BV on Sports http://www.bvonsports.com BV on Sports http://www.bvonsports.com/media/feedlogo.gif BV on Sports http://www.bvonsports.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Shaun Rogers: Browns Player Fined for Loaded Gun on Airplanehttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/shaun-rogers-browns-player-fined-for-carr/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/shaun-rogers-browns-player-fined-for-carr/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/shaun-rogers-browns-player-fined-for-carr/#commentsFiled under:

Shaun Rogers, a Defensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns, was fined $400,000 by the league for violating its personal conduct policy. Rogers was caught carrying a loaded gun inside an airport. The fine represents approximately 1/17th of his $6.9 million salary.

Some would say that Rogers got off easy, since it would have been no surprise to see him either suspended or sent to jail. The player was caught carrying a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his carry-on bag at Hopkins International Airport. There's no indication regarding whether or not he realized that TSA agents actually have the ability to see inside of someone's luggage with their x-ray machine. It's hard to imagine what he might have been thinking.


One of the reasons Rogers was let off so easily by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell might have something to do with a good samaritan act Shaun committed recently. Earlier this summer, Rogers saw a man who appeared to be driving drunk. He called 911 and waited on the side of the road for police to arrive. Rogers was praised by police for his public service.

The story of the black athlete, hip hop and handguns is one that consistently gets played out over and over again. After Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants losing his career and his freedom to a gun charge, one would hope that others would have learned a lesson. But unfortunately, these stories must be lived out repeatedly, and we are all forced to watch with twisted faces as one black athlete after another works overtime to find creative ways to destroy his life. The cycle has got to die.

I am not sure if Shaun Rogers is a good man or a bad one. But then again, there's a little good and bad in all of us, and we all have the capacity to make poor decisions. I am hopeful that, at 31-years old, Mr. Rogers can grow out of his propensity to carry loaded weapons onto an aircraft. The TSA doesn't play and neither does the NFL.


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.

 

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]]>afriican american athletesblack athletescleveland brownsloaded gunshaun rogersShaunRogersDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-09-03T15:18:00+00:00Team USA Player Says Europeans Smell Like Dead Donkeyshttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/team-usa-player-says-europeans-smell-like-dead-donkeys/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/team-usa-player-says-europeans-smell-like-dead-donkeys/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/03/team-usa-player-says-europeans-smell-like-dead-donkeys/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Danny Granger, Team USA Forward, Says Europeans Smell On Twitter

If I were an old man responsible for managing Team USA's public image, I would be cursing Twitter every day of the week. Apparently, giving young, bold athletes instant access to media was a cruel joke orchestrated by both fate and Mother Nature. At any rate, the latest athlete to embarrass himself with his Twitter account was Danny Granger. Making reference to the fact that deodorant is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Granger said that Europeans smell like "dead donkeys." Here are his exact words:

"i'm dying over here ..how come nobody in europe wears deodorant? guess they didn't get the memo - smellin like dead donkey..no joke"

On his day job, Danny Granger plays for the Indianapolis Pacers. Apparently, he hasn't been given enough media training to know that this is not the kind of thing to say in public. It is also disrespectful to people from other cultures, and likely reflective of a man who hasn't been exposed to very much in his life. He's 27 years old, so one would hope that, by now, he'd seen enough to know that people from different places are going to have different norms.

Granger's comment has infuriated people from Turkey. Additionally, Granger's comment fails to respect the sensitive nature of international competition. When you compete overseas, you are an ambassador for your nation, so these kinds of insults are uncalled for. I am sure NBA Commissioner David Stern is also wondering how Granger's remarks are going to affect the NBA's European fan base.

Note to Danny Granger: Keep your Twitter account quiet. Also, remember that while you are calling Europeans dead donkeys, they probably have a lot to say about black people. In fact, if a European player had said, "Black people smell like dead donkeys," we'd be absolutely furious.

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.

 

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]]>african american athletesblack athletesdanny grangerDannyGrangerdead donkeysSays Europeans Smell On Twitterteam usaTeam USA ForwardDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-09-03T13:24:00+00:00Bengals Give Away $8 Million by Cutting Antonio Bryanthttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/bengals-give-away-8-million-by-cutting-antonio-bryant/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/bengals-give-away-8-million-by-cutting-antonio-bryant/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/bengals-give-away-8-million-by-cutting-antonio-bryant/#commentsFiled under:

The big news for the Cincinnati Bengals this year is that they signed Terrell Owens, the guy that every team considers hiring, but nobody wants to touch. Owens, playing alongside Chad Ochocinco (Johnson), promises to be one of the more intriguing receiver combos in America this year.

One of the smaller stories of the Bengals is the fact that they had another receiver by the name of Antonio Bryant who'd just signed a four-year, $28 million deal, with $8 million in guaranteed money. This week, the Bengals cut Bryant, causing the team to drop the signing bonus they paid him. In other words, the Bengals gave away $8 million by cutting one of their most financially coveted athletic assets.

In spite of the fact that you might suspect that Bryant was cut for doing something stupid or being a lazy player, this was not the case. He was cut because he has a problem with his knee. Some of the cartilage is torn, requiring surgery. The most interesting thing is that any careful examination of the knee would have revealed the problem before Bryant signed his contract.

This puts the Bengals organization on edge, given that their owner, Mike Brown, is known for being frugal. But taking risks on athletes like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson show that he's willing to take a chance in order to win games. I would argue, however, that his management team's decision to pay Bryant with a bad knee will lead to someone being fired.

This is going to be an interesting season. I only hope that Chad Ochocinco (or Johnson, whatever his name is) and Terrell Owens will keep the minstrel shows to a minimum and find ways to be productive. Both guys are in their 30s, so their playing days will be over soon.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the Athlete Liberation and Academic Reform Movement (ALARM). To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

 

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]]>antonio bryantAntonioBryantblack athletesBlackAthletesDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-09-02T12:38:00+00:00Why Don't Black Boys Play Baseball?http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/why-dont-black-boys-play-baseball/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/why-dont-black-boys-play-baseball/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/02/why-dont-black-boys-play-baseball/#commentsFiled under:

Single moms step up to the plate to keep blacks in baseball

TheGrio.com is reporting that there is a group of black women in Philadelphia who've taken it upon themselves to get their sons involved in baseball. In 1974, 27 percent of the players in Major League Baseball were African American. Today, that number is only 9 percent. These women are hoping to change that.

The author of the article, Chris Murray, says that one of the obstacles to black boys being more involved in baseball is that many of them come from single-parent homes. Their mothers, perhaps unaware of the benefits of playing the sport, may not encourage their sons to participate. The black athlete's skills, which typically get applied to basketball and football, are likely to thrive on the baseball field and tennis courts, where their participation is not nearly as likely. Also, the cultural infrastructure of basketball and football give it a leg up in the minds of black boys when they are choosing which sports to play.

Two women, Cheryl A. Mobley-Stimpson and Sarah J. Glover, have an interest in seeing their boys play baseball. Mobley-Stimpson runs a Facebook group called "Philly Sports Moms." The Mothers mention that the white male-dominated world of youth league baseball creates some racial hurdles: black boys are typically first-generation players, while the white kids have family members who've been part of the league for years.

Major League Baseball should get involved in recruiting black males to play the sport. This should also be true in tennis, golf and other sports that we traditionally choose not to play. While we are quick to flood the basketball courts, there are thousands of Venus and Serenas out there who've never had a chance to play any sport at all. Additionally, participation in sports teaches lifelong lessons about hard work, consistency, persistence, goal-setting and determination. It was by applying what I'd learned from participating in track and field that I became a straight-A student in college. The key was setting goals and working hard each day to achieve them.

For single Mothers raising black boys, it's important to ensure that your sons are getting proper role models. Find productive males in your community who are willing to provide some guidance and encouraging words for your sons as they go through their most difficult experiences. It's tough to figure out how to be a man, and while many women are confident in believing that they can teach a boy to be a man, the truth is that differences in gender-based perceptions are difficult to ignore. I personally don't feel that I have any ability whatsoever to teach my daughters how to be women, but I can certainly help to teach them how to relate to men.

Get your boys in to sports, but teach them to use sports as an avenue for success in all their endeavors. Athletics can be a pathway to academic, professional and social success. Additionally, seek out sports that are different. We don't need more kids doing the same old stuff.



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.

 

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]]>african american athletesAfricanAmericanAthletesblack athletesBlackAthletesCheryl A. Mobley-StimpsonCherylA.Mobley-stimpsonChris MurrayChrisMurraymajor league baseballMajorLeagueBaseballMLBPhilly Sports MomsPhillySportsMomsSarah J. GloverSarahJ.GloverSingle moms step up to the plate to keep blacks in baseballSingleMomsStepUpToThePlateToKeepBlacksInBaseballDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-09-02T02:51:00+00:00Ohio State's Maurice Clarett Signs a New Football Contracthttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/ohio-states-maurice-clarett-signs-a-new-football-contract/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/ohio-states-maurice-clarett-signs-a-new-football-contract/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/ohio-states-maurice-clarett-signs-a-new-football-contract/#commentsFiled under:


Maurice Clarrett, the embattled former superstar of the Ohio State Buckeyes, is getting another chance to play football. Clarett just signed a one-year deal to play for the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League. This is the first time Clarett has put on a football uniform since spending three and a half years in prison for having a hidden gun and holding up a couple outside a night club.

"I am humbled by the opportunity the Omaha Nighthawks have given me and will dedicate myself on and off the field to prove that I can be a valuable member of the team and the Omaha community," Clarett said. "I am committed to working hard to earn the right for a second chance in football and more importantly in life."

Clarett is now 6-feet tall, 220 pounds, which makes him 10 pounds lighter than he was when he played at Ohio State. The coaches were astonished at his physical shape, giving him credit for keeping himself prepared. He is allowed to be out of the state for 30 days at a time, but his attorneys are hoping that a judge will rule that Clarett can leave the state for the entire football season. He is now 26-years old, meaning that he is at his physical peak.

Clarett was arguably the greatest freshman running back in the history of The Ohio State University. During his first season, he rushed for over 1,237 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. He was single-handedly responsible for helping the school win its first national championship in over 30 years, leading to a multi-million dollar payday for the university. Most astonishing about Clarett's success was that Ohio State has produced some of the top running backs in history, including Archie Griffin, the only player to ever win the Heisman Trophy more than once.

After being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2005, Clarett was cut before the start of the regular season. That's when his life spiraled out of control, landing him in the penitentiary. Since that time, many have reported that Clarett appears to have his head on straight and is making good decisions. He even enrolled in school at Ohio State after being released from prison.

Ahman Green, a former star of the NFL, has agreed to mentor Clarett while he is in Nebraska. This guidance will be critical for Maurice as he moves forward with his career. It's hard to imagine that he doesn't have dreams of reclaiming the NFL glory that once eluded him when he was an Ohio State Buckeye. Sometimes, the second chance is the best one of all, since it makes you appreciate the opportunity.

I am glad to see that Clarett is pulling his life together. Ohio State is my alma mater, and I was incredibly disappointed with both Clarett and the university. Of course, we know that Maurice made some embarrassing mistakes, but the story that is not being told is the one regarding how the university painted Clarrett in a negative light in large part to draw attention away from the fact that the university itself was also violating NCAA regulations. Once Clarett began to deviate from the university's protocol,he was the target to be replaced by the next great black athlete the school could exploit for millions of dollars. The rapper E-40 said it best with his song, "They'll have a new ni**er next year." Ohio State and other universities like it are virtual factories of black male athletic exploitation.

Overall, Clarett must keep in mind the importance of making good decisions and avoiding the traps which capture black men all across America. He must realize that the talent with which he's been blessed doesn't give him an excuse for abandoning his humility and capacity for hard work. Even the greatest athletes in the world can end up in a life of hell without making good personal decisions.

Good luck Maurice and please remain humble. As a fellow Buckeye and your brother, I'll be rooting for you.


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.

 

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]]>black athletesblack male athletesmaurice clarettMauriceClarettthe ohio state universityTheOhioStateUniversityDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-09-01T16:00:00+00:00South African Runner Semenya Loses... Againhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/south-african-runner-semenya-loses-again/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/south-african-runner-semenya-loses-again/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/south-african-runner-semenya-loses-again/#commentsFiled under:

Semenya Finishes Ninth in 800‎

The world was anticipating the comeback of South African runner Caster Semenya, the female runner whose gender was questioned last year, after she blew away the competition in an 800-meter race.

Semenya was suspended for almost a year while international athletic organizations investigated the claim. Luckily, Semenya was cleared to compete again this summer but hasn't been too impressive, because she has to catch up with her training.
In her fifth race since being reinstated this week, Semenya had her worst performance yet. She finished 9th in the 800-meter race at the Palio della Quercia meet in northern Italy. According to the Associated Press, it looked like she was just out for a jog and not really making any moves for the lead.
"I ran the race, I ran slow. Nothing happened. It's part of the game," Semenya told the Associated Press. "Sometimes you need to go according to your body."


Italian runner Elisa Cusma Piccione of Italy won the race, but made headlines last year when she said Semenya was a man, after losing to her at the World Championships. Semenya didn't seem to hold any grudges as she went and congratulated Piccione on her win.
"Maybe I used words that were a bit crude, but I wasn't the only one to use those words if you look at what's being said now," Piccione told the Associated Press afterward. "Maybe it was a bit excessive to have said that right away because you can never judge these things. But if she didn't compete for nearly a year maybe there was something to that."
In the meantime, Semenya will continue to train with hopes of making an impact on her next race.


 

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]]>Caster SemenyaCasterSemenyaSemenya Finishes Ninth in 800SemenyaFinishesNinthIn800Quibian Salazar-Moreno2010-09-01T11:32:00+00:00Plaxico Burress Denied Work Release For Second Time‎http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/plaxico-burress-denied-work-release-for-second-time/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/plaxico-burress-denied-work-release-for-second-time/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/09/01/plaxico-burress-denied-work-release-for-second-time/#commentsFiled under:

Plaxico Burress Denied Work Release For Second Time‎


Former New York Giant wide receiver Plaxico Burress' request for work release was denied.

Burress is currently serving a two-year prison sentence on charges of attempted criminal possession of a weapon. This was his second request for work release, and now he cannot request again until June 6, 2011, which by that time he should be released on good behavior.

"The serious and negative impact illegal guns have on the community coupled with [the] dangerous nature of the weapon discharging in a public place renders him unsuitable for work release," the state Department of Correctional Services said in regards to the denial.
Even if Burress did get work release, there is no guarantee that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will reinstate him. Goodell did say, though, that Burress would be reinstated once his sentence was completed.

But even if Burress did get work release and was reinstated by the NFL, he'd still have to sell himself to an NFL team. There is no guarantee that the Giants will resign him or that any other NFL team would be interested in his services, which is a long shot to begin with.


The weapons possession charges stem from when Burress went to the Latin Quarter nightclub in New York, packing a .40-caliber gun. Apparently he was wearing a jogging or track suit and the gun slipped down his pants leg, went off and shot him in the thigh, missing a security guard in the vicinity. The gun wasn't licensed and his Florida permit for the gun had expired.


According to the Associated Press, Burress has been well-behaved in prison except for an incident where he lied about having permission to use the phone. He lost his phone privileges for a week and rec time for 30 days. He's also completed anger-management classes.

 

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]]>Department of Correctional ServicesDepartmentOfCorrectionalServicesPlaxico Burress Denied Work Release For Second TimePlaxicoBurressDeniedWorkReleaseForSecondTimeRoger GoodellRogerGoodellQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-09-01T10:10:00+00:00Venus Williams Advances to 2nd Round of U.S. Openhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/venus-williams-advances-to-2nd-round-of-u-s-open/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/venus-williams-advances-to-2nd-round-of-u-s-open/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/venus-williams-advances-to-2nd-round-of-u-s-open/#commentsFiled under:

Venus Williams Advances to 2nd Round of U.S. OpenSerena Williams may be out of commission for this year's U.S. Open, but her sister, Venus, is no doubt pulling up the slack. In her match against Roberta Vinci of Italy, she won 6-4, 6-1 -- easily putting her in the second round later this week. Venus did for a moment, though, aggravate a lingering leg injury:

"It [her leg] was doing pretty good, till I landed on that leg on the swing volley. ... I was pretty happy to get through after not playing in forever," she told the Associated Press. "Thankfully, after that, [Vinci] did most of the running."
Venus hadn't played in two months because of the injury, forfeiting the WTA Tour this summer for rehab. From the looks of her today, though, it appears she hasn't lost much of her step since she last played at the Wimbledon tournament. That's probably because she's representing the Williams clan by herself this time.
"It's not the same without two Williamses," she said. "I have big shoes to fill with just one Williams here."
Looks like she's doing fine so far. Check out highlights from the match below:

 

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]]>venus williamsVenus Williams Advances to 2nd Round of U.S. OpenVenusWilliamsVenusWilliamsAdvancesTo2ndRoundOfU.s.OpenQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-31T11:22:00+00:00Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Sues Upper Deck Trading Card Companyhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/kareem-abdul-jabbar-sues-upper-deck-trading-card-company/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/kareem-abdul-jabbar-sues-upper-deck-trading-card-company/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/31/kareem-abdul-jabbar-sues-upper-deck-trading-card-company/#commentsFiled under:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Sues Upper Deck Trading Card Company According to various reports, including TMZ, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is upset with Upper Deck, a trading card company, and is suing them for $1 million.

According to the suit, Upper Deck used six photos of Abdul-Jabbar during his college years without permission. The photos were part of a trading card series called "Greats of the Game," which also had Adul-Jabbar's name and signature.
"Abdul-Jabbar never authorized the production of the cards," the suit reads according to Courthouse News. "In fact, at all times, Upper Deck was fully aware that Abdul-Jabbar had never authorized Upper Deck to use his photograph, name and signature for college-themed cards, and Abdul-Jabbar had previously rejected Upper Deck's request for such authorization."
Upper Deck has yet to respond to the allegations.


In the meantime, Abdul-Jabbar, now 63, is still battling a form of leukemia. He is joining forces with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to raise money for cancer research. In his own case, he's doing fine in managing the disease:
"The trick is to stay on top if it," he told New York Daily News' Bill Gallo. "And there is always that thought of doing everything my doctors tell me to do."
Abdul-Jabbar is asking fans to join his team and participate in the Late Night Walks that happen nationwide. Will you join?


 

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]]>kareem abdul-jabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar Sues Upper Deck Trading Card CompanyKareemAbdul-jabbarKareemAbdul-jabbarSuesUpperDeckTradingCardCompanyQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-31T09:49:00+00:00NBA Superstar Deng Returns to His Sudan Rootshttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/nba-superstar-deng-returns-to-his-sudan-roots/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/nba-superstar-deng-returns-to-his-sudan-roots/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/nba-superstar-deng-returns-to-his-sudan-roots/#commentsFiled under:

NBA superstar Deng returns to his Sudan rootsWhen Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng was just 5 years old, his family escaped the Second Sudanese Civil War of the late '80s and early '90s.

They immigrated to South London where Deng played basketball and soccer and then moved to the United States at the age of 14 to play high school basketball.

His play got him a scholarship to Duke, which led to him being drafted 7th overall in the 2004 draft by the Phoenix Suns. He then got traded to the Chicago Bulls, and now, after 20 years removed from the place of his birth, Deng has returned to Sudan.

His journey was captured by BBC cameras as he toured the country and various refugee camps:

"I know it took me 20 years to come home ... I'm kind of emotional right now," Deng said in the televised BBC interview. "I've never been to a place where I walk in the street and fell home. I didn't feel like a refugee."

Take a look at a clip from the BBC special:


 

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]]>BBCChicago BullsChicagoBullsDukeLuol DengLuolDengNBA superstar Deng returns to his Sudan rootsPhoenix SunsPhoenixSunsQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-30T14:47:00+00:00The Worst High School Football Play Everhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/the-worst-high-school-football-play-ever/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/the-worst-high-school-football-play-ever/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/the-worst-high-school-football-play-ever/#commentsFiled under:



In most running plays during a football game when there's a crowd of linebackers in your face, the coach usually advises the player to just go down, declare the play over and move on to the next one.

Although we don't know what city, town or state these kids are from, it appears that one player on this high school football team hasn't taken heed to basic football tactics. Instead he tries to ... make something out of nothing and fails horribly, making this the worst high school football play ever.

From the snap of the ball, it's apparent that the defense didn't fall for the handoff to the fullback, so the play was blown from the start. The quarterback scrambles to the left, and seeing that he's about to get sacked, tosses it to his running back - which is a really bad toss - and the running back proceeds to run the other way.

We're sure at this point the running back is now trying to avoid being tackled, as if he was playing a game of keep-away.


It takes two defenders to take him down, which would be great if he was running the other way, but as he was going down, he throws the football in the air.

Was he hoping a teammate would be around to catch it and run it 100 yards in the other direction for a touchdown?

Wasn't going to happen.

The entire defense is already there, and they recover the football in the end zone, giving them probably the easiest touchdown ever.

 

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]]>failHigh school footballHighSchoolFootballThe worst high school football play everTheWorstHighSchoolFootballPlayEverQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-30T14:31:00+00:00Tiger Woods Finishes Strong at Barclay's Tournamenthttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/tiger-woods-finishes-strong-at-barclays-tournament/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/tiger-woods-finishes-strong-at-barclays-tournament/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/tiger-woods-finishes-strong-at-barclays-tournament/#commentsFiled under:

Tiger Woods Finishes Strong at Barclay's Tournament

The start of the Barclay's Invitational golf tournament brought back high hopes for Tiger Woods. It appeared that he might dominate the tournament after shooting the lowest round in the field. Then, on Friday, he simply broke down. Woods shot a dismal 73, reminding us that he's still not back to old form.

One of the things that most of us have forgotten about Tiger Woods is that he's actually quite disciplined, at least when it comes to golf. Even when he's down and things aren't going well, he prides himself on remaining consistent, pushing to do his best and finishing as well as he can. So, although winning the Barclays was nearly out of the question, Woods kept chugging along.

After struggling again on the third day with a score of 72, Woods shot a sizzling 67 on the final day to climb up the leader board, finishing 12th in the tournament overall. Woods may have some semblance his old abilities back, and at the very least, he doesn't have to worry about losing his No. 1 world ranking anytime soon.

By performing well in this tournament, Woods makes the cut for the next leg of the FedEx cup. He is now ranked 65th in the standings and expects to improve. The FedEx cup is one of the championships of the PGA Tour, where the winner receives $10 million in prize money. The next three venues on which he plays are places where Woods has won in the past.

Woods appears to be regaining his old form. With his divorce behind him, he may be back in the swing of things, both literally and figuratively. Figuring out the complex game of golf has been easy for Tiger, and the hope at this point is that he can figure out the even crazier game of life.

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.

 

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]]>african american athletesblack athletesthe barclaysThe Barclays ChampionshipTheBarclaysTheBarclaysChampionshiptiger woodsTiger Woods Finishes Strong at Barclays TournamentTigerWoodsTigerWoodsFinishesStrongAtBarclaysTournamentDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-30T11:11:00+00:0021-Year-Old Man Pretends to be Middle School Football Playerhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/21-year-old-man-pretends-to-be-middle-school-football-player/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/21-year-old-man-pretends-to-be-middle-school-football-player/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/30/21-year-old-man-pretends-to-be-middle-school-football-player/#commentsFiled under:

Man, 21, posed as middle-schooler for football

Julious Threatts (pictured) is 21 years old, but for some reason, he thinks he can create his own fountain of youth. Threatts was caught trying to impersonate a 14-year-old, so he could play in a youth football league.

Threatts used the alias "Chad Jordan" to register for Webb Middle School. The school is located in Tampa, Fla. Threatts told school administrators that he was homeless on the day of his arrival to the school.

After trying to enroll, the Department of Child and Families was called to assist in the situation. That's when Threatts was taken to the cafeteria and even given a snack. When the principal saw him, he immediately noticed that he was too old to be in middle school. He was eventually arrested on trespassing charges.

In addition to his trespassing charge, Threatts is being accused of violating the terms of his probation on an earlier burglary charge. He was kicked off the football team, when coaches from other teams recognized him. He allegedly played in the same youth league a year earlier.

"I brought him into this room with seven of our board members and coaches and said, Come on now, tell us the truth, who are you?" Ray McCloud, one of the youth coaches, told MSNBC. "He looked me right in the eye and said, 'I swear I am who I say I am. I'm Chad Jordan.'

"This guy had us all fooled. I mean this guy acted just like a little kid. Everything about him was a little kid. He's a total scam artist."

Not only did Threatts' story include his own acting ability, it came with documentation. According to media reports, Threatts had a falsified birth certificate as well as a detailed scouting report from a high school recruiting scout alleged to be from Rivals.com. The report analyzed Chad Jordan and said that he is "a very special prospect" who "hasn't signed" but has "offers from USC (University of Southern California), Texas and Florida."

It seems that Julious Threatts doesn't need prison as much as he needs a good psychologist. Some people will go to dramatic lengths to re-create their youth, and I am curious as to whether or not Threatts truly accepts or realizes that he is no longer a 14-year-old.

I once recall speaking to a young black male who was 20 years old and still in high school. He was dropping out soon, since he'd failed so many grades that the school no longer desired his presence on campus. He was completely illiterate and unemployed. I asked the young man what he wanted to do with his life, and he said, "I want to be a football player."

The answer made me sad, because not only was he not going to graduate from high school anytime soon, he'd also never played organized football before. He wasn't very big and didn't seem to have any form of extraordinary athletic ability. All he had was the dream of playing sports that he obtained from watching football every Sunday. He never lived out his dream of being a football player, but was instead sent to prison just two years after our conversation.

This story, as well as the one of Julious Threatts, makes me think of the infantilization of the black male in America. Through sports and hip-hop, black men are in a peculiar partnership with the educational, economic and criminal justice system to keep themselves uneducated, marginalized and perpetually immature.

We have 35-year-old men running around with their pants sagging, hats cocked to the side and imitating hip-hop artists who have far more money than they will ever see in their lives. There are also former athletes with few professional skills in their late 30s, hoping for another tryout with a team who will accept an aging journeyman. It's incredibly sad to watch, and it's time that we all enforce codes of educational effort among African-American men. It doesn't matter if you're not the brightest bulb on the tree, but no one should try their best to remain ignorant.

For us as black men, sports becomes our beacon of hope in a world that has become virtually hopeless. Perhaps by embracing education and simultaneously requesting accountability on the part of school systems that refuse to educate us, we can allow ourselves to become men. How this relates to Julious Threatts, I can't say with complete certainty, but I am convinced that there is a connection.

Watch Threatts recite his "God" poem below:



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.

 

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]]>21african american malesafrican american scholarsAfricanAmericanScholarsblack malesjulious threattsJuliousThreattsManposed as middle-schooler for footballDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-30T10:17:00+00:00Bryant Gumble Covers Police Shooting of Black Athlete Robert Tolanhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/28/bryant-gumble-covers-police-shooting-of-black-athlete-robert-tol/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/28/bryant-gumble-covers-police-shooting-of-black-athlete-robert-tol/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/28/bryant-gumble-covers-police-shooting-of-black-athlete-robert-tol/#commentsFiled under:

Some have criticized Bryant Gumbel of being something less than authentically black, but I am convinced that this is not the case. In fact, I think that his soft image and sharp grammar are masking an angry black male who understands what black men are going through all across America. But while Gumbel is empathetic to the plight of the black men, he also holds them accountable.

The latest piece of evidence supporting my theory of Gumbel's quiet revolution was his recent decision to cover the shooting of Robert Tolan, a black athlete in the state of Texas. Robert Tolan is the son of former Major League Baseball player Bobby Tolan. The junior Tolan was shot by police officer Jeffrey Cotton in a racially charged incident in late 2008. The story was covered this week on Gumbel's show, "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."


The shooting of Robert Tolan was quite disturbing, no matter how you slice it. Officer Cotton and another officer, John Edwards, stopped Tolan in the driveway of his own home, suspecting that he was driving a stolen car. The officers told Tolan and his cousin to get out of the car with their faces on the ground. That's when Tolan's parents noticed what was going on and came outside.

Upon seeing her son on the ground, Mrs. Tolan began asking questions. Officer Cotton then grabbed Tolan's mother and slammed her against the garage. This move shocked the younger Tolan, who stood up and said, "Hey, that's my mother!" That's when Officer Cotton turned and shot Tolan in the chest. Tolan survived the shooting, but still has a bullet lodged in his liver, which effectively put an end to his aspirations of becoming a major league baseball player like his father.

Cotton claims that he thought Tolan was reaching for a weapon, but no weapon was found. It also turns out that the officers weren't apprehending two suspects with a stolen vehicle, because the license plate number that the officer entered into the computer was the wrong one. They shot an innocent, law-abiding black man who was simply going to his parents' house.

The city of Bellaire, Texas is right outside of Houston. According to Gumbel, the city stops African Americans 12 times more often than it stops white motorists. What's most astonishing is that the mayor of the town, Cindy Seigal, actually told Gumbel that she sees no evidence that racial profiling exists within her city. Perhaps she might want to take a statistics class so she can realize just how alarming the racial profiling statistic sounds to the rest of us.

Adding insult to injury, Sgt. Cotton was found not guilty of aggravated assault in the shooting of Robert Tolan. This has angered the family, who has filed a federal suit against the city. Personally, I was outraged when I saw the show air on HBO this week. The Tolan family is not a pack of criminals and they weren't resisting the officers. They were regular people minding their own business, being assaulted by the biggest street gang in the city, which appears to be the Bellaire Police Department. This should never have happened.

Here's the deal with the shooting of Robbie Tolan:

1) There is no way we can imagine these officers treating a white family in a nice neighborhood the way they treated the Tolans. This fundamental disrespect and irresponsible aggression that some officers comfortably show toward African Americans, even when they are not suspected a crime, is outrageous. By bringing added aggression into the situation while dealing with black people, untrained officers increase the likelihood of a confrontation. Anyone being falsely accused of a crime by a violent police officer is going to be tempted to fight back.

Tolan's mother was not under suspicion of having committed a crime, yet she was slammed against the garage and put in the back of a patrol car while her son lie on the ground with a bullet in his chest. Making matters worse, Tolan's mother had to watch helplessly as her bleeding son had his pockets searched by the very same officer who'd just shot him. This could happen to any black family in America. I'd be curious to see if police officers exhibit the same reckless, trigger-happy behavior when they come to college campuses on a Friday night, where alcohol consumption, drug possession and belligerent behavior is at an all-time high.

2) The fact that Sgt. Cotton is back on duty after this incident is unconscionable. Also, the mayor's response to the situation is reflective of the kind of denial that makes Texas a dangerous place for African Americans. This problem also exists in other parts of the country, and by allowing Sgt. Cotton to nearly take Robbie Tolan's life without consequence certainly sends an interesting message. I looked into Mayor Cindy Seigal's eyes during her conversation with Gumbel and I could see that she was defensive and not willing to concede even the slightest bit of responsibility for an officer who'd put a bullet into one of the law-abiding residents of her town. She was, however, quick to defend the police officers during a town hall meeting shortly after the incident.

3) I am the son of a cop, so I am typically quite empathetic to the plight of police when I feel they've done nothing wrong. There are not nearly as many bad cops as we'd like to believe, and there are some who truly want to do the right thing. But this situation is astonishing in the sense that the officers had no right to be at the Tolan's home that night. The officers should have had the good sense to double-check the license plate number before putting a person's life in danger. It is also difficult to imagine that the officers "just happened" to choose Tolan's car for a plate search. I believe that Robbie Tolan's license plate was checked because the officers saw two black men in a nice car and presumed that they were drug dealers. I wonder how often they check the plates of other middle and upper class residents of Bellaire, Texas.

This whole situation is an outrage.




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.

 

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]]>african american athletesafrican american scholarsAfricanAmericanAthletesblack athletesblack scholarsBlackScholarsbryant gumbelBryantGumbelrobbie tolan shootingDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-28T13:11:00+00:00Three Black Athletes Suspended by the NBA in Separate Incidentshttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/three-black-athletes-suspended-by-the-nba-in-separate-incidents/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/three-black-athletes-suspended-by-the-nba-in-separate-incidents/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/three-black-athletes-suspended-by-the-nba-in-separate-incidents/#commentsFiled under:

I visited the training facilities for the New Jersey Nets this week to speak to a group of black athletes from The Guiding Hand organization. These weren't professional players, but were just high school kids with their entire lives in front of them. During my trip to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, I thought about Jason Williams, a former Nets player who is now in prison. I also thought about Derrick Coleman, another Nets star who declared bankruptcy this past year. I thought about the perpetual repeat of the experience of the black athlete in America, where personal choices can undermine your ability to be successful both on and off the court.

While I was sitting on the sideline watching the kids play against one another, I read a story about three NBA players who were all suspended for separate incidents. Brandon Rush of the Indiana Pacers was suspended for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings was suspended after pleading no contest in a charge of reckless driving. Kenny Hasbrouk of the Miami Heat was suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The suspensions of Rush, Evans and Hasbrouk present a continuous theme of black athletes finding ways to ruin everything they've worked hard for. Many of us allow our boys to be rushed through school without learning how to read, and we think everything's ok as long as Pookie has a good jump shot. The kid then enters into a state of surreal psychological insulation, where it seems that he can do anything, at any time to anyone without being punished for his behavior. Then, he finds out very quickly that this is not the case.

These three NBA suspensions, in my mind, reiterate the message I'd just shared with the young guys on the court in New Jersey: If you don't make good personal decisions, you are putting your athletic career in serious jeopardy. There are more stories than I can count of athletes who had everything on the court, only to throw it all away with careless behavior. Poor money management decisions allow newly minted black millionaires in the NBA to turn themselves into made-for-TV riches to rags embarrassments. The lack of commitment to educational achievement of the black athlete is almost always the culprit, with a sucker born every minute.

I am not here to judge Tyreke Evans, Kenny Hasbrouk or Brandon Rush. Also, I am not interested in stereotyping every black male athlete in America. But I am certainly willing to confess that there is a toxic culture of ignorance and irresponsibility among the black male athlete in America, and that culture must be destroyed.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the Athlete Liberation and Academic Reform Movement (ALARM). To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

 

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]]>african american athletesblack athletesblack male athletesBlackAthletesBlackMaleAthletesDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-27T19:35:00+00:00With Divorce Behind, Tiger is Suddenly a Great Player Againhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/with-divorce-behind-tiger-is-suddenly-a-great-player-again/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/with-divorce-behind-tiger-is-suddenly-a-great-player-again/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/27/with-divorce-behind-tiger-is-suddenly-a-great-player-again/#commentsFiled under:

Just when the world started to wonder if Tiger Woods was ever going to be a great player again, he has reminded all of us who's boss. In the Barclay's Championship this week, Woods carded a sizzling score of 65 to take a share of the lead for the tournament. His 65 is the best score he's had all year, and the best score of anyone in the tournament on the first day.

Woods has gone from being the guy whose name you expected to see at the top of the leader board to the person we've least expect to get there. It's amazing how a year and a major sex scandal can change things. While one performance on one day is certainly not enough to guarantee that the old Tiger has returned to form, we must remember that he is still the #1 ranked golfer in the world.

One also can't help but wonder if Tiger's recent divorce from ex-wife Elin Nordegren was the reason that he's suddenly focused again. He can now date whomever he wants without being judged, and he is now free to spend 10 hours a day on the golf course if he chooses. One wonders if the life of a single man is going to be good for Tiger in terms of freeing his spirit, or if being unleashed completely will be one of the worst things to ever happen to him.

Woods' outstanding performance is not only a reminder of how good he is, it also saves him in the standings for the Fed Ex Cup. Since his sex scandal, Tiger has fallen so low in the points that he was ranked 112th out of the 125 players who qualified. His opponents began to smell blood in the water and wondered if they could finally take him down. Perhaps they were getting ahead of themselves.

Tiger's standing as the only significant black golfer in the world is important for symbolic reasons. There is no clear successor to Woods, and I admit that golf was just a boring, plain vanilla sport to me before Tiger came along. To see the only black man in the field dominate in the way he has brought forth a childlike reaction from many of us, and the last thing any of us wants is for his best days to be behind him.

There are still three rounds left in the championship, so there is a great deal of golf left to be played. But a win at this point in the season would be the statement Tiger's been seeking to make. It would also be enough to have his sponsors licking their chops again. I guess we'll see what happens.


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.

 

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]]>black athletestiger woodstiger woods divorceTigerWoodsDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-27T12:40:00+00:00Elin Nordegren Speaks Out About Her Divorce From Tiger Woodshttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/elin-nordegren-speaks-out-on-her-divorce-with-tiger-woods/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/elin-nordegren-speaks-out-on-her-divorce-with-tiger-woods/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/elin-nordegren-speaks-out-on-her-divorce-with-tiger-woods/#commentsFiled under:

Elin Nordegren Speaks Out About Her Divorce From Tiger Woods

Elin Nordegren, the estranged wife of golfing star Tiger Woods, has decided to speak out about her ordeal. In an interview with People magazine, Nordegren describes her life as "hell," after she found out about her husband's numerous affairs. The scandal shocked the nation, leading to months of speculation about the nature of their relationship.

Nordegren didn't divulge the details of her divorce settlement, but there are reports that she received more than $100 million after the split. She also says that she had no idea Tiger was having so many affairs with various women during the five years they were married.

Nordegren denies attacking Woods with a golf club on the night of his car crash. She is sticking to the story that she was using the golf club to get him out of the car, in spite of the fact that there appears to be substantial evidence to the contrary. For example, some have wondered how a tiny woman would bash out the back windshield of a truck when the man she is trying to pull out of the vehicle is in the front seat. Also, the fact that Tiger and his wife evaded local police interviews, with Tiger refusing to show his face for several weeks, adds further fuel to the fire of speculation.

My study of the experience of black athletes in America makes it impossible for me to not draw parallels to the O.J. Simpson incident 14 years ago. Like Simpson, Tiger was once the golden boy of corporate America. He could do no wrong and had the good, honest, trustworthy image that is incredibly rare among black male athletes. After the incident, Woods has come to be defined as an unethical demon and bad human being who deserves whatever he gets. Welcome to the club, Tiger. You are now considered to be one of the angry and undisciplined black male athletes of America. That's what happens when you are accused of hurting a pure, sweet, innocent damsel in distress.

Nordegren, like the late Nicole Brown Simpson, is America's blond-haired angel. No one wonders if she might have attacked Tiger with that golf club, but to me, that would make her a domestic abuser. While we might laugh about the possibility that she could have been trying to seriously hurt her husband, there is almost nothing she could have done that would justify Tiger chasing her in to the front yard with a golf club. If the incident had been reported the other way around, the focus would not be on Nordegren's cheating but Tiger's violence.

Another interesting aspect of Nordegren's "Tour of Innocence" is that we are somehow convinced that she deserves $100 million because she was hurt in a relationship. Sure, all's fair in love and divorce, but many of us would be more than happy to get nine figures of compensation every time we are disappointed by someone we love. Don't get me wrong, Nordegren's experience was certainly tragic, but she gets to walk away with $100 million for her emotional distress, and all of that money was earned by someone else. I know a lot of people who'd love to deal with a bad husband for a $100 million.

At the end of the day, this is just another broken relationship. It's not some kind of riveting dramatic tale that makes Elin Nordegren a hero for abused women everywhere. This situation has caused us to trade one facade for another: First, we spend 13 years believing that Tiger Woods was far more pristine and perfect than he truly was. Now, we're starting to believe that the former nanny who spent five years in Tiger's bed was completely innocent in the breakdown of her marriage, deserves $100 million for her heartache and also had no idea that her husband had a propensity for sexual deviance. Perhaps it's time we let go of all the illusions.



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's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.

 

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]]>african american athletesAfricanAmericanAthletesblack athletesBlackAthleteselin nordegrenElin Nordegren Speaks Out About Her Divorce From Tiger WoodsElinNordegrenElinNordegrenSpeaksOutAboutHerDivorceFromTigerWoodstiger woodstiger woods divorceTigerWoodsTigerWoodsDivorceDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-25T16:27:00+00:00Usain Bolt Signs Athletics' 'Biggest Ever' Sponsorship Dealhttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/usain-bolt-signs-athletics-biggest-ever-sponsorship-deal/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/usain-bolt-signs-athletics-biggest-ever-sponsorship-deal/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/usain-bolt-signs-athletics-biggest-ever-sponsorship-deal/#commentsFiled under:

Usain Bolt signs athletics' Jamaican Olympic track star Usain Bolt is done running in 2010 due to injury, but that's not stopping him from wheeling and dealing in the product-endorsement world. Puma announced that it has re-signed Bolt to a contract that is the biggest ever for a track-and-field athlete. Although details and numbers weren't disclosed in the deal, Bolt is more than happy:
"It's good, man. I'm happy," Bolt told The Associated Press. "I'm very happy with the figure. We've been together since forever. I like the fashion, so they try to make it fashionable for me. ... I'm looking good, but I'm also prepared."

The contract goes until 2013, with a focus on major-marketing campaigns during 2011's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics in London. And even though Bolt holds world records for the 100-meter and 200-meter races, he wants to make an impact every time he steps on the track:


"I'm trying to make myself a legend," he said. "People are really looking forward to me breaking records. I'm going to go run hard to win, that's my aim. And every time I go out there and run hard to win, I get records."
Bolt announced the ending of his racing season, after losing to American Tyson Gay in a 100-meter race in Stockholm. It was the first time Bolt lost a race in two years and he blamed the performance on an injury in his back. The 2011 World Championships go down next summer in South Korea.


 

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]]>PumaUsain BoltUsain Bolt signs athletics biggest ever sponsorship dealUsainBoltUsainBoltSignsAthleticsBiggestEverSponsorshipDealQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-25T11:53:00+00:00Chad Ochocinco Fined $25K for In-Game Tweeting‎http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/chad-ochocinco-fined-25k-for-in-game-tweeting/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/chad-ochocinco-fined-25k-for-in-game-tweeting/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/25/chad-ochocinco-fined-25k-for-in-game-tweeting/#commentsFiled under:

Chad Ochocinco Fined $25k for In-Game Tweeting‎The pro-sports leagues are still hating on Twitter. The NFL fined Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco $25,000 for tweeting during the team's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

According to NFL rules, players are not to tweet, use computers or any type of electronic equipment 90 minutes before kick-off or until after they've fulfilled their media obligations following the game.

The game started at 8:07 p.m., and Ochocinco tweeted twice during the "no tweet zone."

At 6:50 p.m., Ochocinco tweeted:

"Just talk with Kelly Washington, Desean Jackson, Geoff Pope, Hank Baskett and I caught a ball from Mike Vick, I love pre-game warm up."

Then at 9:53 p.m., Ohcocinco tweeted:

"Man Im sick of getting hit like that, it's the damn preseason sh**! 1day I'm gone jump up and start throwing hay makers, #Tylenolplease."

On Tuesday, Ochocinco, once again, went to his Twitter account to apologize to the NFL for the tweets and promised it wouldn't happen again:

"#OCNNnews I've been fined by the league a substantial amount of money for tweeting, 1st time twitter hasn't made me money but cost me money," he said in the first tweet.

"Dear NFL I apologize for tweeting during the game but that was 2 months of my Bugatti payments you just took from me, I won't do it again," he added in a follow-up tweet.

As a fan, it's kind of fun to see what the players have to say during a game, how they're feeling, what they're thinking as they're winning or losing and what's motivating them at the moment.

It's interesting to see a player's mind-set in the midst of battle. The tweets right before a game, halftime or immediately after the last whistle give us a glimpse of that.
At the same time, though, from a coach or a teammate's perspective, you want the player to be focused on the game. The league just wants to maintain professionalism.

Unless your job is in social media, what boss would be okay with an employee tweeting during work? It's understandable that the NFL or NBA doesn't want that going on during games.

It's a fair trade-off: They have to wait to get off work to play online, just like the rest of us.


 

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]]>Chad OchocincoChad Ochocinco Fined 25k for In-Game TweetingChadOchocincoChadOchocincoFined25kForIn-gameTweetingFace BookFaceBookNFLPhiladelphia EaglesPhiladelphiaEaglessocial mediaSocialMediaTwitterQuibian Salazar-Moreno2010-08-25T09:25:00+00:00Convicted Jordan Killer Believes He Will Go Freehttp://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/24/who-killed-michael-jordans-father-the-case-is-falling-apart/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/24/who-killed-michael-jordans-father-the-case-is-falling-apart/http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/08/24/who-killed-michael-jordans-father-the-case-is-falling-apart/#commentsFiled under:

Convicted Jordan killer believes he will go free

Daniel Andre Green (pictured) was convicted of killing the father of former NBA star Michael Jordan, James Jordan. Nearly 17 years after his conviction, the case is starting to fall apart. The problems stem from a faulty crime lab in North Carolina, where multiple mistakes have been made over the last two decades.

Green told the Associated Press that the lab mishandled its reports, and that evidence supporting his case was denied to him in court. He has trained himself in law and worked on his own case since the date of his conviction. Much of the recent attention to the case is due to a report concluding that the lab mishandled Green's case, along with 200 others, during a 16-year period ending in 2003.

"I've always known that I'm walking out of prison," Green said. "I've known that because I've believed, ultimately, the truth has to come out."

Green filed a 122-page motion on his own behalf in 2008. The motion was strong enough to get the court to reconsider his case. The focal point of his argument centers around blood evidence collected at the scene of the crime. The State Bureau of Investigation expert stated at Green's trial that she found a small amount of blood in the car.

Later reports released this week, though, show that the bureau only found "indications" that blood was present. Four additional tests were inconclusive.

Green's appeal was already in progress when the latest reports came out about the crime lab, but this new piece of evidence is problematic primarily because the defense was not made aware of the inconclusive follow-up tests. Green says that he didn't kill Jordan's father, but out of loyalty to his friend and co-defendant Larry Demerey, he helped dispose of the body.

"I made certain decisions out of loyalty to a friend," Green said.

In addition to claiming that he helped get rid of the body, he also admits to using some of Mr. Jordan's personal items, like his car and jewelry. Jordan's body was found in a swamp in North Carolina.

During the trial, attorneys questioned several aspects of the case, including the lack of blood and physical evidence. Green's co-defendant testified that Green shot Jordan at point blank range, but there was no blood found in the car that Jordan was driving, nor was there a match between the alleged murder weapon with the bullet found inside Jordan's body. The lack of gunshot residue in the car added even more doubts to the case.

I am not sure of the guilt or innocence of the two defendants in the murder of James Jordan. What I can say, however, is that based on what I've read about the case thus far, I certainly have reasonable doubt in my mind. This reminds us that reasonable doubt is all that is needed to find someone not guilty. It's not the same as saying they are innocent.

Another thought-provoking dimension to the murder of James Jordan was the fact that Michael lived in the limelight, drawing attention from millions of fans. Most of those fans loved him - but a few might have hated him. His deep involvement with gambling only added fuel to the fire of speculation. While none of us knows who killed James Jordan or why, we should at least try to make sure we've got the right person. Based on what's been revealed thus far, it appears that Daniel Andre Green might not be that guy.


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.

 

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]]>Convicted Jordan Killer Believes He Will Go FreeConvictedJordanKillerBelievesHeWillGoFreedaniel andre greenjames jordanJamesJordanlarry demerymichael jordans fatherMichaelJordansFatherDr. Boyce Watkins, PhD2010-08-24T14:50:00+00:00