Could Bush Heisman Controversy Lead To Black Athlete Movement Against NCAA?

Reggie Bush, shown here playing for the University of Southern California, could be losing his Heisman Trophy due to allegedly accepting illegal benefits, according to the NCAA. Could this start a movement by black athletes against the NCAA? Dr. Boyce Watkins seems to be hopeful.

Thanks to the considerable power of Facebook, I ran across an opinion piece written by Dr. Boyce Watkins regarding the current controversy surrounding Reggie Bush and his perhaps temporary retention of "his" Heisman Trophy.

For those who don't know, Bush is in the middle of a controversy for allegedly violating NCAA rules regarding illegal benefits. Here is an account of some of the trouble dogging Bush. The University of Southern California, where Bush played his college football, has all but made him disappear from anything related to USC. At this point, from a USC perspective, the only traces of Bush are mostly in the memories of those who watched him play back in the day.

Recently, however, Bush has been back in the spotlight as USC returned its Heisman Trophy (from the Bush era) and there is a rumor that the Heisman people are ready to snatch back Reggie's version of the trophy.

That brings me to this, from Watkins, who had strong opinions on the issue:

When I read about the possibility that Reggie Bush may have his Heisman Trophy taken, I became irritated beyond imagination. "Here we go again," I thought. "Another self-righteous group of hoity-toity NCAA administrators making value judgments about the character of black male athletes."

If they can’t defeat them on the field, the game is then to create artificially contrived mechanisms for evaluating the worth of the athlete from a morality standpoint. The problem for the NCAA, however, is that when it comes to ethics, they have no room to claim the moral high ground. In fact, you might say they are crooks.

So, officials allegedly want to take Reggie Bush’s Heisman because he might have violated a set of rules that represent nothing less than a complete double standard that places athletes and their families (many of whom are black) at the bottom of an artificial caste system which puts coaches at the top (most of whom are white)? Can we say “apartheid” anyone? Are you trying to say that Reggie Bush wasn’t worth millions of dollars to USC and the NCAA in television deals, ticket sales, jersey sales and the like? Yea, I thought so.

Watkins is an outspoken critic of the NCAA and what he sees as its unwillingness to share revenues with the student-athletes.

In this piece, however, Watkins takes it another major step with his call for, in essence, a boycott as could be read in his headline, "Black Athletes Should Ignore The Heisman."

Here is more from the piece:

Why in the world have we somehow been convinced that black athletes (white ones too) and their families are not deserving of a slice of the massive revenue that athletes earn for their universities? Did anyone watch USC football games to see anyone other than Reggie Bush and the other athletes on the field? If that’s not the case, then why in the world has he been chastised like a runaway slave for simply getting a mere fraction of the money that he deserves? Even China has a more equitable system of wealth distribution than the NCAA, who has made an art form out of turning the false into something that we all believe to be real. That long list of rules and regulations created by the NCAA is designed to control athletes so they themselves can get wealthy from athlete labor. We know that.

There is some truth to what Watkins has to say about student-athletes not being able to share in revenue they generate.

Sharing that revenue, I believe, is a complicated situation even though I do not necessarily disagree that student-athletes should be able to taste a little more of the revenue. BUT, how to get that done is VERY complicated and not as easy as a lot of people think.

The bottom line is that these student-athletes are not going to risk their position by going against the NCAA. They see their position as valuable. For the student-athletes, right now at least, the benefits of the NCAA outweigh any perceived exploitation.

Just saying ...

Until that changes, no boycott will have any legs.

Dr. Boyce Watkins:
http://newsone.com/newsone-original/boycewatkins/dr-boyce-black-athletes-should-ignore-the-heisman-trophy/

Yahoo Sports:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ys-bushheisman090710

More on Reggie Bush:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2010-09-08-heisman-bush-young_N.htm

ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski/100721&sportCat=ncf

Reggie Bush, A Victim Of Interracialism?

Reggie Bush, the football star of the New Orleans Saints, is gracing the cover of Essence magazine.

As a result of Bush's image on the cover of Essence, all hell has broken loose and Reggie has become a victim of what can best be termed: interracialism. First off, for those who are unfamiliar with Essence, it is a magazine largely designed for black women from their late teens to their late 40s. Reggie Bush, the cover boy for the magazine, is not being well received by many black women around the nation. The anger over the football star's appearance on the magazine has next to nothing to do with what really should matter about Reggie Bush as a man. The anger ignited by Reggie's appearance on the cover of the magazine is about interracialism - specifically, the fact that Bush is romantically linked to Kim Kardashian, who is perceived by people as being white.

Were Reggie Bush in a pre-approved relationship (with a black woman) then his appearance on the cover of Essence would be welcomed who would drool over his abs (the kind most guys wish they had) rather than seethe over the racial makeup of his girlfriend choice.

Thus, we have the genesis for a new "ism" today: interracial-ism.

Here is a definition of racism:

1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Here is a proposed definition of interracialism:

1. The belief that the racial makeup of relationships accounts for differences in character or ability and that a particular racial relationship makeup is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on the racial makeup of relationships.

Here is an excerpt from a column written by Jenice Armstrong, a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.

The image of Bush has irritated a long-frayed nerve that is further aggravated by the fact that Essence, a magazine many black women think of as their own, made him its cover image. It's stirred up an old debate about high-profile black men and their preference for dating white or light-skinned women.

Perhaps, as Armstrong suggests in another part of the column, Bush was making an effort to appeal to black women a little more favorably. Or, perhaps he just saw an opportunity to market himself and thought little about whether it was Essence or some other magazine. Maybe Essence thought his sex appeal would transcend interracialism and appeal to black women. Or, perhaps Essence thought the controversy would get people talking about the magazine and sell more issues.

We're talking about Essence, aren't we? Would we be talking about Essence this much if it was LeBron James on the cover with the same pose? No way.

Here is one angry comment over the Reggie Bush Covergate:

“Why is there a white supremacist on the cover of Essence magazine? Because any person who thinks white women are better is indeed a white supremacists. Having this man on the cover is beyond offensive to me as an African American woman. He is just another crude reminder of all the black men who perpetuate racism against black women, by rejecting them and showing the utmost disrespect by choosing to date non-black women, Reggie Bush is even more offensive since his mate is nothing but some white trashy woman. I suspect those of you you do agree with this mess are either Aunt Jemima’s or products of an interracial relationship.”

“This Brotha don’t dig us, so why, pray tell, do we have to see his face staring back at us, on a magazine that celebrates US? This disappoints me. It’s an insult! Later for Reggie Bush and all the other Brothas who turn their back on the black woman once they are successful.”

“Why put a man who clearly prefers the bottom of the barrel of white women than a good black woman on your cover? Clearly, he has no love for the sisters. This magazine is supposed to empower black women not remind us of the disadvantages that we face in today’s society. Please don’t insult our intelligence.”

"White supremacist?" That is so nutty on so many levels it is ridiculous.

That is some powerful stuff right there. In fact, that is just downright ridiculous. The only reason I am showing this quote is to illustrate the hatred that still exists out there and the hostility that people who are in interracial relationships confront on an almost daily basis.

Now, you'll here people say it's not racist, it's not hatred, it's a magazine for black women, it's not racial and ... yadda, yadda, yadda.

Apparently, the page with comments on the Essence Web site has been taken down. From a few published reports, that number of comments had eclipsed the 1,000 mark.

It all comes back to interracialism.

There world needs a lot of things, but another "ism" is not one.

I'll leave with these two arguments from the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Web site:

Anonymous too Said on January 13th, 2010

I agree w/ anonymous. I’m not offended at all. I also wonder why some folks are so angry. Just b/c Reggie is dating an Armenian woman (Armenians are NOT Anglo Saxon), doesn’t mean he has never cared for or dated a “sista”. And why does black love have to be between two black people? Isn’t black love any love that comes fr. someone who is of the black persuasion or who loves someone who is black. It’s a good thing for people to date and love outside their economic level, local community, culture, and yes race – it promotes understanding and ultimately leads to people treating each other better. We are all God’s children, so why keep buying into separatist, racist ideals of segregation? Let’s love each other as God loves us all.

WTF Said on January 14th, 2010

Ok people, I am tired of black women speaking out about black men dating outside of their races. Stop soundling like a bunch of bitter, hard-up females. Move on with your life and live your life to the fullest. Reggie does not want your black ass, he wants Kim’s white ass, so get over it. Alot of black women are coming off as jealous, insecure women. Find love yourself and move forward. It is obvious that Kim and her sister like black guys, hell have you looked at their body types, white men consider then overweight and black men will date any white woman as long as she has a pulse. So don’t get offended, it’s not your loss, because truth be told, black men have always wanted what white men have tossed aside. Think about it.

RoRo Said on January 14th, 2010

I am disappointed in the ignorance people possess when it comes to social issues. As a single “black” female I feel that most of the people that are going to have anything negative to say are bitter “black” single females who are probably single because they are ignorant, judgmental, angry, and put to much thought into what others do in their personal lives. They are just looking for excuses as to why they can’t find a man. For one Kim Kardashian is not white she is Armenian. Second is Russell Simmons “a sale out” I don’t recall him being married to a woman of full black decent, and he is one of the most successful “black” entrepreneurs I know. Now I know that this issue is to support love, weather it be black yellow purple or green, I get it but love does not have a color. I have dated outside my race have been in love with a black man and someone of a different race, I even have a child that is “biracial” as a result of my “interracial” dating. I think people are really immature when it comes to this issue. Think about it would Obama be here if his daddy wasn’t a “sell out” and dated his white mama, did they not at one point and time celebrate “Love”. Let’s be real and stop making mountains out of molehills.

Some of the hatred directed at Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian makes it seem as though the country has gone in a time machine back to the 1950s.

So much for living in post-racial America.