Willie Randolph Fired

The New York Mets fired Willie Randolph today, early, early Tuesday morning around 3:00 a.m. eastern time. If you ask me, it was the most pathetic firing I have ever seen. Not even George Steinbrenner would pull this type of stunt. If the Mets were going to fire Randolph, it should have been last season during their historic collapse.

Not only don't I think Randolph is to blame for last year, I don't believe he is the reason for the New York Mets struggles this season. Willie Randolph was managing with the parts the Mets organization gave him. I hear people talk about how the Mets have the highest payroll in the National League, so they should be doing much better, but that is not always the case. Look at their cross-town rivals the New York Yankees. The Yankees have the highest payroll in all of baseball, and they are struggling just to keep themselves in the playoff conversation. The Oakland Atheletics do not spend that much money at all, and they seem to be in the playoff hunt every year.

I believe most, if not all the blame should fall on the shoulders of the New York Mets General Manager Omar Minyaya. He was the one who assembled this disaster they call a baseball team. Bringing in Carlos Beltran who has proven to be a bust, and Carlos Delgado who is playing like he is fifty-five years old, are two of the primary reasons And bringing in Moises Alou, well, he just seems to be injured every week. Not to mention all the back-and-fourth battles in the clubhouse among teammates themselves, mainly the Latin ball players against everyone else. Their is no leader on the team, no one to look up to as an example.

The Mets were one of the view teams I actually cheered for on a daily basis, but now I can't do that anymore. You let Willie Randolph travel across the country to manage against the Anahiem Angels, then you fire him, after the Mets won the game. Not to mention the team being on a little roll, by winning the series at home against the Texas Rangers. Right now the New York Mets are a poor excuse as a oraganization, and if you fire Willie Randolph, you might as well get rid of the General Manager, and the bums they have as players.

Why People Are Watching the NBA Playoffs

I got word that Jason Whitlock said the reason white people are watching the playoffs is because there are fewer guys with tattoos then usual. That is the dumbest statement I have ever heard. The reason noone was watching the playoffs over the past few years is because the boring, dull Spurs and Pistons were the main attractions. The year the Mavericks played the Heat wasn't much different, people weren't really feeling those teams either.

This year? The main reason people are watching the is because many people were intrigued by all the possibilities. With the Western Conference being jammed pack with great teams from one to eight, everyone wanted to know who would win the West. With the East, the question was could Boston re-establish its selve as the best team.

Perhaps white America stopped watching it, and black teens, including myself stopped watching, but the reaaons have nothing to do with what Whitlock contends. Try the same teams winning all the time, in the same business-as-usual kind of way. Now we have new teams in the mix like the Hornets, Warriors, Blazers, Celtics and Lakers renewing their historic rivalry.

If by any chance Whitlock had numerous white people in his ear telling him those reasons why, then it's a shame because tattoos and hairstyles do not make up a persons personality. A person with a nice haircut and no tattoos could be the meanest person in the world, while a person with braids and dozens of tattoos could be the nicest person. See the dangers in stereotypes. Besides how could people stop watching the NBA for those reasons but continue to celebrate the NFL?

Vinny Del Negro; Bulls New Coach

A couple of days ago, the Chicago Bulls announced that they will be hiring Vinny Del Negro as their new head coach. I have to admit I did not see that coming. You have Doug Collins waiting in the wings with coaching experience, and John Paxson hires a Del Negro, who I am sure is a nice guy but has never been coach in his life.

I could understand hiring Del Negro in a rebuilding process, but the Bulls were just a playoff team a year ago, and swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat at the time. The Bulls where also picked by many to win the Eastern Conference.

I am left scratching my head on this one. Expericence might not mean that much, but you have so many other candidates in Avery Johnson, Mark "you're better then that" Jackson, and a hosts of others. I understand that the Bulls did not hire Doug Collins because he might not be there for the long run, but if it is true that the Bulls only signed Del Negro for two years, they must not expect Del Negro to be their for the long run as well.

For John Paxson's sake, he better hope the Vinny Del Negro's hiring works, or he'll be right out the door along with Scott Skiles.

Tim Donaghy

Yesterday I found out something interesting in the Tim Donaghy case. If you have not heard, Donaghy is the former NBA referee who betted on games he did and did not officate. What I found out was that the NBA I guess ordered referees to officate the games in the playoffs a certain way.

I cannot help but to say I kind of figured that for quite sometime now. The free throw differentials and numerous other questionable calls that occurred while I was watching the playoffs. Donaghy even got specific with some of the games such as the Kings versus the Lakers, and the Rockets versus the Mavericks. This puts a black cloud on the this year's NBA playoffs and finals.

On one hand I understand when people think Donaghy is just a liar. The guy did lie about other things, bet on games he officated, and fixed games as well. Also I understand when people hear this they are probably saying to themselves, if the NBA wanted to fix the games they would not never let the dull and boring San Antonio Spurs ever win a championship. It would just be the big market teams all the time like Chicago, or Los Angeles.

On the other hand however, in sports all it comes down to is wins and money. If game sevens would have occurred in any series, it just gives more ratings and money to the NBA. This case could also be a Brian McNamee and Jose Canseco situation. Each guy was considered a liar, and had a shady history. Once they told their stories, sooner rather than later the truth started to come out.

I understand that Donaghy is trying to lessen his sentence, but if he lied about any of this stuff I am sure the authorities would somehow find out, so why would he lie?

David Stern needs to do something fast, becasue until this whole mess is resolved all anyone is going to think about is which referee is fixing the games. The NBA is partly to blame. For instance putting Joey Crawford in to referee the Spurs vs. Lakers game, knowing the history between Crawford and the Spurs. Also the NBA coming out and admitting to wrong calls being made, how stupid can you get? I love the NBA, and if this is true what Donaghy is saying, I couldn't look at the NBA the same way for quite some time.

The Sun(s) Will Not Come Out Tomorrow

If I was a betting man, which I am not, I would probably be in the hole owing money to everyone. The Phoenix Suns went out in the first round of the playoffs again, this time to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs defeated the Suns four games to one, in an over-hyped first round matchup. With the Phoenix Suns once again not exceeding expectations, many questions come to mind for all sports fans. Will Mike D'Antoni come back as head coach? Is the window offically shut on the Suns' chance for a title? Was the Shaq trade a failure? Should the Suns rebuild altogether? The Suns, without question, are a great regular season team, however they are quickly becoming the new Sacramento Kings of this era.

Everyone remembers how the Kings came close time and time again in trying to at least reach the NBA Finals, but never quite got there. They had all the pieces in place, similar to the Suns team now. They, unfortunately, could not get the job done in the playoffs. Now remember the Kings actions. They blew that whole team up and missed a chance to grab themseleves a ring.

My answer to the question Phoenix now faces are simple. I believe D'Antoni should get at least one more year, and be able to play the entire year with Shaq on the team. I do not believe the Shaq deal was a failure. It was not Shaq who was inconsistent in the playoffs and virtually disappeared. The Suns should not rebuild their team for at least three more seasons. What the Suns main issue is remains their need for more guys who can come off the bench and produce. Nash and Amare get tired by playing all of those minutes, and they need someone who can be their sparkplug off the bench. I am going to give the Phoenix Suns one more chance. I hope they prove worthy of loyalty.

50 Shots Go Off Equals Police Not Guilty!

Call me stupid, but I always thought that if someone shoots and kills someone for no justifiable reason that person should go to jail for a period of time, no matter who that person is. Well I guess I am a bit crazy because the police that shot fifty times at Sean Bell and his friends as they were leaving a strip club got found not guilty by the judge. How can you find three police officers not guilty for using excessive force and shooting at someone fifty times, right before Sean Bell's wedding no less?

I for one am tired of the police thinking that they are above the law all the time, then always getting off from crimes they have committed. Sean Bell did not do anything wrong, and once again the police screws over someone who is of African-American ethnicity. The police need to know that we as African-Americans are not going to put up with their crooked ways and the screwing over of our race time and time again. We need to put our foot down and say enough is enough. Unfortunately, it is a shame that we lost yet another human-being, someone that could have really been productive in society, to brings us to this understanding. Now Sean Bell will never be able to grow old with his future wife, or watch his children grow up.

I too have been harassed by the police countless times. I have almost been thrown in jail for something I had no idea about, and when it was proven it was not me there was no apology or explanation by the white police officer, he just sat in his car and pulled off. It is not just the white police officers, however, it is also our own race, African-American. I was walking back home from the library and got pulled over by two black police officers searching for a guy that stole clothes and valuables from people. I knew I did not fit the description and they knew it too, but they still wanted to arrest me, just because I am a young, black kid with braids in my hair.

The police have been crooked and screwing our race over for years. Now they have our own people doing the same thing to us. I can't even walk down the street going to my college courses without the police following my every move and checking me out to fit a description. The person that they are looking for might look nothing like me, but as long as I am young man black I fit the description. Unfortunatley, I know now why people take things in their own hands, because the majority of the police are not going to do anything about things that happen to us, just call it another black statistic. We as a race are fed up with the police brutality and are not going to tolerate it for much longer. I am sorry for the mother of Sean Bell's children, and that justice again has not been served. And it all came at Sean Bell's expense.

Why Oh Why!

This is kind of a sensitive topic for me, but a confusing one as well. Me being an African American male, I have recently seen some terrible things my race has done to our beautiful black women. I was standing at a bus stop one day, matter fact just last week, when a guy told his girlfriend to bring her stupid a** here. I was looking like I know she is not going to just come once homey told her that, but she did! I was in shock and wondering why would she ever put up with someone like that?

Another experience happened just a few days ago, when a black man called his girlfriend a h** and a told her that he lets b****** and h*** pay his way. I was once again in shock, and saying to myself what has happened to my men, and my beautiful women. I'll be the very first person to stand up for anybody from my race, but this is too much even for me, and I'm still a teenager! Once I see these guys from my own race call black women these horrible names, I'm hurt and feeling for the women, because I know personally women who have been called these names and were left crying and wondering why.

I can't ever give them the answer why. I know some people are going to say rap music, but at some point in your life you have to know right from wrong, and if you are forty years old listening to a twenty year old, arguing you got the words from that twenty year old, then you are just pathetic. How can you let someone twenty years younger then you dictate how you approach women?

At the same time, I wish that my black women realize that they have more to offer to the world, then to just be talked about by every race. I really don't know what the problem is. If you are in love with that person, love should conquer all, but there has to be a limit. I love my black women, and would do anything for them, no matter size, or height. Black women are smart, independent, and are the first ones who would root the majority of us black males on when we are doing something positive. I just want the horrible names to stop, and for black women to realize what type of special gift they are to the world.
We as black men are much better then that, and I know deep down inside we love our black women, we just have to show it a little bit better.

If you are showing love to the black women, more power to you. If you are not and you know you have done one horribly wrong, I don't know what to say to ya homey! I got much love for both black males, and black females. If we don't look out for each other,who is going to?

Obama Treated Unfairly

To me Barack Obama is the perfect candidate for the presidency. I'm not saying this because I'm African-American, I just really believe Obama has all the tools to become a great president. I am from IL, so I know a little bit about Barack Obama. I know that he's never broken a promise to anyone, and has always pushed to make the state of IL. the best state possible. For some odd reason to me, Barack is being potrayed as a liar and a corrupt politician.

Barack Obama has played it cool taking shot after shot from every single person you could think of, and has not once responded back to the non-sense people have been dishing out. Not to mention the fact that it is his own African-American community that has taken horrible shots at Barack. From a pastor, I believe talking about Barack's mother being trash, and Barack being trash. How could you say those types of things about anyone, especially since both of their parents are deceased. I don't understand how Barack can keep on taking the verbal abuse, and keep his head up with a smile.

Than people have the nerve to say Bill Clinton is our first black president, but when it is one running for office, some of us just turn our backs on him. To make it worse I see more white people out supporting Barack Obama, than African-American people, and that is not the way it is supposed to be. We started the Civil-Right movements for equality, to give the next generation like myself a chance of having a better life, and to one day hopefully get into the postion of having an African-American male or female run for office. What hurts even worse is the fact some of the same people who marched for these rights are the same ones turning their back on Barack Obama. That's not cool at all.

Than Hillary Clinton is pulling out everything she has to stop Obama. Calling Barack a liar, and etc. She even had the nerve to cry because she was not getting the votes to beat Barack Obama. She never once cried about Bill sleeping with dozens of women, and being caught with Monica. I hear people say how courageous she was, I believe it was a calculated plan. I believe in my heart she never once cared about what Bill did, and stayed married to him because she knew when the time was right she would run for office, and she is!

Then Barack getting shots taken at him because of what his pastor said. People need to realize that just because someone close to you says something that could be controversial, does not mean that you share the same views as that person. That's just like saying I meet someone that's not the same race as me, and their parents are racists. Should I say than, if their parents are racists than this person is a racists as well. No you shouldn't because that person obviously does not share the same views as their parents if you're in their house, and are friends. Same thing.

Barack Obama to me did the right thing by not disowning his former pastor. He's also doing the right thing by ignoring all the verbal abuse coming for him, I just don't know if I could do the same thing. To all my African-American people, if you geniunely like Hillary Clinton that's fine, but please don't vote for her just because you don't like Barack's middle name, that's B.S., or don't vote for her just because you hands are in her back pocket, or she's a woman. Please listen to the views. I know I have, and to me Barack Obama is getting my vote for president of the United States.

Chris Paul for MVP?

There are a lot of MVP canidates this year in the NBA. You have Kobe Bryant from the Lakers, LeBron James from the Cavaliers, Kevin Garnett from the Celtics, and the emergence of Tracy McGrady from the red hot Rockets. However, none may not be more valuable to their team then Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets.

True enough, Paul has only been in the NBA for a few seasons, but you can not ignore the numbers he is putting up. Paul is averaging over 11 assists a ball game, and where would the New Orleans Hornets be without Paul on the team. They're shocking the world with their great play, and most importantly, one of the top three seeds in the loaded Western Conference. Paul is making everyone on the ball club ten times more better with his great play. And the notion of he's only been in the NBA for only a few years is B.S. Chris Paul is having a historic season with a team who was not expected to do anything in the Western Conference.

You could pick Kobe Bryant, but what were the Los Angeles Lakers before Pau Gasol got there, and it was just Kobe Bryant? The Lakers barely made it to the playoffs and got put out in the first round. Plus Bryant's continuing complaining of wanting to be traded, because he knew he could not do anything with the Lakers. You could pick Tracy McGrady, but he's missed to many games in the season, and sometimes his numbers just are not there. Not taking anything away from the Rockets impressive twenty-two game win streak, but sometimes T-Mac just is not there. You could pick K.G., but his numbers just does not wow anyone. He has been the main reason why the Boston Celtics have been playing unbelievable basketball, but name an MVP who's averaged less then twenty points a game. So Garnett's unselfishness may work against him. Then there's King James. Maybe he's the next for MVP. This year is all about Chris Paul.

INTRODUCING...

The torch is passed. I created this blog for my son as he moves forward in pursuit of his journalistic dreams. Heretofore, you will experience his own personal expressions, his words, his thoughts. My work is done. I give you.....