R.I.P. Sean Taylor

Man, oh man. If it's not one thing, it's another. I don't know what goes on in some people's minds that make them think they have the right to take someone's life. Take the money, take the jewelry, hell, even beat him up. But to kill a man? To kill a father, a son, a fiance, a brother, a friend, a teammate. I don't want to make it seem like this is only about the murder, yes, murder, of 24-year old Sean Taylor, because as sad as this situation is, it's not the overarching issue. It's about the state of human consciousness, or lack there of, in 2007. It's about the massacre at Virginia Tech. It's about Sean Bell. It's about the four students shot execution style in Newark, NJ. It's about the son who recently chopped up/dismembered his mother and brother, and dumped their bodies in the Harlem River. What is going on these days?

I'm deeply saddened by this most recent death. Sean Taylor was safety for the Washington Redskins. He went to the University of Miami, AKA 'NFL U,' one of the most dominant football programs in recent history. Drafted 5th overall by the 'Skins in the 2004 NFL Draft, Taylor was regarded as one of the best safeties in the league, and rightfully so. At 6'2", 212 lbs, Taylor was quick, strong and agile. He was known for his hard hits, his aggressive style of play, and his uncanny knack for knowing exactly where the ball was on every play. In his career he had 344 total tackles, 245 of them solo, 41 deflected passes, 8 forced fumbles and 12 interceptions, 1 returned for a touchdown.

I was in class working in a small group on our final project. We started talking about the Sean Taylor tragedy and I was shocked at how easily swayed people could be. I was apalled by the tone of the conversation; the only thing they could talk about was how his death was probably precipitated by something he did. A man is dead. Dead. The only thing these guys could say was that Taylor was a bad apple, and that whatever events led up to his killing were his fault, and probably the result of some shady dealings. I know some people who have done some questionable things, but I also know that those things don't make them bad people. Anyone who talks about Taylor speaks highly of him. How he has matured over the past few seasons and how he was a man forever changed by the birth of his daughter, Jackie. An innocent 18-month old child who will never see her father again because of greed and wrecklessness.

About a week prior to the fatal shooting, Taylor's house had been burglarized. A few items were damaged, some belongings rifled through but it seemed to be nothing major. Sean Taylor was not at home during the first burglary, but was staying in Florida. He hurt his knee a few weeks prior, and was back in home rehabbing. It is assumed that the same thieves came back to steal more, but found Taylor instead. Preliminary reports show that Taylor was shot twice; once in the groin area, and another in his thigh. He was rushed to the hospital, in fact air lifted, where he later died of complications from severe blood loss, as his femoral artery was severed. His fiancee and daughter were also present in the house at the time, but were unharmed. Well, physically at least.

It's weird how sports can make you feel about a person. I have some guys I enjoy watching, and some guys I love. Like, actually love. There are some players you just gravitate towards, pads, helmet and all. Sean Taylor was one of them. This is an unbelievable turn of events, and anyone who has ever lost someone in their lives to something senseless can understand. This not just something that goes on in the Black community, but damn do we seem to be getting the sharp end of the stick on this one.

Charles Barkley

Sometimes I come across little stories like this, and I know you guys will appreciate them too. I'm a huge Charles Barkley fan; I enjoyed watching him play and I love his as an anchor on Inside the NBA on TNT. Every Thursday during basketball season I get hours of pleasure listening to Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and, or course, Sir Charles. Sure I watch to see the double-header but these guys have a lot of fun together. Charles just seems like a guy who really enjoys life, and refuses to hold back. He's always coming out of his mouth and saying something funny, controversial, or just plain stupid. There are even whole websites dedicated to outrageous quotes. I came across this story and I thought, 'Classic Barkley.' From the last post in a series on NBA referee Bennett Salvatore:

Charles Barkley, many years ago. I made a call against him, in the fourth quarter of a nationally televised game, that he did not agree with. At that particular time we were going to to timeout. Charles, before going to his huddle, told me that he didn't like the call. I told him to go back to his timeout. He gave me some more of his expertise. I told him go back to his timeout. Coming back onto the court, I'm ready to put the ball in play. The lights are back on, the TV cameras are back on, we're ready to play.

Charles walks over to me, being larger, obviously, leans over me, and starts bobbing and weaving his head. And what he's saying is: Bennett, how's the family, how are the kids, how's the wife?

The whole world thinks that he's taking a piece out of my backside, and he's really not. He's being playful. So not all the time what you think is being said on the court really being said.

Oh, that Charles!

Hello? Is this thing ON?!

I wonder sometimes, is anyone reading this? Or am I the only one? How come people rarely comment on my articles? I mean, it's only natural that some articles don't interest you, but there are some really, really good ones. Am I the only person that enjoys reading my entries over, and over, and over again? Yo, how do you feel about my work? You. Yes, YOU! Do you love it? Hate it? Not understand it? Want me to stop writing? Wish there was more to read? I would love to think that everyone in the world reads this blog and loves it so much they don't want to test perfection; my words put you in a state of euphoria. No suggestions you make could alter the wondrous course my writing is on. Or, maybe the stench of my rotten attempts at writing, and the flies surrounding it, are too much for you to bear. Maybe you hate it so much, leaving any info would cause you to rot.

I don't care what you're reaction is; everyone should read, appreciate, playa hate, whatever. I just wanna know that someone out there has an opinion about something important in my life. Damn y'all,

I NEED LOVE!

(or hate, but mostly love) Please? Thanks! This is my free medium; the best way for me to talk to as many people at once. I just wish they would talk back to me more...

Posada to Stay

Torre? Gone. A-Rod? Gone (conditionally). Posada? HERE TO STAY!! Well, at least for the next 4 years, which should mean the 36 year old ends his career in the stripes. The New York Yankees and Jorge Posada's camp were burning that midnight oil trying to get the deal finalized. Late into Monday night the numbers got their final crunch and reports started flowing. Jorge Posada agrees to a $54.2 million, four-year contract just in the nick of time. MLB free agency is upon us and the Yanks locked Posada down before the clock struck "too late."

The deal will be sealed once Posada passes his physical. The Yankees offered Posada a lesser deal a few weeks ago, reportedly worth $40 million over three seasons. His answer? Gimme some mo! Even this past Sunday his answer remained the same; "My first priority is the Yankees. I would like to stay with the Yankees. My heart is with the Yankees, so hopefully we can get something done." That was more than enough for the Yankees to hear! They upped the anty; the initial offer of three years was bumped up to four, and of course, the money followed suit. With A-Rod gone, there's more than enough money to go around. "We will pay what we need to pay to keep someone or get someone," said Hank Steinbrenner. Words to live by. Posada will make about $13.1 million per year, and will be the highest paid catcher in the league. That's more than other big-name catchers that garner top billing. Jason Varitek, catcher for the 2007 World Series Champions the Boston Red Sox, and Ivan Rodriguez of Detroit are each guaranteed $10 million next season.

And if the threat of free agency wasn't enough, Posada's camp pulled the ultimate card. Over the river and through the woods - to Queens! Jorge and his agents dined with Mets GM Omar Minaya and VP Tony Bernazard earlier Monday, before the monster Yankees deal was inked. The Mets are in limbo this offseason, and are not sure whether or not catcher Paul Lo Duca will return. A ploy to spook the Bronx bombers? I would say so. Posada is a 12-year veteran, and a five-time All-Star. He's been with the Yankees his entire career, and is coming off one of his best years in the blue-and-white pinstripes. During the 2007 season he played in 144 games, hit 20 homers and batted in 90 runs. Posada's on-base and slugging percentages all hit career highs at .426 and .543, respectively.

Yanks are still trying to lock down pitcher, and 8-time All-Star, Mariano Rivera. Rivera turns 38 years old later this month and in baseball, unlike most other sports, that's not old. Well, that old. The Yankees offered him $45 million over three years, but that may not be his best proposal. There was talk earlier when the Yankees didn't renew Joe Torre's contract (on Torre's terms) that would-be free agents on the team would follow suit. The stampede people expected didn't actually happen but there are some players willing to follow Joe Torre (and Don Mattingly) to the LA Dodgers. Rivera is one of them. "The Yankees are my first option. But if that is not possible, there is Joe with the Dodgers."

Pitcher Andy Pettitte is still mulling retirement. Last week he turned down a $16 million, one-year option from the Yankees. He wants to spend time with his family, and apparently wants to die a Yankee. Pettitte stated that if he did not re-sign with the Yankees he would retire. Clearly he appreciates and understands what a privilege it is to wear the stripes, huh Baby Brenners?

Damn, had I known that a ball (and balls) could net me millions, I would've paid less attention to school work and kept my eyes on the real prize.

Vikings to Williamson - '&#!@% Grandma...PLAY!!'

I thought this story was upsetting when I first heard about it. Then I read the whole thing, learned about this guys entire situation, and now I think it's egregious. They’re already calling this one “FuneralGate.” Ok, so Troy Williamson, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, had a game check withheld after he missed 3 practices, and last Sunday’s (11.4) game vs. the San Diego Chargers. No, he was not passed out from a night of excessive drinking and debauchery. And no, he was not getting arrested on gun possession charges, rape charges, or outstanding warrants. His reason for missing Sunday's game? To be with his family and attend grandmother’s funeral. Yeah...

Williamson's maternal grandmother, Celestine Williamson, died at the age of 72 in Aiken, South Carolina in late October. Williamson was very close with Celestine, who raised him. "This is a grandma I was always around. She taught me pretty much everything I know from cooking to driving to playing cards. I pretty much learned that from my grandma." So of course not being part of his beloved grandma's funeral was out of the question. Williamson had to make travel arrangements for his family members, including his 9 brothers and sisters, several of whom are in the armed forces. The funeral was held Monday, November 5, and it was said about 75 family members came from all over the world to attend the funeral, and about 30 of those trips were paid for by Williamson. The previous Monday Williamson told the Vikings that he would be going back to South Carolina to help organize he funeral, and that he wouldn't be able to play in that Sunday's game against the Chargers. So what was the Vikings reaction to Williamson missing the game to be with his family? A fine; they withheld his game check. Head coach Brad Childress said he understood that Williamson had a family obligation, but called the monetary penalty "a business principle." "He had a family obligation that he had to see to. He had to do what his family situation called for." The one game cost Williamson $25,558.24 of his (meager) $435,000 2007-2008 salary.

For Williamson though, the money wasn't the issue. The Vikings told him that if he didn't show, he wouldn't get paid, and he didn't care. "I'd throw this football thing away for my family." He told a local Minnesota paper, "I don't care if they would have [taken] my pay for the rest of the year, I was going home. It wouldn't have mattered to me." And this is only isn't the only family tragedy in recent months. In late September, Williamson’s older brother, 29 year old Carlton, was severely injured when he was ejected from the truck he was driving after it flipped several times. His brother's condition is very grave and it's unclear when, or if, he’ll pull through. "It's fluctuating right now," said Williamson. "Right now, he's just pretty much comatose." With the rigorous practice and game schedule in the NFL season, Troy hasn’t had much time to spend with his ill brother. He visited him earlier in the season during Minnesota's bye week, and during this latest trip, he was also able to see him.

Now what would you do if you were a GM and a player missed a game because of a death? It could be someone in their immediate family, including parents, siblings and guardians. Or it could be someone distant, like their step-brother's second cousin's daughter's nephew's uncle. Should it matter how "related" the people are? Who's to say which death is more impactful? It's all about your own relationship with the deceased, not the actual relation. What if it's a best friend that's like a brother, or like a sister? I'm sure the Vikings aren't the only team with this backwards way of thinking. Can a team hold fast to “football is a business” and not show compassionate to a man grieving a loved one?

I don't want to seem like I'm coming down only on Minnesota, because they are not the only team in the league that would have docked a player in this case. The NFLPA (Players Association) needs to step up and institute a bereavement leave clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is something that can't be left to the league or individual teams; it has to be clear across the board. Most jobs have these policies in contracts, where an employee is allowed a few PAID days off. The NFL is like the dreadful boss that is all about the money and couldn't care less about the well-being of their employees. And you can look at many of the NFL's practices regarding player health and well-being that show this callous behavior. It took a hearing before the US Senate to get the NFL to take a stand regarding the severity of concussions and their long-term effects. The NFLPA, Pro Football Hall of Fame and alumni association all had to step on the NFL's neck to get them to donate $10 million to the retirement and medical fund for former players. Finally, players who gave their bodies and lives to football, and now need a little financial help, can count on the fund for joint replacement surgery, cardiovascular screenings and assisted living. Chump change and baby steps for a business that brings in well over $6 BILLION annually.

FuneralGate is getting a lot of attention and Williamson is going to appeal the fine. Someone somewhere has to have a heart. It's not even like he has a multi-million dollar salary. The guy makes less than $500,000 a year! His grandmother died, so you want to make him pay!?! But, something tells me if he was making more money, people would be upset, but not outraged... AND, no disrespect to Troy Williamson, but this year, so far, has been far from stellar. He has 9 receptions for 159 yards and 1 touchdown. He's not making circus catches, racking up hundreds of yards per game, and scoring TDs left and right. Yet and still the Vikkngs are holding onto him for dear life. Listen, if you had him on a fantasy team you already would have DROPPED him! But that's neither here nor there. When it comes down to it it's about principles. It's about humanity, condolence and sympathy being expressed by a sport as physical, barbaric and merciless as football. Between his grandmother's death and his brother's wavering health, I completely agree with Troy when he said, "I feel like I wouldn't have been overdoing it if I had stayed home a little longer." Word.

R.I.P. Celestine Williamson

KG for MVP!!

Yes, I know, I'm a bit early with the MVP talk since the season just started about a week ago. But let me tell you something, I don't care. I will be singing the same song all season, so listen up and listen clear:

KEVIN GARNETT WILL BE THE 2007-2008 MVP!!

Why will he be MVP? Because, he's KG. This is Kevin Garnett's 13th season in the NBA, and since the 1998-1999 season he has averaged at least 20 pts and 10 rebs. I'm not really one to throw tons of stats at you but just look at what he's done in his career! I have every reason to believe that this season will yield similar results. Look what's he's done in his first 3 games as a Celt:

11.2 vs. Washington - 22 pts, 20 rebs, 5 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk (Celtics won 103-83)
11.5 @ Toronto - 23 pts, 13 rebs, 6 ast, 3 stl (Celtics won 98-95)
11.7 vs. Denver - 23 pts, 13 rebs, 7 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk (Celtics won 119-93)

Am I overreaching? NO. Am I out of my mind? Yes, but not on this one. The talk before the season started was "chemistry." Everyone was worried about how well all the new pieces would fit. Could Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen share the ball and work well together as a team? Sure it looks amazing on paper, but can these 3 verterans really produce? Boy do they ever!! I have such extreme faith in Kevin and his abilities that I never once questioned this blessed union. The 'Holy Trinity,' if you will. Now all the people that were talkin all that mess are the same ones coming up with nicknames for the group; The Big 3, The G.A.P. Band, The PGA Tour, GPA 3.0... These people can't get enough. KG was the MVP for the 2003-2004 season, and he's already on pace to do it again. He has a better team around him, and they're all focused on winning. There's nothing better.

THE CELTICS WILL BE THE 2007-2008 NBA CHAMPIONS!!

Yeah that's right. You got a problem wit that? Cuz we can take this outside...

Cocaine + Tennis = Winning!

So, uhhh, Martina Hingis is a coke head. Well, at least that's what the drug tests revealed. If you ask her, she's "never used drugs." A urine sample she provided tested positive for cocaine earlier this year during Wimbledon. COCAINE Y'ALL!! She held a press conference in Switzerland and read a prepared statement and said everything an innocent (or guilty) person would say. "I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs and I feel 100 percent innocent. I would personally be terrified of taking drugs. When I was informed (about the test) I was shocked and appalled." Now her camp is even saying the pee wasn't hers! Hingis and her team of experts are "convinced that the doping officials mishandled the process and would not be able to prove that the urine that was tested for cocaine actually came from me." And then she retired. Again. "And so, considering this situation, my age, and the problems I have been having with my hip, I have decided to no longer play tennis on the Tour."

Hingis first retired in 2003 after trying to deal with several injuries. She came back in 2006 and did well for a while before a gimp hip got the best of her. Hingis was knocked out in the 3rd round of this year's Wimbledon and hasn't played since October. Martina Hingis was a phenomenal player, so this is definitely bad for her tennis legacy. She won 5 grand slam titles; 3 Australian Opens, 1 US Open & 1 Wimbledon. She was also the youngest grand slam champion in the 20th century when she won the Australian Open at 16 years & 118 days old. She was great!!

I'm a huge tennis fan, and I have been all my life. This news is very disturbing, and very funny. Can we just say that most athletes are on drugs? If they're not performance enhancing, they're mood enhancing. I know a bit about drugs (just a tad bit, from what I've seen in movies and on the streets of Harlem) and cocaine and tennis go together like that damn racket and ball. Well at least that's how it seems. I mean, think about it. Cocaine makes you happy, so if you lose, it doesn't really bother you and you're still in a good mood. And it gives you increased energy which you definitely need if you're gonna be running all over the court and returning 100+ mph serves. Frankly, I'm surprised more tennis players haven't tested positive for coke.

Ok, of course I'm saying this jokingly, because Martina Hingis really was a great player. She's going to fight the charges, as most guilty (and innocent) people do. But if she's telling the truth, and she's never used drugs and the pee really wasn't hers, then I hope she's exonerated. To retire is one thing, but to go out on a pile of coke is completely different. Well, another one bites the dust. Or sniffs the dust. Whatever.

Have You Seen This?

I've realized that I'm, in fact, an enigma. And I love it. My interests are varied, and very random. There are 2 things I definitely love, football and ceramics. Somehow, the people at ESPN knew that and made a commercial to honor me. It's called "Next of Kiln" and I love it. Not only is it funny, but it accurately describes my life; football and ceramics! I love the wheel, I love the clay and I love to get dirty. And of course, I love football. Take a look.