Code Red

I didn't want to say anything until I learned more about the Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito situation.
At first, many in the media were quick to jump on the story of a locker room/lunch room dust up and label the situation as 'bullying' with racist undertones.
Mainstream media, Black media and even foreign media scooped up the story and quickly assigned 'bully' and 'victim' labels to the actors.

But something about the story never seemed quite right...
How could a six-five, three hundred plus pounds man be the victim of a bully?
Don't bullies usually prey upon the weak and easily intimidated?
Aren't football players supposed to be filled with testosterone and bravado?

Maybe football isn't the sport it used to be.
Back in the day, the goal of many in the sport was to punish and abuse ones opponent.
Flags that are thrown today would have gotten a sideline pat on the head a generation ago.
I have little to no idea what happened along the way...

The thing I hate about a lot of children's sports today is that no one loses.
Every kid is taught to think of himself as a winner just for making the team.
Children receive trophies at the end of the season just for making the team.
Excellence is no longer required.

The situation may be even worse for today's Black kids - more than seventy percent of Black households are run by single mothers.
Many Black boys never go through any of the old rites of passage.
Many of today's young Black boys never have the opportunity to earn the respect of their fathers.
Many of today's Black boys never learn to struggle and/or overcome obstacles.
Many of today's Black boys will still be trying to prove their manhood well into adulthood.

"Ungawa, Black Power... Yo' mama needs a shower... I said it, I meant it - I'm here to represent it...", "Yo' mama is a; knock-kneed, bald-headed, cock-eyed, son of a bitch...."

"Hey, hey,... Get outa' my way,..." and the rest of the schoolyard pre-fight chants from my days in the hood are no longer acceptable.

Wearing two pairs of underwear, shorts and an extra pair of pants for our Friday morning paddlings are no longer necessary.

Vaseline slathered on ones face is a practice today's kids would be confused by.

 

Sure we had bullies.

In the fourth grade I fought one (a sixth grader) every day for a week until he grew tired of fighting.

We knew which streets to cross, which houses to avoid and when to run when the 'Big Kids" were on their rampages.

We learned that the only way to get the better of a bully was to fight back.

 

Earlier I posited that sports were inherently gay.

No, not in the sexual sense - more in the prison/domination sense.

I had so many 'bitches' back in high school that one would have thought me a pimp.

No, not 'bitches' as in 'ho's' - but bitches as in close friends and team mates with whom one could joke around with, tease and/or embarrass.

"Bitch" was used as a term of disrespect and endearment.in almost any competitive environment.

IMOHO - Martin was soft and in need of a Code Red.
Was Incognito the man to do it? I don't know - I was never in that locker room and I don't know their relationship nor the dynamics.
But any grown-ass man who accuses another grown-ass man of 'Bullying' in any sport as aggressive as football (used to be) is too soft for the game and a detriment to the team.