General Sports

• Super Bowl LVI - Here for the Halftime Show

  Feb 14, 2022 Gene Clemons 1 Comments

  

   

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  Super Bowl LVI took on an HBCU feel this season. Congratulations to the LA Rams and all of their mercenary players who were able to turn this team into a winner. It has been said that the Rams have justified moving back to LA because of the success they had. The truth is that they had the same type of success in St. Louis. Ultimately this was a money play and fortunately for them, it worked. SoFi Stadium was packed to capacity and on full display. It’s over five-billion-dollar price tag was spent on every amenity that a high dollar fan would ever want but only a fraction of a percent was spent to protect players as the synthetic turf claim yet another victim. It was the type of game that most of us are used to a back-and-forth chess match where referees made calls and no calls on both teams that helped impact the outcome. We waited to watch offensive innovation and once again the spotlight was stolen by defensive brilliance. Stars were stars and the Rams had more than the Bengals. In the end that was the difference. It was OBJ, Cooper Kupp, Vonn Miller and Aaron Donald walking away champions and shedding tears of joy.

   

  But did anyone really care? From the moment it was announced everyone was buzzing about the Super Bowl halftime show. The idea of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Eminem, Mary J, and Kendrick Lamar all gracing the stage together for the night seemed like an homage to the West Coast. The halftime show commercial was released almost three weeks before the big game and garnered over 15 million streams on YouTube. It was clear that everyone was hyped up about the halftime show more than the game. But what made this halftime show different? What made this one unique?

   

  For me and for many others like me, it was personal. We have seen performers grace the Super Bowl stage that we have grown up with but the aggressive, outlandish, outlaw nature of Hip Hop, especially Hip Hop in the 90’s, that we fell in love with and that defined our generation was something we never believed would get the opportunity to headline that event. It was too raw, too real, too rebellious. Hip Hop artists might get a song on the set of another Pop artist set but never the stage to itself. Hip Hop has finally had the opportunity to do what many of its artists have not been able to do throughout the years due to untimely death or incarceration, mature.

   

  Never forget Dr. Dre was once a part of a group that openly defied police and their practices and was arrested repeatedly for performing “F The Police”. Snoop Dogg was on trial for murder. These two guys have grown up to be luminaries of the genre. Dre is a billion-dollar mogul and Snoop Dog is every artist’s cool-ass uncle. Mary J was the round the way girl that grew up to be the unquestioned queen of Hip Hop Soul. Eminem went from being the enigmatic caricature vulturing black culture for profit, to one of the most socially conscious performers of the time. Now they were able to receive their flowers in the light reserved for the hall of famers.

   

  The performance was everything and certainly lived up to the hype. Dre and Snoop kicked it off and both performed the songs we would expect to hear. They didn’t sound run down or old, they were definitely more mature but also still masters of the craft. In true hip hop fashion, the surprise performer was, another hip hop artist and 50 Cent hung upside down doing his smash hit “In Da Club”. Mary J was glammed out and did her thing although I admittedly thought there were a couple other songs that would work better than the songs, she performed but that’s just me nitpicking. The fly thing about the halftime performance is that you were able to see the torch being passed from those luminaries to one of the hottest performers today, Kendrick Lamar. He embodied everything we love about the performance aspect of the genre. Then came Eminem with high energy and raw emotion. Even a star like Anderson Paak was there on the drums smiling from ear to ear because you could only imagine that he too grew up like we did listening to this music and now he was a part of making history. How many artists do you know would be humble enough to play the background like that?

   

  The audacity of Hip Hop to embrace its brand right there for everyone to see. It was reported that Dr. Dre was told to not say “still not loving police” and he did it anyway. Eminem was told to refrain from kneeling, and he did it anyway. Why would we expect anything less from this genre? It was epic and the perfect respect paid to the ones who came before them.

   

  This halftime performance ranks third for me. Number one will always be Prince because how do you top singing Purple Rain in the rain; it was epic! Second is the Beyonce performance because it really was one of the most action-packed half-time shows ever, it just kept coming. I felt tired after it was over. Then comes this show followed by Michael Jackson and then the Bruno Mars show. I originally said Katy Perry on the podcast but my guy Brandon Howard who I travel down memory lane with on the podcast made me change my mind.

   

  From a nostalgic aspect, it hit all the bells and really left me feeling good about the opportunities for hip hop going forward. It has broken through the glass ceiling and now the sky's the limit. It has renewed my hope that we will see more hip-hop headliners and keep alive my dream of an Outkast Super Bowl halftime show.

   

  Let’s make this happen Jay Z!

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

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• Gene Therapy: Addressing Racial Discrimination in the NFL | If Not Now, Then When?

  Feb 5, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

   

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  The Brian Flores lawsuit brings to light all of the issues that many people have pointed out that exist in the NFL regarding their questionable hiring practices. There is only one black head coach in the NFL and despite multiple head coach openings, the Rooney Rule and public scrutiny waiting, there has not been one black head coach hired so far during this cycle. That's where Flores comes in. He believes, and seems to have proof, that the Miami Dolphins fired him because he refused to lose on purpose and that the New York Giants interviewed him for their head coaching job knowing they had already made a decision to hire a white coach. Since its inception claims have been made that the Rooney Rule is nothing more than a front so that arrogant, white owners can save face when asked about diversity in their hiring practices while continuing to employ the people they really want to hire but for as much conjecture as there has been out there, there's never really been any legitimate proof.

   

    The fact that the NFL, before doing any investigation to see if any of these allegations were true, would come out and make a statement saying that the allegations were meritless only proves that regardless of whether they believe they've done something wrong or not, there is zero chance that the NFL would take action against their own teams when it comes to diversity hiring impropriety. After all the NFL is not afraid to swing their hammer. They spent months investigating whether or not a football was underinflated during a game. They then levied punishment against an organization that included a heavy fine and a loss of draft picks. This Flores case should not have even been a difficult press release to write. Something like this would have worked while they actually took time to investigate:

   

  "We were informed of the lawsuit by Coach Flores and disappointed that one of our more respected coaches felt as if he was treated improperly. We care about our diversity initiatives and take any allegations that our Rooney Rule has been violated or that the integrity of our game has been compromised seriously. We will investigate the allegations and when we have a better understanding of the facts, address it in further detail."

   

  Instead, they Dismissed Flores and immediately, several media members took to their platforms to discredit Flores' claims. The regular smear campaign was on. People saying that they had first-hand knowledge that his claims were false while producing no evidence and hiding behind anonymous sources. People like Tiki Barber came to the defense of the Giants based on his love of the organization and the fact that they had a black GM. It is the same claim that so many Giants fans made while arguing against Flores.

   

  "He's just mad because the Giants didn't hire him." and "This isn't going to help him get another head coaching job." are common responses you can find about this situation. The truth is these people are somewhat right but like what happens with issues of race and equality, they completely miss the point and only focus on the low hanging fruit. Yes, he's mad but not because the Giants didn't hire him. He's upset because they used him to make a mockery out of a rule meant to give coaches like him legitimate opportunities to ascend to head coaching positions. And yes, this isn't going to help his cause for getting another head coaching job.

   

  But those who question him should ask themselves 'why?'

   

  Why would a man who spent 15 years working his way up from a scouting assistant to get his opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL want to ruin the lifestyle he has crafted as a professional football coach?

   

  Why would a coach who cut his teeth in an organization committed to winning want to purposely lose?

   

  Why would a man of color who understands how difficult it is for coaches like him to elevate to a head coach position, try to sabotage his opportunity to do so in the future?

   

  Why would a coach who has never sought the spotlight at any time in his almost 20-year NFL career, all of a sudden decide he wants to throw himself into a situation that is sure to garner all of the attention he's actively avoided? 

   

  Why would a man who has been applauded as a man of integrity just fabricate these stories out of thin air?

   

  The answers are simple, and they all come back to one undeniable point; there is definitely merit! Eventually one of these minority coaches were going to get tired of being quiet for fear of losing their livelihood and blow the top off of a problem that has been around for as long as black men have been allowed to coach professional football. You can't continue to discredit people and expect that all of them are going to just shut up and be content with their fate in this profession.

   

  While the sports world was digesting this news, the Vikings and Jaguars both hired new head coaches, and neither were minorities. So even during a time where the diversity hiring practices of NFL teams were being publicly debated, NFL teams continued to keep things status quo with their hirings. This says there is no change coming regardless of this case. So, what is there to do to get change?

   

  Unfortunately, the responsibility comes back on the players. They have another opportunity to show that this is about more than just money and that if they are united, they have the power to create change in their profession. The NFL is made up of 70% minorities. That means if that 70% disappears, there is no NFL. The question becomes do they really care. Do they feel as if they should be coached by men that look like them? If so, the answer is simple. Don't play until there are legitimate changes made and not sometime in the future, but right now! Demand that people of color be hired until 50% of the head coaches in the league are represented by people of color. There are more than enough qualified black men to do the job correctly. If they don't really care, then it's time to get rid of the Rooney Rule and refer to the NFL in the proper context, one that doesn't include them as a leader in the efforts to increase diversity or support the causes of equal rights and opportunities.

   

  The time for talk seems to be over, actions are the only thing that's going to get this done. If this climate of empowerment and inclusion is not the time, when is it? If this is not the cause to get behind, what would be? If this isn't more important than money, nothing will be. If the players are as tired as their people are, what would keep them from acting? 

   

  If not now, then when?

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

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• Gene Therapy: Jeff Garcia vs Mina Kimes | Put Away Your Capes!

  Feb 1, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  In this country there are a lot of heroes. Some heroes are essential. Good police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers, and many of the other nameless, faceless workers who go through life tirelessly working for the betterment and safety of others. Some heroes are unexpected. The person who rescues a kid who swam a little too far out and is not caught in the current with little to no energy left. The ones that pull you back before you walk into the street and get hit by a car because you were not paying attention. The person that opens the elevator so that you can make it on before it closes. People who stand up for those that are being oppressed, discriminated against, ridiculed for no reason and bullied. Then there are the heroes that nobody ever asked for. The one’s who pick every opportunity to come to the aid of someone who never asked for help or has even seemed as if they needed assistance. Where I am from, we call it “Caping.” You know a lot of heroes' wear capes and that is where the verb comes from.

   

  Last week former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia was recklessly critical of ESPN football analyst Mina Kimes for her negative opinion on Jimmy Garoppolo. He questioned her ability to do the job and wondered aloud why anyone would ever hire her as a football mind. To be honest, he was completely out of line. Instead of engaging in a dialogue that could have produced a better understanding of her position and thus moved the conversation forward. He could have criticized without demeaning or degrading Kimes but emotions (and whatever he was drinking) clearly got the best of him. Within minutes of seeing Garcia’s rant, there were people firing back at him. Someone could have started a #GrillGarcia thread, sit back, and watch the replies pour in. It is a popular thing to do and Kimes is a figure that attracts all of the rescuers, so it was not surprising to see so many come to her defense. My only question is, why? Why do so many feel the need to defend Kimes against those that would attack her verbally? Why are they so invested in her?

   

  This is the part that we never seem to get to when it comes to equality. In all of the areas of sports that I exist in there is criticism. Some of it is constructive and definitely helps and some of it is just as ridiculous or worse than how Garcia attacked Kimes but here is the difference, nobody came to my rescue. Yes, I know I don’t work at ESPN or any other big-time network that is regularly consumed by millions but even in my little niche there were no heroes there for me. Why? Because this is a part of the gig. As an analyst when you give your opinion (regardless of whether it is based on facts or not) people will agree or disagree. The rational ones will disagree respectfully, but we live in an irrational society. So those responses come with the job. It is a job that Kimes and those like her are being paid handsomely to do. Does that mean you deserve to be ridiculed because you make a lot of money, no but it does mean you should understand.

   

  In my mind this is the final frontier of equality for women in male sports. A female reporter should be admonished if she says something that is off base or inherently biased because that is what would happen to a male reporter. If a male reporter can be criticized because he never played the game, the same criticism should be expected for a woman who didn’t. As women move into decision-making positions in male sports, are we expecting them to not be criticized when they make a bad selection in the draft or obtain a free agent bust? If they are not allowed to be criticized, then are we really treating them as equals? 

   

  And what are you saying when you run to Kimes defense every single time someone has something negative to say about her? What you think you are saying is “I have your back.” What you are really saying is, “I don’t know if you can handle this yourself.” That is an even bigger slap in the face than the criticism or ridicule. Ladies and especially gentlemen, Mina Kimes does not need you to defend her. She is one of the most intelligent, quick-witted, and self-deprecating people in sports broadcasting. She can more than take care of herself. When she decides that she wants to dignify stupidity with a response, it is normally something that shuts a troll down or exposes the hypocrisy or ridiculousness of a statement. She’s a wordsmith so especially on social media she does not need any of us to defend her. She’s a warrior and the keyboard is her weapon. She has the right to defend herself as much as she has the right to be defended and I am sure in an honest moment she would probably want it that way. I wonder if all of the heroes would have just shut up for a second, if she would have even bothered responding to Garcia’s comments. I’d like to believe she would not because why would she bring relevance to someone who has not been relevant in a very long time?

   

  It was an opportunity missed and that has been the case for many women in male dominated sports. Before they ever get the chance to prove that they are not fazed by the comments of the insignificant or the brain dead, here comes “Captain Save Her” swooping in to be her shield and knight in shining keyboard strokes. The hubris of men is amazing. To think that the only way a woman can feel protected and or comfortable is if a man is there is the type of archaic philosophies that led to the current inequalities in our world. In sports, the moment that we became ok with unathletic men giving us their sports takes, we should have been ok with unathletic women doing it as well. In the same breath if there’s a criticism of a male analyst that includes their lack of playing experience, then it is ok to lob that low hanging fruit at a woman. I would expect both people to handle it the same way. I don’t feel the need to save either one.

   

  The question becomes, why do you?

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

   

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• Gene Therapy: Sweet Sweet Fantasy!

  Jan 25, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  The 1st time I ever tried sports betting I was convinced that it was the easiest thing in the world to do. After all, we were just picking games. I know basketball, I know football, I know baseball so how hard it could possibly be. The first time I looked at a betting line I was shocked by how complicated it looked. There were so many numbers on it. I saw the name of the team and then I saw nine to 10 other numbers that I had never seen before. I thought I was just picking the winner. 

   

  The reality was something far more complicated. I immediately realized why Vegas is so rich. We wander into this world as novice but with the ego and the hubris to believe that we know something that everybody else doesn't. And even further than that, we believe we know something that the people who have made trillions of dollars don't know. Only in America can a person walk into another person's profession and believe that they know the business better than that professional yet here we are.

   

  Fantasy sports were different for me as I began to participate because there was no money involved. It was for fun, for bragging rights. But a funny thing happened mid-way through the season. I noticed that not everybody was keeping up with their rosters. One season I remember losing out on making the playoffs because a team went on a four week win streak playing against people who never updated their roster. It was frustrating and ultimately not fulfilling or challenging. My response was to seek out a league that had financial investment. If there was money involved people would be in it to win it until the end. That definitely helped but what I found was that the amount of money really made the difference. A league with a $25 due was not going to keep anyone's attention over a season that lasts five months. The bigger the investment, the bigger the prize, the better the engagement.

   

  That led to the instant gratification of daily fantasy where the prizes are high, and investment could be low. That still achieved the same outcome of keeping people invested and wanting to play again. On a certain level, the daily fantasy contests with thousands of entries reminded me of those 10-team parlays that I used to play when I first began betting on sports. My little $10 bet had the chance to bring back 10 thousand dollars. The chances of me winning were slim to none but because I thought I knew sports and was invested in it mentally, I believed that it gave me an advantage. Clearly, I lost my money like the other dummies who thought the same thing, but I continued to play like that for much longer than I care to admit because of my arrogance. I had the keys to beat the system and that's how the casino has always won. That exact logic is why one day fantasy has made that industry so much money. Everybody believes they have the perfect combination to win it all and of course only one can.

   

  As sports betting slowly becomes legalized in every state, The negative connotations that used to surround sports betting dissipates. Fantasy sports and gambling sites like Fanduel and Draftkings allowed sports betting to be slowly accepted into a society that was obsessed with fantasy football. In essence fantasy was our gateway drug into gambling acceptance. As the money involved with fantasy wagers grew to astronomical levels people began to look at fantasy as a viable source of income and the world of the fantasy analyst exploded. The divide between fantasy sports betting and regular sports betting closed quickly.  Now as sports gambling casinos like MGM moved into the space with BetMGM and the many other sites that are ready to go at a moment's notice prepare for this inevitability.

   

  Sports betting and fantasy are definitely here to stay and are going to become a regular part of our sports world. In-game, real-time win probabilities are not just there to make the viewing experience better. These are tools that help influence the next level of sports wagers, the live bet or in-game wager. This allows people to place bets as the game unfolds. The level of engagement that this provides the user only brings them closer to the game and closer to parting with the money in their wallet. After all that's the end game, money. Most of these online sportsbooks will give you free money to bet. They call it free play and it is designed to get you used to gambling, suck you in, and ultimately make wagering on sports a part of your everyday life. This is not a bad thing, after all you can win, but it is a numbers game for them. The more that plays, the more they make, regardless of the game's outcome. 

   

  Like anything with gambling, the goal is to be smart and responsible. Whether it is fantasy, sports betting, cards or the stock market, if you are doing it out of desperation, there's a better than likely chance you will fail. If you are doing it for entertainment, you will probably still lose. However, if you approach it as a way to make passive income and you show it the respect you would for any other job, there's the opportunity to come out on top. Never wager what you can't afford to lose. Don't let greed overwhelm you. Little wins are always better than big losses. Parlays are normally losing propositions and the way the sports book would prefer you bet. Imagine if you could add an extra $400 a week to your income, would that make a difference? Of course, it would. So, think consistent winners instead of longshots with big odds. Be boring all the way to the bank or be the most exciting person in the poor house. Your choice.

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

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• Back At One : Black - Black Monday in the NFL

  Jan 16, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by: Gene Clemons

   

  When they say Black Monday in the NFL, they really mean it. This week the NFL found themselves back at square one; one black head coach in a league represented by 70% black players. That is the lowest black head coach number since 1991. What's really strange is that this offseason one would have assumed that the number of black head coaches would increase from the depressingly low number of three in 2021. Instead, the Houston Texans fired David Culley after one season where he didn't have a starting quarterback and was given no resources to win. The Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores after three seasons and the last two seasons were winning seasons for a team that has not recorded back-to-back winning seasons since the 2002-2003 seasons. So now Mike Tomlin, who is the second longest tenured head coach in the league, remains as the only black head coach in the NFL.

   

  There are eight head coaching openings in the NFL this offseason. It is not a guarantee that any will be filled with black coaches. What the Rooney Rule really exposed is that teams are really good at interviewing coaches they have no intentions of hiring. In many cases over the years, we have seen guys interviewed for head coaching positions and then we never hear anything about them again. What happened; was the interview so bad that nobody ever wanted to interview him again? The truth seems to be that coaches are being interviewed simply to satisfy the Rooney Rule, not because owners and front offices have a legitimate desire to diversify their leadership.

   

  We have seen a lot of names talked about for head coaching jobs but how many of them are black coaches? We have heard Flores' name included in a few of those searches. That makes sense when you consider how egregious his exit from Miami seems to be. Other names we have heard are both Buccaneers' coordinators; Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich, and Patriots defensive coach Jerod Mayo. Outside of that many names we here are not being given any serious consideration. 

   

  There's a chance that the aforementioned names will not be considered. Is it really just about the pool of candidates; are we to seriously believe there are more qualified white coaches who are deserving of head coaching opportunities? So how is it that we find ourselves with Mike Tomlin as the only consistent black man as an NFL head coach? Especially when you consider how many times people have questioned whether Tomlin's time in Pittsburgh should end. 

   

  There are two things in play that keeps the wheels of process from moving in the NFL: nepotism and time. It's so easy to just chalk this issue up to white owners choosing to hire leadership they are familiar with but why are there always so many prominent white assistants to choose from? How many times have we seen the son of a former coach who has worked their way up the ladder? Usually, they work their way up on their father's staff or on their father's buddy's staff.

   

  Names like, Belichick, Shanahan, Schottenheimer, Gruden, Reid, and countless others have multiple family members in the league as coaches or former coaches. The longer a coach lasts, the more experience without pressure to perform at a high level their son's get. How long was Kyle Shanahan able to work on his craft while underneath the watchful eye of his father. Bill Belichick's son is currently enjoying that advantage and all while clicking off valuable years of experience with titles they did not earn. 

   

  Meanwhile a coach like David Culley climbed his way up from the bottom. He started as a running backs coach at Austin Peay in 1978. He spent 15 seasons at various college football stops around the county. He started his NFL career with the Buccaneers and spent the next 16 years working his way up the NFL coaching ladder. Finally, when he gets his chance to run his own show, of course it is not with a quality team or even a stable program. But what else was he to do, it took 30 plus years just to get someone to ask him. Clearly,he was going to jump on the opportunity, trust in his preparation and bet on himself to make the situation work for him.

   

  Against all odds that's exactly what he did. The Houston Texans won four games this season and it is safe to say that the plan from the top was to not win any. They fought until the end of the season, they showed improvement from the beginning of the year until the end, and they identified some key pieces that may be a part of the organization's rise as they moved forward. What else could he have done? It didn't matter, the fix was in from the beginning and unfortunately for a man who has waited his entire adult life for his opportunity to lead a team, he was used as a placeholder for another coach. That's the type of treatment black coaches get, and it is utterly disappointing.

   

  During this coaching cycle you will read all of these pieces about the need for diversity at the head coach position. You will see talking heads debating about it on sports shows and you will listen to podcasts where people like me articulate our disappointment in the lack of black men afforded the opportunity to lead. You know where you won't hear it coming from, the players. You never really hear much from the current players about the lack of black general managers, head coaches and coordinators in the NFL. On the outside looking in it makes you wonder if they care. 

   

  What we must all keep in mind is that they are still employees. As much as we would like for them to stand up and show their displeasure, that comes at what cost? The NFL is so competitive, and the salary cap is structured so that you can't really question any decision to move on from a player. Colin Kaepernick was blackballed from the NFL, and he never accused owners of inherently racist hiring practices. If that can happen to a popular starting quarterback, then no other position player is immune.

   

  Personally, I would love to see the entire players union ban together on issues other than just money. I would love to see them uniformly decide that they will not play if there is not a significant increase in black head coaches in the league next season. Then hold those new black head coaches' feet to the fire to hire black coordinators so that the coaching pool more accurately reflects the demographics of the league. Alas I do not have anything to lose as an outsider and I know the opportunity to establish generational wealth is a lot to put in jeopardy. I guess I am just disappointed in everyone. We stood by and watched this happen, how long will we continue?

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

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