"Of Haves and Have-Nots"

"What the have-nots have that the haves have not"

Over the course of last week or so, there have been a number of incidents that have further confirmed the idea that world of professional athletes has lost touch with the common person.

First off, there was incident at Madison Square Garden in the hoops game between Denver and the Knicks last Saturday night, when Denver’s star player, "Carmelo" sucker punched an opponent, earning him a 15-game suspension. Following the game, one of the New York players (Steve Francis) intimated that race may have had something to do with the length of the suspension. Huh? Why is it that every time an incident of this type occurs, the race card has to be dropped into the equation? Race has nothing to do with this particular incident, self-control does.

Professional basketball is overwhelmingly comprised of African-American athletes. Virtually all of the players involved in this latest incident are black. To suggest that the players who were suspended received disparate treatment on the basis of their race is so ludicrous as to be dismissed on its face. But who’s going to be the one to call Francis out on this? It was a very, very STUPID AND INSULTING THING to say, Mr. Francis.

Racism is alive and well in America, and when it manifests its ugly head, people of goodwill need to stand up and be counted. However, people in the public eye, such as entertainers and athletes who speak before thinking and allege things that have no basis in reality, cause grave harm to the cause of eradicating racist thought. To suggest that someone of the integrity of David Stern would remotely factor a player’s race in determining anything, let alone disciplinary measures, is patently absurd and is itself a racist statement.

Under Commissioner Stern’s leadership, the NBA has been transformed from a second-rate winter sport to a worldwide phenomenon. However, Blacks in America can say just about anything (provided they’re not Republican) and no one calls them on it (e.g., Michael Irvin). However, if a white person says something that could be even remotely viewed as racially provocative, then that person is ostracized as a racist and their careers are ruined (e.g., "Jimmy The Greek", and Al Campanis). In this regard, no one even challenges the idea that there is a double-standard. The talking heads in the media might touch on it lightly before quickly moving on. Sadly, it’s simply considered acceptable in American discourse.

In competitive sports, especially contact sports, tempers fray very easily. In the National Hockey League, for example, fighting was an accepted part of the game, though that sadly no longer seems to be the case. In the National Basketball Association, while there are always been skirmishes with elbows and rough play in the paint, fistfights have always been rare. Professional sports are an industry, where players are paid incredible salaries to exercise their gifts on the field, ice, or court. Serious money is paid to players like Carmelo Anthony, because of his ability to shoot a basketball, not because he’s a prizefighter.

In every professional sport, fighting during the course of play is treated differently. In football, fighting is very rare because the nature of the game is collision. Players are so focused on their particular assignment, which usually involves smashing into an opponent at a high rate of speed. Once the play is concluded, the players regroup to prepare for the next assignment. In the occasional occurrences where tempers spill over, players are usually tossed out of the game and fined for their actions. In hockey, when fights occur, the combatants are sent off to the penalty box for five minutes. But fighting in hockey, as mentioned earlier, has always been an accepted part of the game. Most teams have a “designated goon” whose responsibility it is to protect the skill players from getting roughed up. None of the other sports carry a player on the roster whose primary job is to fight. In basketball, fighting is not an accepted, and Commissioner Stern made the right call.

Then, there’s the latest T. O. incident. He was fined $35,000 for spitting in an opponent’s face last Saturday. And how is he rewarded for this sort of behavior? He was elected to represent the Cowboys at the Pro bowl in Honolulu next February. Based on his performance this season, where he’s dropped at least 15 passes, one can only shake their heads and wonder how T. O. was considered worthy of such an accolade. Maybe the “network types” thought that including a “big name” would boost ratings (no one watches the Pro Bowl anyhow). The man may have tremendous physical skills, but he is an utterly toxic influence on a team. He will never win the big game.

Moving on, there was the latest series of incidents involving Tank Johnson from the Chicago Bears. Last week, Tank was arrested for basically having an arsenal of firearms in his home. We’re not talking about the type of firearms that millions of Americans keep in their homes to deter would-be burglars and second story men. No, the weapons that the police discovered were military assault weapons. Could someone out there give me at least two good reasons – or even one– why an individual would be allowed to possess this cache of mortal firepower? Unless he was planning an armed insurrection or some form of revolution, there is no reason. What makes matters worse is the fact that the weapons were strewn about the home while babies played with their toys. To top things off, not only is Tank armed and dangerous, he also has a bodyguard. My next question is: why is it that a 350 pound hulk needs to have a bodyguard? The wisdom of that aside, Tank and his erstwhile bodyguard went to a “club” on Saturday night. Apparently one of the patrons took issue with Tank’s recent arrest. Words were exchanged between Tank, the patron and the bodyguard. The patron pulled out a pistol and “allegedly” murdered the bodyguard before fleeing the scene. A human life has been taken here, folks, over what appears to be sheer stupidity (and no one appears to care). Until such time as Tank learns to behave like a responsible member of society, the only uniform he should be wearing is the one they hand out at Cook County Jail.

So what’s the common thread? When money and fame are put in the hands of gifted athletes who are seemingly incapable of handling the attendant responsibilities of mature adults, these are the sort of incidents that happen. And they happen all the time. Simply because the aforementioned idiots happen to be black doesn’t imply that all black athletes are irresponsible adults. The vast majority of athletes (irrespective of race) are aware of who they are and act accordingly. Stupidity and irresponsibility are colorblind, as are self-control and discipline. The older I get, the more distant I’ve become to relating to the exploits of fools.

That’s why it’s so refreshing every now and again to watch college athletics. Not “big time” college athletics where it’s hard to tell the difference between amateurs and professionals. Speaking of guys who got a free pass, how did BC football Coach O’Brien escape down to NC State without any criticism? All he received was platitudes all the way to the bank. What does he tell all the kids he recruited into the program? That selling out for the buck is an accepted part of the business? So much for instilling character in young men, no? Is it naïve to suggest that when coaches at “stepping-stone” schools like BC are entertaining offers for greener pastures they should share that information with the student-athletes they recruited and who are or were primarily responsible for their success? One can only imagine how disillusioned the underclassmen must feel.

So, every now and then it’s fun to watch “student-athletes” perform for nothing more than the love of the sport and dear alma mater. Over the weekend there were two highly entertaining matches featuring Dartmouth College. They traveled down to Cambridge to renew acquaintances on the ice with The Crimson, and I was fortunate to have attended and witnessed a great game. The level of play was top-notch (there are several players on both squads who’ve already been drafted by NHL clubs), and the atmosphere was electric. Fair Harvard prevailed (Yes!) on the strength of three power play goals and there was a nice little rumble at the end of the game to put a cherry on top!

Then, while channel hopping on Monday night, I happened on the Quinnipiac-Dartmouth basketball game. At one point, Quinnipiac had a 15-1 lead and Dartmouth couldn’t hit a jumper or pull down any boards. But slowly, they found their game and ended up taking the lead midway through the second half. Then the Q-Crew came back and took a seven point lead that promptly evaporated and Dartmouth came out on top in the end.

Neither of these games made it to “Sports Center”, because ESPN is only concerned with self-promoters, creating controversies and The Big Time. But that really doesn’t matter, because these kids aren’t in it for fame and fortune, and in a world where boorish creeps get all the ink and the airtime it’s important to remember that the real game is played in fields, rinks and courts all over the world by anonymous kids for the love of it, no more and no less.