Recently Warren Sapp, a Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive tackle, has been in the news – from skipping through an opponents work-out to bumping an official to … well, he analogized the NFL ownership to a “slave master system”. He said he was not suggesting that players are slaves. Instead, that they are treated as human chattel. The media, black, white, and other, jumped into his stuff. I didn’t hear all the comments but the only support I heard came from Michael Irvin, ESPN football analyst.
A few weeks ago as I drove through the winding roads of Ohio, or was it Michigan, I listened to Dan Patrick on ESPN Radio interview Terrell Owens. Terrell has been in the news also, much more than Warren – for keeping a Sharpie in his sock, dancing on the Cowboys midfield star, going off on the coaching staff on the sidelines, calling out the team for lack of heart, and questioning the playing ability of his quarterback and the effectiveness of his offensive line. Because of the last tirade, Jeff Garcia, the quarterback, got ugly on Terrell. A media maelstrom followed. Dan Patrick tried to delve some more into Terrell’s comments (Terrell was on his show to promote some charity effort of Sharpie). Terrell’s response was why isn’t the media questioning Jeff Garcia as extensively as him? To Dan’s credit (and I will tell you right now I do not like him as an interviewer because he gets hostile with his guests when they turn questions back on him), he had said Jeff was wrong too. But he was one of the few to do so, and the amount of press Terrell was receiving in comparison to Jeff’s was … there was a huge difference. Dan didn’t answer Terrell’s question. And Terrell refused to discuss anything else until Dan did. Terrell ended the interview (said he had another promo spot). Dan was pissed and continued to dog Terrell the rest of his show. He never did address Terrell’s question regarding media disparity.
These situations continued to validate several things for me –
The use of the words racist or slavery or slave master in reference to Caucasians, even if innocuous, is akin to using the ‘n’ word (or words if you agree with me, see The Other N Word – Minority) with African-Americans, or any of the other derogatory words used against other ethnicities;
2. We don’t listen enough; and
3. It’s about time somebody caught on to how sports ownership works. And when I said that several years ago, I was jumped on too.
The first point is another commentary. But had to be acknowledged because it is such an obvious point.
But the other two …
Any profession where you buy and sell employees, and the employee has to negotiate a no-trade clause to avoid the sale is analogous to slavery. Professional sports and (now I’m about to get into trouble) religious denominations such as Methodists incorporate slavemaster systems. The only difference between them and back then – the employee agrees to and gets paid by the system.
Should this make a difference? It did for several sports commentators.
“When you’re paid millions of dollars you cannot call your owners slavemasters,” was the typical response.
The cash is not the issue. It just softens the indignity.
In an hierarchical religious denomination or professional sports (note: I acknowledge there may be other occupations that use this system. These are the two that have been on my mind.) you must do, act, go, not go, not do, not say, not pray, pray when and where you’re told to do, act, go, not go, not do, not say, not pray, or pray. If you don’t, you’re out. Not of a job, but a career in their profession. You’re free to go to another profession, but you can’t stay in their’s.
That’s slave ownership.
Can you imagine our bosses telling us if we don’t do/act/say/pray we’re fired?
Well, yes we can.
But can you imagine that scenario and thereafter discovering you no longer can be employed in the corporate world?
Can you imagine your boss walking in and saying, ‘we’ve decided to trade/move you to Buffalo. You leave at noon.’
Who cares if your family wants to go.
Who cares if it splits your family.
Who cares what you think at all. You signed away your right to think.
That’s professional sports.
That’s hierarchical religious denominations.
Not saying it’s right or wrong, just saying what it is. Which Warren did.
Sorry, I’ve got to do a slight digression. But you’re used to that by now.
Thank you Michael Irvin for acknowledging what is, is what is. Black folks are conditioned to not upset the massa. Calling white people slavemasters (note: I know Bob Johnson, a black man, owns a professional sport team but Warren referred to NFL owners) definitely upsets them. Understandably so. But just because they get upset doesn’t mean it’s our role to ‘apologize for that boy’s words massa owner. He don’t know no better. I woudda knew it would upset you and I wouddn’t have sayed it at all’ While thinking, ‘please don’t punish me for that fools actions’ and ‘damn fool he dun stirred up things now’. And hopefully also thinking, ‘but it was true.’
It’s conditioning. Reflexive. That’s why we learn. This is how we learn. We talk. And listen. Which gets me to the next point – the media doesn’t listen. Heck it’s not just the media. We don’t listen.
When buzz words (defined: anything that makes us defensive) are said, we block out everything else.
Warren said slavemaster and the media heard ‘football players are slaves.’
Terrell said why is the media more on me than Jeff, when we both committed the same offense – talking too much. Dan Patrick heard ‘you don’t want to talk to the media about what you say but yet you say it to the media.’
Another digression, yes we know the ‘sins’ of people of color are much more egregious than similar offenses by Caucasians. But I’m moving on.
Warren said NFL owners have a slavemaster system because … and he pointed out the reasons. Whether you agreed with him or not, nobody dialogued much on the reasons because all they heard was a black man calling white owners slavemasters.
Last digression, yes, people of color are less listened to. But I’m moving on.
We don’t listen when are hackles get up.
I get comments on commentary that pick out a period but miss the whole sentence!
We don’t listen.
And some folks are pissed now because ‘once again she’s discussing race’. Yes, I am, but so much more is being said.
Listen.
And I am so guilty of not doing that. Some folks I shut out from the moment they look like they’re going to open their mouth. From experience.
But occasionally it pays to open the ears. To everything said. Not just the bits and pieces our conscious brain picks out.
You hear?
Mr. Ms. Media.
Me.
Y’all.
By the way, if you’re arrogantly visualizing somebody you know and thinking, ‘that’s right. You need to listen to what I say.’ News flash. With two quotation marks. You probably need to listen more than them. That’s why they’ve tuned you out.
Okay. I’m done. Listening. Just joking.
But I had planned to talk about something humorous. Next time.
