Race, Fan Supremacy, and the Kaepernick Ordeal
By OTL I’ve always found the dynamic between athletes and fans unsettling, especially in football and basketball. These are sports where most of the professional athletes are Black, competing inside defined boundaries before majority white audiences. The athletes face rules that limit their movement beyond the lines in a physical sense. But even when fans, … Continue reading
Why I Won’t Root for the Cleveland Cavaliers
By OTL The NBA Finals begin tonight, as Golden State takes on Cleveland in a seven-game series for the title. As an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, my season was lost before the playoffs even started. But I’ve still watched these playoffs closely. Being an avid NBA follower, I like some teams more than others, and … Continue reading
A Beautiful Game Gone Bad: Race and the World Cup, Part 2
Note: This is the second article in a two-part series. Part 1, which was posted Friday, can be found here. By OTL In Part 1, I explored how the concentration of wealth is crucial to the racial politics surrounding Brazil’s World Cup. The Brazilian government is using the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics … Continue reading
A Beautiful Game Gone Bad: Race and the World Cup, Part 1
Note: This article is the first in a two-part series. Part 2 will appear on Sunday. By OTL The 2014 FIFA World Cup concludes this Sunday when Argentina and Germany face off in the Final. Brazil’s World Cup has been a lightning rod both on and off the pitch. Brazilian protests against immense government spending … Continue reading
DeSean Jackson and America’s Gang Hysteria
By OTL Who do you know? Who did you grow up with? Who are your friends? Who are your affiliates? DeSean Jackson had to deal with these questions after news came out that his employer, the Philadelphia Eagles, were looking to trade or release him. The Eagles eventually released the wide receiver, and he signed … Continue reading
How David Stern Whitewashed the NBA
By OTL After thirty years as the NBA’s commissioner, David Stern retired on February 1st, relinquishing the post to his protégé, Adam Silver. In recent days, many columnists, television commentators and former players have lauded Stern’s work and christened him the greatest commissioner in sports history. “David Stern, who in my opinion has been the … Continue reading
Richard Sherman and America’s War on “Thugs”
By OTL Last week, I read an article in Esquire entitled “The Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern American N****r” (asterisks added by me), which was written by Black writer, producer and director John Ridley and published in November 2006. Championing figures like Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, Ridley argues that “ascendant” Blacks should distance … Continue reading
Mindless Misogyny in Men’s Sports
By OTL This April, a video surfaced showing Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice physically and verbally abusing players during practice. In the video, Rice threw basketballs at players when they made mistakes, and he repeatedly pushed them around. He also routinely used sexist and homophobic slurs to insult players. A media firestorm subsequently ensued … Continue reading
Over the Line 