During an annual Savior's Day Convention in Detroit, Michigan, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan compared well compensated pro basketball players to slaves. The 82 year old Farrakhan seem to take particular umbrage at how players are drafted by teams. Farrakhan told the crowd at Joe Louis Arena:
Well, that’s that what you do in sports. You run up and down the field, show them how swift you are, how clever you are. And they’re sitting there, watching you, timing you: ‘That’s a good one. I’ll get him. I’m drafting him.'
Perhaps Farrakhan condemnations might not have been so harsh had his grandson Mustaffah Farrakhan done better in the NBA draft. Alas, for now the 27 year old languishes in the NBA Development League with the Oklahoma City Blue
The NFC divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals was marred by a botched overtime coin toss.
After the referee first tossed the coin, it appeared that the Packers won it as they had called heads. The ref then voided the first toss as the coin had not flipped. On the second attempt, the coin landed tails and the Cardinals took the ball.
Arizona won the game 26-20 in overtime. The Cardinals will be traveling the Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers.
In late December, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association urged state high school administrators to enforce "guidelines" pertaining to sports fans. WIAA Communications Director Todd Clark inveighed against unsporting behavior, particularly in student cheering sections. To wit, the WIAA wanted to ban chants as: "Fundamentals"; "Air ball"; "You can't do that"; "We can't hear you."; "Overrated"; Scoreboard" and "Season's over". There is some thought that even the patriotic "USA" chant may be verbotten. Per the WIAA's guidelines, these cheers could lead to a suspension. Much to the WIAA's chagrin, these guidelines went viral on social media and were subject to considerable derision and some pointed First Amendment protest. ESPN Sports Analyst Jay Bilas took to Twitter to mock the well-intentioned Nanny State sportsmanship dictat with reductio ad absurdum zeal. Bilas suggested a replacement tersely cogent cheer for "Air Ball" with the thoroughly polite " "We note your attempt did not reach the rim, but only to alert the clock operator that a reset is unnecessary." High School students in Ashwaubeon, Wisconsin chose to make a symbolic protest against the WIAA's assault on their free speech rights by putting duct tape over their mouths at a basketball game.
None of these cheers are even vaguely bawdy, such as the cheer of frustration: "Nuts and bolts--we got screwed". These nanny state rules (disingenuously veiled as "guidelines") seems to demand sucking the spirit from zombie-like seat warming fans as their teams effectively compete for their participation trophies.
Once the story acquired national attention, the WIAA tried to back down. WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson tired to quell the media maelstrom by issuing a "Sincere Apology" email which insisted that there were no new directives, no new rules, no new mandates, and no new enforcement expectations. Parsing Anderson's email, the key is phrase is new. Reading between the lines, the chants were just examples of unsportsmanlike behavior that WIAA guidelines prohibit. The WIAA mandate touched upon Bilas bailiwick for "Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court" (2014). Bilas did recognize that there are ways of unruly fanaticism that crosses the line without over-regulating kids. Bilas recalled while he was playing basketball at Duke in the 1980s, the University President wrote an open letter challenging fans to behave better and be creative without crass cheers. This prompted the Blue Devil student section to react to bad calls with the cheer: "We beg to differ". A more modern approach might be to remind students that they should not do something they would not want put on television lest it go on their permanent records. This is more than a high school sports story. It exemplifies the totalitarian instincts political correctness which demands conformity from feckless fans. The WIAA follow-up employs the non-apology apology, denying the directive is anything new. It also shows the micromanaging mien of the Nanny State which nudges people through rules masquerading as "guidelines". Lastly, it imposes overbearing burdens on people without challenging them to find creative alternatives to encourage more civil cheering.
Basketball legend Meadowlark Lemon died at age 83 in Scottdale, Arizona on December 27, 2015. Lemon was the court jester of the Harlem Globetrotters for 22 seasons before venturing off to play for the Bucketeers, then later with the Shooting Stars and in 1988 starting "Meadowlark Lemon's All Stars". In 1994, Lemon played 50 games for the Harlem Globetrotters while still playing for his own touring team.
In Meadowlark Lemon's prime, he played 325 games a year. After missing one game in Germany after a bad meal of goulash in 1955, Lemon played 7,500 consecutive games for the Harlem Globetrotters, which was the equivalent of 92 NBA seasons. But Lemon was known for more than his perfect attendance on the courts.
Wilt Chamberlain played with Meadowlark Lemon for the 1958-59 season on the Harlem Globetrotters. Wilt Chamberlain lauded Lemom shortly before his Wilt's death in 1999: “Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I've ever seen. People would say it would be Dr. J or even [Michael] Jordan. For me it would be Meadowlark Lemon.” Lemon could make unbelievable behind the back half-court baskets and was known for his long range hook shot.
Supplementing his superior skill set at basketball fundamentals, Meadowlark Lemon was a showman. He enthusiastically embraced being the "Clown Prince" of basketball, by doing a regular shtick of throwing a bucket-full of confetti and pulling down the pants of referees. Meadowlark Lemon was inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the International Clown Hall of Fame.
Aside from being an athlete and an entertainer, Meadowlark Lemon had a spiritual side. Lemon became an ordained minister in 1986 and a Doctor of Divinity in 1988 from Vision International University. Along with his second wife Dr. Cynthia Lemon, he founded Meadowlark Lemon Ministries with a mission "Changing lives to change the world" by leveraging his books, media, evangelical outreach along with Camp Meadowlark basketball camp as inspiration to stay focused and finish strong message aimed at keep kids away from the path of substance abuse.
Meadowlark Lemon Ministries has a special outreach to youths in detention facilities and prisons. Meadowlark's message to these troubled souls is that you are not alone, you are uniquely special, God has great plans for you and you are forgiven.
Through his excellence on the courts and comedy, Meadowlark Lemon could entertain and elevate his fans. Parlaying his successes on the court to his ministry, Meadowlark Lemon helped elevate himself and others to a higher level. Rest In Peace Clown Prince of Basketball.
For several years, there has been a politically correct effort to force the Washington Redskins to change their name. In fact, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was convinced with withdraw the NFL franchise's trademark protection in 1999 and 2014, citing that "the term redskin" as derogatory and offensive even though the USPTO had approved the mark over 80 years before. Washington Redskin's owner Daniel Synder appealed claiming that case law and the weight of the evidence had been ignored. A federal district court agreed with the Patent Office's withdrawal of the trademark in July 2015. However, a Federal Appeals court handed down a ruling which may well be a game changer. The Portland Oregon dance rock band "The Slants" won a Federal Appeals Court case which began in 2011 over their provocative moniker. The Slants are composed of Asian Pacific Island band members and pride themselves as taking on racism presumably by embracing a name which many consider to be ethnic slander.
“Many of the marks rejected as disparaging convey hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities. But the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech...
The government cannot refuse to register disparaging marks because it disapproves of the expressive messages conveyed by the marks."
That ruling ended The Slant's legal Misery, but also serves as a strong indication that the Redskin's ruling will not stand. The Redskins were stripped of trademark protection because of "hurtful speech". In addition, the Redskin's case is even stronger as the USPTO had already approved the trademark years before and then sought to yank it away. However, because the Redskin's appeal is in another circuit, the Slant's ruling is not automatically set a precedent. And the US Supreme Court could also overturn the Slant's First Amendment trademark protection. But until then..
During the annual Army Navy game, the Midshipmen will be donning their alternate uniform helmets which are replete with meaning. Each of the seven types of hand painted helmets depict the player's position.
• Linebacker: Cruiser- Provides anti-air defense and packs the biggest punch of Naval surface ships representative of the linebackers on the Navy football team.
• Defensive Back: Destroyer- Known for significant fire power, speed, and anti-missile defense as are Navy's defensive backs.
• Wide Receiver: Submarine- Predominantly utilized as blockers, wide receivers play a key role in driving the Navy rush attack, taking on a stealth-like persona as they blend into the rhythm of the offense but bring significant fire power when called upon, just like a Naval submarine.
• Lineman: Amphibious Assault Ships- Just as a lineman's job is the create a hole for a running back or linebacker, these ships are utilized to establish the "beach head" that enables the invading force to gain access and ultimately accomplish their objective.
• Quarterback: Aircraft Carrier- The QB of the Naval Fleet, the aircraft carrier is the ultimate decision maker; the "quick strike" weapon of the Naval fleet.
• Running Back: Littoral Combat Ship- Like running backs, these fast and nimble ships can navigate through both crowded shallow and deep waters.
• Kicker/Special Teams: Minesweeper- Much like the specific task of the Navy special teams, this small ship has a unique mission of identifying and eliminating mines.
In addition, the rally cry "Damn the torpedoes!" from Admiral Farragut's victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864 is featured on the player's gloves.
The annual Army-Navy game is the last game of the college football regular season. It is an over a century old rivalry between two military academies.
During the first half of the 20th Century, the Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights were in contention for the national championships. However, nowadays the five year commitments which academy athletes make to their armed service makes professional sports players about as rare as a rocking horse's manure. Yet players give their all for this annual match-up. They are inspired to go the extra mile.
Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals for winning their first World Series in 30 years in decisive fashion in five games against the New York Mets.
As an inveterate New Yorker from birth, it is likely that Groucho would mark the Royal victory with a Bronx cheer for K.C.
Joe Martel III is a 14 year old freshman who made the Beggs (Oklahoma) High School Golden Demons football team. What makes him unique is that Martel is a double amputee. Martel was born without shin bone. To treat the tibal hemimelia, Martel's legs were amputated at age 1 1/2.
However Martel has never let a couple of missing limbs keep him from his love of sports, especially football. As a pee-wee player, Martel would put Koosies on his stumps as padding while out on the field. When playing games, Martel can put on prosthetic limbs, but in practice, particularly when rushing up and down the stands, he hurls himself up bleachers without them.
Martel's Football coach Lee Blankenship rightly points to Martel's example, not only for overcoming his handicap, but for his work ethic and positive attitude.
So often sports can be diminished into statistics or win-loss records. Joe Martel III highlights how determination, drive and disposition can be inspirational.
In order to promote the US versus Mexico men's soccer match, Fox Soccer superimposed images of prior international games between the teams with selected speeches by 2016 Republican Presidential Donald Trump.
There was adverse reaction on social media to this Trump pump up video.
Reliably liberal sources like the Huffington Post vexed that Donald Trump is not a proper representation of American Patriotism and worry that it might inspire xenophobic fan chants worse than "dos a cero" (referring to Mexican losses in international matches against the US).
But such knee jerk liberalism ignores the inspiration of the Fox Soccer ad. In September TV Azteca produced a pump up Mexican Soccer video which exploited more sharped edged Trump-isms on Mexicans.
It would seem that some trolls on social media and the Lamestream Media can not take tongue in cheek hype and worry about how America is perceived in the world.
Perhaps a more soothing and politically correct portrayal of American patriotism today is conveyed by President Barack Obama bicycling.
