Race Trumps Sports (at least in the NBA)

It's clear to me the NBA wanted 7 games but they only got 6. I rooted for Miami because 3 black men decided to take their own future in their hands and not be slaves to racist owners like Dan Gilbert of Cleveland. Many racist fans there also burned LeBron in effigy, and treated his departure after 7 years of hard labor, as if he were a runaway, ungrateful slave who dared to leave their plantation. Thousands of them plus most of the white sportswriters were rooting for him to lose and be a failure in Miami.

This is why I rooted for Miami and him.

I also knew that this was probably the last chance for Dirk, Jason and Kidd to get a ring. But hundreds of great players over the years never got a ring and it did not detract from their greatness. Race has been made a sub-text in this season and in these playoffs, just as race has been the defining issue in America ever since the country was born. Just read the comments from 'so-called' white 'fans' around the country who see race first and sports second.  They are pitiful little creatures cursed with the foul DNA of their worthless, racist, slave-owning ancestors. For this reason Miami's winning was more important to me for it's racial significance.

But it didn't happen this year and may never happen.  The sports establishment is determined to punish LeBron in particular, and his teammates collectively,  for daring to do what white folks do routinely - determine and be in charge of what's best for their own future.  And they wanted to send a message to future uppity blacks that they too will be dissed and cursed and reviled if they dare to leave their plantation without 'massa's prior approval.

The NBA controls who wins or loses with their referees, and who gets punished or not is also controlled by them.  It was very evident how this worked in this series.  Even the sub-standard coach of Miami who never played a day of Pro basketball, had to follow the League's dictates, and coach as poorly and ineptly as possible when the game was on the line.

No one remembers that ESPN went to LeBron and suggested the staged format where he was to announce his decision to leave or to stay. LeBron gets all the flack and hatred for this, while ESPN gets away scott-free with none.

In the final analysis, the NBA is just a business pretending to be a game, that can't escape the racism that this country was founded on. 

Just read the 'comments' section of any sports column or blog about LeBron and Miami, and you'll see what I mean.

Who Won?

Well, the NBA season has finally dragged to a welcome close.  For some it was way too long, for others it was too short, and for still others it was about 3 black men who dared to decide for themselves where they wanted to play, with whom they wanted to play, and damn what the sports establishment thought about their decision.

From the beginning of the season, LeBron, Bosh and D. Wade were vilified in the press and by 'so-called' fans for daring to come together to compete for a championship.

Just a few short years ago, the Boston Celtics brought in 2 super star players to help their team win a championship and no one said a peep about it. Oh, but that was a white, million dollar organization that had the right to determine what was best for them, unlike the 3 black players who exercised that same right but were castigated for it. 

LeBron in particular was vilified like a runaway slave for leaving the Cleveland plantation after 7 years of hard labor with little or no support from the slave overseer, Dan Gilbert.  He and most of the fans were so ungrateful and bitter, they would have had a lynching party and lynched LeBron if they thought they could get away with it - just like they used to do in the good ole' days to runaway slaves,

Looking back, LeBron did the right thing regardless of who didn't like the way he did it. He was thought to be uppity, irresponsible and ungrateful just like slaves were thought to be back in the day. 

Not only did Miami have a successful year, but they made it all the way into the finals ahead of stellar teams like Boston, the Lakers, San Antonio and Chicago. The Dallas Mavs beat them in the best of 7 games, but they can hold their heads high for what they accomplished, and on their own terms.

So who's laughing now? LeBron and crew are still very young and very rich, and have ample time to win championships in the future. But whether that happens or not, they already 'won' when they dared to dream of their own future, and did what it took to make it a reality. 

The NBA season is now a footnote in history and the real important problems of the world still have not lessened nor have been resolved. Dave Zirin wrote, " How can we deny the truth that many of us look to sports as a distraction from the trials and tribulations of our own lives? How can we deny that the reason so many of us read the sports page before the front page is that one is both bearable and comprehensible while the other simply isn’t?...We live in a crumbling nation with epic unemployment, two million people behind bars, and vast wealth inequality, while being told that we inhabit the best country on earth and to think otherwise is heresy. In such a world, sports become more than an escape: it’s a refuge. It’s much easier - and emotionally manageable - to hate Lebron James than face our collective future."
  
In the final analysis, who won or who lost means absolutely nothing to most of the billions of humans on planet earth, who have to scratch to find work and feed, clothe, and house their families every day.

Struggling to live is what's really important - not some game that the dumb white sports establishment thinks is relevant, but in fact is totally irrelevant to the lives of most people living in this world.

LeBron, the President, and Us

Yesterday, a baseball fan of the Cleveland Indians, went to the game with his sister while wearing a Miami Heat basketball jersey with Lebron's #6 on it.

The so-called fans near them, became enraged upon seeing LeBron's jersey, and started directing derision, curses and spittle at the young couple. Finally security had to come and rescue them by escorting them out amid cat-calls, curses, objects being thrown etc. Fortunately they were white, but had they been black, who knows, there may have even been an attempted lynching.

Welcome to America, LeBron fans, and a further wake-up call to you, LeBron. You have been demonized for exercising your rights to free agency and making the decision to play elsewhere next season. For that lawful decision, you have reverted to being the big-black n***** that the Cleveland trash always felt you were, but kept quiet about because you were so useful to them. Now that you have gone, they feel free to vent their racial angst on you and anyone else that identifies with you.

But don't get it twisted, you are just experiencing a part of the larger picture of racist hate being directed at the President of the U.S. Racist America is now in full bloom with their slanderous, racist depictions of Obama as a communist, socialist, maoist, hitlarian fascist - all because he has the temerity to be BLACK and occupying their WHITE house. Even many who voted for him have now reverted to their basic racist instincts, and are now in full-scale revolt now that the pitifully ignorant and inept Bush, followed by the cartoonish and pathetically stupid, Palin and McCain, are no longer a threat to their survival. So it's clear that many of the white voters for Obama were merely the lesser-of-two-evil voters, with dumbbells Palin and McCain being the greater of the evils then.

Whatever negatives black celebrities, athletes, and just plain black folks are experiencing now, is the run-off from what is being directed at the black President by the racist minions who call themselves 'true' Americans. Their mask is off now - it took a Harvard educated Lawyer, Professor and Senator, to expose how they really feel about educated, intelligent blacks who have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps and achieved the pinnacle of the American dream and political power. They feel no better about the President and his Harvard educated wife, than they feel about the despised and demonized lower classes of blacks who they have permanently consigned to the social underclasses.

And worse, these racists are predominantly people who call themselves good 'christians', but can't even dredge up a smidgen of Christianity when it comes to black folks - whether weak or strong, rich or poor, educated or uneducated.

So you see, LeBron, we and you, have much more in common with the President, than we ever could have imagined.

The Promised Land??

I'm not really shocked nor surprised at Cleveland's owner, Dan Gilbert, and his intemperate comments and on-line letter posted to the Cavalier's web-site following LeBron's announcement.

It reminds me of the reaction most slaveholders had when their slaves were freed from their involuntary servitude at the end of the Civil War - "How dare they leave the wonderful life we provided for them? - If it wasn't for us, they would still be savages in Africa swinging from the trees in the jungle - they are totally ungrateful! - we even noticed that in the last couple of years they quit on us, probably figuring they would be freed soon - they will regret leaving because they will carry our curse on them wherever they go - where is their love for us and appreciation for the free clothing, food and shelter we provided all their lives? - We should have been more firmer with them, something like tough-love, so they would not want to leave us even if they were legally freed...."

Compare the slaveholder's reaction to the quotes from the interview and letter to the fans by Gilbert -

"...our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment."

"You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. - You have given so much and deserve so much more." "I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels."

"Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. - Sorry, but that's simply not how it works. This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become."

"The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma."

"It's not about him leaving. It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time. "

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert said in a phone interview with The AP. "People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

"He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."

"LeBron James needs to go to another team with two superstars already so he can win a championship," Gilbert said. "We will win a championship before [the Heat] do."

"Gilbert said he now wishes he had done some things differently with James, who spent seven seasons with the Cavs..."

The comments by Gilbert are those of typical white supremecists, whose self-centered view of the world cannot conceive of blacks rejecting their crumbs, their supposed goodwill, their entreaties, etc. All of this is viewed by whites as disloyal, ungrateful, disrespectful, gross ingratitude, a betrayal, and to make it worse in their view, Lebron even dared to walk away from the $30 million more he would have been paid had he stayed.

Astonishingly, Gilbert even invoked religious imagery of Heaven and how you had to die to get there, as a metaphor for saying that LeBron didn't put in enough time, didn't work hard enough and struggle enough in Cleveland, before he could expect to reach the promised land of Heaven (an NBA championship).

Notice how he also mockingly called him "King" [James] and how he used the same racist, dismissive term, "chosen one", that was used against President Obama by his opponents, during and after his presidential run. And notice how Gilbert conveniently forgot to thank LeBron for the billions he made from the hundreds of sold-out games and millions from ancillary sales - solely due to the presence of LeBron on the Cavalier's roster.

LeBron James is very fortunate that he made the right decision to exercise his right of free agency, and leave the Cavaliers for Miami. Had he not done so, he might never have known how racist, patronizing, and unappreciative, the owner and many of the Cleveland 'fans' really are.

the 'Tiger' Is On The Prowl Again

Finally, after 144 days of Golfdom losing millions waiting for their cash cow to return from his self-imposed exile, Tiger teed-off to the applause of the large gallery. Most of them probably wished they could have lynched him sometime in the past 10 years, when his rampaging of defenseless white bimbo trash, began. So their applause now is the usual profit-before-principle hypocrisy, that whites usually routinely engage in.

His self-titled Cablanasian ass managed to par the first hole, even after such a long layoff, so all must be well on the well-manicured racist greens of Augusta National Golf Club, which took a red-necked snail's pace to admit blacks, and still haven't found the courage to admit women. And the Chairman of Augusta, had the gall to chide and chastise Tiger for his poor conduct, while completely ignoring the poor conduct of discriminating against women, practiced by his own Golf Club.

Perhaps they applauded because they can reasonably expect that his prowling will now be limited to his wife, given the adverse publicity that his recent activities have garnered.

It should be noted that if he had not had his insane penchant for white bimbos, but instead opted for an attractive, worthy black woman, he would not be in this predicament - she would have drained any need for him to stray from her loins - look how well it worked for President Obama.

But his Cablanasian ass was too stupid to understand that it was not about what he considered himself to be, but how white folks viewed him and would treat him. Now, for the rest of his golfing life, he will be scorned, whispered about, reviled and mocked, particularly after he loses his skills and can't be pimped anymore.

..All this 'makes me wanna holler'!...

Time Out - Tiger Says!!

Well, the Tiger just announced that he was suspending his prowling on the PGA tour...and presumably in the bars and nightclubs where he picked up a bevy of flaxen-haired, blond hotties whom he clearly has a preference for, and who are just as unaccomplished as his nordic wife.

When you marry a woman for the wrong reasons, you are bound to get bored and restless, even if she is the mother of your two children. And apparently he was very bored! - so much so that he recklessly left traceable text-messages, and voicemails on the phones of a bunch of one-dimensional sperm cups, and now is paying millions for their silence. If only he had his head on straight and had a preference for the many attractive, accomplished Sisters available, it's almost guaranteed that he would not be in this mess today.

You would think that palling around with certified 'playas' like Barkley and Jordan, would have taught him a thing or two about how to 'play' with discretion and minimal exposure and risk. Instead, he displayed all the street smarts of a Monk gone wild on vacation. Reportedly he did not even use condoms as he scraped the bottom of the barrel with his driver and his 9-iron.

Predictably, the American sports establishment is chagrined at being betrayed by one of their 'honorary' whites who had the temerity to 'diss' one of their beauties they allowed him to marry, by whoring around on her. Just a few years ago they would have lynched him for much less than this - and this is how he repays them??? There was also a time when he would not have been permitted to even enter the clubhouse doors, never mind play on their golf courses.

Now, beat writers are tripping over themselves in angst at the besmirching of their sport by Tiger -
"golf has always held itself on a higher moral plane as a sport ruled by principles of honor. Has any such publicity created a bigger stain on golf?", and, "the game of honor and integrity had been besmirched like at no other time in it's 500-year history. It is a stain that no amount of Clorox could remove."
This is the most laughable of all assertions...that golf could have been stained by Tiger's actions, notwithstanding their racist history of exclusion that did not end until 1961, when black golfer, Bill Spiller's 13-year court battle, finally permitted him and fellow blacks to play on the PGA tour.

What they probably are really pissed at, is the certain plunge in revenues that all phases of golf will experience while Woods is away from the game - from smaller gates, drops in TV ratings, smaller purses, decreased corporate sponsorships, decreased equipment sales, deceased Ad revenues; to tour players dropping back to the 'Peter Principle' salary levels, where they would have been had not Tiger come along in the first place.

Many of the golf pros grumbled at Tiger's greatness and invincibility whenever he played, now they have a lot more to grumble about while he's on his sabbatical - the longer he is gone the worst it will be for them. When he was on tour they loved to hate him, now that he is gone, they will love to have him back.

It now appears more and more, that Tiger was being beaten with a golf club by his wife, because of her fury at the published accounts of his infidelity. This is what caused him to run out of the house and take off in his SUV with no shoes on, just before the crash. Apparently his wife was running right behind him and succeeded in smashing out the rear windows in her fury. But by the time the authorities got there, the spousal battery of his wife on him, was turned into "her heroic rescue of him", thus saving her from being arrested and charged with spousal battery. Had he been the one beating her, he would have surely been arrested and gone to jail. Instead, she gets a pass plus millions of more dollars to stay in the marriage with him.

All the facts may never come out, but he made his bed and he has to lay in it.

Top 10 Things Vick Learned...

Now that Vick has been hired by the Eagles.....

"Top 10 things Vick (hopefully) Learned While Sitting in the Federal Pen"

1. No white quarterback would have received federal prison time (and probably no time at all) for a similar 'crime'..

2. America just finished 'shocking and awe-ing' Iraqis, resulting in the slaughter of over 1 million humans on a damn lie, with no one from PETA, ASPCA, etc. uttering a single word of protest at the human slaughter..

3. America loves it's dogs more than it loves it's humans, particularly if they are black humans..

4. America has no problem with the dog-racing industry brutalizing and eventually killing dogs, because that makes money for them..

5. America also has no problem with hunters like ex-governor Sarah Palin, shooting wolves and bears for sport from an airplane..

6. America continued it's grand tradition of thievery, first by stealing the land from the Native Americans, then by stealing the labor from the African slaves, then by stealing the $130 million he just received for being one of the best QBs in the league..

7. No NFL team would hire him to be the back-up for a white QB, because he's better than most of them and it would cause too much anxiety and insecurity among them..

8. No NFL team would hire him if he wasn't still among the best QBs, eventhough he hasn't played in nearly 3 years..

9. The NFL team that hired him, would do so because they can get him cheaply, and also keep him from playing for another team that could eventually beat
them because of his tremendous talent at the QB position..

10. Most defensive coordinators and other strategists, will probably have to endure sleepless nights again, trying to figure out how to defend against his passing plus his running..

If he learned just half of these, he should be able to move forward to earn a living and feed his family, never doubting that he was victimized by a racist double-standard in his punishment. He now knows that as long as he is black in America, he will be subject to this double-standard, and must take care to avoid being ensnared by it again - this is something we have all had to learn..

"Glory Road"

A few days ago, an unlikely event happened at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The team that featured an all-black starting five, and who defeated the #1 ranked, all-white team from Kentucky coached by racist, Adolph Rupp, 72-66, and won the national NCAA title, was enshrined - 41 years late!

This seminal event on March 19, 1966, which I saw on television, was and is the best and most significant game I've ever seen, and I'm sure Pat Reilly, coach of the Miami Heat, still remembers it because he was the all-American forward, playing for the losing team, Kentucky.

Not only did the Miners out-play the Wildcats, but they whupped them while demonstrating a basketball 101 course on man-to-man defense, superior offense, superior rebounding - all done while committing only one-forth the fouls that the Wildcats committed. To add insult to injury, little guard Bobby Joe Hill, demonstrated several times how to steal the ball in mid-dribble from the best and brightest all-American players like Louie Dampier and Pat Riley.

My biggest thrill was seeing the shock on the face of the red-necked racist coach, Adolph Rupp, as this all-black starting five, destroyed them on a nationally televised broadcast. The victory was particularly sweet because they had been maligned in the press for months leading up to the final game, as thugs from northen ghettos with criminal backgrounds, non-student athletes, undisciplined playground denizens, and every other dismissive, libelous and racist characterization possible. Rupp was also reported to be incensed at having to play against black players at this Maryland tournament venue.

Their shocking win went over like a lead balloon with most of America, and no one even bothered to bring a ladder out, so the players could climb up and cut the traditional nets down. The Ed Sullivan Show which traditional invited the yearly NCAA winner to appear, did not bother to issue an invitation this time. Their innovative and courageous 36-year old, white coach, Don Haskins, was blackballed by the basketball establishment for having the temerity to start five blacks against 'America's all-white team', and worse, to beat them! Although they received a heroes welcome from their school in El Paso, Texas, they got death threats and hate mail by the bucketfull from much of America, particularly from the south. The NCAA even sent an 'investigator' down to El Paso, to uncover wrongdoing by the school's athletic department!

And as profound as their historic and social impact was, more significantly, their win opened the doors to literally thousands and thousands of athletic scholarships for black kids to colleges that had traditionally denied them admission. Colleges could no longer afford to ignore the Black athlete and hope to continue to win the championships they coveted.

Belatedly, the team received some recognition in the late 90s with a book and a movie titled "Glory Road" that chronicled their historic achievement. Coach Haskins was even inducted into the hall of fame in 1997 with 719 career wins at the college level.

Enshrined in my heart and memory are some of the names of these players - Bobby Joe Hill, Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Worsley, David "Big Daddy D" Lattin, Harry Flournoy,......and I'm sorry that their fabulous little point guard, Bobby Joe Hill, passed away before they received this recognition.

I never forgot them in the 41 years that have passed since their historic achievement, and I'm glad the Hall of Fame - finally remembered.

Selective Indignation

Today Michael Vick copped a plea in an attempt to minimize jail time and other penalties that are sure to come. He realized that in spite of his constitutional presumption of innocence, most of America has already tried and convicted him, and it would be impossible to get a fair trial on the merits of the case, so the only other alternative was to cop a plea. Despite all of her lofty sounding ideals, America has once again proven that she is full of talk, without regard to really true justice. It is also still sadly true, that for many whites, a black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect.

The anti-Vick rhetoric has been so selective, hateful and vitriolic, it reminded me of the racist orgy of words and actions, that spewed forth during the OJ case. Black people are apparently the only ones who truly believe in the constitution and it's principles, which is amazing given how little regard the constitution has had for them since day one of their arrival in this country. This is why many blacks are supporting Vick, not because they believe he is innocent, but because they want him to be treated fairly and appropriately and at least have the presumed innocence he deserves.

Many of these haters think nothing of snaring a fish and watching him die gasping for breath on the bottom of their boat; or using a high-powered rifle to kill an unsuspecting deer so they can have a macho trophy for their living room wall; or supporting a war in which the distinguished British medical journal, Lancet, says upwards of 1,000,000 Iraqis has been murdered during our uninvited occupation of their country. Their indignation is targeted and selective because a black quarterback from the projects, has already broken records such as the first black quarterback selected as #1 in the draft, has the richest contract in the league, is the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yds. in a season - all of this is way too much for so many, that the dog allegations are as good as any that can be latched onto to bring him down. If it wasn't dogs, they would latch on to any other cause that they could safely hide behind.

Many whites feel that they did Vick a favor by rescuing him from the projects, and allowing him to be a first-pick pro quarterback with the richest contract, ever. Their racist paternalistic minds can't understand how he could betray them and be so unappreciative of all the largess they bestowed on him. They feel that he has instead rewarded them with thuggish, brutish, bad behavior, and brought shame and disrepute on their hallowed game of football. And he has disgraced himself and abdicated the model minority role that they wanted him to star in, and be the poster boy for. These are some of the same whites who sided a few years ago with arch-racist, Rush Limbaugh, when he claimed black quarterbacks got undeserved special treatment and acclaim in the NFL.

This is one of many particularly vicious attacks by a sportswriter - this one was written by someone in the Fox faux news network. Clearly he values the lives of dogs over the life of a young black man who has made a costly mistake. He appears to be salivating like the famous dogs of Pavlov's experiments, at the thought of permanently ridding the world of Michael Vick. He appears to be more beastly than what he accuses Vick of being - judge for yourself.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293854,00.html

Does anyone besides me see why Vick and other athletes, might possibly identify with dogfighting, because they too are valued based on their size, strength and ferocity, they are thrown into an arena to perform, and are sold and transported across state lines when a better price can be received for themselves, and then they are discarded when hurt or too old to perform anymore. What they do to dogs, is an interesting parallel to what is done to them. If I was making a list of the most heinous crimes, I'm pretty sure that dog-fighting wouldn't crack the top 100. A rational person without an agenda, doesn't erupt in faked outrage like so many are doing in this case, particularly since they remain silent about much more serious abuses of dogs. This is what the Boston Globe had to say about legal dog abuse: "The California-based Greyhound Protection League estimates that in the two decades from 1986-2005, 606,633 dogs from the industry were killed: 184,604 puppies judged to be inferior for racing and 421,129 after their "careers" ended, usually by 4 years old. Things are nowhere as bad as they once were. In its worst years, critics said greyhound racing was death row for dogs. The Web site of the Greyhound Racing Association of America says that the peak year for the sport was 1992, when $3.5 billion was bet at more than 50 tracks. That year happened to come right at the end of a frenzied era in which, according to the Greyhound Protection League, between 42,000 and 58,000 dogs were killed in the search for winners. There is no difference between this and what Vick did, other than that dogfighting is illegal and greyhound racing remains legal in many states. For his depraved hobby, Vick will be shamed with prison stripes, while Greyhound racing, despite its primitive exploitation of dogs, remains a $2 billion business."

Vick has wisely pleaded, perhaps just to salvage something from the nightmare of American racism being directed at him. It appears that this is the only alternative that will allow him to cut his losses and go on with what's left of his life. The moral of this story for all black athletes - don't buy the hype of sports adulation and celebrity that is given and just as quickly, can be snatched away. Jack Johnson, O.J. Simpson, Barry Bonds and now Vick and so many, many others, can attest to this.

Hopefully Vick socked away some of the millions in salary and endorsements that he has already received, that will enable him to ride out this racist storm.

Tiger Is Not Out Of The Woods Yet

I just watched Tiger win his 13th major, and just finished reading many of the blogged comments of golf fans who can't accept the fact that he is only 5 wins behind Nicklaus, and will surpass him soon. What is revealing is how many hate the fact that he is so good, so dominant, so focused, so physically and mentally fit, and so much better than the other golfers he is competing against.

One thing about golf, unlike the other sports, is that you don't get paid until you win. Since Tiger is the #1 golfer in the world, and has already become the wealthiest golfer ever, that speaks volumes for how much he has won - many fans have a problem with this also. As he approaches Nicklaus's record of 18 majors, he will face much of the same, if not more, of the barbs and hate that Aaron and Bonds were subjected to. Nicklaus is the white idol of golf just like Ruth was the white idol of baseball, and it is clear that many cannot accept their records being broken by black men such as Aaron, Bonds and Woods.

For those who say that Tiger Woods is merely just good, they sound foolish - no one wins over 50 tournaments and 13 majors by age 32, if they are merely just good. For those who ask why he gets so much coverage, it's because no one comes close to being as good in golf right now. Why do the sportscasters gush over him? Because 2 to 3 million more viewers watch tournaments that Tiger is in, than those he isn't in. That's 2-3 million more households watching Tiger - not Vijay, nor Phil, nor Ernie.

Where would golf be without Tiger? I would guess that there wouldn't be anyone who would capture the imagination of fans and casual onlookers as Tiger has. Without Tiger, golf would still be considered an elitist sport. And as for it not being fair that the focus is on Tiger all the time and other golfers deserve some coverage and credit, I say, In order to be on top, you have to beat the man on top. No one has been able to do it consistently. Are there tournaments where other players play better than Tiger and win? Yes - but the reason why Tiger gets so much attention, is because he is usually at least near the top of the scoreboard.

The reason Tiger wins so much is because of his constant practicing, his talent, his skill, his desire, and physical strength. It's laughable that some fans are bashing him for working out and being in shape. Perhaps if the rest of the players worked out as much, they probably would be as physically fit - so far, none of them come even close. In addition, he is stronger mentally than anyone else in the game.

Those who complain that he has no real competition and he does not compare to Nicklaus because Nicklaus had to beat guys like Watson, Trevino, Player, and Palmer, I say, all he needs to do is beat those of his generation. When compared with his generation, Woods has 13 major victories compared to the next highest player who only has 3 major wins. All in his generation have the same advantages such as advanced training, equipment etc., but no one else is even close to him.

Tiger is the only player that, even if not leading by several strokes, is still worth watching. The guy puts on a clinic every time he goes out there. And when he's ahead in a tournament on Sunday morning, you can take it to the bank. Tiger is doing his job. He is not a comedian, nor a politician - he plays golf to win. There is no rule in golf that says you must smile, shake hands, talk to the fans while on the course, etc.

He is the best because he works hard, is focused, is the best prepared, and refuses to be distracted - it's as simple as that!

Enough Is Enough!

Not since the OJ case has the White media, particularly the sports writers, had the perfect 'cover' from which to hide behind, while lobbing their racist bilge all over the place. Now they have the Michael Vick dog-fighting allegations and the Barry Bonds steroid allegations that they can fake moral outrage about, while at the same time venting their most racist feelings toward the players disguised as part of that supposed moral outrage.

Even some Black sportswriters have piled on as well, maybe to prove to their White colleagues that they can out-nigger as well as anyone else can. One Black female writer even wrote a silly prayer parody to her 'god', asking him to "Please stop Bonds before it is too late" (from breaking Aaron's home-run record). Shortly thereafter, Bonds did tie and then break the record, and this is what I wrote to her:

Ms. Hill,

"The letter that you wrote to your god, "Please Stop Bonds Before It's Too Late", was one of the most silly ever written. Apparently he was not a real God, because perhaps the best player that ever played the game, Barry Bonds, has now tied and passed the record that Aaron had held for 30+ years - in spite of your prayers!

Your god either ignored you, did not read your article, or maybe was powerless to stop a mere mortal like Barry Bonds. I suggest you find a 'real' God who can hear, pay attention to you, can read, and has enough power to stop a player like Barry Bonds if He chooses to.

This is a wake-up call for you to stop serving false gods. It's embarrassing that a Black women could be so hateful and silly and buy into this racist hysteria, and then put this garbage in a white publication.

Even some white sportswriters have admitted that this anti-Bonds crap is nothing more than naked white racism, maybe that's why, even your god ignored your ill-advised prayers.

They say 'the pen is mightier than the sword' - your pen failed you miserably."

Thankfully, at least most Black sportswriters are not fooled and can sense the racism and hear the racist overtones behind the faked moral outrage of the majority of the sportswriters. They have accordingly written some outstanding pieces that demand that both players be treated fairly and not pre-judged as so many are doing. They are also writing about the hypocrisy of the critics who fail to acknowledge the dual-standards applied to Black and White athletes, and the shaky premises that records like Babe Ruth's home-run record, really rests on.

Gordon Jackson, wrote an amazing and outstanding article on this subject:
www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Baseball_20/Where
_All_Of_The_Asterisks_Really_Should_Go.shtml

I'm proud of the Black sportswriters who have cut through the racist hype and are providing the balanced reporting that those who claim to be 'fair and balanced', have failed miserably to do.

Profaned Sports Records?

Michael Vick and Barry Bonds are on the hot-seat because of the selective indignation of many sports fans, who see the smashing of their hallowed sports records by these two, as a perverse kind of sports achievement.

I believe that the outrage of many in the Vick 'dog fighting' case, is hypocrisy at best, and racist at worst. I've found there are even several 'dog-fighting' magazines sold monthly and legally, on major newsstands around the country, for a sport that is supposedly illegal and immoral. And don't let me even get started on the 'sports' of bull-fighting, dog racing and cock-fighting.

Methinks, a Black quarterback who signed the richest contract ever, and quarterbacks a team in the deep south, and became the first quarterback to rush for over 1000 yds. in a season, is way too much for many of the upstanding 'turn-the-clock-back-on-racial-progress' fans in this country. So to derail his assault on the record books, they are screaming for Vick to be banished from the NFL, even before his trial to determine his guilt or innocence, and they have cancelled his rich endorsement deals and removed his best-selling sports gear from the store shelves - that will show him!

..And don't say anything to me about 'playing the race card' - the race card was invented over 400 years ago by 'you-know-who', and it is obviously still being played everyday by 'you-know-who'!

It's much the same with Barry Bonds, who will shortly be breaking the 'hallowed holy grail' record of baseball. It's less about Bond's alleged steroid use, and more about his and Hank Aaron's temerity in surpassing their idol's home run record, which is doubtful that Ruth would have held, had he regularly been subjected to the superior pitching of the Negro leagues. In fact the reason the Negro league teams were not permitted to play against those of the major leagues, was the fear that the white teams could not compete with the talented players in the Negro league, and would be shown up. So Ruth's records were at best, achieved because of inferior and less than adequate pitching challenges to his hitting prowess. Had Ruth had to face black pitchers like Satchel Paige, Leon Day or Ray Brown, there is no way he would have gotten even near the 'record'that he held for so many years.

"Simply stated, major league baseball records established during the 60 years of segregated baseball are tainted and therefore, meaningless. These records were established during a period in which many of the best players of the game were excluded from the game. The white players knew it. The white owners knew it, and the black players sure knew it. A reasonable observer must conclude that these records should be followed by an asterisk* stating African Americans were not allowed to play."

How ironic it is, that many years later, a player who would have been consigned to the Negro leagues had he been playing in the early part of the last century, is now smashing the records that he would not have been able to challenge back then.

The 'fans' of today are no better than those of yesteryear, and their hallowed records will continue to be 'profaned' and broken whether they want them to or not.

How to Steal from the Rich

Carmelo Anthony, like Ron Artest before him, was just hit with a fine that is nearly $1 million dollars, for a game fracas that he did not start but unwisely got involved in. He also was on track to garner the honor of leading the league in scoring this season – now that is probably a moot point given the length of his suspension. This is a case of VERY rich White owners, legally stealing from NEWLY rich Black players, using a contrived concern for civility to do it, in a sport that is far less violence-prone than football, hockey or baseball. I guess the millions that the owners are stealing with these outrageous fines, can be used to make further campaign contributions to their favorite political parties or however else they care to use it. For them it's a better investment than giving it to Black players who are considered merely rich slaves on their NBA plantation, with David Stern as their overseer. During slavery, the owners brazenly and criminally stole their slave's labor and wages. Today in the NBA, the owners still brazenly steal their slave's wages - nothing much has changed!

It is inconceivable that they would similarly try to steal $5 million from a Larry Bird or a Bill Walton as they did from Ron Artest in his year-long suspension. Everyone knows it would never have happened to them, Stern and the NBA would have found some way to mitigate even the most egregious behavior, had it been Bird, Walton or some other White player.

As one White sportswriter pointed out, “baseball's players are 60 percent White and only 8.5 percent Black. The NHL has 2.5 percent Black players, while the NBA is about 80 percent Black. But I'm sure it's insignificant that the players in the NBA fighting this past weekend were Black. After all, we're a color-blind society, right? We treat everyone the same, and comparing professional hockey or baseball fighting to basketball fighting isn't really fair. And the race of the athletes has nothing to do with how we respond to the fighting in those sports, either. Or maybe in the end, the reaction of our country when NBA players fight says a lot more about us than it does about them.”

This sportswriter correctly identified how race is factored in, depending on who is fighting and if the league is the NBA. There it is determined how much is deemed acceptable to 'steal' if the player is Black. Such a player who happens to get into a fight, whether of his choosing or not, is almost certain to be fined an amount that most of us would need at least a lifetime to earn.

Some might argue, that a player who is earning millions of dollars per year, is by definition exempt from being exploited or treated unfairly, and deserves no sympathy.

But in the NBA, if there is a fight, legalized theft and unfair treatment by the owners toward their slaves, is the rule rather than the exception.