If I were John McCain and/or Sarah Palin I might not want to be bragging about their status as mavericks right at the moment.Okay, that may be a stretch, but when I saw the Washington Post story on Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, the term definitely caught my eye. Already an NBA problem child, this dissing the national anthem because he's black is now all over You Tube.
I have little good to say about these over paid, under educated man/boys who because of athletic prowess get way too much way too soon. They are a rather repugnant combination of arrogant and petulant. Brett Farve's recent bout with the Green Bay Packers comes immediately to mind.
What bothers me about the Howard story is that team owner Mark Cuban has sluffed it off as just another unsavory incident by one of his problem children. How disgusting. I'm sorry. Mr. Cuban's attitude, along with the almighty dollar, is a huge part of the problem.
And what a slap in the face of the Barack Obama's of the world. You don't suppose Howard and his ilk are part of the reason there is still a bit of racism hovering over this election, do you? Here is a graduate of Wake Forest who can't seem to stay out of trouble with the law. He is a professional basketball player. His 2008 salary is $9,500, 000. He is a disgrace to his race and his profession.
Oh, in case you can't quite understand the video, this is what he said: "The Star Spangled Banner is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that (expletive). I'm black."
I doubt he has it in him to realize what a pathetic example of a man he is. He is a Black American, college educated and rich beyond the wildest dreams of most of us. He owes us an apology. And you know what? He especially ought to apologize to Barack Obama.
2 comments:
Amen, amen! Well said and so true! As you know, my kids Dad is black and he is as appalled by behavior like this as you and I and many others are. It is inexcusable and so is Mark Cuban's reaction. It's all about the money, screw honor and decency and plain good manners.
I do wish our "heroes" were encouraged to present a better side to their fans. Of course my heroes aren't sports personalities, but that's another story.
I tend to disagree with the notion that what one person does (regardless of race, gender, etc.) should reflect poorly on others. I don't think what Sarah Palin is doing should reflect poorly on all white women, for example.
I do think the fans should vote with their feet and stop going to the Mavericks games. That's the kind of message an owner will listen to and then Howard will find himself working at a McDonald's somewhere.
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