The Proselytizing of Ray Lewis

Now that Super Bowl XLVII is over, and one of the leagues controversial icons, Ray Lewis, is retiring, I have to vent a bit of frustration. Let me first begin by stating that I admire Ray Lewis, the football player. I admire his tenacity as a NFL champion, his longevity in the league, his decorated tenure in the league, and finally, his Super Bowl victory leaves an awesome legacy. Furthermore, his story of redemption and re-invention are powerful human experiences that are quite motivational. What an amazing motion picture that presents the drama of the human experience.

I have mixed emotions about the January 31, 2000 incident, and can only conclude that since the court of law did not prosecute him for the murders of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar it now resides with his conscience and his Maker to provide further judgment. My sympathy is with the Baker and Lollar families who lost love ones because of the blatant disregard and devaluing of life.  This incident speaks to the culture of violence that is prevalent throughout the U.S., in general, and Black-on-Black crime, specifically.  Furthermore, any criminal behavior associated with high profile celebrity athletes draw additional scrutiny because it displays either extreme arrogance and/or ignorance of their status role models; even if the try and plead the “Charles Barkley.”

In regards to the proselytizing of Ray Lewis, I have some difficulty with the implications of his religious pontificating, which is often done in sound bites.  For example, in an interview after winning the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, Ray Lewis asserts that, “No weapon form against him shall prosper.”  Furthermore, after the Ravens Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, he asserts that, “if God be for me, who can be against me.” 

I assume it is clear to the reader that both of these are Bible verses frequently referenced in the charismatic religious movement to denote the favor of God upon their lives.  His first assertion can be found in the Book of Isaiah 57:17 and the latter can be found in Romans 8:31. Let me state, however, that if Ray Lewis’s use of these scriptures is within the context of his personal trials and life challenges, I have no argument. Furthermore, my argument is not with the favor of God upon His/Her creation and creatures, but when scriptures like these are misused in the context of sport and out of context of their original meaning, I have a problem.

As a sport sociologist who tries to understand sport as a social phenomena that informs cultural ideology, I inform students of the various connections sport has with other social institutions in the U.S.  Religion is one of those institutions where sport has a strong connection.  Whether it is the use of prayer in pre-game rituals, the presence of Chaplains on the staff of athletic departments or professional sport teams, or when athletes express their thanks to God or espouse their religious fervor after victories, the religion-sport connection is evident.

Well, to put it bluntly, I do not think God cares about who wins or loses within any given sport context. Or, I do not believe that God is on the side of the victor and S/he punishes their opponent with a loss.  What happens when both teams are praying for a victory, do we think God hears one team and ignores the other?  Did God favor the AFC over the NFC this year?  Is S/he more of a Ray Lewis fan than a Colin Kaepernick’s?

Ray Lewis proselytizing presents a God who takes sides, has favorites, rewards one with victory and punishes others with defeat.  NO! NO! NO!  The application of these scripture verses to explain victory, to illustrate how you are on God’s favorite team, or to situate sport and certain sporting events to have a higher spiritual meaning is problematic.  Despite the fact that we have displaced sports and athletes to an elevated status in this country, by way of media attention and multi-million dollar contracts, let us remain sober yet vigilant and critical to the improper and inappropriate evangelizing and the contradictory messages disseminated.  Sports should be enjoyed and both the winners and losers should be celebrated for the demonstration of their talents and physical abilities without attempts of evoking some higher meaning, higher cause, or higher being to the outcome.  Ultimately, it is just a game, and minus officiating errors, the winner is generally team that performed the best during that specific game.

Institutional Neglect of Institutional Power: Should the NCAA Penalize Penn State’s Football Program

(A version of this essay appeared in New York Times: Room for Debate)

The travesty of the Penn State/Sandusky-gate speaks loudly to institutional power and the culture of protection, cover-up, and secrecy that prevails in college athletics, specifically, and university administrations, in general. The severity of Sandusky’s offenses goes beyond the reach of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) ability or need to take action against Penn State football program for the following reasons:

·      Sandusky was found guilty in a court of law and will be sentenced to time in prison. Any additional criminal charges of neglect by university administrators should also be addressed by the court of law. 

·      According to President of the NCAA, Mark Emmert, the mission of the NCAA “is to be an integral part of higher education and to focus on the development of our student athletes.”[1] Any penalty administered by the NCAA against the Penn State Football program will undoubtedly and adversely impact the athletes they are concern with developing. Since no athletes were implicated in these charges, penalizing the football team or other athletic teams would only result in penalizing the innocent.

·      Lastly, although the public perception regarding the power of the NCAA may be distorted, the institutional neglect that occurred at Penn State reached beyond the athletic department, and since a Penn State University employee, who had access to university property and the opportunity to violate young boys, the University should be held liable. Effectively addressing this institutional neglect is far beyond the reach of the “power” of the NCAA.

Efforts of the NCAA should be in addressing the organizational culture of the athletic departments they oversee that allow good and bad men to behave badly where criminal behavior occurs and is protected. Fostering transparency and addressing the athletic privilege that is abused within these athletic departments should be a priority in the NCAA’s mission of focusing on the development of student athletes.

Additional collaborative efforts by the NCAA and the University/University System should take the following into consideration:

1). They should provide assistance (counseling services, etc.; fine the athletic department to cover the tab) to the victims, remove Paterno's statue from on campus and his name from all buildings on campus (regardless of his donations), remove his statue, disavow Paterno's & Sandusky's athletic accomplishments from the time of the first offense, etc.
2). The above suggestions are tolerable given the commercial interests of both of the NCAA and University.  Keep in mind that the NCAA's primary role is as an advisory board that governs its members, but it has evolved into a corporate enterprise that now manages the commercial interests and expansion of its members. With that said, Penn State football is a major corporate enterprise: e.g., during the 2011-2012 season football revenue was $72,747,734 with expenses of $19, 519,288 - not a bad ratio. The NCAA and Big Ten will be taking this into consideration before acting irrationally by handing out a Death Penalty. I know SMU is an example, but the offenses were directly related to the TEAM and involved team members.

3) This case is unprecedented and will require unprecedented action.

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[1] On the Mark: Quotes from President Emmert on various NCAA topics. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/NCAA+President/On+the+Mark (accessed July 16, 2012).

College Football Playoff: Unstoppable

The financial impact of a college football playoff is estimated to be worth from $5-$6 billion. This estimate is predicted based on a multi-year media agreement.  It does not include the sell of tickets or the economic impact to the hosting cities. Yes, the “former” BCS system had it flaws of not accurately producing a national champion and the bowls were losing popularity, but are these the motivating factors? I doubt if there would be many disagreements to the conclusion that the move to a playoff system is driven purely by economic motives. The urgency to generate more revenue, build bigger facilities, and to host bigger collegiate sport spectacles is like a runaway train speeding unmanned, uncontrollable, and without the aid of Denzel Washington and Chris Pine to bring it under control; it’s unstoppable. 

The issue that is often lost in the discussion regarding revenue generation and expenditure is the athletic labor force – the athlete. Therefore as the revenue increases so do the athletic demands that are placed on this athletic labor force. There is no way to expect greater returns without the expectation of greater athletic output, which ultimately require athletes to make sacrifices to their lives as “students”. 

The final issue of concern is the racial dynamics of this athletic labor force.  For racial demographics of the 2011 and 2012 BCS National Championship games, Blacks athletes made of 61% of the teams competing in the games. In last year’s championship game alone, Black athletes made up 71% of the teams. My main point here is that Black males are economic imperatives; i.e., their athletic talent is essential to the economic viability and expansion of this college football industry. Similar to the key position Black male basketball players occupy in generating 90% of the NCAA’s revenue, Black male football players are critical to the college football enterprise.

Since we have evolved to a playoff system, is the possibility for compensating athletes beyond the bare minimum of an athletic scholarship becoming more of a reality? Is fair compensation inevitable; especially as athletic demands increased placing greater pressure on athletes? Or, will we continue to allow this unstoppable system continue out of control on the backs of young men? 

NHL Fans: Open Season On Attacking Black People

Sport has often been considered to be a racial barometer that predicts progress in race relations in this country. Whether it was the breaking of the color line in Major League Baseball by Jackie Robinson or the increase representation of Blacks athletes in the NFL and NBA, one might conclude that this nation has progressed racially; especially when you evaluate this in light of how Blacks have faced many obstacles in this country from slavery to Jim Crow Segregation. The visibility Black athletes have in popular media somehow nullifies these historical experiences and suggest racial progress - really?

Furthermore, with the election President Barack Obama, many are suggesting that the U.S. has metamorphosed into a post-racial era. On the contrary, I believe we have been jettisoned into a pro-racist era where there is an opened season to attack and/or kill Black people. The death of Trayvon Martin, the white terrorist attack in Tulsa, Oklahoma, or the killing of Kenneth Chamberlain are fatal results of this open season on Black people. To a much lesser degree, the death threats and the N-word filled tirade by Boston NHL fans launched against Washington Capital's Joel Ward is another example of this open season. These are just a few examples that should inform us that a post-racial society is only a mirage.

I am not surprised that Boston "sport" fans behaved in this manner. As products of their environments, they are simply operating out of the context prescribed to them by a system of white supremacy. I am surprised that you are surprised that this type of racist nonsense happened in sport. Although sport has been a site of resistance - for example the Black Power Salute during the 1968 Olympics - it has also reflected and reinforced some of the dominant oppressive ideologies that are prevalent in this country. The Boston's NHL fans N-Word tirades are simply an example of deep-seated racism that prevails throughout institutions in the U.S. and illustrates how sport and sport fans can and do reflect and reinforce dominant racist ideologies.

Critical Race Theory: From Analysis to Practice to Revolution

Recently, Critical Race Theory (CRT) has come under attack in the mainstream media due to President Obama’s affiliation with the late Professor Derrick Bell; one of the founders and key contributors of this theoretical framework. In a nutshell, CRT seeks to expose the pervasiveness of white supremacy in various institutional arrangements (legal system, education, sport, etc.) in this country that have categorically disadvantage people of color, in general, and Blacks, specifically. Yet, it has been misinterpreted by modern day white supremacist, tea partiers, and other conservatives as being a dangerous dogma that seek to bring the white majority into submission.

At the recent College Sport Research Institute Conference at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, a session examined CRT and college sports. This session was led by Dr. John Singer of the University of Texas A&M providing a review and overview of CRT. It also consisted of scholars presenting on how CRT has informed their research and practice in college sports. For example, Joseph Cooper of the University of Georgia and Albert Bimper of University of Texas – Austin both provided examples of how CRT has informed their research on Black male athletes; while Dr. Akilah Carter-Francique of the University of Texas A & M and Dr. Fritz Polite of the University of Tennessee presented examples of how CRT informed their work in developing programs to mentor Black female athletes (see Sista to Sista program created by Dr. Carter-Francique) and the program Dr. Polite has initiated to mentor of Black male athletes and empower them to be mentors to young aspiring athletes.

Therefore, CRT, in its infancy in the context of college sports, is being used as a tool of analysis and explanation, as well as a tool to inform how programs are develop to empower Black male and female athletes.  It can also be used as a proactive revolutionary theory for athletic reform that further empowers Black athletes. For example, interest convergence, one of the tenets of CRT, simply suggests that the interests of Blacks will be accommodated when it converge with the interests of Whites and where Whites stand to benefit. 

In college athletics, Black male athletes play a significant role in the revenue generating sports of college football and basketball. They make up over 60% of the athletes who generate over 90% of the NCAA annual revenue. Furthermore, they make up the majority of starters on the majority of the top ten teams across the nation. Since predominantly White NCAA institutions are benefiting the most from the athletic labor of Black males, it would be in their best interest to support and promote the interests of Black male athletes. Therefore, having this knowledge compels Black athletes to better understand their individual power to negotiate and their collective power to make demands that insure their academic success and physical safety as athletes, while reducing the exploitation of their talent and likeness.

The Assassination of Trayvon Martin: A Victim of A.R.T. Descriptors

Polarizing racial events often capture this Nation’s attention. Often reminding us of U.S.’s deep dark racist secrets and continually making it evident that race still matters in the age of post-racial propaganda. Case and point: Trayvon Martin; A seventeen year old black male racially profiled, harassed, and gun down in Sanford, Florida while walking home. Black males have often been the victims of physical violence and death at the hands of whites because we are Black men. Racial profiling is not a new occurrence for Black communities. As Strange Fruit, populating southern trees we are all too familiar with racial profiling. Now it is either “driving while black” or “walking while Black,” we have been the targets of this nation’s mismanaged racial policies. George Zimmerman simply joins the list of terrorist who have troubled our existence and our desire to be both Black and American. Zimmerman’s assassination of Trayvon is a reenactment of the senseless violence and lynchings that have plagued the history of Black males on this continent.

Who are we to really blame for the Zimmermans of the America. Unfortunately, desegregation has only addressed some of the structural inequalities that were remnants of slavery and Jim Crow segregation. It did not address the ideological issues that prevail in the minds of Zimmermans who fail to evolve beyond their racist beliefs and stereotypes about Blacks. To them, we are racially profiled as either ATHLETES, RAPPERS, and/or THUGS (A.R.T Black male dominant descriptors). Each semester, I encounter cognitive dissonance when I stand in front of a class of predominantly white students who have framed black males using these A.R.T. descriptors. Their gaze alerts me to how they are struggling to disarm the racial filters they have constructed through, inappropriate socialization, limited racial interaction, and mis-education.

Trayvon unfortunately fit the description of a Thug to George Zimmerman. Therefore, while we are celebrating March Madness and cheering for teams comprised predominantly of Black male ATHLETES (who are generating millions of dollars for predominantly white institutions), PLEASE remember Trayvon Martin: a victim of A.R.T descriptors. We can never erase our racist past, but we can work to prevent a racist future for the future generations of Trayvon Martins by stopping the reproduction of Zimmermanites!

The Case of Manning and Tebow: The Harsh Reality of Professional Sports

The harsh reality of the professional sport world is visible in the Denver Broncos’ administration handling of Peyton Manning’s entry and Tim Tebow’s departure: strictly business, nothing personal.  It doesn’t matter that Tebow had an impressive impact on the Denver Broncos, the city of Denver, and developed a nation of Tebowmania followers.  All that matters is the bottom line and apparently Peyton Manning is a better choice of reaching the bottom line – i.e., taking the Broncos to the Super Bowl.

The lesson to be learned from this transaction is that professional sports, despite their entertainment appeal, despite their role as a formidable cultural practice in this country, they are strictly a business seeking to maximize profits.  Unfortunately, similar to other callous corporations, the transactions some professional sports make neglect to take into consideration the human element: fan support, players’ families, emotional and psychological well-being.  None of these factors really matter in the decision making when profit is the ultimate motive.  Besides, with the NFL having billionaire status, who will complain when players are treated and traded like properties on the stock exchange.  These players are multi-millionaires so they should man-up and live with these harsh reality of this industry, or try another profession – right?  It is hard to be sympathetic to multimillionaires and their plight when the 99%ers are squeaking out their existence in a daily grind with individuals who wish they could have traded to another universe. 

Well, I guess I am a bit naïve in thinking that in the midst of this business enterprise there may be a glimpse of compassion and loyalty in professional sports, where not only a player has loyalty to a team, but a team demonstrates loyalty to players.  The retirement of Hines Ward is an anomaly today in professional sports.  The mere thought of a player spending his entire career (14 years) with one franchise is unimaginable. Maybe I just need to wake up and face the harsh reality about the reality of professional sports.