Sports

OJ Simpson personified the “two Americas” but denied reality… until his historic trial

Published

7 months ago

April 13, 2024

IAM

Opponents of Black history attempt to whitewash our existence and minimize our contributions, but accurate reporting of America’s past is unimaginable without us.

Haters must select which Black people they wish to acknowledge and single out, preferably those that have achieved the so-called American Dream without making white people feel uncomfortable. The first person to die in the American Revolution, Curly attacks he’s an excellent black man price honoring. So there it’s Booker T. Washingtonwhose agrarian brand of racial progress has all the time seemed less threatening than the scientific version WWW Du Bois married.

The sports world is stuffed with black heroes that historians cannot ignore, even though it helps when an athlete ignores social conditions. It’s best if athletes give attention to the void – on the field or court – and never on the racism that afflicts their non-sporting relatives. Excluded from mainstream skilled sports leagues well into the twentieth century, we began covering the landscape before the height of the civil rights era. Jackie Robinson broke the color line in Major League Baseball in 1947.

Three months later, Orenthal James Simpson was born.

He died on Wednesday at the age of 76, leaving an indelible mark on culture. Although he became famous as a legendary football player. Simpson is taken into account the best sports example of “two Americas”

OJ they ignored racial reality for the first 47 years, running from USC to the NFL, jumping from TV commercials to Hollywood, avoiding our fight for justice. When he finally got here to grips with the color line, it was not immediately revealed that it was a black and white problem.

Its border was on the calendar, the date being June 1994, the day before and after the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.

OJ was considered one of America’s all-time favorite black athletes until his ex-wife and her friend Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death in Los Angeles. He was definitely more polite than Jim Brown, the great NFL middle linebacker who retired in 1966, three years before Simpson’s debut season. Brown seemed indignant and surly – the curse of the white embrace – and distanced himself much more, becoming… social activist.

Athletes and celebrities don’t have any obligation to make use of their platforms to fight for causes, especially against racism. Condemn domestic violence and sexual assault? I even have. Preventing drug use and driving under the influence of alcohol? Bright. Do you condemn animal abuse and mistreatment? APPROX.

But only a few stars have what it takes – the will and the skills – to challenge unjust laws, police brutality, discriminatory policies and the like. Simpson was not alone on this. He just did every thing he could not seeing color, winning over gaslighters who insisted that race was not a difficulty. From their perspective, Simpson’s acting profession and second marriage were proof of America’s greatness and lack of hostility towards black people.

Simpson was black, but not in a foul way. He was considered one of them – like Clarence Thomas, Herschel Walker and Tim Scott – having fun with the fruits of his labor in the land of opportunity without complaining about the barriers and obstacles designed to make life difficult for non-whites. Athletes like Brown, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and others were malcontents, instigators and race baiters; Simpson was a superb old boy.

But when he was accused of killing his blonde-haired, blue-eyed ex-wife, every thing ended. The white people were already done, leaving him no alternative but to acknowledge and accept his blackness.

News reports say the Simpson murder trial exposed divisions over race and policing. It’s funny in our community because the divisions have been visible for 400 years. The difference on this case was Simpson’s fame. Based on this much evidence, Orenthal Smith or James Johnson, a black man, would likely have been convicted – with or without police abuse.

If Simpson didn’t think he was black before the murders, he was sure of it before the trial began.

“The system forced me to look at things racially.” he heard the declaration ON Oscar-winning documentary, “OJ: Made in America.” One scene in five-part document shows how Simpson’s legal team rearranged his home to extend his melanin quotient, in contrast to black homeowners who remove distinctive signs receive a good assessment.

He didn’t cheat us, but we didn’t care.

After centuries of trumped-up charges and wrongful convictions (when no lynching occurred first), after suffering at the hands of dirty cops, sleazy prosecutors, and racist judges, we wanted victory in any respect costs. No, OJ and I didn’t really go crazy like that. But since 1619, the system has cornered so many innocent brothers that its acquittal has grow to be our victory, whether we’re guilty or not.

Barack Obama he apparently said many Donald Trump supporters may feel: “Trump is to many white people what OJ’s acquittal was to many black people – I know it’s bad, but it feels good.” We knew that murder victims weren’t the responsibility of the LAPD historical abuse Black, but the scoreboard was too uneven.

For once, our side got a taste of the other side, where the guilty routinely go unpunished after Black lives have been lost. Simpson went from an exemplary black man to an unrepentant murderer. Along the way, he was plucked from his flooded place and transported to the real world, exposed to the two Americas that Martin Luther King Jr. described.

Simpson acted like there was just one… until he was charged with murder. He then admitted his mistake and set each side on fire, etching his name in hearts and minds. His name was recorded in the annals of time.

Haters could also be crazy, but Black history can’t be erased.

This is the L they must live with.

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OJ Simpson’s post epitomized the “two Americas” but denied reality… until his historic trial first appeared on TheGrio.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Sports

In 2025, the Basketball Africa League play-offs will move to South Africa

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

The 2025 Basketball Africa League season will feature a brand new venue for the finals and playoffs and will also start at a brand new location.

The BAL 2025 Playoffs and Finals, scheduled for June 14, 2025, will happen at the recent home in Pretoria, South Africa. This will be the first time the BAL playoffs and finals haven’t been held in Kigali, Rwanda. The BAL 2025 season will also debut in a brand new location in Rabat, Morocco on April 5, 2025. During the BAL 2025 season, 12 of the best club teams from 12 African countries will play 48 matches in Rabat, Kigali and Dakar, Senegal, before traveling to Pretoria for play- offs.

“Over the first four seasons of BAL, we have seen tremendous growth in on-court competition, attendance and engagement from fans and partners in Africa and around the world,” BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall said in a press release. “Our groundbreaking fifth season will build on this momentum and continue to showcase the level of talent and passion for basketball in Africa, including through the first BAL games in Morocco and the first BAL Finals in South Africa.”

The 12 teams will be divided again into three conferences of 4 teams each. The group stage of the Kalahari Conference will happen from April 5 to 13, 2025 in Rabat. The group stage of the Sahara Conference will be held in Dakar from April 26 to May 4, 2025. The group stage of the Nile Conference will be held in Kigali from May 17 to 25, 2025. Eight teams from the three conferences will qualify for the play-offs in Pretoria, which will start on June 6 and end with the BAL 2025 finals.

“The Kalahari conference marks another expansion of BAL into a new country on our continent and we are more than satisfied,” FIBA Africa president Anibal Manave said in a press release. “The competition continues to grow each year, providing greater exposure for our sport and helping to raise the level of basketball in Africa, making the league increasingly competitive.”

National champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia routinely qualify for the BAL. The remaining five teams are from FIBA Africa’s Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments.

In the 2024 BAL season, Petro de Luanda of Angola became the first team from Sub-Saharan Africa to win the championship. According to BAL, the 2024 BAL season reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages, set an attendance record of greater than 120,000 fans in the 4 host countries and generated greater than 1.2 billion views across the NBA and BAL social media channels.

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the option to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com

Sports

NFL star Terrell Owens signs a contract with Michael Strahan’s talent agency

Published

24 hours ago

November 21, 2024

IAM

NFL Hall of Fame receiver and podcast host Terrell Owens has signed with a talent agency to further strengthen his claims within the entertainment game.

According to , Owens was signed by SMAC Entertainment, headed by host and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and his business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz has also joined SMAC Entertainment.

“We are excited to add TO and Jordan to the SMAC family. They are both at the top of their game and set the standard in their industry,” Schwartz-Morini said in a written statement. “TO and Jordan have already brought an infectious energy to our team, and we are excited to help them realize their vision for careers in media, business and branding.”

A five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2018, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A member of the 2000 NFL All-Decade Team, Owens finished his profession with 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards, 14.8 yards per catch and 153 touchdowns, rating third all-time in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Since retiring from skilled soccer in 2012, Owens has already made several moves. He has appeared in several movies and tv shows, including “,” and in addition had his own reality show, “, on VH1.

He currently co-hosts the podcast with former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe.

SMAC Entertainment is home to stars similar to rapper and actor Common, Wiz Khalifa, Strahan, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and current NFL players similar to Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf.

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com

Sports

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker brings an NBA championship desire with his Olympic experience

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

IAM

The gold medal went to the USA Basketball team. Mission completed on the 2024 Paris Games. U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr just answered his final query during his final news conference on Aug. 10 after his team defeated France within the gold medal game.

However, before leaving the stage of the press conference in Paris, Kerr stopped to deliver an unsolicited message to media around the globe.

“Devin Booker is an amazing basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just desired to say that,” Kerr said.

The “underrated MVP” compliment meant so much to the Phoenix Suns guard.

“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his mind throughout the entire process. A 12 months ago I said what I desired to do for this team and what we desired to do for the country.

“It was a lot larger than all of us. Survival was something we’d discuss for the remainder of our lives.

The USA Basketball team was centered around NBA star icons LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. There has also been some discussion amongst media and fans in regards to the lack of playing time for Jayson Tatum and, to a lesser extent, Tyrese Haliburton. Lost within the shuffle was the all-around, unselfish play of sharpshooter Booker wearing the armband.

Guard Devin Booker throughout the final men’s basketball game between France and the United States on the Olympic Games on Aug. 10 at Bercy Arena in Paris.

Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

Booker was fourth in scoring for the U.S., averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and a couple of.2 three-pointers made early in all six Olympics, and likewise had the perfect plus/minus (plus-130) for an American. Kerr was impressed with Booker’s deal with a difficult defense, regardless that he is thought for his offense, ball movement and the way he has adjusted to not being one in every of the highest options on offense.

“I just understood what was at stake,” Booker said. “I’m proud to be from this country. I’m happy with playing basketball. Even though it wasn’t invented in America, we dominated for a very long time. Obviously the world is incredibly talented and the sport is growing, however it was just one other message to allow them to know who we’re.

Booker said he also learned in regards to the preparations from his all-star team, watching the preparations on and off the court. The 28-year-old added that he gained lifelong friendships.

“It’s cool to see that everyone has their own issues,” Booker said. “In my 10 years in the NBA, I’ve learned that you have to choose what you can use for yourself. But the level of detail, the attention to detail, the intensity – it’s all consistent across the board.”

As for Durant, Booker said the bond between the 2 Sun stars “is close and grows stronger every day.” They live about five minutes from one another within the Phoenix area and commonly spend time at home and on the road. Most recently, Booker had to steer the Suns without Durant, who was sidelined with an injury.

The amazing Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and three.4 assists, which were tops for the Suns. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star has been sidelined since November 8 with a left calf strain. Suns players Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) were also sidelined. The Suns are 1-5 without Durant, which incorporates 4 straight losses.

Booker and Suns sans Durant’s next rivals shall be the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET). Over the last six games, Booker is averaging 24.1 points, shooting 43.2% from the sphere and making 16 of 43 three-pointers. Suns guard Tyus Jones said there was numerous pressure on Booker offensively due to the injury.

“We’re asking a lot of Book,” Jones said after Monday’s 109-99 loss to the visiting Orlando Magic. “It’s numerous pressure for him. We are very focused on it. They are physical with him, holding him and grabbing him, throwing two or three bodies at him all night long. So he’s got so much on his plate and we just need to proceed to seek out ways to get him open within the moments we will and proceed to assist him when other players are taking shots and making plays.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (left) with Suns forward Kevin Durant (right) during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 31 on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Booker currently has two Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. The only thing missing from the Suns’ second-leading all-time scorer is an NBA championship. Since the Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, they’ve yet to win a title.

After experiencing the joys of winning a gold medal, Booker as an NBA champion wants the gold Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy much more.

“Most of the guys that were there did it,” Booker said of his Olympic teammates who were NBA champions. “They were champions. This is standard for them. Anything lower than that, they need nothing to do with it. It’s contagious…

“That’s all I want. That’s all I want.”

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the ability to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been capable of do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com