Hardcore Peace

Loved Curly Neal. We will miss your smile so basketball soul sir. The first time I watched a game at the long gone Spectrum in Philly was not to see Doc and the Sixers, but The @harlemglobetrotters . My parents were recently divorced, and it was really cool my Mom took my sis and I to see the legends, and ease the pain for a few hours. He winked at me in the crowd that day. It was a special moment because I knew my Mom didn’t have much money, yet she made sure we had great seats. Thanks Angel. Miss you Mom. That wink is where my sports imagination began. He went off after that, and his handle wizardry screeched all over the court in those @juliuserving Converse All-Stars. Had to be why he wore his socks so high to protect his skin, and often, the Washington Generals defenders didn’t touch him as he drove by them explosively. He was dynamic with the ball, that it seemed he invented dribbling, and when Kyrie Irving does his thing pattin’ cats down, he’s the only hooper that comes close to Mr. Neal. When he dished to Meadowlark Lemon for that half court hook shot... Swiccup! Tell Wilt and Meadowlark we said hi Mr. Neal. Rest in PEace. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-NgOaUjjiG/?igshid=135ft2jpkfc2r

Mawnin. Foggy like that glue out here. Keep sharing those library access links, those DJ mixes; art; all that. We WILL come out this smarter; more cultured. The aftermath will be interesting. Do your part in the midst of gloom. Stay sharp. (Pro)CREATE. Love one another, and especially those babies. This is where they learn for the better through the impending worst. Shouts to the healthcare workers, and everyone else charging us forward right here, right now. We appreciate you to the honorable fullest. Take pics. Document for time. Eliminate BUT from your vocabulary. YET, is more appropriate. Connect the good dots. Breathe. Work out. Reflect. WRITE. DREAM. https://www.instagram.com/p/B99KgPhjgMY/?igshid=j004lakm2nqy

Mawnin... This isn’t about being some subservient victim, but about just respect. This isn’t about Bill O’Brien either, because he’s just the latest dumbass just doing what dumbasses do. Because dumbasses somehow get passes. This is a trend. A trend that does not want to win. Name one Black quarterback in NFL HISTORY that was able to play 5 plus years with a Hall of Fame caliber receiver, or even a simple WR1. 5 years. That ain’t asking much. 5 years to develop a bond that eventually shows and proves in the playoffs. 5 years to create a legacy. Culpepper/Moss was 2000-04, so scratch that. Steve Smith ripped from Cam Newton; Moss from Culpepper; Owens from 5; Hopkins from Watson. Yeah yeah, there were factors, but did those factors really matter? Truly? Deshaun Watson has proven to be a clutch superstar, so why subtract from developing further that fact? Before y’all shoot holes in this post, ask yourselves why I’m asking this question. Really think about that. It’s about consistency, and nothing else. No Black QB has consistent talent? Black QB’s don’t deserve WR1’s? I guess they are just expected to run around, make highlight reel plays, and lead lesser offenses to hypothetically 59 Super Bowls? When they don’t get to 59, they get traded/fired despite making it to 58 huh? Lol Hell, gimme one Black QB that started 10 full seasons with the team drafting him. Donovan and Moon came close, and please don’t get me started on Moon. Cam Newton and Russell Wilson may do it. Maybe... If it isn’t about race, then what is it? There’s always some excuse why consistent organizational support isn’t afforded Black QB’s. Uh, well, it was just time to move on, but we wish him well, and thank him for the years he gave us and the city. He was tremendous for us... So they say. Smh. A hypercritical fan and media eye just becomes nothing more than an inevitable and mad convenient front office lie. We don’t get it either Deshaun. You and Deandre both were robbed because of ridiculous incompetence. Remember, O’Brien started Tom Savage over you once upon a time. He’s been unspectacular, and a suspect coach/GM(cont on FB) https://www.instagram.com/p/B91Z0UxlGxV/?igshid=olyj1sh6dzz4

Just before Beijing Olympics when @kobebryant put @usabasketball on his back, and carried the US to victory in the gold medal final. I asked him about challenging himself in the throes of the Olympics. Miss this dude. He was so intelligent and focused. Made me raise my level of focus to get the best out of him. What a #SoulModel. Speaking of focus, my camera skills sucked back then. Ha. Shouts to @axgilbert (pictured). https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ki_t-li0u/?igshid=18peml068jabc

Appreciate the birthday wishes yesterday. I love your posts because you took the time out of your restful Sunday to do so, and tried to respond to every single one of you. If I didn’t respond to yours, please let me know. Seriously. I do not take this for granted. Ever. If I called you my Brother, I meant that shit. Emphatically. This life is short, and the smile and trust of love should be prioritized. Love your Brother. Doing so doesn’t change who you are men. It strengthens you. Attaches less stress to you. Honors you. The toughness and responsibility of masculinity is always still you. So, I love you too Sirs. Tell your sons you love them men. Make them feel it in everything an ironclad sense of urgency. Love isn’t just reserved for the beautiful ladies. It’s always Go Ladies. Shouts to Slum Village. Hell yeah. It’s no coincidence that I was born on International Women’s Day. So, sugar and spice, I love your everything nice. That’s forever. Power to the people. Spread that today. Pay it forward. Have a great week! Let’s get it. Thank you, again. I miss you Mom. You too Uncle Allen. Be PEace... https://www.instagram.com/p/B9gyNcclrql/?igshid=1nc0kd6jy4ris

#52. Grateful for another year. Shouts to #littlebrother https://www.instagram.com/p/B9eZroIlmV0/?igshid=rfprvqp63qaj

How does the court system convict, and subsequently execute, a man in this day and age despite the evidence stating clearly he was innocent? Why’d he die before the trigger man? What was the rush to kill #NathanielWoods? RIP. Ima need y’all to stop making excuses about racial disparities within the judicial system, and I’m not talking about one state, but overall. There are no buts. Oh and fuck Alabama. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ZqU7blTTS/?igshid=55qk7h6qth28

Gimme mah activator maan. Haha. #TBT 1984. Shouts to my dude DWilson. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9XpRt2FuQ5/?igshid=8l41ha08o14p

The Crown Prince, Zion Williamson, is 19. Still an awkward 19, yet a historical force multiplier 19. The MVP Giannis Sina Ougko Antetokounmpo is an Ernie Barnes painted monster under the bed. You better run — eyes bulged — after hitting that light switch. LeBron James is 35 with Kobe Bryant’s angel as his shadow. Washed Kings do win rings. Shake Milton has always been this talented. Brett Brown has 99 problems, and Shake is most definitely one. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf fell to the LSU ceiling. Shouts to Colin Kaepernick and Coach Nick. Pump the Houston Rockets breaks. Mike D’Antoni is still head coach. A Chuck D/Flav addendum from 2008. Chuck and I were talking about Chuck’s voice over for a Charles Barkley commercial: http://thestartingfive.net/2012/01/26/the-chuck-d-of-public-enemy-interview-part-ii-whos-your-hero-repost-from-08/ Chuck D: “Well Flav was supposed to be Flav in that commercial, but he had a run in with the law and killed that connection to the NBA. The shooting back in the day killed that whole deal. Now Flava Flav is back again. Flav for goodness sakes!” MT: What do you say to those who say Flav is minstrel? Chuck D: “Flava Flav has always been the same person. He’s never changed. He does his own thing without Public Enemy. When he’s in a Public Enemy context it’s no different than the family… You know how Black families are. They always got that one character (We crack up). If White folks don’t understand, we even had a president who understood that. Billy Carter. Remember Billy Carter? He put so much heat on the president. But at the end of the day he still was family.” Family ties do fall by the wayside... Mawnin. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PDDAmlx5D/?igshid=o54p9vwrmnri

And the skin of us supporting this trash can kick raccoon rocks too. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MaycplsXq/?igshid=1a7z5yay1s6ee

Spent a lot of time at Wharton business school in the last year or so, and I’ve laid in the cut — sometimes impatiently. It’s why my writing has been focused to social media, yet the fire of course remains on a grander multimedia scale. Besides a book, there are many things in development, and we’re almost ready to launch. The great minds at University of Pennsylvania have been outstanding to my business partner and I. Y’all know I don’t take the easy route. Thanks for the support. Grateful. Stay tuned. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9INdsKFwJo/?igshid=173txqsmp5643

Make sure you purchase Sybrina Fulton’s book on Trayvon. Spoke to then Sixer Elton Brand about today, the anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s murder: Michael Tillery: Black story captivating our nation. Young Trayvon Martin murdered. Black athletes will be asked to speak… Elton Brand: “Black athletes…you know the pros…will be asked to speak because we’ve been there. Especially the ball players. I’ve worn a hoodie walking taking a short cut through a nicer area (he laughs) knowing what I know good. It’s sad to see this happen. It could have been any of us. It could have definitely been me as a young teenager.” MT: You are a father. How does this hit you with that in mind? EB: “That could be my son. It’s heart wrenching. I’m not into law or anything so I don’t know what’s going on with the Florida state rules. I’m just hearing from the streets the guy (George Zimmerman) is not in jail and hasn’t been arrested. That really makes this crazy because he took a life.” MT: Do you think white reporters should ask white athletes of Trayvon Martin or is this exclusively a Black story? EB: “This is an American story. I think white journalists should ask white and Black athletes alike to see what their opinions are because I know it’s different. In some states guys are allowed to carry (licensed guns) openly. Stand your ground…whatever that law is…is crazy. I’ve never been around that growing up in New York, playing in Chicago…Philly and LA. I’ve never been in the south in different parts where those rules apply. So I think you should ask guys. I remember Chris Kaman…when I played with him…was a big gun advocate. He had all types of guns. AR 15’s. He goes hunting. He has big guns. Twitter pics of guns. If I took a twitpic of a gun it would be a different story so I think we should show both sides. ” https://www.instagram.com/p/B9DMzrCB51Q/?igshid=zpkan5i57fdb

Jalen Hurts is getting the change position questions. Smh. It will never, ever end. Also, what’s this Teddy Brudgewater/Taysom Hill stuff? Why did this narrative that Hill is a franchise quarterback — after completing just 6 passes — originate despite Teddy B going undefeated in 5 starts when Brees went down? I’m asking because I don’t know. Did Bridgewater say he was outta Nawlins to captain his own team? Serious question. I can’t see why Sean Payton would step so far out publicly, and say Hill was the heir apparent unless TB said he didn’t want to stay another year under Brees. What’s really going on down there. Again, I’m asking because I don’t know, yet it just seems so weird. I remember Troy Aikman saying Hill should be the dude during the first game after Brees went down despite Bridgewater’s obvious talent within that game. I was taken aback, and while y’all know I despise his color commentary, I didn’t think he’d say something that stupid. Shouldn’t New Orleans franchise tag Teddy Bridewater just to see who he is for them post Brees while Brees plays out the Hall of Fame string? Hell yes. Sean Payton, you’re on the scrutiny clock... Back to Hurts. His predecessors won consecutive Heismans, and his numbers aligned favorably with those predecessors, yet even after the league is trending towards acute mobility, and given his story of remarkable laser focused resilience, he’s still doubted as a quarterback. Leave Lincoln Riley and Nick Saban out of it, Hurts did lead two teams to the CFP right? He’s improved his passing mechanics, passed for an elite number of yards, touchdowns, and rushed for over 1200 yards, yet still there are questions? What the damn? Look, there is no Black quarterback monolith. Each is as different as their names, backgrounds and reasons to be, yet it appears each is looked as the same dude. Like one dude. Is Marino the same as Montana; Rodgers the same as Brees; Unitas the same as Steve Young? No. Quit that. Hurts will flourish simply because the steel of his soul will not allow him to fail. Watch THAT interview, and you’ll feel his might. Every quarterback talented to run (cont on Facebook). https://www.instagram.com/p/B9CL4VFF9e7/?igshid=g2o744rvxbvv

Miss you both. Thanks Barry Bell. You helped make me the writer I am, and will be. Also, the @kobebryant memorial today was incredible. I can now write what I need to write. Excellent job hosting on BET @jemelehill and @marclamonthill. Daps. https://www.instagram.com/p/B8975EQFzEG/?igshid=yv09llai9cc7

Happy next 365 @juliuserving! #BHM https://www.instagram.com/p/B83mATnlI1N/?igshid=mrzhpp8bzgri