Black Men In America

Michael Vick:  Right Owner, Right Coach, Right Team, WRONG CITY!

By Harold Bell

August 19, 2009

Football players and real sports fans across America are wondering why would Michael Vick chose the worst sports city in America to try to re-start his NFL career.

Philadelphia is called “The City of Brotherly Love.” It is anything but a city that loves brothers!

Racial profiling among the city’s police department is on par with the LAPD and NYPD and the Prince George’ County Police Department in the state of Maryland.

Michael Vick’s first appearance in a home game in a Philadelphia Eagle football uniform will set American sports back 52 years.  Remember 1947 and Jackie Robinson?

Don’t be surprised to see a black dog instead of a black cat released on the field of play.  The number ONE played song on radio in cities that the Eagles visit will be “Who Let The Dogs Out.”

Vick and his family will need an armed escort to and from games.  The best advice his legal team could give him would be:  “Tell your family and friends to stay home and watch the games on television.”

Vick’s #7 jersey was the biggest seller in the NFL before his dog conviction.  It has sold out in Philly but don’t be surprised to see his jersey being used to start “Barn Fires” at Eagle pep rallies and tailgate parties.  Racial tensions will run high in the city during the season.

When the “Race Card in America,” is played it is clear that there are no ‘Good Sports.’

When a man serves 18 months in jail for making a “stupid” mistake and gives back $113 million dollars in salary and says ‘I am sorry’ who are we to say in America “You don’t deserve a second chance?” How many times must Michael Vick say “I am sorry?”

Baltimore Raven LB Ray Lewis got away with murder in Atlanta and WR Donté Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in June 2009 after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter charges.  Stallworth has been subsequently suspended for the 2009 season without pay.

Brendan Haywood of the NBA’s Washington Wizard’s said it best.  “When is a dog’s life worth more than a human life?”

The reason Michael Vick chose the Eagle was, the owner wanted him, the coach wanted and last but not least, the first string quarterback Donovan McNabb wanted him.

The city is another story.  Philadelphia sports fans are known nationally to be the worst in America.  Their sports history speaks for itself.  Ask the guy who played Santa Claus.  While he was being parachuted into the stadium, his arrival was met with a barraged of snowballs from every corner of the stadium.

How can Washington Redskins fans ever forget that their NFL Hall of Fame mascot Chief Zee was almost killed when he was attacked after a game in Philly in 1983?  He has not been back since and refuses to even fly over the city. Zee said, “I would not put it pass them to shoot planes down.”

It has been proven that most Philadelphia sports fans are not as smart as a “fifth graders.”

Philadelphia is the worst among major cities in America when it comes to college educated adults, less then 21% are college graduates.

They are definitely not playing with a full deck.

The Eagles were the first team in professional sports in America to have an on-site jail for rowdy and drunken fans.

Despite the first black President in the history of the country, race relations are in a sad state.  Before Barack Obama, U. S. Presidents usually received on average of 3,000 death threats a month.  Obama receives 12,000 threats monthly.  In Philadelphia there is a possibility that Vick death threats might just surpass the President’s.

The Southern Poverty Law Center which has a long history of waging legal battles on behalf of civil rights warned, “There is a rise of violent and well armed White Militias.  They are driven by the recession and hatred of Obama.”

The center concluded, “There are at least 50 new militia groups in the nation over the past two years.  They are mostly located in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and the deep south.”

A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) added, “You are seeing the bubbling right now.  You are seeing people buying into what they’re saying.  It’s primed to grow.”

In the meantime, CBS News carried a lengthy report on the groups last week which concluded, “The right-wing extremists, historically motivated by a distrust of government, are now especially angry about the election of America’s first African-American President.”

Last week during one of those public forums on Health Care, a woman yelled “We must take back America.” My question, “Take it back from whom?”

Dog fighting in America is American as Apple Pie.  Michael Vick didn’t bring dog fighting to America.  It was here when his ancestors got off the ship.  It is still a thriving business today.

Thanks to the overkill in media and its double standards, the Vick conviction opened up “Pandora’s box.”

I was watching the popular “America’s Got Talent” show on NBC television last week.  The show is one of my favorites.  The show has moved into the semi-final round.

The winner will receive one million dollars and will headline a show in Las Vegas.  What happened next really confirmed my fears that Vick is in real trouble in Philly.

The host is Nick Cannon (Mariah Carey’s husband), Judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and David Hasselhoff.

A national television audience voted the first four contestants into the semi-finals.  The last two contestants for this segment was a man and dog act against a talented brother that sang and played a mean piano.  Their fate would lie in the hands of the judges instead of the national television audience.

The man and dog’s performance was mainly the dog running through the owner’s legs chasing Frisbees.  The dog missed 7 out of 10 Frisbees thanks to his trainer.  He tossed the Frisbee as if he was drunk.  The brother’s performance was flawless.

Sharon Osbourne was asked to vote first, but she claimed she was in such a dilemma.  She begged David Hasselhoff to vote first instead and he voted for the man and dog act.

Piers Morgan could not believe his ears and he said, “If this man does not win this competition the show is a joke.” He voted for the brother and Sharon voted for the dog.  Piers sat in stunned silence and disbelief.  This was a sign of the times and a warning to Vick to watch his back in Philly.  It is definitely dogs over black men.

This whole issue of White America and dogs cannot be laid at the feet of all white folks.  There are some blacks in America that are just as dangerous.

In media there are Juan Williams, Roland Martin, Armstrong Williams, Tavis Smiley, James Brown, Eugene Robinson and the NABJ (The National Association of Black Journalist).

In the case of Michael Vick, these brothers and sisters are sounding more like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Pat Buchanan and last but definitely least “Mr. Pitiful” himself, Michael Steele.  He is Chairman of the Republican Party (Designated go-fer).

For example; there was an e-mail exchange between Jamie Zalac who is the media liaison for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Barbara Ciara, a black television reporter on WTKR News Channel TV3 in Norfolk Virginia.  Ms. Ciara carries the titles, President of the National Association of Black Journalist and Vice-President of Unity Journalist of Color.

In the exchange Ms. Zalac thanks Ms. Ciara for contacting her about the despicable acts of Michael Vick as it relates to dogs in America and asking for a statement from the group.

Ms. Zalac tells her new friend that PETA and millions of decent football fans around the world are disappointed that the Philadelphia Eagles chose to sign a man who hung dogs from a tree!  I wonder who took the world wide poll, Rush Limbaugh?

Where were Ms. Zalac and PETA and her parents when black men and women were being hung from trees all over America from one decade to another?  Where was she when law-enforcement blew up a whole city block in Philadelphia killing innocent women and children while looking for a cop killer?  Where was she when the city bulldozed an entire city block to destroy any evidence to hide this despicable act?

Where was she when white cops in New York City were frequently using black men as target practice?  Where were Ms. Zalac and Ms. Ciara when a young black man named Ronnie White was denied his right to a judge and jury here in Prince George’s County, Maryland last year?  He was accused in the hit and run death of a police officer.  He was found in his jail cell dead of a broken neck.  No one has been brought to justice and the cover-up continues.

This hideous act took place in the shadows of the Nation’s Capitol and PETA Headquarters in downtown Washington, DC.  There was no outcry from PETA or the NABJ!

Then there is the cheerleading e-mail from Bob Butler a reporter at KCBS Radio in San Francisco.  His credentials read, Vice-President of Broadcast for the NABJ, President, Bay Area Black Journalist.

Mr. Butler’s e-mail read “You go Barbara.” I had to go back track and double check the e-mails to make sure I had not missed any earth shattering developments that Ms. Ciara had uncovered, like a formula for preventing teenage pregnancy among black girls in our community or breaking news of the first black owner of a NFL team!  No such luck.

Mr. Butler thought congratulations were in order because on Aug 13, 2009, at 7:42 PM, Ciara, Barbara wrote:

NABJ Family,

“At this hour, PETA (homebased in Norfolk) has not issued a statement regarding the signing of Michael Vick. However, I would like to note that I along with NABJ member Jummy Olabanji broke the story of Vick’s contract with Philly at 7:25 on WTKR Newchannel 3 a full hour and five minutes before anyone else.  We got it first– and we got it right.”

Ms. Ciara, I will be sure to nominate you and your station for the next Emmy Award.

You really must have some slow news days in Norfolk.  When I was an on air personality I broke community and sports stories days before the Washington Post.  It got so bad George Solomon the sports editor assigned his reporters to tune into my show “Inside Sports” for breaking news.

This dog charade took a turn for the worst when CBS Sports and NFL Host James Brown sat down last Sunday with Michael Vick on “60 Minutes.” If you missed the Vick interview with James Brown you can watch it here.

Last Sunday was also a bad day for Tiger Woods and Michael Vick fans on CBS (I am sure the ratings went through the roof).

For the first time in his professional golf career Tiger Woods lost a tournament going into the final round leading the field.  The number one golfer in the world lost to Y. E. Yang ranked 155.

Since the death of Ed Bradley “60 Minutes” has yet to find another black man capable of filling the void left by Bradley.  He was in my opinion “The Black Walter Cronkite” of television news.

Ed, like Mr. Cronkite had an air of honesty and integrity, something rarely found in the news media today.  You could carry what they said to the bank.

James Brown was like a bump on a log during his one-on-one interview with Michael Vick. He sat there like he had no idea what it was like to be black in America.  The whole interview was well rehearsed.  Former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who was assigned by the league to be Vick’s mentor was the only believable voice during that entire segment.

The “race card” never came up during the entire interview.  It was like it never existed.  It was obvious they were told not to mention race as being a factor for all the hate being shown toward this young man.

What was the purpose of showing Vicks’s legal team (Billy Martin, et al) without them uttering one word?

The bottom line is this: Instead of Michael Vick being a spokesperson for PETA he should be going around visiting schools, playgrounds and youth facilities in our cities talking to black youth.

We have issues to deal with such as black-on-black murder and a high drop out rate.  Over half of minority students in America are dropping out of school.  The youth facilities and prisons are busting at the seams with minorities.  Black youth are “fouling out” of the game of life at record rates.

Here’s my advice to Michael Vick.  Save a child’s life and let PETA and the National Association of Black Journalist save the dogs.

Harold Bell is the Godfather of Sports Talk radio and television. Throughout the mid-sixties, seventies and eighties, Harold embarked upon a relatively new medium–sports talk radio with classic interviews with athletes and sports celebrities.  The show and format became wildly popular and the rest as they say is history.

Hard Times for Evander Holyfield

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield says he’s not broke. According to media reports he has grossed over $248 million in his career as a boxer. During one six-fight stretch (1996-99), he earned $107 million.

What happens to that kind of money? We’ll let’s take a quick look.

His 54,000 sq. ft. home that sits on 235 acres of land is in foreclosure. One of the biggest homes in the Southeast, it boasts 109 rooms, including 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a bowling alley, Olympic-size pool and a stable stocked with a half-dozen horses. The house is reportedly worth $10 million and is scheduled to be auctioned next month.

His child support payments for his 11 children are reportedly $500,000 a year. One ex-wife is complaining publicly that the former champ has missed two payments. At 45 years of age and having had three marriages, Holyfield told the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper, “I’m not broke — I’m just not liquid.”

The former champ has had success inside the boxing ring. The same cannot be said for his experience outside of the ring, especially with his business deals. Holyfield business interests, include his management company (Holyfield Management, Inc.), his clothing company (Warrior Properties), his record company (Real Deal Records), and the failed cable TV network (MBC) with co-owner, famed attorney Willie Gary.

Up Close and Personal by Harold Bell

ESPN’s airing of “Black Magic” chronicling the rich history of black basketball in America was a buzzer beating jump shot to win and a controversial foul call at the end the game to lose. It was also the most watched documentary in the history of ESPN television history.

The first segment aired in 1.2 million homes beating the old record of 1.1 million. The four hour two-part television show carried black basketball from the playgrounds, high schools, colleges and on to its final destination—the NBA. This brought full circle the hopes and dreams of most black athletes, a life in the fast lane of professional sports. For some it was their only way out.

The show’s title, “Black Magic” was the footprints in the sand of the man who revolutionized offensive guard play in basketball—Earl Monroe. He is also a part-time magician. I found the show to be enlightening and educational even though I lived most of it. I was a student/athlete and played football and basketball for the legendary Clarence “Bighouse” Gaines at Winston-Salem State. During my era (59-63) I was the only athlete under 6’5 he permitted to play two sports. Tim Autry and Emit Gil my football teammates could not chew bubble gum and dribble at the same time but they were tall. He called Tim and Emit “My Special Effects.”

To read the complete story click here to visit the Black Men In America.com Sports Page. You can also visit Harold Bell’s official web site “Legends of Inside Sports.”

The Souls of Black Baseball:

Voices from the Field of Dreams Deferred
An Oral History Project by Dr. Bob Allen

Veteran of the Negro League Baseball era, catcher for the Philadelphia Stars, Bill “Ready” Cash can spin out a story that takes away your own breath as he tells it. Like the one about the 28 day bus trip the team took in the late 40’s: going through towns 75-80 miles an hour because they had to make the schedule; blowing out motors and getting speeding tickets in the bargain; playing games along the way from Philadelphia, winding south 1900 miles away to Tyler, Texas.

On the field, in 105 degree weather, ready for the dressing rooms, but not allowed to use them. Had to go under the stands to dress. Only allowed a short run around the field for warm-up as an old guy hollered from the stands, “nigger, I’m gonna shoot you.” Says Bill: “We still had to play ball. Out of those 28 days we were away from home, we was in bed four hours. All the rest of the time we slept in the bus, traveling.”

Cash continues the story, taking you on the northbound loop back home; like always, stopping now and then after games, at places that were open to get food, sandwiches, mayonnaise, meat, sodas, to eat on the way. Games along the way, night and day. Cash recalls: “One Sunday we played in Birmingham. They had a little kid 16 years old and his father didn’t allow him to play, goin away with the team. He only played on Sundays. He was battin’ third. Piper Davis was the manager. I said, Piper, you’ve got this kid hittin’ third?’ He said, you’ll find out.’ We were tied 6-6 in the seventh inning and he came up. Boy, I just knew we were gonna throw a ball by him. He got 4 for 5 against us that day. I hit a double off the scoreboard. The next guy hit a long fly to center field, he went back against the fence and caught it. I tagged up and went to third base. When I got there, the ball was waitin’ on me. That little 16 year old kid was Willie Mays. Boy, he could hit, he could …of course you know all about him…he could do it.”

This and many other stories, some tragic and sad, others side-splitting hilarious, are part of and emerging from an oral history project by Dr. Bob Allen, a free lance writer and researcher, and former teacher at the Pennsylvania State University. Allen’s travel throughout the northeast in the last six years, and his intention to visit and interview on film every surviving player from the Negro Leagues, was based on a three part goal: to preserve, promote, and promulgate the history and stories of Negro League Baseball.

To date, the project has collected 366.75 hours of film footage of Negro Leagues histories. Yet, there is more to be done and further support to continue the project is needed. A detailed description of the project is available to all interested. In summarizing the project, Allen notes:

… without such histories being recorded, getting the actors to recall the play, and enabling future generations to see and understand the scene of the past “In time, we forget who we are.” As players from the old baseball Negro Leagues probe the scars and remember the joys of their finest hours amidst the apartheid at the heart of the nation’s pastime, this project will memorialize who they were so that we can better understand who we might be. Hopefully, it will make a special contribution to this important history of sport and American society; be of help and of use to veteran historians of the sport; and bring to life and keep alive the lessons and challenges we can all take up from this fascinating history.

For further information, enquiries, and suggested contacts to help Dr. Allen locate and interview players, or to provide needed support to continue the project, please be in touch with:

Bob Allen
1007 Golfview Ave. #24
State College, Pa. 16801814-237-9471
LHADD@aol.com