Nothing Ever Changes: Racism and the Role Social Media Plays To Keep Us Voiceless

Will the NBA force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers amid allegations of racism?

So by now you know what this piece is going to be about. This country’s most uncomfortable and STILL most-glaring problem; racism. I'm starting to realize if there is something for Black folks to miss about pre 1960’s America, it’s the fact that we knew where we stood with White people. White people could just “straight up” tell you they didn’t like you and they didn’t have to hide their feelings about you. Which is what made the few White folks that were kind, and who genuinely believed in change, so much more amazing than  the "kind" White folks today (By kind in the sense of being good to Black folks). Back in the day, a White person could be publicly shunned or worst,  killed for supporting Black people. Because in 2014 when I interact with some white people, mostly those over the age of 50, I can’t help but wonder the same question. If it was 1964 would you be beside me, enduing my struggle or in front of me, impeding my progress? I’m going to guess there are more closeted racists in 2014 than there are closeted gays. It's the not knowing that sucks.

It’s the not knowing that led to the NAACP Los Angeles chapter awarding Donald Sterling the lifetime achievement award a few years ago. The not knowing ALMOST led to him being awarded it AGAIN this year. I’d rather have Sterling be the “nigga” hating a-hole he is than some fake a-hole who pretends to give a damn about me or my people. The worst part about him is for someone that can't seem to even tolerate the presence of Black people, and other minority groups, he doesn’t seem to mind sleeping with women of color, or making money off the sweat of men of color. That is a mentality he shares with Edwin Epps, the villainous slave owner from 12 Years A Slave. They don't look at Blacks as equals but rather view Black men as tools to make them money and Black women as nothing more than a bunch pleasure “holes”. So in other words minorities are only good for two things; Filling his pockets and excuse me for saying this, "emptying his sack". But what should be done about this?

I think there should be a full and total boycott of the Los Angeles Clippers while he still owns the team. Not just Black American Clippers fans either. All Clippers fans that found Sterling’s comments sickening shouldn’t step a single toe into the Staples Center until Sterling sells that team. Only the fans can do something because the players are going to play. Although I think they shouldn’t. Think about it like this, if your partner cheats on you, which of these sends a stronger message. A, saying your "disappointed" in them but coming back home? Or B, packing your stuff and never returning?

Doc Rivers and all Blacks on the Clippers
have a chance to send a strong message.

If boycotting was good enough to affect change in Black American Civil Rights then it’s surely good enough to get rid of an owner. Boycotting hurts the one thing rich people love more than their own children; their bottom-line. It’s the ONLY play fans have and we're too stupid to realize it. We, me, you, the paying, viewing customers are the ones that afford these players and owners the amazing lifestyles they so lovingly enjoy. WE DRIVE THE MARKET NOT THEM. But because they know "we just gotta have our games", they can do or say whatever they want. The statement that an empty Staples Center would send would be the biggest thing to happen in not only sports boycotting history but in American boycotting history, but it won’t happen. And it won’t happen because this whole thing is a total microcosm of America’s ever growing stupidity and laziness.

In 2014, we are smarter and healthier than we’ve ever been. If you have a smartphone, do you realize that you have the entire wealth of all learned human knowledge at your fingertips? Even still we’ve become a nation of smarter idiots. While social media is great and has effectively shrank the world by helping to connect us better than ever before, it’s also (social media) left us voiceless. Let me explain.

Social media lets us THINK we’re really doing something. It lets us THINK we have a voice, but social media can be AVOIDED whereas a living breathing human CANNOT. You can bitch and moan all day on Facebook about your Congressman, but if he doesn't us social media then what’s the point? If you’re at their doorstep, PHYSICALLY THERE protesting, you can’t be ignored. But when a person can put a two paragraph Facebook post and feel heard because they got a few "likes" why would ever they get off their ass? Unless you're a famous person, ranting on social media it’s akin to you yelling in a room filled ONLY WITH friends and then walking outside trying to yell with tape on your mouth. That’s what social media protesting is.

If the Black Civil Rights movement had to happen in 2014 it’d consist only of angry Facebook posts, “snarky” Tweets, and tongue-in-cheek memes. And that’s the way “The Man” likes it. The government LOVES social media because lets, us, the people THINK we have a voice. It leaves us chained to our phones and laptops and keeps us from hitting the streets where we could REALLY push for change.

This is really simple. Donald Sterling doesn’t like Black people. And that’s fine. He doesn’t have to. Hell, the KKK is still alive and well today because this is America. You can have an opinion here. Be it smart, dumb, or even racist, YOU have a right to YOUR opinion. But since Mr. Sterling can’t stand the company of Black people, I say he shouldn’t get to earn another dollar off the athletic prowess of Black people. Sad part is even if he's forced to sell the team, he WILL STILL MAKE MONEY. Sterling paid only $15 million for the Clippers when he originally bought them some 25 plus years ago. If the Milwaukee Bucks, the worst team in the league by far, just sold for a record $500 million, what the hell do you think a team in Los Angeles with two of the top ten players is going to get? $800 million? A billion dollars! So even when he loses, he wins. Chris Rock said it best, "In America, only the White Man can profit from pain."

I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It! (Episode 4)

With the first weekend of the NBA Playoffs in the books, I thought it best my brother Zeph and I breakdown all the happenings. Or lack there of that is. We talk about each match-up. (Sorry Hawks and Pacers fans, but we won't be talking about your teams very long at all. And honestly, can you really blame us? Thought so.) Plus Zeph finally gets to vent about his "dislike" for LeBron James. Not going to lie, he actually brings up some very good points. May change your mind on LeBron's greatness. Anyway, let us know what you think of the podcast by leaving us a comment below and as always... enjoy the view!

Rise of The Clippers

Lately I’ve been questioning reality. Everything is upside down. I keep pinching myself, but I can’t seem to wake up from this new world. A new world where the little brother kicks his big brother's ass. A new world where the bully gets the swirly. A new world where the nerd gets the pretty girl. A new world I don’t want to live in. A new world… excuse me but this is really hard to type… a new world where the Los Angeles Clippers are the best team in the Staples Center. The best team in Los Angeles. The best team in the NBA and far and away, the NBA’s most entertaining team to watch. Damn, that physically hurt to type.

The Clips are winning and they're having fun doing it.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my unfaltering love for the LA Lakers and my belief that they could get it together. (As of December 26, 2012, the Lakers are now 14-14 but they’ve won five games in row, including victories over the Knicks and Warriors, two teams that have played pretty good so far this season. I won’t mention that the “streak” includes a victory over the Bobcats by one point and they needed a comeback to do that… at home.) In that same post I wrote the following: “The Lakers said all they had to say about winning the championship this year when they hired Mike D’Antoni. The Clippers are the Clippers so the Lakers stranglehold on LA is safe. (An all-time winning percentage of .363, 8 playoff berths in 40 years and one was with a LOSING RECORD, 30 years between playoff victories, zero titles and Donald Sterling as an owner insures that. Really I mean come on son! A couple of nice seasons ain’t fooling anyone. The Clipper logo makes me think losers the same way white and red on a soda can makes me think Coca-Cola. It’s branded loserness. (And yes, that is not a word!))”  Now don’t get it twisted, I still believe 90% of what I wrote, but it'd be foolish not to recognize what the usually lowly Clippers are doing. They’ve won a league high, and franchise high, 14 straight games and they’re the owners of the NBA’s best record at 22-6.

It's okay DeJuan Blair, this happens  to everyone and a lot no less.

At first glance, you’d think it’s all “Lob City”, high flying dunks and alley oops, but the Clippers are one of the, if not the NBA’s most, balanced and unselfish teams. The Clips are 4^th in opponent points per game allowed, 9^th in points scored per game, 2^nd in team assists per game, 2^nd in opponent field goal percentage and 1^st in opponent turnovers per game. They’re playing championship level basketball on both ends of the court, they’re winning games and it’s not really close, as the Clippers also own the NBA’s best point per game differential at +9.7. (During the 14 game win streak, they’re allowing just 88.2 points per game, and the ppg differential is up to 15.4.) It’s very rare that a team can play defense THAT well and still be THIS fun to watch. (San Antonio Spurs, we’re looking at you. For the years of boring defensive basketball while not being fun to watch. Not boring to me because I like basketball, but for casual fans, you’ve basically been the basketball equivalent of watching paint dry.)

Notice that this is the only place you'll see the words "Blake Griffin".

The Clippers' real strength however, lies in their incredible depth. The Clippers lead the NBA in bench points per game at 43.8. They can literally, and legitimately, play 12 guys on their team. I’ve never seen anything like it to be honest. They’ve done a very impressive job of collecting talent and they’re making it work... so far. With all the guys they got, I just assumed they would have a complete and total lack of understanding on how to play them all. When you have a team full of guys that can play, they’re all going to want to play. But for all of their depth, there’s still one guy they’d be lost without, Chris Paul.

Chris Paul has the Clips thinking title.

Since Paul’s arrival to LA, the Clippers just feel different. (I love you Steve Nash, but Chris Paul should be a Laker right now. David Stern, you freaking suck.) Some guys are so good, so superiorly talented, they can just elevate and lift a team, no a franchise, to heights unseen. (Think Drew Brees in New Orleans. People seem to forget that the Saints were once the Clippers of the NFL.) Paul’s not a loser. He won’t let his team, or teammates, be losers and his "will to win" is only matched by a few guys in the NBA. Yes, Carmelo Anthony is playing at a very high-level but Chris Paul is the runaway MVP, in my eyes anyway. When you can make the Los Angeles Clippers good and make them a real contender for the NBA championship, you’re the MVP. Simple. He’s not having his best statistical season, but he’s still second in the NBA in assists per game and first in steals. He runs the Clipper offense with complete confidence and always puts everyone in the best position to succeed. Paul is one of five guys (Melo, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are the others.) you always want to have the ball when the game’s on the line. Of those five, only Paul and James are capable of making the big pass as equally well as they are of making the big shot. If you have THAT guy on you’re team, you’re usually going to have a pretty good chance to win a lot of games.

The only real problem I see with the Clippers is their coach. Vinny Del Negro just doesn’t scream, “I’m a championship winning coach” to me. Early in the year and all of last year, he didn’t quite know how the handle the Clippers rotation. Although he’s got it figured out now, Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill are yet to return and I’ll be really interested in seeing how he works them into the team’s rotation. I’m not sure how, or when but I just feel like Del Negro is going to screw this up.

The Los Angeles Clippers are for real and they’re the only team in LA that has a real shot at winning the title right now. I’m not sure if you believe in it or not, but the devil must be freezing because hell has officially frozen over. I've just wrote a post about the LA Clippers being the best team in the NBA and I have them as slight favorites in the west. (I can safely say that, what I wrote above I mean, along with walking on the sun, getting back with my ex-wife and giving birth to a child myself was on a list of things I was 100% sure would/will never happen. At this rate, looks like anything is possible now.) In the end, the most shocking thing I heard about the Clippers came from Magic Johnson, the greatest Laker of all-time. “I’ve never thought I’d see Showtime again. I was the architect of Showtime and the Clippers are Showtime right now” Magic said. I really, really hate to admit this but he’s right and off that one, I need a drink. A really, really strong drink.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to subscribe and share the blog. Join in the discussion by leaving a comment below. Follow me on twitter @ParisLay. Until next time... Enjoy the View!