01.04.10
Stephen A. Smith Begins 2010, Fox Tenure By Channeling Big Sexy
Taking a critical view of Gilbert Arenas’ gun problems, Fox Sports’ Stephen A. Smith openly admits he’s taking a tip from Jason Whitlock (”as much as I’ve tried to disagree with my friend and noted contemporary, who’s repeatedly and vociferously lamented the state of affairs within the Black Community — specifically as it pertains to the negative parts of Hip Hop and its influence on Black culture — it simply cannot be denied any longer…genocide is taking place in the Black Community, and this is a form of it.”)
It’s the culture of tattoos (jailhouse or otherwise) enjoying increased prevalence and notoriety. This hyper-masculinity syndrome. This alpha-male environment that stimulates the worst in an educated individual like Crittendon (Georgia Tech), preventing a sensible young man raised by both of his parents from walking away from a crazy incident that could cost him millions in potential earnings. Even worse, it’s jeopardized the career of Arenas and his six-year, $111 million contract, plus an additional $50 million deal with Adidas allegedly over a gambling debt that amounted to less than $500.
“It’s truly sickening,” one African-American front-office official told me Sunday afternoon. “There’s just no excuse for this. This is a $4 billion industry guys are trying to turn into a $2 billion industry. There’s just a flagrant lack of appreciation for the position they’re in … mainly because of someone wanting to look more like a man, not be punked, acting literally like prisoners locked in a prison yard with one another. It’s utterly ridiculous.
“I don’t know how anyone would feel about this, because some folks truly believe we won’t have these problems if the league reduced the maximum years of guaranteed deals down to just three years. I’ll go a step further …
“Lock the damn players out. Shut the league down for a year and see what happens when these guys are not cutting these checks. I bet you the few who don’t act right will straighten up then.”
Sadly, we can only suspect there’s truth to that argument.
I have to admit, I’m a little fuzzy on which is the biggest offense in Smith’s eyes — carrying an (unloaded) handgun, gambling or tweeting about any of the above. And isn’t it about time the National Rifle Association came to Arena’s defense?
