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Pro Sports

Pro Sports

From the Left Field Bleachers: Explicit

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on August 28, 2020 Respond

When unarmed people are being murdered by “law enforcement” officers without due process should the support for the solution(s) to this ongoing tragedy be implicit or explicit? Let’s back up for 2:58.

The Pros

The Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott/strike and refused to take the court for the 1st round NBA Playoff game against the Orlando Magic. Shortly thereafter the other NBA teams scheduled to play along with the WNBA, MLB and WNBA games were cancelled), on Tuesday (08/27/20) in protest of the attempted murder of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha Wisconsin Police Officer. Originally ,when discussions were being held for the NBA to restart play in the “Bubble” atmosphere in Orlando Florida, many players were outspoken in dissent against the idea, George Hill of the Milwaukee Bucks for one stated that he did not want Pro Basketball to distract from the ongoing Black Lives Matter struggle in particular.

What Can We Do?

According to this ESPN article, NBA players and the Players Union were trying to figure out what the best path forward in offering solutions to the issue of police brutality against African Americans. Stars like LeBron James and others have used their significant social media platforms to express frustration, anger and call for societal change in order to the address the issues being put forth by the Black Lives Matter movement. Today LeBron went so far as to leverage the power of his team the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers to force owners to use their resources to help find a solution for these ills. But here is the rub, his actions and all other athletes utilizing their platforms are being implicit instead of explicit. Stay with me here.

Can anyone make a real case that the modern (Kennedy era) Democratic Party has more closely represented the interests of African Americans, way more than the modern (Nixon era) Republican Party? Sanity dictates that we cannot even be a serious conversation about which party has because the answer is obvious. The Democratic Party is extremely flawed with Corporate Democrats still firmly calling the shots but even this terrible reality pales in comparison to the atrocities committed and furthered by Republicans and Donald Trump. Voter suppression like tactics like closing polling locations and now pulling out mailboxes in African American communities is part of the past and current strategy of disenfranchisement.

So if this is the case, then the solution is clear, athletes can use their influence to EXPLICITLY endorse, support, and help elect candidates that will become leaders that will truly represent us and tackle the root causes of inequity-racism-brutality. Does becoming an internationally recognized individual forfeit your right to express your ideas for solutions to many of society’s issues?

Emboldened

(Now) Senator Bernie Sanders 1965 Property of Chicago Tribune All Rights Reserved

So picture this, here is LeBron James emboldened and determined to help change things, “I support the progressive movement brought to the public consciousness by Senator Bernie Sanders and led into the future by the squad: made up of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. I support this movement because I know progressives like Senator Sanders were chained to, and arrested in support of African American’s during the 1960s, fighting for their right to the same rights that white Americans enjoy; while others were putting human rights behind political calculations of “personal evolution” or wondering about what the country is “ready for.”

Explicitly vs Implicitly

LeBron didn’t say that, I did. And I also say we ALL need to come out and support and vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, then hold their asses to the fire to start adopting progressive, people first policies that are going get to the root causes of racism, police brutality, inequity…all that. I said that, and LeBron and his fellow NBA players should be explicit and say it too. Way too many have died to be beating around the bush lost in implicit messages. Sometimes the solutions are as simple as, well, Mathematics…

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From The Left Field Bleachers: LeBron in LaLa Land

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on July 2, 2018 Respond

I must admit I was surprised that LeBron James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Perhaps I was holding out hope that LeBron, being the baller with the highest bball IQ,, would sign with the team that offered him the best chance to defeat the Golden State Warriors, ie.. the Houston Rockets. What led me to my delusional conclusion? Well here are a few reasons:

  • LeBron wants to be remembered as the GOAT
  • LeBron has tons of money so he doesn’t need to break the bank
  • LeBron really wants to beat the Golden State Warriors
  • LeBron is 33
  • Because I wanted him to join the Houston Rockets to beat the Golden State Warriors

Business As Usual

Many will point out that LeBran left 30 Million on the table with Cleveland but that is a drop Sportsin the bucket compared to what he will be reaping in endorsement deals from sponsors in the nation’s 2nd biggest media city.

I am not a LeBron hater, far from it, but I do root for the integrity of the game. Perhaps its a foregone conclusion that within a capitalist system where the emphasis is on profits, integrity in sports cannot exist in terms of players and owners loyalty to each other. There was a time, not long ago, where a fan could name the majority of players on their favorite teams and most of those players would be on that team for several seasons.

Next season the Lakers will cobble a few players around LeBron and watch as he uses his incredible talent(s) to catapult the Lakers into a playoff spot. Of course LeBron will once again lose to the Golden State Warriors, if they make it that far (see the Houston Rockets). In the end it will be enough for the Lakers $$$ wise as they significantly raised ticket prices!
*Read more of my articles here

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Alex Paramo Summer SolsticeAlex Paramo is a native New Yorker of Colombian descent. He is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. He currently resides in Albuquerque, NM. Read More about him here.

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Week.ly: From the Mind, Memes and Musings of Hakim Bellamy

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on February 11, 2017 Respond

In an effort to try and not put the burden of Señor Trump’s face repeatedly in front of the American cybersphere … of course, without ever missing an opportunity to put critique squarely where it belongs … today we offer as our Friday Premier Meme … a moment of reflection on Black History … couched in the Congressional censor of Senator Elizabeth Warren and Trump’s non surprising comments (considering his notorious candor with Billy Bush) from a little over a week ago that he likes his lady staffers to (quote) “Dress like a woman.”

Introducing Ruby Bridges, who at six years old was escorted by U.S. Marshal’s on November 14, 1960 as she bravely followed a court order to integrate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana. Happy Black History Month…and you’re welcome. 😉 – hb

Week.ly

#ShePersisted #DressLikeAWoman #DressLikeARuby #RubyBridges #BlackHistoryMonth #WomensMarch #WeeklyUpdate #Weekly

And from earlier this week…

Week.ly e3

Week.ly

and a bonus throwback meme from a year ago… (because I was going for the Falcons!)

If the politics didn’t bring all the haters to the yard … this jab at the current Super Bowl Champs will surely have’s come a running. Because American sometimes care more about Patriots than than being patriots (read: participatory democracy … which can also be a full-contact sport).
​​​​​​​​​​​​- hb

Week.ly 3

All the news that’s fit to meme
For more memes follow me @HakimBe on Twitter & Instagram
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Hakim Bellamy

Hakim Bellamy

Hakim Bellamy is Albuquerque’s Inaugural Poet Laureate. He is also a scholar, educator, musician, and poet. Community Publishing has published Hakim Bellamy’s Samuel’s Story, a multimedia children’s story featuring the music of DJ Flo Fader and the illustrations of Melvin Mayes available in Print and Digital editions.

Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as Multimedia Books while promoting literacy in our communities. We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market and the Monte Vista Fire Station. Need help with your web presence and social media marketing? Click here to find out how we can help you!

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From the Left Field Bleachers – The World Cup: the Final Frontier

Published by communitypublishingabq@gmail.com on July 3, 2014 Respond

Alex Paramo Summer Solstice

Alex Paramo

As the U.S. born son of two Colombian immigrants I have certain benefits come World Cup time, I get to root for two teams: “The Yanks” and “Los Cafeteros.” The issue of immigration is crucial to any sports conversation because, as in Major League Baseball and especially in the National Basketball Association we have seen the influx of many players from other Colombian-American World Cupcountries. In these sports a player can play for any team regardless of where he was born or even where he resides. In the Olympics, all notions of amateur have been thrown out the window. The Olympics are now accepted as a show-case for pro athletes while filling the coffers of the International Olympic Committee and serving as publicity for pro leagues.

U.S. Men’s Soccer

The U.S. displayed remarkable resiliency at the World Cup. They were immediately cast as underdogs when placed in the group of death and given a daunting traveling schedule. I rooted for them loud and proud! Despite their success and my affinity for the team, I am a bit troubled by Landon Donovan‘s exclusion from the team and the bigger question it brings up: should players with little if any connections to the U.S. be permitted to play on the National team? Should a player like John Brooks, who has never even lived in the U.S. be chosen over say a Landon Donovan, still one of the best U.S. players, who has committed his life to the U.S. program?

Flag Waving

Darryl_StrawberryAs a kid I would would follow the NY Mets, NY Jets and NY Knicks not only because I am a born and raised NYer but because for the most part the ‘core’ of the team would stay in-tact from season to season. That consistency on the roster(s) allowed me to identify them and with them in the context of wins and losses. I felt like I could feel their suffering doing a bad season and partake in the celebration(s) with them during team triumphs. Heck, in my mind, I was part of the team! Of course these days yesterdays villain (Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens) becomes today’s hero (New York Yankees Roger Clemens). Which leads us back to Landon Donovan and the German Invasion.

Xenophobia

Final_FrontierNow of course my sentiments are not born out of Xenophobia because, as I stated above, my parents are immigrants to this great country. The idea of the U.S. as a country that welcomes people from all corners of the world is paramount to my identity as an American. Many Native North Americans welcomed the first European settlers and helped them get, well, settled and I still believe in that welcoming spirit. My sentiments regarding the U.S. Soccer program coach Jürgen Klinsmann‘s decision of taking 5 German nationals over Landon Donovan and other home-grown players stem from my desire to identify with my national team. I respect Klinsman as a coach but disagree with his decision.

The Final Frontier

The World Cup represents the final frontier, the last bastion of true ‘fandom’ where we root for our team based upon a shared national experience. Of course there is a commercial aspect to it but unlike pro sports or the Olympics, it does not dominate the essence of the tournament. This current World Cup tourney united Americans from Queens, NY, Kearny NJ, Chicago, Il, Seattle, Topeka, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Anchorage. Should we include Berlin and Munich? Where do we draw the line? It is a complicated issue that deserves examination and solutions. Does being German born and raised make those players any less American and/or disqualify them from the U.S. national team? Perhaps a 5 to 10 year residency requirement should be enacted by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Isn’t the whole point of the program to create a strong program in the states?

Beating Belgium

Would Donovan have helped the U.S. squad defeat the Belgium team yesterday? Of course we will never know but one thing I do know is that I would have preferred to watch Landon Donovan yesterday because I would’ve recognized him, been familiar with his style of play and felt like I had been in the trenches with him over the past 12 years. In the video Andres Cantor, Mr. ‘Goooool’, calls the play and describes Donovan as the greatest U.S. Soccer player of all-time.

What do you think? I would really like to know.

Alex Paramo is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

We are proud to be a community partner and digital programmer at Rail Yards Market.
#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org

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