
The NBA isn’t faring much better.
With the firing of Kenny Atkinson and hiring of Jacque Vaughn, the Brooklyn Nets boosted the number of African-American head coaches in the NBA to 8 out of 30 teams.
Lloyd Pierce (Atlanta Hawks), J.B. Bickerstaff (Cleveland Cavaliers), Dwane Casey (Detroit), Doc Rivers (LA Clippers), Nate McMillan (Indiana Pacers), Alvin Gentry (New Orleans Pelicans), Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) are the others.
That’s still less than 30 percent in a league whose player population stands at about 75 percent Black. At this point, those numbers don’t make much sense. There’s no reason for such a disparity anymore.
The numbers in the NBA front office positions are even worse.
The Knicks entered the 2019-20 season with the league’s only All-Black trio (president, general manager and head coach) in NBA history. It didn’t last long as the new President Leon Rose is white and so is the interim head coach Mike Miller. President Steve Mills and head coach David Fizdale didn’t make it through the season.
When 38-year-old James Jones was hired as General Manager of the Phoenix Suns and 39-year-old Tayshaun Prince as VP of Basketball Affairs for the Memphis Grizzlies, it was seen as a big deal for the league and its future.
It would appear, however, that the NBA is still treading water when it comes to hiring African-Americans to front office leadership positions.
In 2016 there were two black NBA presidents and three black general managers. Today there are six black general managers; Kobe Altman (Cavaliers), Elton Brand (Sixers), Jones, Trajan Langdon (Pelicans), Scott Perry ( Knicks) and Brian Wright (Spurs). The lone Hispanic general manager is Timberwolves exec Gersson Rosas. Toronto Raptors GM Bobby Webster is the only Asian and there’s one black president.
NBA Front Office Power Players Speak Up
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and NBA executive vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Oris Stuart were interviewed by The Undefeated during NBA All-Star Weekend concerning the state diversity and inclusion in the league’s front offices and coaching staffs.
Despite the lagging numbers of Black, head coaching hires (in an NBA that prides itself on its diversity) Tatum says that we can clearly see the influx of people of color into the NBA coaching ranks (as well as an increase in women on pro coaching staffs and in basketball operations).
“3 ½ years ago we had 60-something assistant coaches (that are of color). Now we have close to 90 assistant coaches of color,” Tatum told The undefeated.
This implies that a pipeline for coaches of color is flourishing and we will eventually see a league where at least half of the head coaches are Black.
If that pipeline is real, it’s moving too slowly. The league is gushing with qualified head coaching candidates. Is it a coincidence that we see the same hiring deficiencies at the college level, where Black assistants are plentiful but are being overlooked for head coaching jobs?
It’s a cultural and systemic problem that can be seen in arenas across the USA. We tend to see plenty of black faces playing on the court, and seated next to the head coach, as assistants.
In college basketball's major conferences, a level of the sport in which the majority of assistants & the vast majority of players are black, the number of black head coaches lags significantly behind
'It's heartbreaking, man. It's really heartbreaking'https://t.co/lIg1SrgWdi
— Craig Meyer (@ByCraigMeyer) November 3, 2019
The Shadow league discussed this problem at the beginning of the college hoops season.
Duke has three Black assistants in Nate James, Chris Carrawell, and Nolan Smith (Director of Operations & Player Development.) Michigan State also has a trio in Dwayne Stephens, Mike Garland, and David Thomas (Director of Basketball Operations). Kentucky has a pair in Kenny Payne and Tony Barbee. While Kansas has a quartet in Kurtis Townsend, Norm Roberts, Jerrance Howard, and Fred Quartlebaum (Director of Basketball Operations).
“As long as this continues to go, you’re always going to have coaches who are getting left out and are not getting those opportunities,” said LeVelle Moton, head coach at North Carolina Central to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It’s heartbreaking, man. It’s really heartbreaking.”
Tatum doesn’t see it that way. He added that the NBA continues to break ground and references G-League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the first Muslim American president of a league. Abdur-Rahim then hired a chief operating officer in Portia Archer who is a black woman who came from NBC Universal, an untraditional pipeline to say the least.
While necessary and important historically, these milestones don’t close the inequity gap or fix the disconnect that keeps African-Americans from leadership and decision-making positions in college hoops and the pros.
It’s almost like there’s a silent quota that corporate power brokers collusively refuse to exceed.
“We are still working through the historical legacy process. It’s one thing to lean into something new. But you still have years of history, networks and our whole ecosystems that have created our current status,” Stuart explained. “So, you first change some minds and then the hearts and actions follow that. The biggest challenge is just not getting people to believe, but getting some of our legacy process to get unwrapped, repacked and repurposed.
The struggle continues, but we know the old adage about it leading to progress. It doesn’t matter how badly the NBA or NCAA itself may want diversity, the white owners of the teams and the Presidents of universities have to agree to objectively look at the hiring machine in place and proactively work to change biased thinking and allow real diversity to permeate their organizations.
Those ‘quiet riots’ that take place every day are born from the same place as the fires and the destruction and the police decked out in riot gear and the deaths. They happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold and young people all across this country look at the way the world is and believe that things are never going to get any better. – Barack H. Obama in 2007
28 years ago, a chain of events starting with the high speed chase of the late Rodney King by Los Angeles Police would crescendo into nearly a week of destruction, death and chaos.
On March 3, 1991, King was involved in a high speed chase with the Los Angeles Police Department. He was pulled from the vehicle and pummeled mercilessly. Unbeknownst to law enforcement, cameraman George Holliday was filming the entire incident from his apartment balcony.
The video from this encounter was soon broadcast across the country via satellite. Black communities nationwide would come to know the names of his assailants. LAPD Sergeant Stacey Koon and patrolmen Laurence Michael Powell, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno were indicted by a Los Angeles grand jury on March 10, 1991.
Riots are the closest thing to an uprising that anyone in my generation has ever seen in the ghettos of America. I know one thing, when a Black person starts using words like ‘insurrection’ it drives all sorts of NSA, CIA and FBI algorithms crazy. Some experts believe that fear of black reprisal due to years of racism and oppression is what drives and accelerates contemporary white supremacy.
But what is the logical reaction to a violent, brutal state of affairs? There is often an underlying feeling of unfairness when black grievances go unaddressed generation after generation. These unaddressed grievances are yet another stress-inducing part of being African American, just another gripping tentacle of the true hydra that is American white supremacy. One tentacle out of thousands.
Black citizens of Los Angeles had been on edge since the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins, killed by an Asian store owner who erroneously assumed Harlins was trying to steal. That occurred just nine days after the Rodney King beating. When shooter Soon Ja Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter yet sentenced to probation and community services, the mainstream feigned concern, but some Black people already knew what it was.
We were cautiously optimistic that the Rodney King beating would be handled justly. After all, the entire world saw the brutal beating that he received. We were sky high with optimism. In fact, irrationally so. Police rarely are indicted for beating, shooting and killing Black people and never convicted. But we had hope in this case. The truth was too plain to ignore.
That optimism was shaken to its core when the trial for the police officers in the King beating was moved out of Los Angeles County to predominantly white Simi Valley. We had seen this okie-doke play before. Urban areas across the United States were placed on high alert. It appeared that even white folks from all over the political spectrum knew these officers would not be punished severely even if prosecuted.
Initial optimism would eventually descend into rage at the system’s utterance regarding the unimportant, disposable nature of black bodies in a white supremacist society. Indeed, this scenario has played out an untold number of times throughout history.
Students of history are aware that police brutality was the catalyst for the creation of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Brutality has been a demon upon urban-dwelling African Americans for centuries. The stress, frustration, sadness and pain of generations of Black people exploded in Los Angeles at the intersection of Florence and Normandie on April 29, 1992, when an all-white jury delivered its not guilty verdicts.
One of the very first images of the uprising was of trucker Reginald Denny being pulled from a big rig and being struck with a brick. Mayor Tom Bradley declared a state of emergency and Governor Pete Wilson called in the National Guard. Dusk to dawn curfews were in effect throughout Los Angeles County from April 30 through May 4, 1992.
As the chaos razzed our television screens, black neighborhoods across the nation braced themselves for similar happenings. Some outbreaks of violence occurred throughout the city but most of the big suffering came south of Wilshire Boulevard. Many older Black people who had lived through the Watts Riots, the Newark Riots and the Detroit Riots following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr grieved at the visions of fire and flames; some sobbed silently, others openly.
But the youth were angry, rebellious and unapologetic in their rage. I imagine that many of our seniors imagined they had seen the last riots of their lifetime when MLK died. I imagine they believed that America had changed since those times long ago. At 16 years old the day Rodney King was beaten, I was officially among the youth.
“Why are they destroying their own neighborhoods?” is the question that was often heard near and far. However, judging by the economic conditions that have traditionally existed in that area and in Los Angeles County as a whole, chances are that none of the rioters believed they were harming themselves or the Black community at large by their actions.
White Americans have used riots to express outrage since before the Revolutionary War. For them, losing a championship in a major team sport is enough of an excuse to riot, and the accompanying media coverage is largely very forgiving. Not so much for Blacks, as is par for the American course.
As the weather continues to warm, we’re just weeks away from receiving those horrible news reports we all dread, reports of young black men and women being gunned down by the police and each other. Inevitably, there will be those that want to act out violently out of frustration — social distancing be damned.
With the recent coronavirus pandemic blazing across the globe, tensions and apprehension will probably be even higher, particularly as numbers have recently surfaced that Black and Brown people must again carry the burden of an underequipped and racially motivated medicare system.
However, if a riot happens I have to quote Chris Rock; ‘It’s wrong, but I understand’, as I sip dark liquor in a red cup, with just a little poured out in libations in hope of a peaceful, leisurely summer for hoods everywhere.”
As the LA Riots ended, the death toll was more than 60. Ten were shot to death by law enforcement officials. An additional 44 people died in other homicides or incidents tied to the rioting.
14 whites, 27 Blacks and 19 Latino Americans lost their lives. According to the Los Angeles Times, of the 36 riot-related homicides, 23 remain unsolved.
Vince McMahon had very high expectations for his revamped XFL return.
The league actually had some decent ratings over the first few weeks and seemed to be picking up some steam as far as players establishing themselves as fan favorites and viewers taking to the aspects of the league that differed from the NFL, such as live, on-the-spot interviews immediately after pivotal plays.
Then COVID-19 hit the scene and the sports world was paralyzed in mid-flight, causing financial hardship for the American working class on up to the lucrative pro leagues.
The XFL suspended operations Friday morning, and multiple sources told ESPN that the league has laid off nearly all of its staff — a handful of executives remain employed — and currently has no plans to return in 2021.
Breaking: The XFL suspended operations Friday morning and laid off nearly all of its staff, multiple sources told @SeifertESPN and @FieldYates.
The league currently has no plans to return in 2021. pic.twitter.com/NxZbHAKRsM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 10, 2020
If any league needed to have a strong season with no interruptions or setbacks, it was the XFL.
Unfortunately, the XFL becomes the first pro sports league to fall victim to the economic crisis caused by the global pandemic. And the second spring football league in as many years to suspend operations before completing its final season. The Alliance of American Football (AAF) ran out of money in 2019 and closed after eight weeks of play.
https://twitter.com/alex_kirshner/status/1248654732740231168
When the season was initially cut short in March, XFL’s chief operating officer, Jeffery Pollock, says they had every intention of running it back in 2021. But as the coronavirus spread, erasing any definitive restart to the sports agenda, it’s unlikely that the XFL will be able to survive the uncertainty of this lost season, while preparing for next season.
The XFL is owned by WWE CEO/President Vince McMahon and Alpha Entertainment.
In a statement, WWE said: “Given the uncertainty of the current environment, the XFL has suspended operations and is evaluating next steps.”
It looks like the return of the XFL ended before it ever really got started.
Dana White had to pump his brakes on UFC 249 happening on April 18th.
He announced that his partners at Disney and ESPN made the call to force him to curb the event. White went hard attempting to reserve a private island to make the event happen.
UFC President Dana White estimates that "Fight Island" will be "put together" in a month and fighters will be able to train on the private island.
(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/lBlHywpTo7
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 9, 2020
At first the main event lightweight championship of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson was scheduled for the Barclays Center on April 18th. However, with New York City now being the center of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo shut all events down.
Immediately, White went into defense mode promising that the fight would happen and he would be the savior of sports for the quarantined. He hasn’t revealed where “fight island” is located but promised that he is building the infrastructure right now on a private island for future events.
The event started slipping out of White’s hands once high level members of his organization expressed some trepidation.
At first, Joe Rogan revealed that he would not be a part of the event out of healthy and safety concerns. Then lightweight champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed that travel restrictions from his native Russia would prevent him from fighting as well.
Quickly, Justin Gaethje was recruited to fight Ferguson and an entire fight card was booked. Former champ Rose Namajunas then backed out due to COVID-19 illnesses in her family and then it started to all fall apart.
UFC president Dana White should be both lauded and chastised for his ambitious dream. Of course, millions of people would love to see real sports action right now. The fact that he was willing to and still is willing to go to extreme lengths to pull it off says a lot about why the UFC is so successful.
However, with this pandemic raging on, there are more important things to be worried about than sports. White has promised none of his staff will be fired during this time and that the UFC will be the first on deck when the pandemic is over.
Thank you Dana White for your zeal and coming to your senses at the same time.
The April 5 Instagram Live battle between production icons Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and “Rumpshaker” Teddy Riley was postponed to the dismay of many fans who were anxiously awaiting the clash orchestrated by next-generation producing legends Swizz Beats and Timbaaland.
The battle was canceled with little to no explanation but Riley told Charlamagne tha God on IG Live that “Nobody is backing out. Babyface is moving forward, he’s not actually 100%. He’s been sick.”
Let’s hope that Babyface is in god health. He turns 62-years-old today.
When you talk about iconic producers and songwriters and overall musical machines, you don’t get much better than Edmonds, who was ranked number 20 on NME’s 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.
We’d be remiss not to acknowledge the sole provider of a Soul Food soundtrack that certified him as a one-man wrecking crew. The Whip Appeal crooner is also responsible for crafting the careers of some of the most iconic acts in the world.
We’re familiar with his signature vocals, but it all started with the brilliant writing and producing music that contributed heavily to the pivotal sound of R&B that influenced the genre for decades to come.
Born in Indianapolis (Naptown), Indiana to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds, he is the fifth of six brothers.
As a youngster, Edmonds would play with funk legend Bootsy Collins, who gave him the name Babyface because of his youthful appearance, and the name stuck.
He and partner LA Reid founded LaFace Records with TLC, Usher and Toni Braxton rounding out its early roster in 1989. TLC’s second album, “CrazySexyCool”, on which he produced and wrote many of the hits, sold 7,600,000 units in the United States.
The group would eventually become the all-time best selling album by the United States born female group.
Overall, they sold 75 million records worldwide under his guidance. That diamond touch continued with Toni Braxton, who went on to sell 10 million units with her first two releases, the self-titled Toni Braxton and Secrets.
He continued contributing to contemporary sounds writing and producing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, and Sheena Easton.
One of his earliest hits was “Slow Jam” by Midnight Star, which he wrote. He performed with the group Deele until 1988, when he and LA Reid left the group.
Edmonds dropped Playlist in 2007, an album of eight cover songs and two original works that was the first set released on the re-launched Mercury Records imprint.
He also won a Grammy Award for the duet album Love, Marriage & Divorce, which was released with Toni Braxton on Motown Records. To date, Babyface has won 11 Grammy Awards.
The list of individuals who he has helped create music with is as long as it is diverse; Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Eric Clapton, Pebbles, Tevin Campbell, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, and that’s literally not even half of them. Do your googles and bless your playlists with a true R&B pioneer.
