Another Example Of Anti-Jackson Prejudice That Taints Perspective

I've been in some spirited discussions about the whole controversy that now includes LeBron James, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers and now of the Miami Heat; Dan Gilbert, formerly of class and now owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, once considered a hero of the civil rights movement now a point of attack for a variety of reasons.

Here is my original commentary: http://sandygholston.blogspot.com/2010/07/jesse-jackson-has-strong-words.html

Rev. Jackson made some controversial remarks in discussing Gilbert's hateful comments and actions toward James in the wake of his decision to leave the Cavaliers, as a free agent, to join the Heat.

Here is an excerpt from an online commentary I recently read from Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports. His commentary is titled, "Jesse Jackson's opinion makes other side look better." That is quite an interesting title and indicative of how a large number of people tend to feel these days with respect to Rev. Jackson. What he says is less important as what he stands for in the eyes of different people. To many whites, Jackson is a painful reminder of an era they would love to forget. For many of these same people, he represents a lot of what makes them angry today with regard to blacks and civil rights: affirmative action, the browning of America, etc. To many blacks, he is a person who draws the ire of whites and that adversely impacts the race.

Here is part of what Doyel had to say in his article:

Jesse Jackson complained about Gilbert.

Sorry, that was too subtle, and Jesse Jackson doesn't do subtle. Jesse Jackson didn't simply complain about Dan Gilbert. He compared Gilbert to a slave owner. Which makes LeBron James the slave.

Which makes Jesse Jackson the biggest idiot in this story, and that's saying something, because this story includes Jim Gray and his question about fingernails.

Gilbert ought to be home free, because the enmity of Jackson is basically a free pass. If Jesse Jackson thinks you're a disgruntled slave-master, then you're not. Simple as that. A lunatic on the fringe, a liberal version of Rush Limbaugh, Jackson lost the right a long time ago to be taken seriously on race -- but in recent years Jackson has come to represent the inverse: When he says one thing on race, you can believe the opposite.

So when Jackson compares James to an oppressed, impoverished slave, you can believe the opposite -- that LeBron James is one of the richest men in America, that he has been treated opulently and lavishly since he was a teenager, that he stands to become a billionaire.

This is another in a long line of examples of people reporting that the forest can't be seen because there are too many trees in the way.

Perhaps Doyel would like for Gilbert to be home free, but he is not. While a large number of people would love to shift the focus on to Jackson and free Gilbert from scorn, it's not going to work. The prejudice that so many people feel toward Rev. Jackson is irrelevant to what he said and the greater point behind what he said.

This is not about being an "oppressed, impoverished slave." Such a point is insane. We know "that LeBron James is one of the richest men in America," but that is irrelevant.

The fact that he could become a billionaire has nothing to do with the issue.

Later, Doyel gets to perhaps his real point:

At the moment, I'm having a hard time believing the comments Jackson made Sunday night, though at the same time I'm relieved he made them. Because his comments take the attention off Dan Gilbert, and focus it directly onto Jesse Jackson. Which was Jackson's point all along, of course.

"Doyel is "relieved he made them. Because his comments take the attention off Dan Gilbert." Is that the real motive here? Is Doyel really happy that Gilbert gets off in this case.

Doyel contends that Jackson's intent was to gain attention for himself. This is an old and tired argument used against Rev. Jackson and it is designed to marginalize the argument by attempting to discredit the person making it (perhaps that is what Doyel wanted all along).

Here is a thought, maybe Gilbert trashed James to take the pressure off of himself for not being able to surround James (the two-time MVP) with championship-level talent. Maybe Gilbert jabbed at the raw emotions of Cleveland fans to make James the target and absolve himself of responsibility.

Later, we see more hatred toward Rev. Jackson as the true motive continues to reveal itself:

But I can't ignore this, and here's why: Jackson is poisonous. Rainbow PUSH? My ass. He's a coral snake, a small little creature cursed by Mother Nature with the venom of 10 poisonous serpents. And the thing is, it didn't have to be this way. When it comes to right and wrong, good and bad, Jackson comes down on the side of right. Racial equality? That's good. Once upon a time, Jackson was a positive factor in this conversation.

Today? He's a carnival barker. He's the racial conversation's version of PETA, a great idea gone bad, an attention-seeking missile aimed directly at one of society's most vulnerable fault lines. Jackson stopped being part of the solution a long time ago. Now he's part of the problem, and Gilbert was his most recent prop.

Clever commentary about PETA, but it all shows a simmering hatred. He calls Rev. Jackson "poisonous," a "coral snake," a "small little creature cursed by Mother Nature with the venom of 10 poisonous serpents," a "carnival barker" and so on. There is a lot of hatred in Gregg Doyel's commentary and it is all aimed at Rev. Jackson.

While I agree he could have used a less controversial analogy. I think his words touched a wound that many Americans do not truly want to heal. It's a wound that people hide from, make excuses for, and ignore with the hopes it will just go away. The wound is racism. And, no amount of attacks on Rev. Jesse Jackson will move us any closer to deal with those wounds.

Rev. Jackson's comments were not even necessarily about race, but people like Gregg Doyel desperately want it to be about race so they can attack Rev. Jackson as a race agitator.

He reminds people of past sins, current sins and future sins.

Fear is a large part of why he is so frequently attacked and what he actually says is typically ignored.

Once again, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is met with scorn while Dan Gilbert is given mostly a free pass.

CBS Sports:
http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/13637053/jacksons-opinion-makes-other-side-look-better

Jesse Jackson Has Strong Words Regarding Dan Gilbert's Attack On LeBron James

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is going to take a lot of heat for his comments as he has stepped in on the Dan-Gilbert-LeBron James issue heating up the summer of 2010.

Unless you've been living in a cave in Afghanistan, you are likely aware that LeBron made a tough decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his home state of Ohio, to join the Miami Heat along with fellow superstar free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Gilbert, owner of the Cavaliers, has had some angry and borderline hateful words toward James as he has seemingly sought to tap into the anger of the Cleveland community and the state of Ohio.

First, lets establish the foundation for Rev. Jackson's comments and that starts largely with Gilbert's letter to fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, 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.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, 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.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

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.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

My first reaction was the same as that of a lot of people I know, "Who in the hell does Dan Gilbert think he is talking about another person like this?"

His comments are a good distraction from his ability to build a championship team. Cleveland fans have been fooled. James had no choice but to leave. The Cavs were not in a position to win a championship. Boston had gotten better, Chicago is better, Orlando is still good, Miami was going to be better. Cleveland was headed in reverse and James knew it.

I was going to leave this issue alone (limited to my comments with Twitter followers and Facebook friends.

Then, I read the following comments from Rev. Jackson:

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," said Jackson in a press release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship -- between business partners -- and LeBron honored his contract."

Boy, will that make people uncomfortable.

I know that Rev. Jackson is going to take heat from the far-right nuts and even from some people on the left who run like scared children from real issues that involve race. Now, this is not to say Gilbert is racist. I am not saying that at all. Just to be clear, I AM NOT SAYING DAN GILBERT IS RACIST!

BUT, Gilbert's attitude toward LeBron James after his departure is quite disturbing. Gilbert said none of these bad things when James was under contract or when he thought he had a chance to re-sign him.

I saw multiple people I know say the same thing: One said that Gilbert is acting as if he owns LeBron and the other said Gilbert is acting like his best slave ran away.

James owes the Cavaliers nothing. Organizations cut players and trade players all the time. When they do, it is simply tough luck for the players.

James has worked hard and earned his free agency and the right to play with whatever team he wants to take his game to at this stage of his career.

Looking at Dan Gilbert's comments, I bet LeBron James is happier than ever about the decision he made to leave Cleveland and head to Miami.

James could have handled the situation a bit better, but he had every right to leave and Gilbert's comments in the wake of his departure are troubling on a lot of levels.

It will be interesting to see if the NBA does anything to address his comments.

Gilbert would have had no problem taking Tom Izzo as his head coach and picking the pocket of his alma mater, Michigan State University.

He should have had no problem with LeBron James leaving. And, if he did have an issue with it, he should have handled it in a more civilized fashion.

Gilbert Arenas … Livin’ In A Gangsta’s Paradise … C’mon Man

Gilbert Arenas, a standout shooting guard for the Washington Wizards (a franchise that used to be the Bullets before the late former owner Abe Pollin changed the nickname to do away with the violent imagery) of the National Basketball Association is … trippin’ … as they say in the ‘hood. OK, now first things first, let’s get some of the particulars involving Arenas in an ugly case that features guns in an NBA locker room. It seems Gilbert, according to some published reports, drew a gun on a teammate in an incident that has drawn all kinds of national attention and inflicted yet another bruise on NBA Commissioner David Stern’s prized product. Arenas, has contended that he and the gun were all part of a “misguided effort to play a joke.”

Commissioner Stern has, in turn, suspended Arenas indefinitely.

On the ESPN program Pardon the Interruption (PTI), hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon discussed the topic and showed a photo of Arenas at an NBA game pretend shooting with his fingers. If nothing else, the image of Arenas making that kind of gesture proves (almost definitively) that he simply doesn’t understand the serious nature of his actions.

Commissioner Stern, however, does understand the seriousness. And, that seriousness is reflected in a statement he released:

The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action.

Wizards personnel continue to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities, some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident.

Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.

This is one time I totally agree with commissioner and do not think he is being overly harsh.

It seems Gilbert Arenas doesn’t get it if that photo is any indication. THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS!

It’s not about Rev. Al Sharpton, it’s not about David Stern and it’s not about the fans. It’s about Gilbert Arenas taking things more seriously. Not everything is a joke … even when you’re rich and famous. It can all disappear and it can disappear fast.

From a legal standpoint, Arenas has some serious charges in front of them that honestly are no joking matter.

Gilbert needs understand the influence he has on people (especially young people). He needs to follow the words in the title of Jermaine Jackson’s hit song, “Lets Get Serious!”

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/gilbert-arenas-suspended_n_413659.html

Blount Punishment By Oregon Hard To Argue, But …

When Oregon football player LeGarrette Blount chin-checked Boise State player Byron Hout (after Hout struck Blount to get his attention and then trash talked him a little following Thursday night’s game) I thought the suspension would be stiff. At first I thought … four or five games … some people I know talked me off the ledge and thought it might be a little less … two to three games. We were all wrong … VERY WRONG! The furor this mess created as the video was replayed over and over again on ESPN, other media outlets and YouTube probably did Blount no favors as Oregon elected to suspend him for the remainder of the season.

From ESPN:

EUGENE, Ore. — A day after Oregon’s college football season opened, it ended for running back LeGarrette Blount.

Blount was suspended for all remaining games on Friday for punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw following the 16th-ranked Ducks’ 19-8 loss to the 14th-ranked Broncos the night before.

Because he is a senior, Blount’s playing days in Eugene are over.

Oregon’s first-year coach, Chip Kelly, told a sobbing Blount about his decision after reviewing tape of the altercation.

Celebrating the victory on the Broncos’ trademark blue turf, Hout yelled in Blount’s face and tapped him on the shoulder pad. Before Boise State coach Chris Petersen could pull Hout away, Blount landed a right to Hout’s jaw, knocking him to his knees.

I can’t argue with that suspension. Blount did it to himself by losing his cool due to the words of a trash-talking opponent.

Now, it appears Blount’s college football career might be a wrap.

I know it’s wildly popular for people to pile onto Blount and get their shots in on this young man. What he did was a horrible mistake in judgement and there is no question he needed to be punished for the punch and for the reaction as he was leaving the stadium. But, there are some other things I do wonder about: (1) What responsibility does Boise State or whomever have for reportedly replaying the video of the punch on the stadium scoreboard and firing up the crowd as the Oregon players were leaving the field and (2) will Hout receive any significant discipline for his role in starting the fracas on the field (not suggesting a suspension, but he needs to be held accountable for getting something like that started on a weekend when the American Football Coaches Association was emphasizing sportsmanship among teams).

Just a few additional thoughts to think about.