New Whitlock Article

[He Ban Me]

Pretty interesting read having to do with NFL culture and how the "Hip Hop" nature is detrimental to the game:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7343980

 

[Real World]

I'm sure the 12 year old who thought the season was over when the Pats lost the 1st preseason game, will be in here shortly to call you a racist for posting the article, and say that Whitlock is an irrelevent uncle tom.

 

[sieglo]

Based on that article it seems that he Colts are the most racist team in football.

 

[NYPatsFan]

I agree with most of what he wrote. In order to excel in team sports, you need to have team players. If guys (black or white) aren't willing to sacrifice for the good of the team, the team will not succeed.

I wish Whitlock discussed Randy Moss in his article. Moss is a black man who has had many team related problems over the years. How would he explain Moss' change in attitude? He looks like the same Randy Moss who has played for 10 years in the NFL.

Anway, if memory serves me well, the Pats and the Colts also have the most college graduates on their rosters.

 

[patchick]

Pretty brave article, actually. It's a pretty amazing stat that the two best teams in football are the two whitest. Not something you EVER see brought up (unlike the constant discussion of the two black coaches in the last Superbowl). Of course, "whitest" is relative. Both teams have a majority of African-American players, including many of their top stars.

It's an interesting hypothesis from Whitlock that both teams' personnel strategy focuses on "leadable" players. But he makes a mistake, IMO, facilely blaming hip-hop. I don't think it's that simple. Take Willie McGinest, a player who was recruited by Cleveland to bring focus and a winning attitude to the locker room. Willie runs his own hip-hop record label as well as a management firm in partnership with Snoop Dogg! What Whitlock is really talking about is selfishness and immaturity, which he tosses into a cultural bucket with other stuff he doesn't happen to like.

 

[MetalBleachers]

Pretty brave article, actually. It's a pretty amazing stat that the two best teams in football are the two whitest. Not something you EVER see brought up (unlike the constant discussion of the two black coaches in the last Superbowl). Of course, "whitest" is relative. Both teams have a majority of African-American players, including many of their top stars.

It's an interesting hypothesis from Whitlock that both teams' personnel strategy focuses on "leadable" players. But he makes a mistake, IMO, facilely blaming hip-hop. I don't think it's that simple. Take Willie McGinest, a player who was recruited by Cleveland to bring focus and a winning attitude to the locker room. Willie runs his own hip-hop record label as well as a management firm in partnership with Snoop Dogg! What Whitlock is really talking about is selfishness and immaturity, which he tosses into a cultural bucket with other stuff he doesn't happen to like.

I agree with your last point, patchick. Blaming hip-hop culture doesn't do the problems of Pacman (for example) justice. It's more like an athlete/star culture, the same types of things that happen with young movie actors who hit it big overnight. They've been catered to since they were 12 because they're better athletes and they're going to be rich and famous, the same way actors or models get catered to because of their looks. They get away with bending the rules (or worse) because others want to cut them some slack. This goes beyond race. Haven't plenty of white NFL and college players gotten into serious trouble, too?

I agree this is a cultural dilemma, but it's as much of an overnight success/quick-fame problem as it is about hip-hop. Let's think about what we would do if we'd signed a multi-million dollar contract after our 21st birthdays? What if we were surrounded by people - friends or complete strangers - who kept telling us how good we were? That's all pretty tough to take in stride, I would imagine.

Whitlock takes too many shortcuts here, I believe. Of course there's a nationwide concern about African-American treatment from within and without; actually, I think Whitlock's jumping on a bandwagon that Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint began this month: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15317767 I just don't believe we can point the finger at Jay-Z or Kanye and believe the problems will change much.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Whitlock has been a pretty consistent voice for we-must-clean-up-our-own-house themes.

My problem with this stuff is always the comments. Just a bunch of semi-racists jumping on the article as reinforcement of their beliefs without understanding the underlying point.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Based on that article it seems that he Colts are the most racist team in football.

No. Ther are just an "Affirmative Action" employer. lawl.

 

[psychoPat]

Wow.
But it needs to be said.

Race is not the determining factor when it comes to having a good or bad attitude. Culture is.

 

[BadMoFo]

Damn kids and their damn rap music.

It's not like Frank Sinatra was a member of the mob or Elvis was addicted to pills or anything.

Thing is, everyone 30 and under, white or black, is technically a product of the hip hop culture.

 

[MrTibbs]

I don't agree with everything in his article............Chad Johnson is very talented and he is part of the solution not the problem in Cincy. Do you think for one second given the chance that Belichick wouldn't sign Chad if he was a FA?

I think Dungy and Belichick just go for players that fit their system. Mind you the part I do agree with is they don't stand for me me players. The make up of the roster just happens to be coincedence in my opinion.

They do prefer the college gradutes who do show more intellect then the Pac Man Jones type.

 

[LoveDemPats]

"African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters."

This is the thesis in my opinion.

Maybe it would have been ok to just say, "Don't act like a fool or you are going to get canned." And it would apply to everyone.

But, that would not be very sexy would it?

Why did he need to use the stereo-typing?

By using it, the article comes off as hip, and clean as if it is coming from a man on the mount.

And yet, if a white person wrote this, I don't even know what would happen to them. It sure wouldn't be pretty. And it sure wouldn't sound like it was coming from the mount.

How bout this one, (as was stated by one of the posters - about the graduation rates) maybe intelligence is a factor? Like, if you are smart, you have a good chance of sticking with a team. And, if you are fast, and smart, and diligent, and you have the heart of a lion, then you may even be,

a PATRIOT!!!!!!

Sorry for the drama, I just had to end it with fireworks and lightening bolts, and explosions and stuff.

 

[He Ban Me]

"African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters."

This is the thesis in my opinion.

Maybe it would have been ok to just say, "Don't act like a fool or you are going to get canned." And it would apply to everyone.

But, that would not be very sexy would it?

Why did he need to use the stereo-typing?

By using it, the article comes off as hip, and clean as if it is coming from a man on the mount.

And yet, if a white person wrote this, I don't even know what would happen to them. It sure wouldn't be pretty. And it sure wouldn't sound like it was coming from the mount.

How bout this one, (as was stated by one of the posters - about the graduation rates) maybe intelligence is a factor? Like, if you are smart, you have a good chance of sticking with a team. And, if you are fast, and smart, and diligent, and you have the heart of a lion, then you may even be,

a PATRIOT!!!!!!

Sorry for the drama, I just had to end it with fireworks and lightening bolts, and explosions and stuff.

I think the intelligence slant would also be looked at as stereotyping. I think the main crux is the whole "being led" idea. I just think that African Americans are taught, and learn from day 1 not to trust "the Man", and by that I mean the authorities. I feel like this is just an extention of that personna. It's a trust issue.

 

[Caspir]

Wa wa, hip hop, boo hoo. If only we would all listen to Hillary Duff and Aaron Carter, everything would be great.

 

[bevster]

This theme isn't new. Whitlock has been riding this horse for months.

 

[Bo0MeR]

Jason Whitlock is a complete idiot, and I say this knowing he comes from my home state of Indiana, but he is a moron.

 

[ligermark]

Typical great column from Whitlock. He's a brave columnist, as his (correct) views will be met with plenty of hostility due to the victimization of blacks being drilled into children at school for the past couple generations.

Anybody who thinks black music and culture doesn't play a role in this is kidding themselves. Almost every single NFL player that runs into legal or character problems is black. That doesn't mean that the majority of black NFL players aren't good character guys. It's a case of, as Whitlock fears, a minority of individuals giving black players a bad name.

 

[patchick]

Anybody who thinks black music and culture doesn't play a role in this is kidding themselves. Almost every single NFL player that runs into legal or character problems is black.

Now that's simply not true, and no need to muddy up the argument with it. (Mark Chmura? Barret Robbins? Bill Romanowski? Etc., etc.)

Something that clearly does play a role is the number of very poor black kids from very shaky backgrounds who find themselves thrust into fame and fortune at a young age, and whose extended families and friends from the hood expect to come along for the ride. Being handed millions of dollars and fawning attention is risky for any young person (as another poster said, look at Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and their ilk). But it's doubly risky if you've got a bunch of lowlife friends telling you to "keep it real."

 

[pats-blue]

"African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters."

This is the thesis in my opinion.

Maybe it would have been ok to just say, "Don't act like a fool or you are going to get canned." And it would apply to everyone.

But, that would not be very sexy would it?

Why did he need to use the stereo-typing?

By using it, the article comes off as hip, and clean as if it is coming from a man on the mount.

And yet, if a white person wrote this, I don't even know what would happen to them. It sure wouldn't be pretty. And it sure wouldn't sound like it was coming from the mount.

How bout this one, (as was stated by one of the posters - about the graduation rates) maybe intelligence is a factor? Like, if you are smart, you have a good chance of sticking with a team. And, if you are fast, and smart, and diligent, and you have the heart of a lion, then you may even be,

a PATRIOT!!!!!!

Sorry for the drama, I just had to end it with fireworks and lightening bolts, and explosions and stuff.

Everybody either considers Whitlock an "uncle tom" or someone sayin what needs to be said. With this predisposed opinion everyone stops with their reading comprehension.

Whites buy just as much if not more hip-hop than African Americans, so why isn't it a "problem" for Whites? Because they don't EMBRACE the hip-hop culture. I listen to hip-hop too....but I don't wear my pants halfway down my A** and my hat sideways and talk all gangsta. Partof the hip-hop culture is don't take any crap...well if that is your attitude how well do you think you will get along with the "boss" when they tell you you did something wrong?

People don't even listen. When Whitlock was talking about Chad he was just talking about him taking swings at coaches and fellow players as well as quitting on a route that cost his team possession of the ball. Chad does have a ME attitude. Not about his touchdown celebrations. So because he is "fun" Chad should be able to take swings at team mates and coaches?

Now if I am an employer I am not going to hire the White kid either that has "embraced" the hip-hop culture because I personally don't think they would be a productive employee. There is not a whole lot of lets all get a long stuff in that music. If someone listens to hip-hop fine no problem the only ones that "embrace" the hip-hop ATTITUDE is what Whitlock is saying but many are to busy with their predetermined attitudes to actually read what he wrote.

Willie Mac doesn't come across as someone with the hip-hop ATTITUDE yet he obviously is very involved in hip-hop.

Since when is yelling at a coach "fun" or just playing a "kids game"? When did it become ok to do that?

Oh and "Pacmans" problems are a DIRECT result of having a hip-hop ATTITUDE. HE most of all is exactly what Whitlock is talking about. "pacman" runs his life like he is a hip-hop artist and leads the hip-hop life.

 

[drew4008]

Now that's simply not true, and no need to muddy up the argument with it. (Mark Chmura? Barret Robbins? Bill Romanowski? Etc., etc.)

Don't even try it. I would bet everything I own that the ratio of blacks getting in trouble to whites is at least 5:1, so don't turn a blind eye and spew ******ed garbage like this. Amen Whitlock, keep on preaching.