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2024-03-29T07:53:45Z
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The Quick Scan by Mike Ramey
https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/the-quick-scan-by-mike-ramey-406
2024-02-18T16:21:03.000Z
2024-02-18T16:21:03.000Z
Mike Ramey
https://www.theblacklist.net/members/MikeRamey
<div><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><u>THERE ARE BETTER WAYS</u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> A few years back, it was revealed that for every one million students who played basketball, maybe two would have the talent to turn pro. This was roughly the same ratio for those who wanted to play professional football. This simply means that for the rest of the young men involved in athletics, they would need to have a realistic ‘back up’ plan for success after their high school and college sports days were behind them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> Over the years, we would hope that many of those involved in working with young men in our various urban areas would realize that there are more lasting vocations other than sports. Sadly, we still have too many older men who have perpetuated the lie that the only ‘successful’ young man—especially a young Black man—must give their all to get into professional sports—even to the point of making an idol out of it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> It disturbs me to report that there are youth organizations that I am aware of that have made it public that they want to ‘partner up’ with the NFL, the NBA, or some other professional sports organization. Of course, the obvious reason why they want to ‘partner up’ is because of the deep pockets that these organizations represent—monies which they take in from the public. After all, ‘partnering up’ with a highly visible outfit like the NFL would do wonders for the bottom line of such groups (not to mention raising their public profiles).</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> Today’s modern athlete—even at the college level—is hardly a worthy role model for young Black men. How can we steer our Black youth away from criminal and ungodly lifestyles that have proven themselves as the ‘lubricant’ for the prison express railroad when some Black athletes encourage violent and crime-ridden lifestyles? Add to the quagmire the fact that it has been held to be OK for college athletes to ‘cash in’ on their contribution to their sport in the present…a big change from the days past when the NCAA was the only one allowed to profit from the labor of college athletes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> I’ll dare say that some of those involved in leading some youth organizations did not do much in the way of furthering their educations and think that they can ‘muddy the mental waters’ of the young men in their charge to focus ONLY on sports. In the Black community of tomorrow, we’ll need more tech people, carpenters, doctors, and other more stable careers. Athletics is a very narrow employment field with a limited shelf life. It’s time we realize there are better ways to success for more of our young men, and there needs to be more emphasis put on non-athletic careers. I’m not anti-sports. However, I am against puttting forth sports as the ‘only way’ for our young men to advance and achieve in society in the present—and the future.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> <em>Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. “The Quick Scan” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996. To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: </em><a href="mailto:mgmikeramey@yahoo.com"><em>mgmikeramey@yahoo.com</em></a><em>. ©2024 Barnstorm Communications International.</em></span></p></div>
Black man in Texas suing NFL ‘cause they bullied him at Super Bowl XLV
https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/black-man-in-texas-suing-nfl-cause-they-bullied-him-at-super-bowl
2012-02-14T02:15:57.000Z
2012-02-14T02:15:57.000Z
TBL_Promoter
https://www.theblacklist.net/members/TBLPromoter
<div><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"><font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">By <a href="http://aol.com" target="_blank">Saeed Shabazz</a> ~</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Eric Williams, a Dallas-based filmmaker and anti-bullying activist claims that while he was going about the business of counseling youth in Arlington, Texas, the site for the NFL’s ‘Super Bowl XLV’ he was “bullied by the NFL”.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> “<font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">I had permission from the Best Buy Company to use their parking lot to set up my bus near Cowboys Stadium, but that meant nothing to the police and NFL private security people who told me to move my bus,” Williams argues. He said they asked if he had a permit to be there, he did not; but had received permission from Best Buy, since it was their private parking lot.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> “<font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">When I refused to leave, I was handed a $500 ticket for operating within a ‘clean zone’. And the NFL’s private security and later Arlington police officers surrounded him and his bus – hands on their guns, he said.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Observers say ‘Clean Zones’ have been used recently by municipalities hosting super bowls and other major sporting events, including the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, NCAA tournament games and the College World Series. Local authorities establish the zones through an ordinance such as ‘Prop 188’, used in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XVLI. According to some analysts, clean zone violators can be fined as well as have their goods seized.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Advocates of clean zones say the benefits are substantial to those attending games and to local communities, because vendors who don’t have NFL permission to hawk their wares might try to confuse game attendees into believing they have a working relationship with the league. Williams says all of that is poppy-cock. “They charged me with “ambush marketing”; and I found out through the ‘Freedom of Information Act’ that all of the people ticketed were Black or Hispanic,” Williams revealed with a note of anger in his voice.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">The Wall St. Journal in a Jan. 2010 article said originally ambush marketing described a brand’s attempt to associate itself to a team or event without buying the rights to do so, in order to detract from a rival that paid to be an official sponsor.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> “<font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">That’s my argument, ambush marketing was set up to protect big corporations from each other; not against a guy like me who wasn’t selling anything,” Williams said.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> “<font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">When they handed me that ticket, I felt right then that as a Black man I had been violated”, Williams remembers. He said that only individuals were ticketed, not corporations; including Best Buy, whose lot his bus was parked on.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">A sports law professor at the Vermont Law School writing for SI.com notes that Williams’ case may well challenge the constitutionality of the clean zone ordinance and the “so-called ‘pervasive entwinement’ of its implementation.” The case has moved beyond the motion to dismiss, which means in May, the anti-bully activist and the big-bad NFL would end up in a U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Among nine causes of action, Williams alleges violations of First Amendment rights; violations of ‘Due Process’ rights; violations of the ‘Equal Protection’ clause of the 14</font><sup><font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">th</font></sup><font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; violations of the ‘Contracts of the U.S. Constitution – common law and stigma-plus defamation claims, tortuous interference with contract/business relations; intentional intimidation of emotional distress and negligence.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Williams is seeking compensatory, statutory, exemplary, and punitive damages.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">The NFL is commenting, at least not to this reporter. But, in the <a href="http://SI.com" target="_blank">SI.com</a> article it is said the league “maintains” that it is immune from liability because of the Noerr-Pennington doctrine, that protects the right of persons(including businesses such as the NFL) to lobby for passage of laws. And so it seems that the NFL believes that even if the Arlington, Texas ‘clean zone’ ordinance is found unconstitutional, it has the right to escape responsibility.</font></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> <font style="font-size:16pt;" size="4">Williams says he doesn’t buy into the theory that the NFL is God. “The NFL really believes that they have become some kind of quasi-God that steps on the rights of average people,” he said.</font></p><p> </p><p> </p></div>
Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Taj Smith & Panel Speak On: "The Myth, Reality, and Challenges of Black Professional Athletes In Raising A Family."
https://www.theblacklist.net/profiles/blogs/indianapolis-colts-wide-1
2011-03-01T16:30:00.000Z
2011-03-01T16:30:00.000Z
TheBlackList
https://www.theblacklist.net/members/TheBlackList
<div><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.colts.com/images/news_photos/10_smith%5C2010_0826_gb033_macht.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.colts.com/images/news_photos/10_smith%5C2010_0826_gb033_macht.jpg" alt="10_smith%5C2010_0826_gb033_macht.jpg" /></a>Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Taj Smith joined a panel of current and former NFL athletes for the Young Fathers Program in celebration of Black History Month at UMDNJ in Newark.<br /><br />Topics included life before and after football and what it means to be a “Football Father”.<br />Newark, N.J.—February 28, 2011—On Wednesday February 24, 2011 the Young Fathers Program at UMDNJ joined professionals from the Sports Industry for a presentation on “The Pressure/Impact of Black Professional Athletes in Raising a Family—The Myth, Reality, and Challenges of the Professional Athlete in Raising a Family”.</p>
<p><br />Indianapolis Colts Taj Smith spoke alongside other current and former NFL athletes including a 1984 Olympian about the unseen difficulties of a life in professional sports. The presentation focused on their lives before, during and after a professional sports career. NFL Panelists shared the importance of establishing a career path and financial plan before their career begins to protect them during and after their career in sports. Other panelists shared their experiences on being a father with an career in the NFL.</p>
<p><br />“Never allow yourself to give up because nothing happens without faith, perseverance, hard work, and dedication. I feel it’s my time to share this with people” said Taj Smith.</p>
<p><br />Moderated by Jim Norris, panelists included Oakland Raiders Joe Porter, Seattle Seahawks Jay Alford, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ian Scott, Dallas Cowboys Gary Westberry, Seattle Seahawks Tony Woods, Denver Broncos Jeff Mills, and 1984 Olympian John Marshall.</p>
<p><br />Special guest panelist Dr. F. Kennedy Gordon of Gordon Elite Sports spoke about the athletes’ responsibility of caring for their bodies during their career to prevent future injuries.</p>
<p><br />“I thought it was phenomenal in terms of the content of information. We get an image from media that is glamorous, beautiful, glorified athletes playing the game and it’s so enticing. But today, we got to talk about the real challenges behind the scenes that we never hear, we never talk about and the real afflictions that has come from this NFL professional sports. And I’m kind of taken by the reality and really feeling the emotional pain of these gentleman articulating what has really transpired. I think today was an incredible day. I love the spirit of the panel. Their spirits weren’t broken.” said Mr. Charles Dixon, Director of the Young Fathers Program.</p>
<p><br /><strong>Contact:</strong> <br /><em>Robyn Leigh Butler</em><br /><em>973-652-6657</em><br /><em><a href="http://yahoo.com" target="_blank">indonaye330@yahoo.com</a></em><br /><br /></p></div>