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Charles Cole III: Our Black Boys...
Bad move Vince, your days are numbered.
Young has been excused from team meetings and has been placed on injured reserve. At this point, it is unclear what the team plans to do with him.
You can effectively tell Vince Young to write the words "Dead quarterback walking" on his forehead. Such serious and public acts of blatant insubordination are almost never acceptable in any sports organization. Even the biggest star can rarely get away with such a thing, because keeping all soldiers on the same page is of critical importance to the functioning of any sports team or military group. Young's behavior undermines the authority of those in charge, and bolsters those who may have their own problems with Titans coaches.
With that said, let me explain why I've always been concerned about Vince Young. Years ago, Vince appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. In the headline, were the words, "I was born to play quarterback for the University of Texas." It was at that moment that I knew this man was in for a difficult life.
Like so many other young black male athletes, Vince Young defined himself as a football player and almost nothing more. He went on to become a dominant player for the University of Texas, where he, like many other NCAA athletes, did not receive an adequate education. He left school without his degree, and went into the NFL draft.
Since that time, Young has been in the news as much for his problems as he has for his play. He was arrested in a night club after getting into a fight with one of the patrons earlier this year. He suffered a serious bout of depression after losing his starting position and seeing fans boo him on the field. The happy ending for Young may never come to be, for I truly wonder if his worst years are ahead of him.
What's saddest about Vince Young and the legions of other young black men who think that they are only meant to be athletes is that it doesn't have to be this way. It takes far less effort to excel in the classroom than it does to excel on the athletic field. Additionally, the rewards from being an educated black man are far deeper, richer and permanent than that which comes from dunking a basketball for a few years and going back to a minimum wage job. This is not to discredit the men who show their athletic prowess, but to say that we've got to find a better model for personal choices and outcomes.
Mark my words: Vincent Young won't be a starter in the NFL in 3 - 5 years. In fact, I'm leaning toward the lower number, even though Young is....well.....a young guy. At 27 years old, he's at his physical peak and would normally have another decade left to play. I fully expect that like so many black athletes before him, he will self-destruct under the weight of his own ego. He will also find himself blackballed from other teams that might consider signing him. Also, like so many other men before him, he will amass a pile of financial obligations that come with earning millions of dollars per year, but will then be forced to maintain these obligations with a much lower, post-athletic income. That's typically the long-term recipe for black athlete disaster.
I truly feel sorry for Vince.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (12)
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By: jiajshi on 11/24/2010 11:01AM
Young has been excused from team meetings and has been placed on injured reserve. At this point, it is unclear what the team plans to do with him.I am an Air Force and single at present .I need a woman who can love me back ..I also uploaded my hot photos on militaryloves.c om under the name of hoho212..It's the largest and best club for seeking Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Police Force, and the admirers of those who wear the uniform.I just hope you don't mind me being a soldier ...Please Check it out!I'm serious.
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By: pentagon5156 on 11/24/2010 11:14AM
Dr. Watkins your commentary/prediction is ok, but also report on all the facts too because I think the owner said he would keep Vince because of his $$$million contract. Both the coach and Vince are suppose to work things out according to the owner. Matter of fact, I think the owner was the one who got Vince his starting position back last season after the Titans 0-6 start. So you know they've had problems before the lastest blowup. The career end is a worst case scenario for him. Vince may be able to help the situation by attending anger management sessions and doing some positive things for the community. In writing your commentary try to use pros and cons and avoid outright predictions. Remember YOUR favorite bishop to write about is still there, although he was predicted to resign his position in Sunday service right after the scandal broke.
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By: ooozzzzz on 11/24/2010 12:05PM
Vince Young is still a selfish, immature, self indulged and aggorant pro athlete who thinks that he is, along with the likes of ex Raiders pro quarterback JaMarcus Russell and ex Arizona Cardinal Matt Leihart, are the exception to the rule in regards to his actions on and off the field as a leader of a team; professional quarterback and should be treated with "respect" and given the benefit of the doubt no matter what he does simply because he has talent.
His days are numbered in Tennessee as a starting quarterback and because of his once again, childish tirade after he was injured and medically determined that he could not finish the game, that's when his professionalisn, maturity and leadership should have kicked in and take over and become a tem leader instead of the actions of a grwon azz 2 year old.
Vince Young still doesn't get it and yes the owner will probably keep him so he won't lose all that money invested but remember that NFL contracts are not guaranteed and during the off season there will be available QB's on the free market and he can and should be traded ASAP.
These young pro athletes, especially the QB's, need to remember and learn that it's not just physical talent, throwing touchdowns and winning games but the intangibles (work ethic, leadership on and off the field, intellect, role model, setting an example, being the example etc) that these players fail to understand and realize.....It not just about you and the money they pay you but the organization, the team, the fans and the community.
His days as starting QB for the Titans are over and the rest of the league know what they will be getting if they trade for him.
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By: Godzilla on 11/25/2010 6:10PM
VY isn't going anywhere. He just got paid something like 5 mill. today in incentives and bonuses by the Titans. It would seem to me that the owner is definitely more interested in keeping him over the coach, Jeff Fischer. This will be the last year for this coach.
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By: Ggeorgio1 on 11/28/2010 4:44PM
IF V.Y. STARTS AGAIN FOT THE TITIANS, WILL YOU PROMISED NEVER TO WRITE ANOTHER COMMENT ON THIS PAGE, UNTIL yOU ADMIT HOW WRONG YOU ARE??? bY THE WAY, THEY LOST TODAY & WILL CONTINUE TO LOOSE WHILE VINCE IS ON INJURED RESERVE!!!WAITING FOR YOUR RESPONSE!!!
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By: jhr731 on 11/28/2010 8:14PM
I FEEL SORRY FOR THE WRITER OF THIS OPINION PEICE...
VINCE YOUNG IS A WINNING STARTING QUARTERBACK IN SPITE OF THE EFFORT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL SEASONS TO BREAK HIS WILL...
HIS COACH IT BEST KNOW FOR THE SUPERBOWL HE LOST WITH THE TITANS DREAM TEAM...
A GAME LOST BASED OF THE CALLS MADE BY THE COACH..
WE WILL WALL WITNESS WHAT THIS TEAM AN DO WITH ITS COACH, BUT WITHOUT ITS troubled QUARTERBACK
THE OWNER HAS EXPRESSED HIS SUPPORT FOR HIS QUARTERBACK...
HE HAS MADE NO STATEMENT SUPPORTING HIS COACH...
WHO WILL BE GONE NEXT YEAR WILL TEST THE OWNERS PATIENCE...
DO YOU GIVE UP ON A COACH YOU HAVE GIVEN OVER A DECADE TO PROVE HIMSELF
DO YOU LOOK AHEAD AND FINS A NEW COACH TO WORK WITH NOT OPPOSE YOUR QUARTERBACK
WATCH HOW THE SEASON PLAYS OUT WITHOUT VINCE YOUNG
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By: zarkaria on 11/29/2010 1:20AM
the problem is so what,if it wasn't for him they wouldn't be where they are now.last year they call them selves,benching him for bullshit,an look what happened,anyway there are a lot of teams that would love to have him with his skills,you never know what was really said from the asshole coach,sometimes they need to be replaced.an the ashole hole who wanted to talk about the raider quarter back,don't know shiiiiitttt,they need to get riiiidddd of the no coaching cable.
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By: why? on 11/29/2010 3:04AM
Hey fella, maybe you forgot, but the whole depression incident where they couldnt find him turned out to be nothing at all. He was at a friends house eating, and watching a football game. He simply choose not to tell anyone where he was going. A right any grown man has, but then again Ive learned from your articles that facts are not very important to you.
Also 35-6 is it as a starter???? If the Titans throw that kind of talent away I will seriously quit being a fan.
Vince has been a target ever since he got to the pros, and even before. He makes any kind of display of frustration, and everyone is all over him...
Yet I dont see anyone talking about how UNPROFESSIONAL it is for a qb to cry like a baby for losing a game.
He hasnt done anything near as bad a finnegan, who constantly gets into fights.. But where are the calls to cut finnegan?
People just hate it that vince is a winner.
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By: 5664ed82 on 12/02/2010 9:42PM
There are many people out in the world that deserve our sympathy, but Vince Young, in my opinion is not one of them. The man is a jackass, and deserve what is coming to him. Coach Fisher, has been patient with him and he do not appreciate it. As you have said many time that these blank athletes did not get a good education. One would believe that they would begin to look at themselves and try to make some changes in their lives, but they continue to make fools of themselves.
Most of the organization are willing to pay them large sum of money, because they know that it will come right back to them, because these men are not equipped to handle their affairs. No I do not feel sorry for them, they are still suffering from the slave mentality, they are just too stupid to know it.If you put one million dollars in an account you could live off the interest if you live within your means rather than trying to impress the world.
Most of these men have been told that they are good, and maybe they are good at what they do such as bashing each other head in on the field, but what are they good at. The cant even hold a decent conversation.
I remember meeting an athlete,at a conference in Chicago, he was there signing his book. We met and he found out that I was from Jamaica. The next comment out of his mouth to me were how good the ganja from Jamaica were, well that was the end of my conversation with him. In my opinion i believe he dis respected me He used to play for team before they leave Houston.I have very little tolerance for people who do not respect themselves. And most of these men have no self respect, if they did they would have pursued a good education, because no one can take that from you.
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By: Ace on 12/09/2010 4:08PM
Dr. Watkins, where do you get your facts? Yes, Vince Young left UT w/o degree and went into the NFL, HOWEVER, he went back to UT during the summers to finish his degree. Football not the only thing he is into. He has a company that sells Hot links and other stuff. Please get your info straight before you write articles. Now I will admit that Young does have some problems, but his education is not one of them. Even though, you, Dr. Watkins have a doctoral degree, you are showing that education level means nothing when it comes to ignorance.
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