Category Archives: SPORTS

SPORTS

How Black America Must React to Deion Sanders Exit From Jackson State University

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According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Deion Sanders will accept an offer from the University of Colorado – Boulder to become its next head football coach. As mentioned in this space days ago, the rise of Jackson State University (JSU) Deion Sanders as a viable head football coach has been a riveting story filled with storylines revolving around various racial matters. The alluded conversation pieces extended beyond inequitable funding of HBCUs to the impoverished state of Jackson, Mississippi.

Considering his penchant for grabbing headlines, it is unsurprising that “Coach Prime” would be the conduit for such discussions.

Few are surprised to see Sanders exit JSU in favor of the University of Colorado – Boulder. Most people postulate that this moment is not only inevitable but also career advancement. Those possessing the latter belief are the type of Negroes who maintain that “the white man’s ice is colder.” Although such people are far from rare within Black America, fortunately, their dour perspective fails to encompass the entirety of Black thought. Thousands of Black educators and coaches have displayed a socially responsible individualism that allows them to aid the race while advancing professionally.

No reasonable-minded successful Black person fails to understand that they stand on the shoulders of previous generations. In Langston Hughes’ classic Mother to Son poem, the unnamed mother reflects the rough road that prior generations traveled and their hopes for those to come.

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Langston Hughes (1922)

I do not doubt that Deion Sanders realizes that he, like the rest of us, stands on the shoulders of others. Unfortunately, this knowledge fails to order his steps as it has notable race men of yesteryear. To the chagrin of many, the moment a “better” opportunity arises, Coach Prime is exiting JSU for what he believes are the manicured green pastures of a predominantly white institution. Make no mistake; the green in “greener pastures” is money.

Of course, Deion Sanders’ exit will be a talking point for Black America, particularly sports enthusiasts and those associated with HBCUs, for a few news cycles. Another occurrence that has nothing to do with the future of Black America will replace this matter. Black America will lose the opportunity for a substantive discussion regarding socially responsible individualism.

Black America mustn’t get bogged down because Deion Sanders is leaving JSU and addressing more important matters such as taking control of HBCUs in every imaginable way.

Now, what does taking complete control of HBCUs resemble?

Taking control of HBCUs requires alums and the rest of Black America to prioritize becoming involved in every way possible with what should be centers of Black learning. It should be Black America that dictates the curriculum that our students engage and it must be Black dollars that bolster these institutions to the point that no program, goal, or achievement is considered impossible. Principles of socially responsible individualism must guide Blacks to send a monthly donation to their chosen HBCU as if it were a bill.

Such ACTION is much-needed and genuinely more critical than Deion “Prime Time” Sanders leaving JSU for the lily-white University of Colorado-Boulder. Only through socially responsible individualism can we bolster HBCUs to the point that they are on equal footing with other institutions and capable of guiding a glorious future for coming generations of Black America.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2022

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You can contact me at ManhoodRaceCulture@gmail.com with ideas and issues you would like to address.

SPORTS

The Choice Is His: Should Deion Sanders Remain at Jackson State University?

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During my twenty-year tenure as a Professor at an HBCU, I learned that there are principally two types of people serving students in educational institutions whose origins grew from the impossible dreams for education amongst the descendants of formerly enslaved Africans. The two types of people I refer to are as follows.

  • Those who consider the HBCU a stepping-stone until something “better” comes along.
  • Those educators and mentors consider the HBCU the ultimate destination.

Of course, the catalyst to my thoughts is the recent verification that the University of Colorado Boulder has offered their head football coach position to NFL Hall of Famer and current Jackson State University head coach Deion Sanders.

When one considers Jackson State’s meteoric success during the past two years, 22-2 win/loss mark during that period, most would say that it is reasonable and deserved that “Neon” Deion “Prime Time” Sanders would ascend to a Power 5 school. Such people fail to understand the importance of healthy, thriving HBCUs to uplift Black America and the nation. For those that understand the above, the opportunity to serve at an HBCU for any length of time, let alone the honor of serving for one’s entire career, is an educator’s highest honor. HBCUs provide Black educators an opportunity to extend the grand tradition of Black education by impacting the minds of the next generation of American thinkers, scholars, and leaders who happen to be Black. Trust me when I say that such individuals serve at HBCUs by choice, not an inability to jettison to more lucrative and notable places.

Examination of Deion Sanders’ presence and voluminous multi-faceted contributions must occur within the proper context. The impact that I allude to extends further than the gridiron. In his relatively brief time at Jackson State, Coach Prime has served as an advocate and influencer for the Jackson State University (JSU)community and the city by calling attention to long-neglected issues ranging from inequitable distribution of funds to HBCUs such as JSU and egregious problems such as the absence of clean drinking water within the overwhelmingly Black city.

America’s history of racism, discrimination, and prejudice serves as the backdrop of every issue impacting Black America. How could it not? Belief in white superiority is so ingrained within this nation that many Blacks behave as if their affiliation with a predominantly white institution/business/university trumps anything Black America offers. Unbeknownst to such Blacks possessing such a dour view of their origins, their worldview serves as a major portion to the answer to why “Black folks can’t seem to get it together.”

So, as many await Deion Sanders’s decision, many affiliated with HBCUs will view this moment seeking to garner insight into an age-old question of “do Black people still think that the white man’s ice is colder.” A significant segment of Black America still prefers predominantly white institutions to HBCUs. If Deion Sanders chooses to exit JSU for the lily-white University of Colorado, it will be another psychological blow to politically astute Blacks for many reasons.

Even Omar Little, a character on The Wire, told us that a man must have a code. Hopefully, Deion Sanders will prove that some things are more important than “ascending to a Power 5 conference” and pursuing athletic accomplishments that ultimately mean nothing in this battle to liberate Black America.

The choice is his.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2022

Please remember to subscribe to the Manhood, Race, and Culture YouTube Channel.

You can always contact me at ManhoodRaceCulture@gmail.com with ideas and issues that you would like to have addressed.

 

 

African-American Males, African-American Men, Black Men, RACE, SPORTS

The Hidden Dangers for Black Coaches Within the NFL’s Rooney Rule Alteration

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During the modern Civil Rights Era, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned that changes to the Law were easy for American legislators; however, the application would be difficult. In his legendary style, Dr. King stated that integration of a public park is easy. According to Dr. King, the most difficult portion of this integration process was the integration of the employment sector and American schools that Whites have always dominated. The sharing of a swing set by Black and White children would look like child’s play when compared to the business sector. For verification of Dr. King’s cryptic prophecy, one needs to look no further than the current conundrum facing National Football League leaders seeking to diversify their head coaching ranks.    

Now, the National Football League, a sports league that primarily rests on the physical prowess of Black men, continues the arduous task of injecting color into its lily-White ownership ranks and head coaching group except for a paltry few. Presently there are only five “minority” head coaches in the NFL and not a single Black majority owner. Representative of the prolonged nature of this problem is the Rooney Rule, named in honor of former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who headed the league’s diversity committee.  

The Rooney Rule, implemented in 2003, requires NFL franchises with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one “minority candidate” during the hiring process. It is not a stretch to compare the NFL’s initial efforts to diversify its head coaching ranks to manifestations of the NFL’s version of 70’s Affirmative Action as it is not a quota mandating the hiring of a minority to the head coaching position. The Rooney Rule has met with limited success as White owners have continued to resist handing over the reins of their organizations to a Black man. 

Most agree that the securing of a coordinator’s position is a stepping stone to becoming an NFL Head Coach. With the NFL becoming a more offensive-oriented league, it makes some sense that there has been a run of Offensive Coordinators ascending to Head Coaching posts. The latest alteration of the Rooney Rule mandates that all NFL teams must hire a minority offensive assistant coach for the upcoming 2022 season.  

On the surface, this is a positive development for Black NFL coaches. However, this alteration to league hiring policies includes a disturbing aspect. The disconcerting portion of this alteration revolves around the following language.  

The hired coach can be “a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority.” 

Such language reminds me of the expansion of 70’s Affirmative Action initiatives that were initially aimed at leveling the playing field so that Black coaches could at least get in the competition. Let us make no mistake about it, Affirmative Action initiatives were tantamount to reparations for Black people who had been discriminated against via multi-faceted state-sanctioned discrimination schemes that traversed across politics, economics, education, and every other measurable aspect of American society. Yet, in time, the umbrella of government programs aimed at repairing an injury that began when the first parcel of stolen Africans arrived in Jamestown with a status of “half-free” hanging around their necks was expanded to include other “minority groups” such as White women.  

Black political leaders failed the Race when they proved either unwilling to fight for or incapable of defending what should have been considered sacred ground as it was carved out by the blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifices of millions of deceased persons of African descent.  

The new language that adds women at all levels of the Rooney Rule means that women and/or people of color can satisfy the requirement to interview two external minorities for top positions, including head coach. It is now possible for any NFL Franchise to meet the standard created by the Rooney Rule without interviewing a Black coach; they only need to interview two White women. 

Although I care little if anyone considers this post an articulation of misogyny because such shallow analysis is not worthy of even a short response. My position has nothing to do with the shutting out of White women from the NFL coaching ranks, I suspect that in time there will be more White female Offensive Coordinators and Head Football Coaches at the highest level of football if for no other reason than the comfortability of White owners with other Whites, regardless of their socioeconomic status.  

I am firmly entrenched in the belief that the Rooney Rule was created to facilitate a path to Head Coaching posts for Blacks who make up most of the gridiron gladiators that this nation cheers for on many Sundays. The decision to expand who fits under an overcrowded minority umbrella matters mightily because only a few, and I do mean a few, will ever be permitted to lead an NFL franchise. Over time, I am sure that the alluded alteration to the Rooney Rule will serve to create more competition for Offensive Coordinator positions as teams will seek to be the first to promote White women to such a position and as mentioned above this is a stepping stone to being a head coach.  

It is truly unfortunate that in a league that is overwhelmingly Black that few are willing to publicly articulate the fact that the path to an increase in Black head coaches was problematized with this alteration and more than likely will never be paved over until there are a substantial number of Black owners in the league.  

This is the world that we live in. 

 James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D. 

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2022 

Please remember to subscribe to the Manhood, Race, and Culture YouTube Channel. 

You can always contact me at ManhoodRaceCulture@gmail.com with ideas and issues that you would like to have addressed. 

I would love to hear from you. 

RACE, SPORTS

The Hypocrisy Continues: Why Many of Those Criticizing Stephen A. Smith are Guilty of Harboring Similar Thoughts on Race

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We have seen this before, and there is much to be learned.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has once again proven that those speakers who prefer theatrics over discipline will eventually allow their loudmouth nature to write a check that their ass can’t possibly cover. As I mentioned above, we have seen this situation where Stephen A. Smith, the noted ESPN loudmouth, allows his emotions and misplaced enthusiasm to write a check that his ass can’t possibly cover. The most apparent sign of bouncing such a check appears to be addressing a national audience and apologizing for the statement. Smith’s lack of discipline was displayed when he attempted to walk back the following comments spewed at Japanese baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani.

I understand that baseball is an international sport itself in terms of participation, but when you talk about an audience gravitating to the tube or to the ballpark, to actually watch you, I don’t think it helps that the number one face is a dude that needs an interpreter, so you can understand what the hell he’s saying in this country.

The backlash to Smith’s comments was swift. The uproar was so significant that his superiors forced Smith to apologize to the entire Asian and Asian American community.

The irony of a Black man hurling familiar vitriol is ironic. Yet, it also provides an opening for American citizens who have been basted in racial/ethnic identity politics to take a peek in the mirror.

For some reason, Stephen A. Smith’s misspeak aimed at a non-White person led me to what I consider to be an essential question about race/ethnic identity and power in a nation where a White numerically superior population has terrorized their adversaries.

The question is as follows.

Is it possible for African-Americans to form alliances with other non-White groups who have endured different variants and levels of prejudice, discrimination, and institutionalized racism within the United States of America? Can a good case be made for non-Whites to join together to overthrow a White majority that has historically monopolized anything worth having due to their numerical superiority?

It seems a simple proposition for Black, Brown, Red, and Yellow people forming an unprecedented coalition to disrupt White folks politico-economic monopolies. Fortunately for Whites, what Fred Hampton, Co-Chairman of the Chicago Branch of the Black Panther Party, characterized as a “Rainbow Coalition” has never occurred.

Where political expediency and sophistication would prove beneficial to all non-Whites, historically-based racial animosity has sat like a heavy stone, much like the boulder that Sisyphus repeatedly failed to push out of the valley. For those interested in figuring out why such a coalition has never formed, it appears that each of these groups learned that xenophobia was the most reliable currency in this foreign land called America. Additionally, it is difficult to argue against the reality that new arrivals, regardless of their race/ethnicity, quickly realize that there is political and economic strength in numbers. Most importantly, the most reliable rally point for any group in this increasingly diverse nation is racial identity, not Class. Unfortunately for numerically superior poor and working-class people, regardless of their racial/ethnic identities, Race/ethnicity has always trumped Class. Not even the economic misery wrought by greedy Capitalists during the Great Depression lessened American’s allegiance to the existing system.

The above realities leave me with no choice but to tip my hat to W.E.B. DuBois, the most extraordinary mind ever developed by the American academy, for his cryptic prophecy delivered in The Souls of Black Folk. According to DuBois,

The problem of the twentieth-century will be that of the color line – the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea.

Although rarely spoken about in the public arena, DuBois’s projection held throughout the 20th Century and will most likely continue through a significant portion of the new millennium.

It is time that American citizens held an honest discussion regarding matters of race and ethnic identity. Although cliché to say, it is the only path to even a tiny hope of extinguishing the smoldering, yet rarely articulated in public, hatred of groups actively competing for what they erroneously perceive to be limited politic-economic resources.

So, I must tell you that I am unsurprised by Stephen A. Smith’s statement about Ohtani, nor his desperate attempt to save his career by denouncing himself a day later. I can guarantee you that the majority of freedom-loving Americans who still enjoy America’s favorite pastime had little to no problem with Smith’s words. I honestly believe that you would hear similar commentary if more Americans did not consider it tantamount to career suicide or a smooth path to pariah status. However, a cautionary refusal to take a public stance on a controversial matter for the sake of self-preservation is a quantum leap from having the demons of xenophobia, misogyny, and racism exorcised from one’s soul. The nirvana of a post-racial America is nowhere on the horizon for either you or me.

Rest assured that a significant portion of the angry horde that rushed to condemn Stephen A. Smith’s comments harbor similar feelings. The only difference between them and Smith is that they are too savvy to utter such things in front of a national audience; their judgments are stated only behind closed doors. We must remember that the exercise of restraint or silence when discussing contentious racial matters in public, an ability that I doubt Smith will ever master, is not synonymous with the absence of bigotry or an embrace of racial equality.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021