Listed below is a question posed to the public by my good friend Lori Grier followed by my response. What is yours?
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PEYTON’S NEW PLACE IN THE NFL
Overview
Peyton Manning, once the King of NFL QB’s, is the newest member of the “Can’t Let Go” Club. As much as it’s detested, the great ones always seem to have trouble letting go. Despite earning over $174M in salary, generating mercurial statistics and being assured a place in the NFL Hall of Fame, Peyton Manning is just like all the rest; he can’t let go.
Instead of giving Manning a $28M roster bonus in early March, Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts released the 12-time Pro Bowler due of health concerns following 4-neck fusion surgeries that caused him to miss the 2011-12 NFL season. The fact that Indianapolis compiled the NFL’s worst record and now owns the NFL’s #1 overall pick, also contributed to the decision to release Manning.
Immediately after being released, Arizona, Cleveland, Denver, Miami and Seattle emerged as the front runners for Manning’s services while Houston, Tennessee, San Francisco and Washington were initially listed as tier-2 suitors. The Browns, Redskins and Seahawks were eliminated by Manning without as much as a visit. Meetings with the other teams listed continue as I compose this blog entry.
Elite QB’s
Defining an Elite QB is a controversial issue. The general public and the talking heads continuously argue about the distinction between Franchise and Elite QB’s. Franchise QB’s are statistically superior players that are usually the undisputed leaders of their respective teams. Elite QB’s are very similar but they are ultimately differentiated from Franchise QB’s by Super Bowl victories. There are several Franchise QB’s in the NFL but really only 6 that are considered Elite QB’s. They are; Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and (Pre-Surgery) Peyton Manning. And, despite meeting the Elite QB criteria, the jury is still out on one of the Elite QB’s (see Eli) as many owners would NOT trade their current Franchise for him. Those owners would trade for the Super Bowl rings but not the actual QB that was responsible for earning them. That controversy is another topic for another blog entry.
My Perspective
Am I the only one that seems to think all this excitement about a fragile, 36-year old QB is senseless? If this guy’s name was John Smith, would we still be excited? Peyton Manning, despite a clean bill of health from his personal team of doctors, has yet to even take a team physical or take a hit. The current courtship seems to indicate that there are no concerns about Manning’s health. I will be definitely be watching closely to see if such cavalier sentiments remain as the season progresses. In situations like these I tend to play the odds. The odds here, favor “Father Time”. “Father Time” is undefeated but, NFL GM and team Presidents, as usual, are suckers for the love of yesteryear’s heroics and stat lines.
Don’t get it confused, Peyton Manning will add value to whatever franchise he selects, even If he doesn’t play a single down. However, winning a second Super Bowl is another story. Yet most of the franchises listed as possible landing spots have spoken publicly about being a franchise QB away from the Super Bowl. Perhaps, I am a bit jaded and delusional from being a lifelong Detroit Lion fan but, most of the team listed have weaknesses that supersede the QB position. As I peruse the list again, after the 49ers and the Texans, I recall the rosters of Arizona, Cleveland, Denver, and Miami, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington then silently chuckle to myself while thinking “C’mon Son”.
My trepidation about the forthcoming Peyton Manning deal mainly involves his health issues. If Peyton Manning was healthy, the Indianapolis Colts would not have let him go. While I understand that the pending NFL #1 overall pick Andrew Luck is a “can’t miss prospect” but Peyton Manning made football relevant in the basketball rich state of Indiana.
For 14 of the past 15-years Peyton Manning has been a football surgeon. When healthy and aligned with the proper weapons and offensive scheme, he has dissected defenses to the tune of over 55,000 yards, 400 TD’s, 4-MVP’s and 1-Super Bowl title. Impressive laurels indeed but, this surgeon will initially lack the familiarity, tools and structure of Indianapolis as he begins to operate in his new locale using his surgically repaired 36-year old body.
Despite my skepticism regarding his health, Peyton will do fine wherever he lands. This is not the washed up Carson Palmer, not the completely overrated Kevin Kolb, nor is it this year’s Kolb, Matt Flynn. This is Peyton Manning, a leader supreme and football savant, trying to reestablish his football relevance and tie his younger brother in Super Bowl titles. While doing so, let’s hope that “Peyton’s Place” is in the Pro Bowl and not in surgery, once he finds a team to lead.
Writers Note: This blog was compiled BEFORE Manning committed to the Denver Broncos on March 19, 2012.
11-Brothers/18-Degrees and $1.8MM in Education
Brothers,
Thanks for showing up at the Horace Estate to fellowship, eat, drink and be merry while watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. The New York Giants won a thriller. The game was great, the food and drink were good and plentiful however, the fellowship amongst progressive Brothers was what the most impressive part. As usual, the good natured chiding was prevalent as was the usual school/alma mater bashing.
Special shout out to Paul Horace for hosting the affair. We appreciate you opening the doors of your home Nupe. And, to the point that you made while addressing the group, we must continue to offer support to one another as a precursor to greater awareness and our collective growth. Doing so will enable us to make such gatherings more commonplace and allow us to more readily celebrate new hires like Ike and Andre, promotions like Rob’s, expansions in the fold with Brothers like Johnny and Aaron and continue to acknowledge meteoric rise of Brothers like Reece, Kev and Sidney…on a regular basis.
Let’s cease the opportunity to be great, to be champions in our own right; individually and collectively. I’ll continue to be the conduit while quarterbacking and/or running the point; you Brothers keep scoring and we all win.
One!
Hatch
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Parting Shots/Follow-up Items
•To settle the MLK debate; Hosea Williams (Sigma), Jesse Jackson (Omega), Martin Luther King, Jr. (Alpha) and Ralph David Abernathy, Jr. (Kappa) are the Brothers in the picture on the hotel balcony in Memphis just before Dr. King was shot.
•Giants RB, Brandon Jacobs is from Houma, LA. He attended Auburn and Southern Illinois before being drafted by the G-Men in the 4th round of the 2005 draft.
•Tom Brady’s wife, Brazilian Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, is worth an estimated $150MM. He also has a kid with Supermodel Bridget Moynahan.
As a lifelong Detroit Lions fan, I am challenged in writing this entry about All-Pro Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh, arguably the face of the franchise.
In case you just arrived on the sports planet, I’ll address the events that served as the inspiration. In the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers, Suh was ejected for kicking/stomping the arm of Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith after the two became entangled on the ground in the 3rd quarter. Suh’s action turned a third-down incompletion into a first and goal situation that the Packers turned into a touchdown two plays later. This play changed the momentum of the game and most certainly killed any chances the Lions had at ending the Packers 11-game unbeaten streak. The events and subsequent explanation led many to call him a thug.
Since joining the Lions and the NFL in July of 2010, much has been made about Suh’s on field and off field demeanor. Off the field, he is known as a gentle giant that tirelessly gives of himself Detroit’s charitable organizations. On the field his aggressive but effective style of play has been referred to as both great and also as criminal. In his rookie season, Suh was voted to the as a Pro Bowl starter and NFL All-Pro. No player since Barry Sanders has held such a distinction. This is the stuff legends are made of, not thugs.
What Suh did was dumb. His explanation may have been even dumber but let’s face it, Suh is not a thug. He is not the typical athlete that “makes it rain”, flosses bling and causes problems from one side of town to the other. In most instances, this guy is good intentioned thoughtful and eloquent. I have to believe that this is a reprehensible anomaly.
This is a man that GRADUATED from Nebraska as an academic all-American with a Construction Management BS engineering degree. Last year, he gave $2.6 million back to the university; $2-million for the School of Engineering and $600,000 for the strength and conditioning program. That is not typical athlete stuff. Then again, Suh is not a typical kind of guy.
In addition to being a team captain and lauded by head coach Jim Schwartz, teammates and the Detroit non-profit community, Suh has not been above league reproach. He has been fined a total of $42,500 by the league for three violations in the first year-and-a-half of his career. In a poll of fellow players conducted by the Sporting News, Suh was named “the dirtiest player” in the NFL. The designation bothered Suh so much that he requested and received a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell aka “Roger GOD-dell” to gain clarity around what has brought about the large amount of fines. After the meeting, both sides walked away saying nice things however, that is certain to change now.
Up until now, I have sided with and defended Suh on his high hits and often-questionable shots. In most instances his actions, from my perspective, appeared to boarder line but well within the NFL rules. This time, there is no defense. Suh was out of control.
I am now of the opinion that Suh has control issues. He does not appear to be a thug, malcontent nor badass, just an incredibly talented man with control issues. The penalty levied by the officials on Suh for the momentum-changing penalty was fair and just. Quite frankly, Jim Schwartz and the Lions should do the same thing. He should be suspended for at least a game BY THE LIONS regardless of what the NFL does. He needs a wake up call for those control issues. I used to think he was unfairly targeted and I actually still do for a lot of the previous hits however, there is no disagreement with the officials on this one. After his actions on Thanksgiving Day for the entire world to see, he is OFFICIALLY a dirty player.
Suh’s post game comments about simply being “entangled”, “not intentionally trying to hurt anyone” and “no matter how it looked, him and the man upstairs (nee God, not to be confused with GOD-dell) knows what his intentions were”, was typical knee-jerk reaction to criticism for a 24-year-old caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar and typical for today’s athletes. Today, it is all too common to want to be judge by your intentions while judging others by their actions. It’s common for people charged with egregious acts to speak to everything but the issue at hand. Suh was typical in this regard. His bizarre, weak explanation of the event did nothing to extricate him from the wrath of GOD-dell that is sure to follow.
It’s time for Suh to behave in a manner of someone typical of someone who has behaved so boorishly. He must step up and take responsibility for his outlandish behavior. Finally, he needs to find a way to address his out of control behavior. If not, only GOD-dell knows how long he will be suspended and typically referred to as a thug.
Go Lions!
Bear Fans,
Bear Down! Bear Down! His name is Jay Cutler.
Last year when the Packer came to Soldier Field and kicked your butts, all of you’s talked about how weak Cutler was. Many of you’s even went as far as saying that Rookie Caleb Hanie (or Hiney LOL), who actually finished the game after Cutler was injured, was the actual future of the Bears NOT Cutler. Well, the future is now! I told you in this very space that was silly talk. The backup QB is ALWAYS the most popular guy in town! Fans tend to forget that those guys are backups for a reason. The panic level is so high, they are even talking Ole’ #4 (Brett Favre) on Chicago Sports Radio; LOL! Really? Go Figure!
The wishful and highly unlikely scenario that is playing out on Chicago sport radio goes like this; the Bears pick up Favre and he learns the offense over the next month then, shows up at Lambeau Field where the Bears will meet the Pack on Christmas Day. It is there, that the Favre led Bears will knock the Pack from the ranks of the unbeaten. WRITERS NOTE: I am laughing so hard that I am having trouble typing this foolishness.
There are two problems with this reasoning;
1) Favre ain’t coming back!
· Even you delusional Bears fans know this. Besides, he’s not good anymore anyway.
2) The Bears couldn’t beat the Packers this year with John Elway being backed up by Johnny Unitas at quarterback. Vince “Wheels” Evans may be available though-LOL
· Simple Equation to Beat the Bears;
i. Don’t get the ball punched out from behind =Beat the Bears
ii. Kick/Punt the ball out of bounds = Beat the Bears
3) The Lions will beat the Pack on Thanksgiving Day.
· Before you respond with foolish remarks, do the research while asking yourself, “who was the last team to beat the Packers?” It was, wait for it, wait for it, The Detroit Lions! Oh yeah, we also knocked our Aaron Rodgers during that game.
I’m gon’ need to hear from the same Chi-Town folks that was blowin’ up my timeline and text messages last week; J-Horne, Metta, Quig and others that were definitely talking smack but just didn’t get around to blowing me up i.e. The Russaw Crew, Steve Morgan, D-Spence etc. Imma also need to need some of my dudes like E-Ram, Fred Green, B-Kos, Hutch, Sid Shands, Wells, “Walk-Down” Walker and Hugh B to chime in as I settle this score…or do more to induce Lion hate.
Lion Up! Bear Down! For real!!!!!
Go Lions!
Hatch
Inspiration and the Sky
“Gotta testify, come up in the spot looking extra fly
For the day I die, I’mma touch the Sky”
Kanye West
“Touch the Sky”
In life, we have no control over what inspires us. Inspiration can come from many different sources. I have been inspired by many unusual sources. When seeking inspiration, I often look to the Sky. I look to the Sky for many reasons.
In addition to being a metaphorical holding ground for the heavens, the Sky suggests dreaming, optimism, strength and a relationship with the atmosphere, a connection with the universe, an umbrella to all that is life. That is inspiration. That is the Sky.
As a dreamer I look to the Sky as I search for a better place, not just for myself but, for other poverty-stricken, misunderstood men, women, boys and girls that seek better lives. As a place to join other misinformed, uninformed and ignored souls that dare to challenge the status quo. The ones in this Sky continue to defy the odds, march towards their goals and hallucinate of success while wide awake. The characters in this Sky possess the vision required to see the evolution of life at warp speed, while embracing the moments within the moment, like this one…; the moments that had never happened before and will never happen again. This is done while guiding communities and inspiring legions they rarely see and may never, ever encounter. This is dreaming. This is the Sky.
As an optimist I look to the Sky as a container of all things possible; a covenant for new endeavors and representation of the blank slate provided by life to craft sacred stories. I look to the Sky to be enlightened during the desolate times that often define our desires. Even when gray, the Sky provides reason for optimism; actually more at that time. The gray Sky represents a pantheon that gives pause to the unlimited region known as the gray areas. The land that allow us to consider “both”, “and” instead of “either or”. This is optimism. This is the Sky.
As a symbol of strength I look to the Sky as a steady force of refinement; a new way of considering life, a new way of living. This steadfast approach which highlights fortitude is often misconstrued as petulance however, the Sky knows, like the old wise men in villages, what the Gods are whispering. The Sky uses its strength, power and coverage to hold these secrets, my secrets, your secrets in place via light via fragments of information from the healers, over 2000 seasons which is why we are so blest. The Sky is in constant contact with the universe and muscles are developing accordingly. This is strength. This is the Sky.
When in need of an inspiration, I meditate and go deep. While doing so, I look up to the Sky and it’s like a drug, and think to myself;
“I’m, I’m Sky high,
I’m, I’m Sky high
I’m, I’m Sky high
Feels good to be home, baby! Feels good to be home!”
Paterno Not Paternal Enough: A Different Perspective
This love story that started 61 years ago has come to an end…
The troubling and deeply disturbing news out of Penn State University in State College, PA aka Happy Valley, PA has sent shockwaves throughout the world as well as the college football community. The recent events have permanently changed the way that NCAA Football all-time wins leader, Joe Paterno, will be revered.
On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 11pm eastern time, the Penn State board of trustees fired Paterno, affectionately known as “Joe Pa”, after his longtime assistant and once heir apparent to the Nittany Lion football throne, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested on 40-counts of child molestation. Paterno, according to the Board of Trustees, was fired in the best interest of the university and because he failed to take appropriate action after being notified by then graduate assistant Mike McQueary, of a sodomy act performed by Sandusky on a 10-year old boy in the showers of a Penn State locker room.
The grand jury testimony states that McQueary called his father and told him of the incident. His father told him to leave the building immediately. McQueary and his father returned the next day to alert Paterno initially and later, at the behest of “Joe Pa”, Athletic Director Tim Curley of what was seen. Many have criticized Paterno for not doing more than notifying the Athletic Director that an “inappropriate incident” had occurred. The popular thought is that Paterno should have, at the very least, called the authorities. Similar feelings have been expressed about Mike McQueary.
That’s where things get really cloudy for me. Where I differ from followers and conspiracy theorists that routinely talk about what they would do in deeply emotional situations when they really don’t have any idea. I am of the opinion that many people, in these situations, react without thinking and only go with the popular school of thought. To me, it’s similar to the lynch mob mentality.
Despite all of the acts listed in the 23-page deposition being deplorable, I cannot bring myself to understand why so many people have expressed outrage at Mike McQueary. It is unrealistic to think that McQueary, a former all-American quarterback who understands the culture and pecking order after being coached by Sandusky and Paterno at Penn State just a few years earlier, would do more than tell the man who hired him that he had seen his “right hand man” sodomizing a little boy in the shower. It would almost be like calling the police on your father which, at best, seems unlikely.
As a graduate assistant, McQueary did what he was supposed to do in notifying his hiring manager (Paterno) and his Department Head/Athletic Director (Curley) that he had witnessed a terrible, heinous crime; a rape, an assault, perpetrated by a high-ranking university official. At that point, it is incumbent upon the University Officials to investigate and take the appropriate action. McQueary was powerless outside of notifying his managers. To those who suggest otherwise, I ask the rhetorical questions: Should he have called the Penn State University Campus Police? If yes was your answer, what do you think PSU’s finest would have done with that information? We will never actually know, but I’m betting that it would have come right back to the same people; Joe Paterno, Tim Curley and PSU President Graham Spanier. These folks would have likely huddled in true “good ole boy” fashion and fired McQueary from his dream job and little else.
I certainly agree with Paterno being fired. I also concur with the thought that Paterno, arguably the most popular and powerful man in the state of Pennsylvania, should have done more. As Sandusky’s boss, at the very least, he should have done what was necessary to revoke Sandusky’s access to the program. I also feel as if it was imperative that President Spanier, acting in the best interest of the school, notify the authorities and certainly do more than prohibit Sandusky from bringing kids on campus. Prohibiting Sandusky from bringing kids to campus seemed to indicate that it was ok for him to carry out his actions, just not on campus.
In the perfect vision that is hindsight, we know that alerting the authorities and revoking Sandusky’s access to the team would have, at the very least, protected the university from much of the comprehensive collateral damage that has taken place since that time.
Much like in the corporate workplace and in the military, at state run institutions, a protocol and chain of command exists for filing complaints and investigating events. Failure to follow such procedures may themselves result in termination. Mike McQueary was the low man on the totem pole and, in my opinion, acted in a way that many of the people reading this blog entry would do if they saw one of their superiors doing something illegal: Protect yourself/your family/your livelihood first, then alert your manager as to what you saw. After that, because of the magnitude of the individuals involved, most people would stand down and not cause problems. I am not saying that it is the right answer, only the most likely. That is why I don’t understand why people are calling for the head of McQueary. He started this firestorm by doing the right thing and maxing out the power vested in him by the university. No one else in this equation can say the same thing.
Today, it is very easy for most people to sit in the comforts of their homes, happily situated in front of their newly purchased MacBooks and iPads, with their lives/livelihood/families unthreatened and preach about what they would do in a crisis situation , yet most of us don’t know. We think we know. Most of us really do not know at all.
Many of us have trouble leaning in on issues that impact us directly so it is unfathomable to think that things would be different if the immediate lives or livelihood of these same people and their families were at stake. It’s proven. We want to be judged by our intentions, yet we judge others by their actions
…this story, just like all other properly written love stories, ends in tragedy. Yes, even in Happy Valley.
Family Feud? For Real? This is almost too easy to be a classic…What were the folks at Family Feud thinking with aquestion like this anyway LOL. Now, I am interested in hearing what the other answers on the board were were…. Thanks Brother Barnes!
Morehouse Homecoming is just around the corner. The Capital City Classic was training camp, just a warmup for homecoming 2011. In a month, it’s ON! Check out this preview with highlights from last year.
WHITE MICHAEL VICK
This is an EXCELLENT essay by Toure!!!! This is also a great opportunity (for those smart enough to do so) to get past race and have meaningful discussions about issues and root cause; the impact of race on path to success and the root cause of many of the decisions made by public figures; decisions that the general public is often hyper-critical about. Brother Toure has set the table for us.
Sure, the photo is shocking; it’s meant to get your attention. We can go on and on wondering if Peyton Manning would ever be portrayed as a Black Man, for any reason but that’s a separate issue. This issue here is that the author presents a compelling piece that forces readers to examine the seemingly insurmountable challenges affiliated with growing up Black while contrasting the youth experience often presented as typical and common in white neighborhoods.
I have often heard some of my melanin-challenged brethren pose questions like; “why are Black people so angry?” followed by “I have never owned slaves, done anything racist, I am not a bigot…” While those things may be true, Black people as a whole were significantly disadvantaged through slavery, racism and bigotry. For those in denial and shaking their heads in disgust, I pose this question; how far would you/your family be set back if the forefathers were forced to provide 4-5 generations of free labor? If your great, great, great, great, great grandmother was repeatedly raped because those in charge had nothing else to do. If your great, great, great, great, great grandfather was sold away in the night to the highest bidder, would you carry around anger? Despair? Some degree of hopelessness? You may not know the answer to those rhetorical questions but the scenario is still thought-provoking in a disgusting way to me and most Black people. I posed the questions to provoke thought and stimulate discussion. Discussion is healthy, denial is not.
I routinely gauge published essays and periodical articles by the amount of discussion stimulated; the more discussion, the more thoughts provoked and the more thought provoked, the better the essay or article. If the response in the news, social media and internet trending is any indication, this story is damn good. If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. It’s all in Black and White.
