Okay, so I lied. I thought my last blog would be my last on the subject of the Steelers, but I feel I have to say something since the latest developments. So, Commissioner Goodell handed down his "sentence" for what Big Ben's punishment will be~~a 6 game suspension. While that punishment speaks volumes, I still don't feel it was enough! It is lacking the message I want all professional athletes to understand!
If it were up to me, Ben wouldn't play for the entire season~~that's right, I said it, the entire season! And, I might add, if I hear one more person say, "that's a harsh punishment for a man that wasn't charged with a crime," I think I will just upchuck the contents of my stomach! But if you really want to know how I feel, I think the punishment should be that he never plays in the NFL ever again! Now that has some substance and sends a very powerful, yet equally gratifying, message! Trust me, professional athletes would definitely feel that message and it would discourage stupidity off the field!
The media is now spinning the whole "will Ben be traded," thing, and I say good riddens, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! It was reported tonight that if Ben completes his "counseling" successfully, he may be able to get on the field within 4 games. Really? Which brings me to why I am writing this blog tonight, because last week I was just outraged by what happened to Santonio Holmes, but now I'm just downright sickened this week with the way things are unfolding.
I listened to reporters talk with fans on the street today, and I must say, it was mind blowing to me. For the most part, the majority of fans interviewed think he should be traded, aka, fired, while there are those fans that think he should stay right here to live to throw the "old pig skin" again! Say What? There are other NFL teams saying they'd be more than happy to take Ben off our hands, and some of the fans from other teams said they could overlook Ben's personal drama! Are YOU Serious?
I am deeply disturbed by some of the men, and even more so, some of the women, who said they can cast aside Ben's personal issues, for the sake of the game. These fans said they are "concerned" that we will have a rough season because he's one of the best quarterbacks in the League. Well I don't know about you, but personally, I don't think Ben is all that hot of a quarterback, and I think even less of him as a human being for his treatment of women. So he loses $2 million dollars from his punishment, which doesn't mean didley to him~~hell, that's mere peanuts to him! In my opinion, he's not the best quarterback, but he's the highest paid quarterback in the League~~that's not opinion, but actual fact!
Anytime we as human beings put the game of Football, or any sport for that matter, above sexual assault of any kind, the entire human race is doomed. To those male fans that are so worried that we won't make it to the Superbowl without Ben, I would like YOU to think about this! Suppose the young woman he allegedly sexually assaulted was your mother, sister, aunt, niece, daughter or girlfriend, would YOU still feel he is honorable enough to stay in the League, let alone play for the Steelers? Would you be willing to cast aside your personal feelings for him if it was a woman that you cared about that it happened to? Would the game of football be worth it, if it was a woman closely related to you!
And you women fans out there who think Ben was punished too harshly, would you feel that way if he had sexually assaulted you? Would YOU be able to cast aside your personal feelings, if he had inappropriately done something to you? Would the game of football be worth it, if it were YOU or perhaps your mother, sister, aunt, niece, daughter or one of YOUR girlfriends? Could you overlook this situation then?
Once again, I've heard Michael Vick's name come up and see that someone has made T-shirts with Tiger Woods and Ben's face on it that says, "Dumb and Dumber!" I want to point out to the people who think this was genius, to equate Tiger Woods and Ben in the same breath, is a total injustice to Tiger. Tiger NEVER sexually assaulted any of the women he slept with. What HE did with those women was consentual, however, what Ben was accussed of was sexually assaulting two women that we know of! Where the hell is the comparison? Tiger's only fault was that he committed adultery against HIS wife! However, the two women that made allegations toward Ben, DIDN'T WANT HIS ADVANCEMENTS! These women said NO, but somewhere along the line Ben lost the translation, and I guess so, when you get one of the alleged victims highly intoxicated!
So Michael Vick did 2 years in prison for illegal dog fighting, and yet, somehow now, that is worse than sexually assaulting a woman? I have to say, I look at any of you fans out there who think it's okay to forgive Ben for his personal indiscretions, just so that we can win a damn football game! I love football too, and I love the Steelers, and I want a seventh Superbowl ring, but to have a quarterback who has clearly put a huge ass blemish on our City and our team, I cannot condone nor support any team that would support this man! When you get a multi-million dollar contract with one of the best teams in the NFL, YOU are held to a higher standard than most ordinary citizens. It is a PRIVILEGE to be affiliated with the NFL, and you must live and conduct your life accordingly, while you're employed through that organization. If you want to commit crime and do horrible things when you're retired, hey, I don't agree with that, but you know what, your time is your own to do with it as YOU see fit, but while you're playing for the Steelers and in the NFL, YOU are NOT above the damn law! Ben should be cast, PERIOD, from professional football.
I don't think all the damn counseling in the world is going to help him, and you know why, because as soon as this shit clears and he tries to restore his image and good graces in front of the fans, something else will happen. For these types of allegations to have resurfaced yet again, tells me a whole lot! I don't know about yall, but I know what I think! I'm deeply saddened and concerned with the thought process of those of you who feel you can "overlook" what has happened just so we can get a seventh ring!
Anytime a person can say, well Mike Vick was dog fighting and Tiger Woods was sleeping with several women, and they went back to their professional sports, so why shouldn't Ben, especially since he has never been charged? If you have to ask that question, maybe YOU need to get some damn counseling. I think Stevie Wonder could see the stank on this whole drama!
My final thoughts: Without a doubt, Ben should be removed completely from professional football. And remember fans, put yourself in those alleged victims' shoes, think about the women you're related to, and then think if Ben had allegedly done these things to them, would YOU still feel the same? It's very easy, as fans, to say what we would overlook and what we want to see happen, but if it were YOU, how would you feel? It's a sad day when we as adults send these types of messages to our impressionable children~~win, win, win at all cost, make that paper, be the best athlete you can be, and if you should happen to make huge mistakes, all will be forgiven and overlooked, all for the sake of the WIN! And we have the audacity to wonder why our children turn out the way they do? Look no further than to the "messages" we send!
These are my opinions ~~plain and simple! Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
An "Accessory" I Could Do Without. . .
Oookay, I have been trying to avoid this opinion that has been brewing in my mind the last few days, and I've been struggling. I have so much pent up anger right now, the only way I can release it is to write, which is the reason writing is my favorite thing to do, because it's my savior!
Because I am not privy to all the facts, I am only going to give my opinion, (and I repeat, this is MY opinion), on recent athletic woes that have been reported. We have been so oversaturated with athletes and their personal problems, you just have to comment on it!
Anyone who truly knows me will tell you that I've never been the type of African-American woman to wear my color on my sleeve. But, as of late, if the outfit calls for an accessory, well, I've got to put it on! I am a HUGE Steelers fan--in fact, I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. I have supported this team over the years, i.e, I have cheered, yelled, cursed, stomped, laughed, cried and preached the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have team members' shirts that I will still sport, regardless if that athlete no longer plays for us, because I bleed the BLACK and GOLD!
But, and that's a big BUT, this whole Big Ben, Santonio Holmes and Jeff Reed mess has me so angry, I am outraged! The Rooneys recently sent a message to their team by "trading" Santonio to the New York Jets, however, we ALL know that in this case, trade means "fired!" When I woke up and heard that news, I literally fell out of my bed--seriously!
The trend that I've noticed by the NFL is that black athletes get harsh punishments, whereas, their white counterparts, seem to get mere 'slaps on the wrist.' I tried so hard to spin this situation every which way, but in the end, the only way this can be spun, is the way it is--blatent racism. I tried listening to some of the local talk radio stations and what some of these fans are saying very loudly is Ben should get a pass because he wasn't charged with a crime!
Hmmmm, well, the last time I heard, Santonio wasn't charged with any crimes, but yet, he's no longer employed by the Steelers organization. Okay, humor me, let's examine the facts. You have a quarterback with two Superbowl rings that has been accused, not once, but twice, or as of yesterday, possibly three times with alleged rape, and Santonio had some weed on him a few years back, and had a domestic violence situation with his baby's mother some time ago, but "trading" Santonio made more sense than getting rid of someone who was accused of sexually assaulting a few women! Really? And what about Jeff Reed, our kicker, has problems with alcohol, which is a substance, and his 'punishment' for disorderly conduct was, 'performing community service,' and how does he get rewarded for his good efforts, he's been granted another one-year contract to live to kick another day for the Steelers. Oh, and before I forget, according to news reports, Ben supplied alcohol to minors, which the last time I checked, that was considered a crime, but he once again managed to evade prosecution for that! Ben used a substance and Jeff used a substance, but yet, they are still employed by the Steelers? Hmmmm!
The NFL threw poor Michael Vick to the dogs, (no pun intended), for dog fighting back in 2007, in which led to his doing prison time, and yet, a white quarterback who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been accused of sexual assault 2 times that we know of, appears to have gotten away with this scott free! And what really kills me is, Ben got the opportunity to speak directly with Commissioner Goodell of the NFL to find out what his 'fate,' which I use that term loosely, will be. But Santonio wasn't given an opportunity to say anything, other than to say he was "shocked" by the news. Trust me, he wasn't the only one shocked! My jaw is still hanging low.
I truly believe in my heart of hearts that Ben is a loose cannon who has brought shame on his family name, our team, our City, to his teammates and to the NFL as a whole! If the NFL doesn't punish him severely, and what I mean by severely is to not suspend him, but trade him too! Why should he be given chance after chance, and opportunity after opportunity, only to, somewhere down the road again, have more alleged accusations raised against him, because I truly believe we haven't heard the last of this. There are probably other women out there that decided to do like the third one we heard about, that just dropped it.
All I keep hearing over and over by news reporters is that, "keep in mind, Ben has not been charged with any crimes!" Oh, so that should give him a pass? And I keep repeating back to the TV, Santonio wasn't charged with any crime, but he's no longer a wide receiver for the Steelers! But, after giving that much thought, Santonio did commit one crime--one in which he had obviously forgotten is that he was PFWB and that stands for Playing Football While Black! That's the crime that Santonio forgot about. I don't care that he was the deciding factor in why we got six championship wins, (which after all this bullshit, is a mere joke), I don't care that he was MVP, at the end of the day, you Twitter an offensive comment to a fan that pissed you off, based on that fan's opinion, you get "traded!" You get accused of throwing your drink in a woman's face, you get "traded!" But, he was not charged with a crime, and he's no longer employed with the Steelers.
So as the media continually spins the "Rooneys Message," i.e., what did 'it' mean, who was 'it' for, what was behind 'it'? I'd like to say that yes, as a fan, I GOT the message! If you're a black athlete that steps out of line too many times, you get "traded!" WHEW, that message just bitch slaps the hell out of you! After all, the Rooneys have an image to uphold and they are a "family oriented" team owner, and there is absolutely no way they will keep any player who is less than the standards in which they have built their enterprise upon--hence, Ben and Jeff will still be playing for us. What a legacy to behold! BRAVO, Rooneys--I have so much respect for your business decisions! (Clapping of Hands)!!
So, as much as I would like to not accessorize my outfit with the "color" on my sleeve, I'm afraid that scarf is draping quite loudly. I did everything I could to place that 'race' card back in the deck, but it is demanding its position on the game table.
WARNING: To all my African-American Football Athletes--NEVER FORGET WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, because trust and believe, the White man will always remind you and take his rightful place!
If the truth hurts, stop inflicting injustice!!!!!!
Because I am not privy to all the facts, I am only going to give my opinion, (and I repeat, this is MY opinion), on recent athletic woes that have been reported. We have been so oversaturated with athletes and their personal problems, you just have to comment on it!
Anyone who truly knows me will tell you that I've never been the type of African-American woman to wear my color on my sleeve. But, as of late, if the outfit calls for an accessory, well, I've got to put it on! I am a HUGE Steelers fan--in fact, I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. I have supported this team over the years, i.e, I have cheered, yelled, cursed, stomped, laughed, cried and preached the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have team members' shirts that I will still sport, regardless if that athlete no longer plays for us, because I bleed the BLACK and GOLD!
But, and that's a big BUT, this whole Big Ben, Santonio Holmes and Jeff Reed mess has me so angry, I am outraged! The Rooneys recently sent a message to their team by "trading" Santonio to the New York Jets, however, we ALL know that in this case, trade means "fired!" When I woke up and heard that news, I literally fell out of my bed--seriously!
The trend that I've noticed by the NFL is that black athletes get harsh punishments, whereas, their white counterparts, seem to get mere 'slaps on the wrist.' I tried so hard to spin this situation every which way, but in the end, the only way this can be spun, is the way it is--blatent racism. I tried listening to some of the local talk radio stations and what some of these fans are saying very loudly is Ben should get a pass because he wasn't charged with a crime!
Hmmmm, well, the last time I heard, Santonio wasn't charged with any crimes, but yet, he's no longer employed by the Steelers organization. Okay, humor me, let's examine the facts. You have a quarterback with two Superbowl rings that has been accused, not once, but twice, or as of yesterday, possibly three times with alleged rape, and Santonio had some weed on him a few years back, and had a domestic violence situation with his baby's mother some time ago, but "trading" Santonio made more sense than getting rid of someone who was accused of sexually assaulting a few women! Really? And what about Jeff Reed, our kicker, has problems with alcohol, which is a substance, and his 'punishment' for disorderly conduct was, 'performing community service,' and how does he get rewarded for his good efforts, he's been granted another one-year contract to live to kick another day for the Steelers. Oh, and before I forget, according to news reports, Ben supplied alcohol to minors, which the last time I checked, that was considered a crime, but he once again managed to evade prosecution for that! Ben used a substance and Jeff used a substance, but yet, they are still employed by the Steelers? Hmmmm!
The NFL threw poor Michael Vick to the dogs, (no pun intended), for dog fighting back in 2007, in which led to his doing prison time, and yet, a white quarterback who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been accused of sexual assault 2 times that we know of, appears to have gotten away with this scott free! And what really kills me is, Ben got the opportunity to speak directly with Commissioner Goodell of the NFL to find out what his 'fate,' which I use that term loosely, will be. But Santonio wasn't given an opportunity to say anything, other than to say he was "shocked" by the news. Trust me, he wasn't the only one shocked! My jaw is still hanging low.
I truly believe in my heart of hearts that Ben is a loose cannon who has brought shame on his family name, our team, our City, to his teammates and to the NFL as a whole! If the NFL doesn't punish him severely, and what I mean by severely is to not suspend him, but trade him too! Why should he be given chance after chance, and opportunity after opportunity, only to, somewhere down the road again, have more alleged accusations raised against him, because I truly believe we haven't heard the last of this. There are probably other women out there that decided to do like the third one we heard about, that just dropped it.
All I keep hearing over and over by news reporters is that, "keep in mind, Ben has not been charged with any crimes!" Oh, so that should give him a pass? And I keep repeating back to the TV, Santonio wasn't charged with any crime, but he's no longer a wide receiver for the Steelers! But, after giving that much thought, Santonio did commit one crime--one in which he had obviously forgotten is that he was PFWB and that stands for Playing Football While Black! That's the crime that Santonio forgot about. I don't care that he was the deciding factor in why we got six championship wins, (which after all this bullshit, is a mere joke), I don't care that he was MVP, at the end of the day, you Twitter an offensive comment to a fan that pissed you off, based on that fan's opinion, you get "traded!" You get accused of throwing your drink in a woman's face, you get "traded!" But, he was not charged with a crime, and he's no longer employed with the Steelers.
So as the media continually spins the "Rooneys Message," i.e., what did 'it' mean, who was 'it' for, what was behind 'it'? I'd like to say that yes, as a fan, I GOT the message! If you're a black athlete that steps out of line too many times, you get "traded!" WHEW, that message just bitch slaps the hell out of you! After all, the Rooneys have an image to uphold and they are a "family oriented" team owner, and there is absolutely no way they will keep any player who is less than the standards in which they have built their enterprise upon--hence, Ben and Jeff will still be playing for us. What a legacy to behold! BRAVO, Rooneys--I have so much respect for your business decisions! (Clapping of Hands)!!
So, as much as I would like to not accessorize my outfit with the "color" on my sleeve, I'm afraid that scarf is draping quite loudly. I did everything I could to place that 'race' card back in the deck, but it is demanding its position on the game table.
WARNING: To all my African-American Football Athletes--NEVER FORGET WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, because trust and believe, the White man will always remind you and take his rightful place!
If the truth hurts, stop inflicting injustice!!!!!!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Sneak Peek into Kimberly Ranee Hicks' latest Novel, SILENT KNIGHT. . .
Hello Fans,
I know it's been quite some time since I recently wrote on my blog, and trust me, I have a very good reason for that~~I'm working on my latest novel, SILENT KNIGHT, which is a mystery. What kind of mystery, you ask? Well open your minds and take a walk back down memory lane to those of us who were children of the 70s. The good ole 70s, where P-Funk was originated and copied today by many recording artists.
The 70s is where my love of music began to shape and mold my very existence, which still holds true today. No matter what mood I'm in, I can find a song, the year, and the artist to match it! Afros, bell-bottoms and platform shoes were the 70s style, along with the birth of Disco and strobe lights! This is where my humble beginnings grabbed my attention, and why I decided to dedicate my newest novel to my childhood!
A LOOK INTO "SILENT KNIGHT"
CLARENCE KNIGHT is a modern day film maker, doing it big out in Hollywood, California. He worked with such greats as Will Smith and Spike Lee. Clarence's best friend, Reggie, stayed in contact with him, and he summoned Clarence to come back home because Reggie's father is dying. Mr. Dunn was a huge role model for Clarence, and he wanted to make sure to pay his last respects to a man he idolized as a child.
So, as much as it pained Clarence to return to his old neighborhood of Woodland Heights, which is the projects, he unwillingly does it anyway! Once he arrives, he discovers that his old hood isn't quite the way it used to be when he and his family moved there 20 years prior.
While visiting with his best friend and catching up on old times, Clarence figured he could make the best of the trip by surprising his friend with a camera crew that is in the process of making a documentary about their lives in Woodland Heights, the way it was in the 70s! However, Clarence also has another reason for wanting to do the documentary, which is finding out what happened to a kid he hung out with named Marcus Paige. As the camera crew starts interviewing the people of Woodland Heights, it is becoming clear that there are some deep dark secrets that his old neighborhood possessed, and some extremely harsh realities Clarence will have to face.
The story will be told through six of Clarence's closest friends, including Reggie. After all is revealed, will Clarence still remain friends with his old crew, and better yet, will what Clarence learns keep him Silent forever?! Find out this summer~~SILENT KNIGHT~~a Novel, by Kimberly Ranee Hicks
Stay Tuned, Fans, for updates! And, if you're not a fan on my Facebook page of Mello & June, please join, or check out my website to get all the latest information at http://www.kimberlyraneehicks.com/.
Happy Reading, and thanks again, for your support!
I know it's been quite some time since I recently wrote on my blog, and trust me, I have a very good reason for that~~I'm working on my latest novel, SILENT KNIGHT, which is a mystery. What kind of mystery, you ask? Well open your minds and take a walk back down memory lane to those of us who were children of the 70s. The good ole 70s, where P-Funk was originated and copied today by many recording artists.
The 70s is where my love of music began to shape and mold my very existence, which still holds true today. No matter what mood I'm in, I can find a song, the year, and the artist to match it! Afros, bell-bottoms and platform shoes were the 70s style, along with the birth of Disco and strobe lights! This is where my humble beginnings grabbed my attention, and why I decided to dedicate my newest novel to my childhood!
A LOOK INTO "SILENT KNIGHT"
CLARENCE KNIGHT is a modern day film maker, doing it big out in Hollywood, California. He worked with such greats as Will Smith and Spike Lee. Clarence's best friend, Reggie, stayed in contact with him, and he summoned Clarence to come back home because Reggie's father is dying. Mr. Dunn was a huge role model for Clarence, and he wanted to make sure to pay his last respects to a man he idolized as a child.
So, as much as it pained Clarence to return to his old neighborhood of Woodland Heights, which is the projects, he unwillingly does it anyway! Once he arrives, he discovers that his old hood isn't quite the way it used to be when he and his family moved there 20 years prior.
While visiting with his best friend and catching up on old times, Clarence figured he could make the best of the trip by surprising his friend with a camera crew that is in the process of making a documentary about their lives in Woodland Heights, the way it was in the 70s! However, Clarence also has another reason for wanting to do the documentary, which is finding out what happened to a kid he hung out with named Marcus Paige. As the camera crew starts interviewing the people of Woodland Heights, it is becoming clear that there are some deep dark secrets that his old neighborhood possessed, and some extremely harsh realities Clarence will have to face.
The story will be told through six of Clarence's closest friends, including Reggie. After all is revealed, will Clarence still remain friends with his old crew, and better yet, will what Clarence learns keep him Silent forever?! Find out this summer~~SILENT KNIGHT~~a Novel, by Kimberly Ranee Hicks
Stay Tuned, Fans, for updates! And, if you're not a fan on my Facebook page of Mello & June, please join, or check out my website to get all the latest information at http://www.kimberlyraneehicks.com/.
Happy Reading, and thanks again, for your support!
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