BANNED FOR LIFE: BIRTH OF A NATIONAL MELTDOWN

Journalism isn’t dead.

It’s only an inconvenience, in some cases.

Take a gander at Bomani Jones, a current writer for SB Nation, who first outed shamed Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling as a racist.

Take a good, solid look at the fact that Jones was a writer for ESPN.com at the time he broke that story, in 2006.

It’s not a secret, folks. Donald Sterling is a racist.

This wasn’t some one-off aw-shucks old man saying what old men say. This was legit stuff. It was real, raw, unfettered Sterling at his finest hour.

I read this story, and I’ve known of Sterling’s tactics since 2009, when – as a transfer student in Houston – I read a story about Sterling’s treatment of employees, notably Hall of Fame forward and Clippers GM Elgin Baylor.

The NBA made the strongest of statements on Tuesday, banning Sterling for life and stripping him of all NBA privileges save ownership (which should come down shortly). Kudos to Adam Silver.

But, has the action come too little, too late? Not necessarily, but America should know better.

This nation, as we understand, has always had head-butts with racial issues since – pretty much – the beginning of this nation. The vogue thing to do in mainstream white America, as I’ve noticed, is to claim that racism is over in the legal sense. Moreover, all minorities are whiners and complainers when and if they notice racial discrimination, and they should simply stop talking about it, because it’s inconvenient to white people.

But when can we have the Big Uncomfortable Racial Conversation? Can we stamp out people who think of their employees as subhuman, regardless of their sexual relations with those of a different race?

The history of Sterling’s relations with blacks, Asians, Latinos, and even women speaks for itself. And the NBA, in all of its good will, had the gun pointed on them to do something. Or risk a revolt. The league’s profile is fragile, star-first; to lose stars to Sterling’s actions would spell doom for the league, which already has a hard time cultivating lifelong fans among a nation of casuals. Six percent of Americans consider themselves avid NBA fans, while 14 percent side with baseball as their No. 1.

While a myriad of concerns would be brought up for why the NBA struggles to build a hardcore base of supporters, this much is clear and concrete.

Zero tolerance for mistreatment.

Many conservative commentators and contrarians will point to other incidents of black misbehavior or whereabouts. That has zero bearing on being a powerful, influential white owner with a history of treating his clients like dirt. Whatever is thrown back at the community gives nothing back to the overall point of the story. It’s irrelevant.

To conclude, the NBA is a black league. Basketball is a black sport. Larry Bird even said it once. To allow a rogue bigot, with a routinely consistent track record of both porous team ownership and oppressive racial and social discrimination, to roam free in a league overtaken by hip-hop and black culture would be counterproductive. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Philip Arabome is the Sports Director at KTXT-FM in Lubbock. He is also the voice of Texas Tech softball and women’s soccer and co-hosts the Walk-Off on KTXT. Follow him on Twitter: @PhillyBeach93

WARE HAS THE TIME GONE?

Originally written in March, “Ware Has the Time Gone?” is Walk-Off contributor Gerald White’s love letter to former Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who is now a member of the Denver Broncos.

Tuesday was a different kind of “Doomsday” associated with the Dallas Cowboys. A day many began speculating was coming in November of last year, but chose to ignore because its possibility seemed unfathomable. Following the paths of former greats Don Meredith and Don Perkins, DeMarcus Ware is the latest Dallas legend facing the heartbreaking reality that, unlike in the movies, not all great Cowboys ride off heroically into the sunset. As the franchise’s all time leader in sacks (117) and forced fumbles (32), Ware will undoubtedly be enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, joining Meredith and Perkins as the only members that didn’t play on a Dallas Super Bowl team. As a fan who’s been donning a No. 94 jersey since his rookie year, the only thing more painful for me to admit is that cutting Ware was the appropriate move for both sides.

In the Cowboys’ case, they have been struggling to meet the NFL’s salary cap requirement year after year, especially after being penalized $10 million in 2012 for front loading contracts during the 2010 season. Before Ware’s release, Dallas was less than $1 million over the cap, and by cutting Ware, they saved $7.4 of the $16 million that was scheduled to count against it. For Dallas, being able to create cap space is huge considering they trotted out one of the worst defenses in NFL history in 2013, and Ware’s release should enable them to fill a couple of gaps via Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

The other key factors to consider are age, health, and production. Contrary to popular opinion, the Cowboys have a younger roster than people realize. And while I don’t dare call Ware “old” as he nears the age of 32, it’s unquestionable that he hasn’t aged well since spraining his neck in 2009.

From 2006 to 2012, Ware etched his name in NFL history alongside Hall of Famers John Randle and the late Reggie White by becoming only the third player ever to record 10 or more sacks in seven straight seasons. However, the injury bug began to bite him in 2012 as he dealt with nagging nerve injuries in his neck, shoulder, and elbow, which ultimately resulted in two separate offseason surgeries.

In 2013, Ware missed multiple games for the first time in his entire career with a quadriceps injury that lingered throughout the season, and finished with his worst career single-season totals in sacks (6) and tackles (28). Some of the decline in production can be attributed to a change in defensive scheme, but if you watched the games you could tell he wasn’t the same Ware we were accustomed to watching slap the turf after sacking NFL quarterbacks every Sunday afternoon. So if the Cowboys were planning on starting a youth movement in an effort to rebuild, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, cutting Ware to free up some much needed cap space made sense.

As I alluded to earlier, the release made sense schematically for Ware. I’ll spare you by not attempting to delve into the brainlessness behind replacing Rob Ryan with Monte Kiffin after two seasons, but the fact is that the coaching change didn’t play to Ware’s strengths. As a converted high school wide receiver before enrolling at Troy University, it should come as no surprise why Ware possesses the ability to run a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. But when you couple his exceptional speed with his 6’4”, 265 pound frame, you have a hybrid outside linebacker that was bred with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks, and has no business putting his hand in the dirt as a down lineman. So in 2005, that’s what Ware, along with Marcus Spears, was drafted by Bill Parcells to do as “The Big Tuna” intended to set the foundation for the first ever 3-4 defense in Dallas Cowboys history.

Another reason you could argue that Ware needed to make a move in free agency to a team that runs a 3-4 is his injury history. In recent seasons, Ware has been pulled from games due to recurring neck stingers. If Ware were to stay in Dallas as a true defensive end in their new 4-3 defense, he’d be taking more frequent blows to his shoulders, which would cause these stingers to become more common than if he were to make the move back to outside linebacker in a 3-4. And at this point you’ve got to think he’d like to give himself the chance to play as long as possible, and with as little pain as possible, as he pursues a title in the final years of his career.

Finally, the issue comes back to money. The Cowboys had no choice but to ask for a pay cut from Ware given their salary cap woes. So in his case, if you’re an aging All-Pro knowing you’re going to have to take a pay cut just to stay with the epitome of mediocrity that is the Dallas Cowboys who just happened to undermine you by changing defensive schemes, of course you’re going to test the waters of free agency. You’ve broken franchise records; you’ve accumulated Hall of Fame worthy numbers. The only thing you have left to do is pursue the Lombardi Trophy, and Jerry Jones has proven that it damn sure won’t be coming back to Dallas any time soon.

Listen, could Ware have come back to Dallas for $250,000 per year less than what he was offered by Denver? Absolutely. But should he be questioned for bolting to the Mile High City just a day after his release? Absolutely not. Cowboy fans, it’s not your right to request a hometown discount from a future Hall of Famer who would essentially be setting himself up for failure, just like it’s not your birthright to win Super Bowls. Ware served his time in Dallas, he provided us with nine years of highlight reel football. And when he’s eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, hopefully you’ll be able to look back at all the greatness he achieved as a Cowboy and appreciate it. It’s not his fault that Dallas didn’t make a deep playoff run during his tenure. Football is the ultimate team game and he’s just one man.

Super Bowl or not, Ware was a winner on and off the field in Dallas, and he proved it time and time again. He’s been to seven Pro Bowls, he’s one of eight players in NFL history to lead the league in sacks in two separate seasons, he was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, and he was named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Second Team, despite having only played five seasons in said decade. Along with the numerous contributions he made off the field, you couldn’t have asked much more from him.

Let me be clear, I was just as depressed as anybody when I read the news of Ware’s release, regardless of the fact that it was the right move. For at least eight years, he was one of the few constants in an otherwise erratic and dismal era of Dallas Cowboys football, and will always be defined in my mind by his infamous game-ending sack-fumble of Drew Brees that sealed an upset victory over the 13-0 — and eventual Super Bowl Champion — New Orleans Saints in 2009, just one week after suffering a neck sprain in a loss to the Chargers. But as depressed as I am that he’s no longer a Cowboy, I’m twice as excited for him that he’ll be competing for a title with a legitimate contender. I’ve owned his jersey since his rookie year when I was in the eighth grade—damn, do I feel old saying that—and as far as I’m concerned, if he wins a Super Bowl with the Broncos, it’s a partial win for Cowboys fans. The man’s a warrior who’s earned a shot at the Lombardi Trophy, and I’d love nothing more for him than to get a chance to hoist it before returning to take his rightful place in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

From a lifelong fan, thanks for the memories, DeMarcus.

Gerald White is a senior business marketing major from the greater Dallas Metroplex. He also maintains a personal sports blog. Follow him on twitter: @GeraldWWhite

REQUIEM FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ESPN’s two-hour 30 for 30 special, “Requiem for the Big East”, chronicled the dramatic rise — and equally captivating collapse — of college basketball’s premier league, the Big East Conference.

In short, the money being earned by the conference’s bigwigs, such as Georgetown and Syracuse, combined with the influence of college football’s independent Eastern powers and the birth of the Bowl Championship Series to create a cluster of diverse and unequal interests.

It was destined to fall.

And may I add my own brush to this canvas? College basketball as a whole rose with the Big East, and collapsed with her as well. The shoe money seeped into the youth game, creating a world governed by Nike and Adidas and not by high schools or smart AAU coaches. The outside interests really did the sport in.

Let’s take an in-depth look at what really went wrong with the college game.

PART ONE: THE FOOTBALL PROBLEM/SOLUTION/PROBLEM

For the first 12 seasons of its existence, the Big East Conference was basketball-centric, surrounded with like-minded schools of varying levels of success. From powers such as Georgetown, Syracuse, St. John’s and Villanova to minnows like Seton Hall and Boston College, the conference was basketball heaven for those in the Northeast. The league was aided in its success by the birth and growth of ESPN and the convenience of being in proximity to the nation’s media powers, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The money earned by the Big East was unfathomable, and the fame of its players and coaches was beyond comparison. It was the East’s answer to the mighty SEC, which put its football icons on a regional pedestal and carved them into Southern superstars. It helped rein in elite Atlantic Coast talent which usually would’ve retreated to the ACC or the SEC, and created a reputation for its characters and high quality of play.

When Dave Gavitt, the Big East’s leader and advocate, left for the Boston Celtics in 1990, the league took on a corporate atmosphere as greed began to creep into its corners. College football, the increasingly relevant superpower of state-university athletics, began to knock on the Big East’s door — very loudly. At the time, the league was a collection of a handful of state schools and the elite Catholic institutions which couldn’t afford nor find a care to field a team on the gridiron. That didn’t phase the Big East: In came the University of Miami in 1991, its abysmal (and recently reborn) basketball program gathering up dust in a hoops haven.

But that didn’t matter anymore. Football was calling the shots.

This was the birth of conference realignment as we know it.

In 1995, West Virginia and Rutgers moved the rest of their athletic department inside the Big East universe, having played football in the league since 1991. Virginia Tech followed suit in 2000, also an original football school within the conference. (Temple only played football in the Big East from 1991 to 2005.) Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Connecticut, and Boston College always had football, but moved their teams in with the other five additions in ’91.

Once these schools — with varying levels of basketball ambition — made their way into the Big East, the size and management of the conference’s hoops affiliations proved difficult, which became the league’s main conflict of interest for the next 17 seasons.

One thing proved true: that storied tournament in New York City, held in Madison Square Garden, was game for each of those teams — from mighty Georgetown to lowly Virginia Tech and middling Providence. It became nearly untenable.

Meanwhile, ESPN began to pay more attention to the surging interest in college football, being beamed across America in growing amounts. The two sports have always seen themselves as central to their university’s identity, but usually one truly prevails. As financial issues began to creep up in college athletics — who really pays for the golf or women’s water polo teams, Hoss? — it became clear that college football was the real golden egg that everyone should begin to chase.

With these conclusions reached, college football became front and center for ESPN and the rest of the media. Schools where basketball could enjoy marginal attention and success — read Alabama, or Florida, or Ohio State, or Oregon — began to be swallowed up by the 24/7 football news machine. Recruiting websites popped up, regulating talent in both football in basketball via a “star system”. Spring football became as routine as Midnight Madness once was, and the storylines behind those events became goldmines for information to starving football fans.

Meanwhile, the Big East still produced elite talent, thanks to the security that network TV contracts gave to the league. Teams were still winning tournaments and making major ripples in the world of college hoops. But the thing was: it was losing its luster.

PART TWO: THE SNEAKER PROBLEM

“It’s gotta be the shoes.”

Surely, it is.

College basketball and college football are married to one another, and neither is really hunky-dory about it.

To be brutally honest, Under Armour — which made its money off form-fitting football apparel, made famous by catchy advertising — is not a good basketball brand. None of its clients (including noted basketball power, Maryland) are dedicated to winning basketball games, nor are they particularly powerful and competitive programs (that includes you, Texas Tech).

The association of football and basketball apparel has also killed college basketball. Case in point? Under Armour thinks it’s a basketball shoe brand. It is not, and it never will be.

In the 21st century, established basketball-friendly companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Reebok have made inroads into the influential world of travel basketball — which, like it or not, has been making decisions for young 18-year-old recruits since shoes were cool.

The rise of college football took away much-needed resources, interest, and sound insight from college basketball, whose equally enormous ego has forced the non-Duke, non-Kentucky, non-UNC, and non-Kansas schools to go on the defensive when another one of their top-ranked in-state recruits tells them they’re too much of a “football school” and sign with one of those four aforementioned programs.

This isn’t a knock on college football. But it’s zapped the interest out of hoops, playing a major role. Tying non-basketball companies such as Under Armour to a sport which is foreign to them is a guaranteed recruiting killer. Look at Maryland: once a competitive program protected from the UA bubble by the influential Gary Williams, it has not succeeded anywhere on the recruiting trail in the UA/Mark Turgeon era. They also are teetering on the brink of irrelevance, being sashayed into the Big Ten Conference this fall for the sole purpose of looking good in football season.

In short, the fact that basketball and football teams have to share athletic apparel companies can hurt — and it’s basketball that’s getting the hurtin’. But such is normal in the high-stakes, football-first world of college sports. It’s where the MONEY is.

PART THREE: THE NBA DRAFT PROBLEM

Once upon a time, parents tell us, college basketball was exciting.

The personalities jumped out of the TV screen. The gyms were packed. The talent was boiling over like a teapot.

Nowadays, outside of the traditional bigwig basketball schools — namely Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona — nobody gives a damn anymore.

Why?

Let’s walk back to 1995, when Kevin Garnett – basketball’s foremost power forward, all respects to Tim Duncan – decided to make the leap (it was a LEAP!, they wrote) from high school straight into the National Basketball Association. Garnett was picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves and proceeded to craft a Hall of Fame career with two different franchises, winning an NBA title in 2008 with the Celtics.

Garnett’s trailblazing move created a market for high school talent, mainly unmotivated by rah-rah college guys running up in their houses at midnight and asking them weird questions about life, to follow his lead and go forth into professional basketball. Kobe Bryant, one of the game’s great guards and a surefire Hall of Famer, took the jump in ’96 and became a Los Angeles Lakers legend.

LeBron James did the same thing in 2003, when he became the third high-school player of the era to make a major impact in the NBA. So far, he has quite possibly racked up the most accolades of the bunch, while crafting a legacy as both a champion and a villain to millions of Americans. Two years later, the NBA outlawed the charade, relegating those players to the collegiate ranks for a season prior to their NBA debuts.

This was the death knell for a seemingly reborn version of college hoops.

Why?

• College basketball already had one-and-dones. Carmelo Anthony, Gerald Wallace, and Gilbert Arenas had, in recent seasons, made the single-season leap to the NBA in the high school era. All three were, and are, All-Stars and became the faces of basketball franchises. College hoops saw this happen occasionally, but the 2005 ruling opened up Pandora’s box for a universe where any college player could jump to the big leagues at 19 years old.
• It created the possibility of superteams. Kentucky under John Calipari, the Godfather of the one-and-done rule and its unabashed advocate, has become the face of modern college basketball. His effective system has sent dozens of top-10 draft talent off to the NBA, hoarding much of college basketball’s best recruits for his personal crafting. Other schools were left punchless, including Duke — whos’s changed to keep up — and Kansas.
• If you weren’t a “basketball school” beforehand, good luck trying. Despite Texas’ success with Kevin Durant (losing to USC in the 2007 Round of 32), USC’s brief talent boom with Nick Young and O.J. Mayo, and Kansas State’s one-year experiment with Michael Beasley, most elite recruits were going to gravitate to the One-Year NBA Farm Teams evolving out in Kansas and Kentucky, two of the college game’s most gratuitous beneficiaries of the rule. Other teams in contention, outside of powers such as Syracuse or UNC or Duke (or even Ohio State or Michigan State or Michigan), were left with rejection letters — being told they were a “football school” and not worthy of their time. The Canadian basketball boom also led to a ticket race, with most to all of the young men coming from North of the Border making a one-year pit stop (Andrew Wiggins).
• One-and-dones killed the nation’s interest in college hoops. Period. To learn that Texas got this top-three recruit, and then to learn that he’s just here until he’s guaranteed a top-10 spot in the draft by his soon-to-be-agent, kills a school’s interest in basketball. This is possibly the second-biggest reason why college basketball has been rendered irrelevant: not only has football’s offseason (pro and collegiate) become a media circus worthy of ESPN’s time, college hoops has become diluted with faceless, nameless, careless stars, ready to cruise their way through a half a semester of campus life before bolting to the NBA. Meanwhile, not only is college football better (and more colorful – thanks Oregon!), it retains all of its stars and creates more – partially because of our national over-analysis of the gridiron game, but also because the NFL won’t let those guys jump until their third season of college is finished.

Adam Silver, the newly crowned commissioner of the NBA, has realized this massive gulf between the NBA and the college game – NBA fans are bored with the college game (as are most Americans), and college fans hate the NBA (as do many Americans) – doesn’t help the NBA or the college game.

Basketball at its grassroots is at a crisis, fueled by greed birthed in the Big East. That’s why there was a 16-team tournament in the league’s decadent days; purely unskilled teams such as South Florida and Rutgers were sharing the court with basketball powers such as Connecticut and Syracuse.

No one is watching as the tree is falling in the backyard. They’re just bickering over which side of the fence the tree is going to fall.

College basketball is falling, and fast. Let’s hope there can be a person who can solve the bickering.

For the love of the sport of basketball.

For the relevance of the pro and college game amidst a sea of Adam Schefter and Nick Saban.

For the Duke fan, for the Syracuse fan, and for the memory of the Big East Conference: a requiem for the game of basketball itself.

Philip Arabome is a sophomore journalism major. He is the Sports Director at KTXT-FM in Lubbock and the host of the Walk-Off, a sports-related show which airs Tuesdays at 5pm CST. Follow him on Twitter: @PhillyBeach93

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: TWO STORIED NFL FRANCHISES APPEARING TO GO IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

The NFL has graced America and the rest of the world for 50 years. Those who have watched it have seen storied games played, rivalries created, and legends with names like Rice, Unitas, Butkus, and Lombardi. Over the past decade, more legends have risen, and many franchises have become elite. Since its inception, there have been these two teams from these two cities. One has been abused by poor ownership and sports icons departing; the other has flourished, bearing the same combination of colors throughout the city and has won championship after championship.

However, in the upcoming 2014-15 NFL season, it seems like these two NFL franchises are going in different directions.

Who are they? The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

And things are about to change.

There is no doubting the Pittsburgh Steelers history: Bradshaw, Mean Joe, Noll, and The Immaculate Reception; six Super Bowl championships and 21 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As compared to Cleveland’s zero Super Bowl championships and its (still respectable) 16 Hall of Fame inductees, but have lived on through names like Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and Ozzie Newsome. Over the past decade, the Steelers have relied on good defense and a reliable quarterback in Ben Roethlisbuerger, and the Browns have been plagued with a host of busts at quarterback: Colt McCoy, Brady Quinn, Tim Couch, and Brandon Weeden, whom have compiled laughable results, making Cleveland the joke of the NFL.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, their era of success seemed to come to an end in the 2013-14 NFL offseason, when many of the team’s best players were gone, such as Mike Wallace, Casey Hampton, Rashard Mendenhall, and James Harrison. Along with this year’s free agency forcing the team to possibly release LaMarr Woodley among others, the team is rapidly aging. From the team’s success, Big Ben just turned 32, Troy Polamalu will be 33, and Brett Keisel will be 36. None of these players are getting any younger and past injuries among them are taking an effect on the team. These players have helped to rebuild a foundation of championships in the Steel City, and it appears that we are at an end of an era.

On the opposite side, we have the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland – a passionate sports town – has witnessed the Browns being forcefully moved by Art Modell, and had to witness LeBron James “take his talents to South Beach”, and has been beaten-down constantly. However, things appear to be looking up for Browns fans. This team posted the eighth best rush defense, the 18th best passing defense, and they seem to only be getting better. Relying on young and talented players such as Joe Haden, Jordan Cameron, Josh Gordon, Paul Kruger, Joe Thomas, Barkevious Mingo, D’Qwell Jackson, T.J. Ward, and Tashaun Gipson can make even the sourest Browns fan smile. Two first-round draft picks, along with a multitude of other selections, leaves the Browns with endless possibilities. In truth, the Cleveland Browns are a quarterback, running back, and one more solid receiver away from the playoffs.

With the talent they posses, this team is ready NOW!

Now, of course, it is impossible to predict the future; it does seem that over the past two or three seasons, the Steelers have gotten progressively worse, and the Browns have gotten progressively better. Will all of this happen? Can Cleveland and Pittsburgh switch roles in the NFL? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the NFL is about to get a little more interesting.

Shane Carter is a junior journalism major from the greater Austin metropolitan area. He is a co-host of The Walk-Off, KTXT’s sports show. He is not engaged on Twitter, so I can’t help you with that. He does have Facebook, though, so leave him feedback there.

THE RESPONSE TO “THE N-WORD – ‘NO'”

NOTE: This is related to a previous article written by KTXT staff member Shane Carter. Read the story here.

The main issue with the National Football League is the excessive protection of its image – “the Shield”, in the words of Roger Goodell. The eighth-year commissioner has instituted laws purportedly done “in the best interest of the league”, much to the detriment of fans and players alike.

His latest conquest? Taking on the words used on the field.

A proposal is floating around the NFL’s congress, one which would forbid usage of the controversial racial term/slur nigga among the league’s players. Violators would punish their team with a 15-yard penalty.

Most athletes, protective of their own free speech as well as preventing a major revolt in other black-heavy sports (namely, the NBA), have come out in fierce opposition to the NFL’s new rule. It has been characterized as “racist” and has clearly rubbed the league’s black majority the wrong way.

My simple statement is this: why isn’t there more uproar over the fact that old white men — ah, yes, the perennial punching bag of America — are legislating the language of young black men? It’s a complex and highly controversial situation which never ends pretty, especially considering black men’s peculiar place in the national conscience.

Black men of any age are traditionally typecast as lawless thugs, albeit intrinsically by emotional reaction; they are only good in their domesticated form, be it on a field of play or in a music video. The dream of being an athlete or entertainer is usually a one-track-mind thing. Without being too in-depth and going into a social rant about their position in America, it goes to show the lack of perspective and discourse between the NFL office and its players.

What about the legality of such a move? Goodell hasn’t stated anything which would hold water on why, or how, he came to the conclusion that football players saying nigga was A Big Deal within his league. It couldn’t be related to the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito fiasco, considering all of their publicly disclosed interactions occurred within the realm of the text-message world. Besides, Incognito was white and – some will say – was merely messing around with a particularly sensitive teammate (and, at one time, friend).

Where does the policing of language – such a grey area nowadays – come into the NFL’s front door and become such a pressing concern that the league office snaps their fingers and (severely) penalizes teams for it?

It’s ridiculous. Some might say it’s just a case of the NFL living up to its pejorative nickname, the “No Fun League”. And for me, it’s just another case of an entitled man operating from his high perch as the Grand Justice of All Things Right and Wrong.

Philip Arabome is a sophomore journalism major originally in Long Beach, California. He finished high school in Houston, but that’s irrelevant. He is the co-host of the Walk-Off on KTXT-FM. Follow him on Twitter: @PhillyBeach93

THE N-WORD — “NO”

Warning: contains strong language and white males using racial terminology.
There is a word that has been around for so long and has such a negative past to it that it can instantly put images in our head of death, slavery, racism, riots, and negative relations among races; that word is nigger. As of late, it has been more commonly called nigga, in an attempt to take away any negative connotations and become a term of endearment. It has become used so much in a “positive” way that even white people are being referred to as “my nigga” from their black friends. I can personally say that I have been called someone’s nigga, with no negative meaning involved. However, there are many people who not only hate whites being referred to as “nigga”, but are completely focused on eliminating it 100%. The NFL is no exception; a proposal has been made that the word “nigger”, “nigga”, or any sort of the word will result in a 15-yard penalty as an attempt of ridding the word from the league.

The idea is admirable, eliminating such a nasty, hated word, but it does infringe on a person’s right to free speech. Black people have been saying this word  for quite some time and it has spread (within their community) to become a common word for “friend” with no negative connotation. However, with the possibility of the NFL penalizing players for talking, personal rights may be infringed. Richard Sherman of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who is not shy about saying what’s on his mind, came out on Monday against the idea of eliminating the word, calling it “atrocious” and “almost racist” to eliminate just this one word instead of slurs and all profanity of any kind. Richard Sherman does have a point. Why say it’s OK to say things like “Fuck you!”, “Little bitch”, and “faggot”, but when you say “nigger”, negative or positive, you are out of bounds? Perhaps the committee should consider this point before enacting anything.

Now, I know what many of you are thinking. “Why should I listen to you? You’re white. You’ve grown up in a generation of people using that word as a positive while your grandparents grew up during a time when that word was used for its initial use.”

True. I am white. I do live in an era of people using it as form of “friend”. However, I am someone who has been around the word enough, both negatively and positively, to formulate an opinion. Progress has been made over the past century among races in America. Progress is so well that not only do black people not get offended by it, not only do black people call each other “nigga”, but many have even included white people in it. This is the best progression.

Instead of getting rid of a word, change its meaning. If meaningless words like “faggot” can become a negative word, apart from its original meaning (a strong bundle), then the opposite can occur as well. Nowadays, people say words many don’t want to hear, but they’re not meant in a traditional way. However, the negative way of saying this word still exists. There will always be people who say this word to mean harm and offend others, but they are in the vast minority. Whether you agree or disagree with the banning of the word in the NFL, there is one undeniable truth in all of this: if one word is not OK, then none of the words are OK to use. While I am against banning this word, I understand that many are on the opposing side.

All I have left to say is this: You can try and get rid of one word at a time, but in the end, you have to realize how futile it would be. As long as we as Americans have right to free speech, no one should legislate what can and cannot be said. I don’t give a damn whoever a person is. No one will take away my right to free speech, no matter what the word is. I, like all of you, use responsible speech, but don’t think of this as a way of not saying what you want to say. But be careful when you speak. You never know who’s listening.

Shane Carter is a junior journalism major from the metro Austin area. He is a co-host of The Walk-Off. Since he doesn’t have a Twitter, you’re out of luck in finding him online. He is on Facebook, though.

THE GOOD WORD AIN’T ENOUGH

Tubby Smith has spent the entire season spreading the good word about a still-in-progress Texas Tech basketball team, one that sits in ninth in the Big 12 Conference and has a losing record.

However, the good word only spreads so far.

Coach Smith, who has resurrected stagnant programs at Tulsa, Georgia, and Minnesota — not to mention his decade at SEC powerhouse Kentucky — is suddenly gaining a reputation as a salesman. But can his stellar efforts with the fanbase translate where it matters most: the recruiting trail?

***

Texas Tech University is located in the windy West Texas community of Lubbock, the anchor tenant of the Texas Panhandle region and one of the nation’s leaders in cotton production. Tech has been a renowned institution in the sciences, agriculture, and (recently) business. Academically, Tech is respected; athletically, Tech is lambasted.

Red Raider fans could make a case for being some of the most passionate and fun-loving group of supporters in the country. The football program constantly pushes the line of “Protect the Jones”, noting that the stadium (when full) is one of the most intimidating places to play in college football. Local establishments have wrapped themselves in Tech red-and-black. Red Raiders young and old hold their school and its virtues true to heart.

On the field, it’s another story.

Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, which to some kids may as well be North Dakota with better-looking women. It’s constantly windy, has some of America’s most brutal and inconsistent weather patterns, and receives a dust storm once a year. Its distance from major metropolises such as Dallas (five hours), Albuquerque (six hours), and Denver (eight-plus hours) makes it an unattractive landing spot for choosy high school recruits.

In the increasingly high-stakes game of recruiting, Texas Tech has always struggled – whether it be on the football field or basketball court. Quality matters in this business, and Texas Tech has seemingly always had it on the bench and never on the court. For example, Bob Knight – an elite head coach but a sub-par recruiter – took control of Texas Tech’s basketball program in 2001 and made four NCAA Tournament appearances in six-and-a-half seasons, all while producing one NBA player (Andre Emmett, who was undrafted).

To compete for quality talent, Texas Tech basketball has been forced to look far and wide, not just in Texas, but nationwide – and sometimes worldwide. Lead guard Robert Turner is a junior college transfer (and the Red Raiders have banked on those quite frequently). Center Dejan Kravic is a Canadian of Serbian descent.

Texas Tech has been called a “football school”, but that notion is debatable. Under Knight, basketball was possibly Tech’s biggest claim to fame, not to mention Mike Leach’s football magic and quarterback-turned-head-coach Kliff Kingsbury’s video-game statistics. The star power of Knight alone was both a blessing and a curse on the recruiting trail: his infamous temper turned off an increasingly cocky and individualistic class of athletes – most of them very talented – but still attracted those who thought his father-like figure would build them up as better men. Nevertheless, Knight got the job done in his time in Lubbock.

Tubby Smith, on the other hand, is a shift in the other direction. Most in the media or the sports world has described him as “the nicest guy ever” and “kindhearted”. In contrast, former head coach Billy Gillispie, a West Texan who whipped up Texas A&M into basketball shape before bolting to Kentucky, was scaring players off with his abrasive style. Getting kids to Lubbock – either in sports or in college admissions – is never easy, and perceptions of negative leadership will never help the cause.

***

Tubby Smith has worked wonders for consumers of Texas Tech athletics, selling basketball as a valuable on-campus leisure activity and ginning up excitement for a ninth-place team. The goodwill is fine and all, but the signing periods await. Young talent, from Texas and abroad, will flood in with their letters of intent. How much of an impact will — can — Coach Smith make in this department?

If these questions can be answered, not even with a flurry of SMU-style five-stars or Baylor-esque talent, Tubby Smith’s good word is more than just marketing. It’s action.

Philip Arabome is a sophomore journalism major from Long Beach, Calif. He is Sports Director of KTXT-FM and the lead host of the Walk-Off. Follow him on Twitter @PhillyBeach93.

NEAR UPSET

Going in to their game against the Kansas Jayhawks, Tech was on a roll with key road and home wins, as well as a close game against Iowa State. Kansas was just 4 – 4 on the road, and the United Spirit Arena was about to hold a sellout crowd.  The Texas Tech Athletics Street Team placed around 5,000 noise makers in the stands before the game to challenge the nerves of a Kansas starting squad who has three freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior.

Before the game started, I stated the Red Raiders needed to stop Wiggins and Embiid, attack the basket, and play good post play in order to pull out the W. Tech has had a history of giving up many points to one or two guys all season long, and unfortunately, that is exactly what happened against Kansas. Wiggins and Embiid combined for 37 of the Jayhawks 64 points, as well as 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Not to mention to mention the 12 – 16 free throws combined. That was the biggest difference in the game, Kansas’ 30 free throw attempts compared to 14 by the Red Raiders.

I was surprised by the early aggressiveness of Dejan Kravic, getting three rebounds and seven points in the first half. Back to one of my keys to the game, Tech was anything but aggressive. They played a very methodical, very patient game, passing the ball around the perimeter and running the shot clock down. This conservative play was very effective in keeping the ball out of Kansas’ hands, as well as giving up ZERO fast break points to Kansas.

Nobody can discount the Red Raiders, and the fans, who Wiggins and Crockett gave credit to in bringing the energy in this game against Kansas. Tech went in to the half down by just one point. Tech pulled ahead in the second half in moments, only to have Kansas take the lead again, but in the end it ended with Tech up by one point and Kansas with the ball on the last possession. Once again, in the most crucial moment in the game, Tech was unable to contain the stars of Kansas. Kansas got the ball to Embiid, who made a pass to Wiggins for the game winning shot. When I asked Tubby about the Jayhawks having the #1 field goal percentage in the entire country, and how it was to game plan for that, he drew it back to the last play. “Well we knew we had to really take the ball out of their hands when they got it inside. So, trapping the post was critical. I think we did a good job of making Embiid turn back to the middle. When we didn’t do that, he scored on us. Just on that last play, he turned base line; we were supposed to force him back to the middle. If we had forced him back to the middle, maybe it would be a different story.”

The heartbreak night for Tech was absolutely Kansas’ gain, as 2^nd in the Big 12 Texas fell to Iowa State. #8 Kansas will be looking to increase their two game lead on #19 Texas when they take on the Longhorns at home this Saturday at 6:30 pm. The game can be found on ESPNU. The loss sent Tech to 5 – 8 in the Big 12 and tied with Baylor for 8^th in the Big 12. Tech will be going in to Stillwater to put their .500 record at 13 – 13 on the line against 16 – 10 Oklahoma State, who is just 4 – 9 and second to last in the Big 12. Tech will be looking to rebound from this heartbreaking loss to Kansas by beating Marcus Smart, who put up 22 points against Tech in Lubbock, and Oklahoma State this Saturday at 12:30.

Brett Kelley is a sophomore electronic media and communications major from The Woodlands, Texas. He is a co-host of the Walk-Off. Follow him on Twitter: @BrettKelleyTTU

MAKING A STATEMENT: MICHAEL SAM

On February 10, 2014. Michael Sam, All-American defensive end from Missouri, and one of this year’s NFL draft picks, came out as a gay man in an interview by ESPN; a move which was has so far caused polarity among the league and fans alike.

Not long ago did Jason Collins, of the NBA, come out as gay. He was the first player in any of the first of the four major sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) to come out while still in his career. While many have come out AFTER retiring from playing, a new trend seems to be on the rise of players realizing people are becoming more and more accepting of homosexuals, prompting them to come out of the closet.

In the case of Michael Sam, he looks to be the first openly gay NFL player in league history. Many players and fans have come in support of his decision to come out, while at the same time, many have come forward in saying that he is using this as an opportunity to move up in the draft and are going so far as to call it a “publicity stunt”. Polarizing as it is, there is no doubt about one fact: Michael Sam can play, and damn good too.

Not only is Michael Sam an All-American defensive end, but prior to coming out, Michael Sam was predicted to go as early as the 3rd round of this year’s NFL draft, being compared to the likes of Cliff Avril and Robert Mathis. True, he may be a relatively traditionally undersized defensive end at 6’1″ 260 pounds, but he didn’t receive his honors for nothing. Sam recorded a staggering 11.5 sacks (tying a single season school record) and 19 tackles for loss, on his way to helping his team to an SEC championship game appearance and a Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. If there are any doubts about his playing ability that are being shadowed by his recent announcement, let those doubts be put to rest.

It is understandable for people to think this is a stunt in order to get drafted. Coming out as we are so close to the draft seems incredibly convenient, doesn’t it? However, this young man should deserve praise for doing what so many like him have done in the past, and some will do in the future. To admit to being gay, in a sport which has not been very “gay friendly” in the past, is admirable. While I applaud his decision and courage for coming out, despite the negative feedback that he knew was coming, now the talk must end. He must transition his collegiate skills, which have gotten him so far, to the NFL to prove that he belongs. He has my support, now he must catch our eyes.

The unfortunate thing for Michael Sam is that criticism will not die down overnight. The only way to silence his critics is to lay it all out on the field. Even though not everyone will support his lifestyle, enough people will accept him, and overlook it, in order to give him a true, fighting chance. To Michael Sam I leave with this. Good luck, we’ll be watching.

Shane Carter is a junior journalism major from the greater Austin, Texas, area. He is the co-host of the Walk-Off. Don’t try finding him on Twitter; he’s not a “tweet guy”. He is on Facebook, though.

FAST TAKES: MARCUS SMART vs. THE “SUPERFAN”

What should have been a commentary on a remarkable Texas Tech victory in a sold-out United Spirit Arena over the reeling Oklahoma State Cowboys turned quickly into a national crucifixion of Oklahoma State’s star point guard, Marcus Smart.

In the waning seconds of what would become a 65-61 loss to the Red Raiders on a clear Saturday night, Smart fouled Tech forward Jaye Crockett and in the process, landed in the stands. A Texas Tech basketball “superfan”, Jeff Orr, jawed off at the point guard (a potential lottery selection in the upcoming draft), provoking Smart to push him before all hell broke loose.

As I covered the event (I didn’t see what happened), the crowd instantly began booing. The three-levels-deep group of students on the opposite side of the courts threw their Fathead-sized posterboards in protest, while Smart rushed back to his coach and was escorted to a chorus of jeering. Oklahoma State sources began the speculation, with the school’s radio network telling listeners that Smart told his coach the fan called him a racial slur.

That’s when the can of worms opened up.

In the press conference afterward, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford seemed as flummoxed as the media were. “I didn’t see anything,” he said.

The fact that Texas Tech was preparing to upset the Cowboys brought national attention to the game, and when SportsCenter put it on air, Smart’s incident went public…and viral. It was such a media circus that ESPN beamed the postgame press conference, featuring a dejected and beaten Ford and an oppositely upbeat Tubby Smith, live and in effect.

The next day, Tech officials released a statement through said “superfan”, identified as Jeff Orr, who has had a history with provoking opposing players in Texas Tech basketball games. It was the typical apology, with the revelation that he called Smart a “piece of crap” rather than a racial slur. Public opinion to his claim was, and remains, mixed; many believe it actually was racial, while others assume he cleaned up his words for public consumption. No one will ever know.

Smart also made a statement in a public press conference, simultaneous to the Orr/Texas Tech release, in which he apologized for his actions.

For both sides, a mountain of national controversy and unwarranted attention forced the conversation away from of what should have been a big win for Texas Tech, or a grander loss for Oklahoma State. Surely, Smart’s NBA prospects will rise, and Travis Ford’s coaching status is firmly in question.

For Texas Tech, it’s time to bury the hatchet and send Orr out to pasture. He’s done half of the work (and gotten away with most of the crime) by voluntarily banning himself from all remaining games, home and away. His public reputation will remain sterling, while Smart looks like the punk who just can’t take a little bit of trash talk.

Otherwise, a great game will be forgotten for the actual basketball and remembered for something like this.

Philip Arabome is a sophomore journalism major from Long Beach, Calif. He’s also lived in Houston, but he says that’s irrelevant. He doubles as the Sports Director at KTXT-FM in Lubbock and is the host of the Walk-Off. He also writes for RaiderPower.com (but you subscribe to that site, sorry). Follow him on Twitter: @PhillyBeach93