Sports – Melanoid Nation Foundation

Are The Burnings of Black Athletes’ Jerseys The New Lynchmobs?

Melanoid Nation — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 19:40:16 +0000

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a bold stance this past week by announcing his decision to sit during the singing of the National Anthem during the pre-game ceremonies in protest of the dominant society’s mistreatment of Melanoid people. As expected, white supremacists have lashed out from every angle imaginable–from social media, to offline, where many of his “fans” have taken to burning their Kaepernick jerseys–that had he not stepped forward to address systematic racism/white supremacy in this country–they would have likely continued to wear them proudly on gamedays in sports bars and living rooms everywhere.

The following video is a compilation of suspected white supremacist fans who have decided to record themselves on video burning the the Black QB’s jersey. Judging off of the video’s “like/dislike” ratio, one can see that this (Kaepernick’s jersey burning) is well received by a large number of viewers on a grand scale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMQeR1uiBY

The burning of Colin Kaepernick’s jersey isn’t new. As a matter of fact, it has become a trending activity that suspected white supremacist sports fans engage in when their favorite Black superstar athletes ‘get out of place’. Perhaps the most notable jersey burning ceremony took place in 2010, when white fans in Cleveland took to the streets in a belligerent manner to burn their Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James jerseys after he made his famous ‘Decision’ to leave the Cavs by signing with the Miami Heat that summer.

Shortly before the white supremacist sports fans’ outrage against Kaepernick ensued a few days ago, NBA superstar Kevin Durant–who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder for nearly a decade–signed with the Golden State Warriors as a free agent this past summer (2016). The video below shows fans giving Durant the same treatment:

In the eyes of many, the notion of these fans burning jerseys of their favorite players can be written off as an act of passionate sports fans heartbroken and angry. In reality, this trend contains heavy racial undertones. Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant are all blessed with otherworldly athletic abilities, they are great teammates, and more importantly, they are upstanding citizens whose faces we’ve never seen in mugshots. However, this does not matter to white supremacists.

The issue that the dominant society has with the aforementioned athletes is that they are well-to-do Black men who either:

a) They prioritize their own best business interests over the selfish wants of their white supremacist fans

b) They’ve used their platform to openly address serious matters that affect Black Society

c) They do both.

This has always posed a problem among white supremacists, who’d rather see nothing more than Black athletes–and non athletes alike– stay in their places by doing nothing to empower themselves economically, socially, etc. Instead of deploying lynch mobs to burn down great Black communities such as Tulsa, Oklahoma or Rosewood, Florida, they’ve utilized that same lynch mob mentality to burn jerseys of Black athletes who…decide to take their lives into their own hands.

B. Clark

Playing For Keeps: The Ever-Increasing Need For Black “Bosshood” in Pro Sports

Melanoid Nation — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 09:23:09 +0000

Yesterday, it was reported that boxing megastar Floyd “Money” Mayweather was stripped of the WBO title that he earned after defeating fellow boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, May 2nd.

The decision to take Mayweather’s title came as a surprise for many, and has rightfully caused outrage from the members of his camp. The story that broke yesterday has re-opened the door of speculation among Melanoid people, particularly members of Black Society who are avid sports fans. For years now, Mr. Mayweather has been the subject of excessive criticism and scorn, which many believe stems from the simple fact that a young Melanoid man such as Floyd Mayweather is fully aware of his talents and impact on the sport of boxing, and makes no apologies about the storied career he has successfully tailored. Another reason of hate for Mayweather is perhaps the reason that is the most glaring: the immense fortune he has amassed from his prolific boxing career. In conjunction with Mayweather’s enviable boxing winnings, one Melanoid man has been a highly instrumental figure in making this happen. His name, you ask? Al Haymon.

Haymon, whose shrewd acumen has been an asset to Floyd Mayweather (Haymon also serves as an adviser to Mayweather), has long been a man in an authoritative position in the world of entertainment. Despite the power moves, Mr. Haymon is for the most part a low-profile figure, instead preferring to call the shots from behind the scenes…”like a boss”. Haymon’s business savvy could be one that Melanoid people in sports take notes from.

Al Haymon (shown on the left) is often recognized as boxing’s “mystery man”, but he’s no mystery to his famous mentee.

The NBA, which to many has been thought of as a Black sport for the past three-plus decades, is no exception to the need for Black ownership. Although Michael Jordan serves as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, the sport which is known as perhaps the world’s “Blackest sport” is severely lacking Black owners to take the reins of some of the other 29 NBA franchises.

NBA legend Michael Jordan has served as the majority of the NBA’s Charlotte franchise since 2010.

During the 2011 NBA lockout which saw the NBA’s owners and players reach a rift in collective bargaining, there were discussions of some of the league’s highest profile players (with most–if not all–of the players in mention being Melanoid) form new basketball teams which would barnstorm around the country, putting up their own money to rent out venues and use their immense talents to put on what would’ve been a highly entertaining display of basketball for fans across the country. The rumors of the basketball players leaving the NBA’s negotiation tables for the prospect of putting their fortunes (and ownership of their basketball related business affairs) even prompted well-known veteran journalist Bryant Gumbel to speak on the restrictive nature of the NBA’s hierarchy. Here is what Gumbel had to say:

“[Then-NBA Commissioner] Stern’s version of what has been going on behind closed doors has of course been disputed, but his efforts were typical of a commissioner who has always seemed eager to be viewed as some kind of modern plantation overseer, treating NBA men as if they were his boys. It’s part of Stern’s M.O., like his past self-serving edicts on dress code and the questioning of officials. His moves were intended to do little more than show how he’s the one keeping the hired hands in their place.”

Gumbel’s criticism of then-NBA Commissioner can be seen in the following video.

The NFL is now generally regarded as America’s most popular sport. The professional football league, which boasts an approximately 70 percent Black population as of the beginning of the 2014 NFL season, has no Black owners residing over any of the league’s 32 franchises.

There is a shared belief in some circles of Black Society that harbor disapproval for Melanoid people being involved in entertainment in any capacity, including sports. However, professional sports, just like manufacturing, retail, healthcare, etc. is a business just like any of the previously mentioned examples that represent various sectors of the economy. While many of us in Black Society have come to a consensus that it is no longer a recommended notion to encourage our youth (particularly our boys) to choose a career as an NBA or NFL player, it is possible that the conversation with our youth can be slightly modified to encourage them to strive for ownership/management positions in sports instead. If much of the entertainment that the dominant society consumes and watches is based on marketing influenced by Black culture, shouldn’t it be wise for us to aim for ownership in entertainment-driven industries such as sports?

Is There Racism In Sports?

Melanoid Nation — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 23:56:53 +0000

It has often been declared that the sporting world is one of society’s truest forms of meritocracies that exist. It is perceived by many that sports provide people of all backgrounds and life experiences a level playing field; that all social constructs such as religion, educational level, or personal ideology are dismissed once the participating athletes step foot into the arena of their prospective sports. In an ideal scenario, this particular school of thought would be valid. However, it is only necessary to deal with real life.
Sports, just like any other institution or area of society, has been inundated with more than its fair share of discrimination and negative perceptions held by many members of the dominant American society. Perhaps the most well documented example of racism in sports has to be Jackie Robinson’s groundbreaking foray into the ranks of Major League Baseball after playing in the Negro Leagues prior to that. Another notable instance of racial overtones in sports would include the aforementioned negative perceptions of the black athletes in the eyes of both certain sports fans and casual observers alike.
However, there is one racial disparity that exists in sports actually parallels that of what is actually occurring in society outside of the world of sport. This disparity that I am referring to is the gross lack of a substantial black presence in pivotal positions, such as coaching, front office executives, and most important position in sports, ownership.
The lack of blacks in ownership is comically ironic. With professional sports being dominated in number in addition to domination by sheer performance by black athletes (such as the NBA, NFL, MMA/UFC, and Boxing), there is a lack of owners in the team sports such as the NBA and NFL. The lack of black-owned promotion teams in individual sports such as MMA and boxing further states this case.
To address the many racial issues that occur in sports would be redundant. The accumulation of financial assets and wealth equates to power, regardless of any industry one works in. I believe it was the founder of the Rothschild Banking Dynasty who once said, “Give me control of a nation’s money supply, and I care not who make its laws”. To relate Rothschild’s quote to the topic at hand, it basically means that the one(s) with the most money have the most leverage, and that is how society operates. The very meaning of racism itself is for a group of people who have a clear cut political, economical, and social advantage over another group of people whom they discriminate against.

Until blacks are in ownership positions in sports and decide to start sports leagues and associations of their own, racism will always maintain a crushing chokehold on the black (employees) athletes that serve to produce an entertaining product for countless people, thus generating billions as a result of their athletic performance.

by B. Clark