Harold Bell, Muhammad Ali and the Legends of Inside Sports

Long before George Michael’s Sports Machine, Inside Sports,  ESPN the Magazine, ESPN’s Outside the Lines, the 30 for 30 (sports documentary series), and HBO’s Real Sports there was Harold Bell and The Original Inside Sports.  Emmy Award winning actor and producer Robert Hooks will help to set the record straight in Washington, DC on Saturday October 4, 2014.

Hooks will tape and narrate a documentary on how legendary and pioneer sports talk show host Harold Bell was the front runner when it comes to today’s sports talk show formats in America.  He will tell how Harold, a native Washingtonian, scooped the entire sports media world in November 1974.

The scoop came immediately after the historical “Rumble in the Jungle.”  The fight was held in Zaire, Africa between then World Heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman and challenger Muhammad Ali.  Ali was given no chance to win the fight but he shocked the entire sports world with a spectacular 8th round knockout of the champion. Ali quietly returned home to the United States via New York City.  Upon his arrival the newly crowned boxing champion Ali called his friend Harold Bell in Washington, DC.  Ali asked Harold to meet him at his hotel the following morning for the interview he had promised Bell in Chicago before leaving for Zaire.  What transpired was a one of a kind interview.  Today, an interview of that magnitude is called “Must See TV.  Ali, sporting a black eye gave Harold and exclusive one-on-one tour.  This was a “no-no” during his reign as “The Greatest,” because Ali NEVER never allowed interviews if he had marks or abrasions on his face.

Robert Hooks who is also a native Washingtonian, will narrate this historical sports documentary.

For more information please call information call (301) 203-0765 or (202) 427–9247.

Is Floyd Mayweather On The Decline?

It seems from an abundance of the sentiment I am seeing and even my own feelings as a hardcore boxing fan, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has started to decline. Not necessarily financially yet, as he has a guaranteed two more $32 million pay days.

But as a brand, and as someone that people are interested in seeing, he is starting to get old. A confluence of factors have combined in a kind of perfect negative storm.

• His look how rich I am shtick has gotten old. People get that he has a few $ and likes to selectively throw it around. But he is tone deaf to the negative reaction that approach has on even his admiring boxing fans. Non-boxing fans simply detest it.

• A clearer view in this “Ray Rice” environment that Floyd has repeatedly treated women much worse than that single punch. No cameras were around to record it but the reports are simply too numerous and consistent in them to all be unfair “attacks” on Money.

• Trouble in his business camp. Whatever the reasons may be, good or bad, Floyd is showing discomfort with those around him. His my way only approach may have thinned the skin of those around that are not singularly dependent on his paying them for their livelihood. Time will tell how that unfolds.

• Lastly, and most importantly, his fights. His fights where he makes his millions. Relative to other bouts, fans have become increasingly aware of the fact that most of his fights are boring and predictable. When was the last time that you even THOUGHT that Floyd had the possibility of knocking someone out? Sure, he is clearly the better boxer, and does win a majority of 12 rounds with athletic skill and superiority. But there are enough young lions out there (Keith Thurman, Kell Brook….etc.) other than Pacquiao that would make things compelling. I will insert credit to Floyd for taking on Canelo. A bold move that paid off. However, with the above mentioned dark clouds circling, his next two fights will need to be bold as well, else risk a clear rejection of his bouts at the betting windows and on PPV. (The betting windows were the worst ever for this last rematch).

The only non-competitive fight he can financially get away with is Amir Khan. From a pure boxing perspective Amir doesn’t deserve a shot. His recent record is mixed at best, and while he does come to fight, he also loses and gets knocked out. This at 140 lbs, a weight class BELOW where Floyd fights. However, boxing is a business and Amir has the largest demographic following in the weight vicinity and that means $$$$$.

If not PAC man or a young lion, any other fight will be looked at as just a way for Floyd to extend his “0” for the history books. The loser will most likely be Showtime and perhaps the host MGM site, as I predict the volume of fans just won’t show. People are seeing thru the childish hype.

The money team show of cash, cars, luxury goods, jewelry and Ho’s has run its course. Time for a different business strategy or shtick.

This is the assessment of a lifelong boxing fan (45 years).

The J. R. Perry Show on MOOVIE Tyme

The J. R. Perry Show is a show with a lot of history to TV and cable.  The show originally aired in 1983, making it the first urban talk show of it’s time.  During it’s run, the show aired over 690 times in the United States and the UK featuring national music acts, CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and noteworthy community leaders for over 20 years.

Touching on topics that really mattered to the viewers and the community, the J. R. Perry Show Vintage Reel on Moovie Tyme will provide rare interviews from such “movers and shakers” as Dick Griffey of Solar Records whom was instrumental in taking Soul Train to another level with his expertise as a talent coordinator, Marla Gibbs, Rolls Royce and the Foothill Police Department after the Rodney King beating.  The J. R. Perry’s Show motto is “LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD.”

Click here to learn more about J. R. Perry.  Click here to visit the Moovie Tyme website.

 

ON LINE REVIEWS BY MIKE RAMEY: “WELL, MY MOM SAYS” BY CLARENCE M. LEE, JR., MD

“Remember, other people don’t have to ‘get’ your dream. It’s not theirs–it’s yours.
They aren’t supposed to get it. The dream was given to you!”
                                                                                                                                       –Dr. Clarence M. Lee, Jr.

Godly single parents have been taking it on the chin in our mainstream (and social media) for a number of years. Even many of our churches have mistakenly pushed the upright ones off to the side. Godly single parents have grown to be marginalized because they don’t fit the agenda template to wipe God from the marketplace. Enter Dr. Clarence M. Lee, Jr. with his work: “Well My Mom Says” (173 pages, 2014, WestBow Press) to set the scales of faith in God, parental love and common sense back to a right balance.

All one can say as they read this work is: “Wow!” “Well My Mom Says” sports 25 chapters, divided into four power-packed sections. It’s a book that will make a great reference book for young people, and will make many a parent ‘get their voices back’ concerning needed advice, wisdom and training for their children that many thought had been relegated to the back pages of history. Lee ‘walks’ the reader through his various ‘growing pains’ that his mother had to address, as he was navigating the often-bumpy roads of life: Difficult teachers, hard life choices and honorable dreams in a warped society. Eventually, Lee’s mother remarries–and the advice keeps on coming from his stepfather. Nevertheless, the advice is more profound and more needed by a ‘double dose’ of parental love.

Lee, a medical doctor makes no apologies for being a Christian nor a former college athlete. Chapters deal with the subjects of Trust, Faith, Perseverance and Appreciation. This book may also serve as a ‘kickstarter’ for some adults in the audience! In an interview with On Line Reviews, Lee noted that this work was ‘on time’ for a lot of young people in our present society…some of whom have been raised in a single-parent environment. He also noted that there is a good possibility that a workbook will be designed to be used along with the book in the near future.

“Well MY Mom Says” is one of those books that you can’t finish in an afternoon. In fact, it’s one of those books that would best be considered a ‘reference’ work, because you will refer to it again, and again…with pencil or highlighter in hand. It’s available through your favorite on line bookseller, or through Lee’s website at www.cmleejr.com.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. On Line Reviews brings current and lesser-known titles to public light in the quest to re-kindle a love for reading in a sea of modern technology.

New Report: Rice Spat On Palmer, NFL Had Punch Tape

By Black Men In America.com Staff

Every day more information about the Ray Rice domestic violence incident is being reported and shared.  If true, these new reports spell BAD NEWS for both Rice and the NFL.  Today the Associated Press reported that the NFL was delivered a copy of the punch video back in April 2014.   In addition, additional details from the night of Ray Rice’s assault on his then-fiancee Janay Palmer have been made available in a new report from ESPN. These details include Rice spitting on Palmer two times before hitting her and that Rice knew he was going to be arrested.

According to ESPN Investigative Reporter John Barr, Ray Rice spat in the face of Janay Palmer the night he punched her in a hotel elevator.  According to media reports interviews with one current and one former security staffer at the Revel who spoke with ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” this week on the condition of anonymity, described additional details of the incident.  These staffers said there is a higher quality video that they reviewed.  In the “Outside The Lines” report, two of the men were on duty the night of the assault, while a third had full access to the security video, which he said he has watched dozens of times.

Here’s a partial account of the incident as reported by ESPN:

One former staffer said Rice spat in his then-fiancée’s face twice, “once outside the elevator and once inside,” prompting her to retaliate with movements that were ultimately countered with a knockout punch.

“The first thing he [Rice] said is, ‘She’s intoxicated. She drank too much. I’m just trying to get her to the room,'” one staffer said.

“When she regained consciousness she said, ‘How could you do this to me? I’m the mother of your kid,'” that same staffer told “Outside the Lines.”

With his fiancée still groggy, Rice dialed somebody on his cellphone and said, “I’m getting arrested tonight,” the staffer said. Police arrived in 10 to 15 minutes.

All of the staffers who spoke with “Outside the Lines” say they were not contacted by anyone from NFL security or the Ravens and they are not aware of any current or former co-workers who have been.

This situation is a mess and is getting worse every day.

 

Condoleeza Rice for NFL Commissioner

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com

Let’s talk about a different person named Rice for a moment — Condoleeza Rice. 

It appears that the NFL has made mistake, after mistake, after mistake in their “investigation” of the Ray Rice situation. Every decision the league has made appears to be in reaction to the public’s outrage over the league’s inability to send the correct message to it’s players.  Perhaps it’s time for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be removed from his job.

How about Condoleeza Rice as NFL Commissioner?  She could certainly do a better job than the current commissioner. Maybe it’s time to break up the “boy’s club” and add a different and diverse perspective.

Current NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appears to be flawed and inept in his decision-making on this topic and several others.  This from a man who reportedly is paid $44 million dollars a year.  $44 million dollars a year for this kind of weak leadership?  The league’s decision-making process should be formally reviewed with regard to how the league investigated the Ray Rice situation.

About 12 years ago, Ms. Rice publicly stated that she would love to be NFL Commissioner.  I say the time is right and she is the right person at the right time for this job.

What do you think?

Gary A. Johnson is the Founder & Publisher of Black Men In America.com a popular online magazine on the Internet and the Black Men In America.com Blog. Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life.” 

Janay Rice Blames The Media for Ruining Her Life

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com

September 9, 2014

Late last evening the Associated Press published video that showed what led up to the confrontation.  Prior to being knocked out, Janay and Ray Rice exchanged obscenities.  Additional video footage shows that Janay Rice spit in her husband’s face and then he punched her with a left hook rendering her unconscious.

Mrs. Rice says that the media’s reaction to the event didn’t take into account her role in creating the altercation.  Janay Rice took to social media via her Instagram account this morning and posted the following:

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend,” she said in an Instagram post. “But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare itself. No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing.

“To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific. THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don’t you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you’ve succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is! Ravensnation we love you!”

Wow!  This is a bit much to digest.  Note to Mrs. Rice:  The media did not ruin your life.  Your husband ruined your life when he hit you in the face and knocked you unconscious.  He then treated you like a hefty trash bag and used his leg to push you out of the elevator and then dragged you into the lobby.

Janay Rice’s reaction is a sad and predictable commentary.  This is a woman who married the man the same month that he knocked her out.

The fallout from Ray Rice’s suspension from the NFL has even cut short his video game career. EA Sports will cut him out of their video game and Nike has terminated his contract. In addition, the Baltimore Ravens released details of their Ray Rice Jersey Exchange program. Fans can go to the stadium and trade in their Ray Rice jersey for a jersey worn by another Ravens player. This incident and the comments from Ray’s wife Janay sparked some very critical conversations about domestic violence in this country. This issue is not going away. It would not surprise me if some executives in the NFL front office lost their job. The entire Rice family needs some professional and quality help.

I wonder how her mother and father feel about what has happened to their daughter.  This family needs counseling and professional help and I hope they get it.

Gary A. Johnson is the Founder & Publisher of Black Men In America.com a popular online magazine on the Internet and the Black Men In America.com Blog. Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life.” 

TMZ Releases New Ray Rice Elevator Video

September 8, 2014

Update:  NFL Suspends Ray Rice Indefinitely

By Gary Johnson, Black Men In America.com

The newly released video shows Ravens RB Ray Rice and his now wife Janay Palmer, getting into an elevator inside the Revel Casino on Feb. 15, and within seconds after the door closing, Palmer approaches Rice, who delivers a punch that knocks Palmer off her feet.  Palmer’s head smashes against the elevator hand rail … knocking her out cold.  Rice doesn’t appear to be phased and drags her unconscious body into the hallway, where they are met by a security guard.

After viewing the latest video, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday suspended Rice indefinitely.  Goodell reportedly had not seen the “knock out” video showing Rice cold-cocking Janay Palmer before handing down a two-game suspension that was blasted for being too soft.

On August 29th, the NFL Commissioner instituted a new domestic abuse policy, where a first-time offender would get a six-game suspension and a second offense could lead to a lifetime ban.

On May 20th, Rice was accepted into a pretrial intervention program to avoid aggravated assault charges.  Once Rice completes the one year program, the third-degree assault charge will be dropped.  I know the rules of double jeopardy say that you cannot punish a player twice for the same offense, but something has got to be done about this incident with the release of this new information in the form of this video.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this newly released video is worth tens of thousands of words.  This video is hard for me to watch.

Did the NFL do the right thing by suspending Ray Rice indefinitely?  What do you think?

Two weeks ago I collaborated with domestic violence expert Mildred Muhammad (The Ray Rice Apology: Two Points of View) on the Ray Rice incident.  Mildred sees domestic violence and abuse from a different set of lenses.  Mildred contended from the beginning that Ray Rice had a total disregard for her well-being.

Here is an excerpt of Mildred’s reaction from her Facebook page today:  “The force of the punch caused her to hit her head on the rail and she is out cold…He was not kind, careful or concerned with her! He did not display remorse, he didn’t care if she was coming out of her forced coma! He dragged her out of the elevator and was more concerned with his cellphone than with her…smh!  He treated her like she was worth nothing.  He is only concerned with his career.  Now, I hope he does not blame her for his actions, as most people have already began and continue to blame her (victim blaming).  He could have turned to the side.  He could have held her.  He could have done a lot of things.  However, he CHOSE to knock her out.  And these are the consequences of HIS actions!  Unacceptable behavior.  Agree with me or not…he was absolutely wrong.”

Mildred D. Muhammad is the ex-wife of John Allen Muhammad – the convicted and executed DC sniper who terrorized the Washington DC metropolitan area in late 2002. 

To read her perspective, click here to read our commentary.

Gary A. Johnson is the Founder & Publisher of Black Men In America.com a popular online magazine on the Internet and the Black Men In America.com Blog. Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life.” 

Black Consciousness in 21st Century America

 

By H. Lewis Smith

In the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting, concerned Black/African-Americans from all-over America converged on Ferguson, Missouri simultaneously presenting an intangible mirror reflecting Black consciousness in 21st century America. Whenever, there is a seemingly unjustified killing done by a white person to a black person, Black America historically since the 1960s will rise up in virtual rebellion. The sentiment being that Black America has low tolerance for police brutality towards blacks.

The reflection from the mirror however, presents an imbalanced and disconcerting image of Black America. It’s admirable of African-Americans to display unity in the face of what’s conceived as police brutally towards fellow Black Americans, but where is the same concern for the out of control killing of blacks by other blacks?

From Oakland to Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Newark gun violence takes a heavy toll on the black community where young black men are routinely killed at the hands of other blacks. The grief shouldered by black women, black families, black churches and the black community is enormous, but yet where is the internal concern, the outrage?
In my book, Undressing the N-word: Revealing the Naked Truth About Lies, Deceit and Mind Games I present how the road towards freedom, equality and justice is a two-way street and how we as Black African-Americans must hold ourselves equally accountable and responsible in the same light as we do others to achieve racial harmony and equality; which can only be accomplished via a healthy, liberated mindset.

Contemporary Black/African-Americans are presently traveling on a path of self-destruction and need to wake up to this reality post haste. For the past 30 years, the prowess spirit of Black America have been replaced or diluted with messages of self-destruction, inferiority, and insignificance mostly due to the creation and acceptability of gangsta rap and its associated lifestyle.

Where is the outrage, the strong rhetoric denouncing the actions of these predators? To the contrary—financially successful black rappers and businessmen—are held in high esteem throughout the Black community. The products from which they have gained their wealth contribute to the corruption and pollution of the minds of many black youth, crippling the minds of the impoverished even further.

The building of character and the positive molding of young minds have taken a back seat to cultural genocide and menticide. The memories, sacrifices and struggles of African-American ancestors too have been urinated, defecated and trampled upon at the expense of bestowing high applause upon those who have financially benefited by selling out their race.

Fifty years removed from 1964, and the state of affairs throughout the Black community is on life support. Black-on-Black crime, gangs, rampant drug selling and addictions; a high volume of incarcerations, probations, paroles; and problems in schools such as suspensions, expulsions and poor performances are not just externally caused conditions. In fact, the primary causes of these concerns stem from internal influences within the Black community.

Such acceptance and promotion of the glorification of violence, sex, drugs, and profanity as a lifestyle leads to an unhealthy, broken and unproductive environment. This same acceptance and rationalizing with defiling behaviors and attitudes serves as a breeding ground for trouble, despair, discord, discontent and afflictions of grave consequences.
When Black/African-Americans support rappers and entertainers that humiliate and degrade their own race, those supporters are participating in cultural, mental genocide and the sanctioning of every whiplash and other atrocities felt by enslaved ancestors. These same fans are contributing to the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and cultural extermination of the Black race as the entire world watches in amazement at such abnormal behavior. Some rappers were present at Ferguson lending their support and kudos to them, but it doesn’t nullify the fact that they are part of the problem.

Rather than promoting positive images; encouraging black youth not to take the same violent or negative routes that they took to stardom; stressing the importance of education, self-awareness, and self-dignity (having some class and sophistication); and truly being accessible to youths to serve as impressionistic mentors, they only continue to suck the life from the Black community in terms of asking citizens to buy their immoral records and empty labels with no positive messaging.

Use and tolerance of the n-word is not indicative of a free liberated mind nor the desire or effort to achieve greatness. Rather, embracing the n-word, violence, denigration of women is reflective of a bonded mind or mental illness.
Blacks must begin to teach and show by example future generations a new way of thinking. African-Americans must also realize that with freedom, education and independence, comes the requirement to be accountable and responsible for one’s own acts; in other words there is a crying need for the Black community to hold one another accountable and responsible for the welfare and well-being of the community which isn’t presently being done in this 21st century.

H. Lewis Smith is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc., http://www.theunitedvoices.com author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word, and the recently released book Undressing the N-word: Revealing the Naked Truth, Lies, Deceit and Mind Games https://www.createspace.com/4655015.