Should We Honor Trayvon Martin?

Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was in the news recently regarding their spirit week celebration for homecoming. On Wednesday, the students had planned a “Trayvon Martin Day’ to honor Trayvon Martin by wearing hoodies to school. The theme of the day was eventually shut down by concerned parents who were worried about the type of atmosphere it would create.

There are several ways to look at this. On one hand, it encouraging seeing young millennials take a stand for what they believe in. Trayvon was the same age as most of these students when he was killed, so of course they are going to feel a connection to him which is understandable. But what about Trayvon is there to honor? Trayvon’s death wasn’t a situation such as in Chicago a few years back when Derrion Albert was beaten to death for simply being in the wrong place and wrong time during a gang altercation. Derrion was an honor student, with no history of any trouble at school or with the law. He was one of the few young black men growing up in Chicago who tried his best not to get sucked into the “street life” such as his peers. Trayvon on the other hand isn’t someone I would want my little brother to look upon as someone to honor. Trayvon was a known trouble maker, and though it does not justify his untimely death, he isn’t a person deserving of the pedestal he has been put on following Zimmerman’s trial.

This also deflects the conversation as to what lead to Trayvon being killed. Despite what Zimmerman’s defense claims, Trayvon being a young black male put Zimmerman in a heightened state of defense when confronting him. When black men are seen as violent and unruly, we can’t be surprised when others see us they come prepared for a fight. However, the focus has been entirely on the fact that Trayvon was black and Zimmerman was “white”. How about we as black people finally open our eyes to how the world views us and work to change their perception, instead of crying racism every time we are treated due to how we allow ourselves to be perceived by the world? This further divides us as Americans, and isolates us as black people, because he is only being honored because he was black. Had it happened to someone of another race (and it has) it wouldn’t be seen as a big deal.

One parent was quoted as saying, regarding the students wearing hoodies, “I am a little worried about that with the different people, how they’re going to react.” The way I see this kinda relates to the previous paragraph. Kids these days are assholes. All it would take is one racist altercation to lead to all out Armageddon and a ‘race fight’ therefore ruining the entire spirit week celebration and bringing Al and Jesse to intervene like they ALWAYS find a way to do when it isn’t necessary. Some parents are concerned for their kids safety and what type of environment such a movement would create. It has nothing to do with the school not wanting to let the students have a voice, they are just covering their tails for what could lead to a volatile situation.

I commend the students at Carrick High for wanting to take a stand for something they believe in. I just hope that if anyone else does it does farther than wearing a hoodie for spirit week and leads to a serious conversation we, especially black people, need to have.

Blame the NCAA for Clowney's performance

J’daveon Clowney had been a major topic in the sports world for some time, and is even a bigger story this week. Clowney did not play in the USC v. Kentucky game this past Saturday because of a stomach bug but didn’t let any of this coaches know until game time. Now the talk amongst the sports world is that Clowney is either just lazy or trying to stay as healthy as he can for the upcoming draft. I agree with the latter, the former is being based of his performance which says more about how offenses are playing away from him than it does about his motivation for playing. I don’t think to many college football players would risk their draft stock dropping by ‘taking plays off’ or ‘being out of shape’ like Clowney is being accused of.

But what if its true? What if Clowney has become bored with college football? He has been an absolute monster on the field since his high school days, using his tremendous athletic and physical ability to his advantage. What if its all become to easy for him? Its like working a job you are overqualified for; my first job after graduating was working in loss prevention. Basically, all I did was walk around a supermarket stalking customers to make sure they weren’t trying to steal crab legs and steaks for their next cookout. I didn’t wake up at 8 am five days a week and spend countless hours studying to push a grocery cart in a cold, stink grocery store. To me it was boring because I knew that I was greater than this, I wanted a REAL challenge, and the same can be said for Clowney. What the point of playing hard every play only to double and tripled teamed when the play is being ran away from your position? What the challenge in knowing that on my name alone the man in front of me already has doubt whether he can stop me or not?

What I’m trying to get to is this is why college football players should be allowed to declare for the draft after their sophomore year (or second year removed from high school instead of the standard three). Its always been said that the restriction is based on the physicality of football; and 18 year old freshman wouldn’t survive a day being pummeled by 30 year old pro players is the ideology behind it, but with players today being bigger, faster, and stronger at younger and younger ages, exceptions to the rule are becoming more noticeable.

Amobi Okoye was 16 years old when he enrolled at the University of Louisville. In his freshman year, he appeared in all 13 games for the Cardinals. He became a starter his senior year and was subsequently drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft by the Houston Texans at the age of 19. Though currently a free agent, Okoye has made it through 5 seasons as an NFL player, which is above average for a typical NFL career which sits at about 3 seasons currently.

Granted, Okoye was both a mental and physical anomaly, he goes to show that if you have the physical ability, you can make it in the NFL despite your age. In my opinion, Clowney is a far better football player than Okoye would ever be so the physical demands of the NFL will not take as heavy as a toll on him to the point he finds himself a free agent after 5 seasons like Okoye. If Clowney wants to go to the NFL he should be allowed too, and many other football players like him. Whats the point in wasting away and risking a Marcus Lattimore by being an “amateur” (more on that later) athlete?

This adds to how the NCAA uses its “student-athletes”; with football being the biggest money earner, anything to keep ratings up is a good thing. So they see no problem with telling a player when they can leave and make their own money because that player helps them make money through TV deals, merchandise, etc. Star football players help bring in millions to these schools, but when they get hurt receive no compensation what so ever. So the longer the NCAA can hold you for their benefit, the better, but what does the “student-athlete” get out of this? How does this benefit them and their family? It doesn’t, only the presidents and board members who are being paid off of the students athletic success. So can you blame Clowney if he is, in fact, ‘saving’ himself for the NFL? No. These athletes know that there is no point in risking the millions of dollars they can make at the pro level, for an organization that has yet to compensate them for making it rich.

In conclusion, players such as Clowney should be allowed to leave whenever they want. The NCAA’s dictator-esque control of these players is only for their benefit, and they won’t let their golden goose get away, even if it means risking all that the athlete has worked their entire lives for.