Did Stephen A. Smith Actually Say It Was Okay To Beat A Woman?!?

I'm not a big ESPN viewer, unless we're talking about live sports. The reasons are many, but most of them have to do with the network's tendency to over-sensationalize stories to the point of idiocy. In a lot of ways, ESPN's programming is like Fox News with sports subbed in for "politics". Most shows feature people yelling over each other disguised as a "debate", which seldom yields in any level of intelligent discourse. No show exemplifies this more than First Take, with Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, and a black chick who sits between the two and seems to do little other than say "ummm hmmm" and occasionally nods her head.[1]

Smith is no stranger to controversy. A guy whose comments on non-sports topics often land him in hot water, Screamin' A. has made a good living off of toeing the line between political correctness and corporately acceptable ratchetness. But a comment he made about the Ray Rice incident last week lead to ESPN putting him in timeout.

ESPN suspended Stephen A. Smith for a week on Tuesday for comments that suggested women should avoid provoking men into assaulting them.

Smith raised the subject of provocation last Friday during a discussion on “First Take,” on ESPN2, about the two-game suspension received by Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice from the N.F.L. over allegations that he beat his fiancée, now his wife, in a casino elevator. Smith’s remarks led to a rebuke on Twitter from another ESPN star, Michelle Beadle.

In a recorded apology Monday, Smith said that he had failed to properly articulate his view and that he had not intended to say that domestic violence was a woman’s fault.

Smith will return to “First Take,” and to his afternoon ESPN Radio show in New York, next Wednesday.

Smith’s weeklong suspension is less severe than the 30 days imposed on Max Bretos, an ESPN anchor who used the term “chink in the armor” in reference to Jeremy Lin in 2012. In 2010, Tony Kornheiser was suspended two weeks for comments he made on radio about an outfit worn by Hannah Storm, a “SportsCenter” anchor.

Smith is a staple at ESPN and First Take's ratings are huge, so there's no way the channel was going to fire him Rob Parker-style unless he refused to apologize. Not one to go out like Anthony Cumia, Smith has now apologized more than Reuben Studdard. He is taking his one week suspension like a "G", and all will be back to normal next week. But I'm wondering what was so wrong about Smith's comments in the first place.

Let's have another listen.



I know it's trendy and fun to clown Stephen A. I mean, seriously, that hairline alone is reason enough. But uhhh, sorry if I'm missing the boat here, but what exactly did he say that was so controversial? At no point did he say it was okay to beat a woman. He went out of his way to say the exact opposite. He simply said that as a man with sisters whom he might have to defend at some point, he wants to make sure his sisters don't do anything to put themselves in such a situation in the first place. Can a woman provoke a man to the point where he defends himself/responds out of anger? Yes. Does that justify the man responding out of anger? No, not under any circumstances.

I may be wrong, but I believe that's all Smith is saying here. Don't provoke a man to the point of violence and there won't be any. That doesn't excuse Ray Rice or any other wifebeater, it simply says that domestic violence is (in some cases) a two way street. Don't dish it out if you don't want to end up in a scenario in which you might have to take it.

That's not in any way justifying a man hitting a woman. I will raise my sons to not ever put their hands on a woman. There's no justification for that at all. But as a man with a daughter, I'll also teach her the very same thing. Don't assume that every man you interact with has been instilled with the same values as your brothers.

Because they might not have been, and you don't want to find that out the hard way.

Question: Did Smith have a point, or was he just being a sexist, woman-hating blowhard?

[1] Seriously, what does she do? Anything?

Black Kid Gets Suspended From School 5 Times... Preschool.

Sometimes I come across stories that I have no real words for, but just feel like passing along for the sake of starting a conversation. I'm a parent of two black boys (and one girl) so I couldn't help but throw this one out there for ya'll.

A recent commentary in the Washington Post by motivational speaker and author Tunette Powell relayed her experience as a parent of two preschoolers who have been suspended a combined 8 times this year. After swapping stories with white parents at the same school, she realized her kids were being suspended while their kids were merely being corrected with a phone call to their parents. It's a pretty polarizing first person account that you'll need to read in its entirely before chiming in below.

Here's a snippet...

I received a call from my sons’ school in March telling me that my oldest needed to be picked up early. He had been given a one-day suspension because he had thrown a chair. He did not hit anyone, but he could have, the school officials told me.

JJ was 4 at the time.

I agreed his behavior was inappropriate, but I was shocked that it resulted in a suspension.

For weeks, it seemed as if JJ was on the chopping block. He was suspended two more times, once for throwing another chair and then for spitting on a student who was bothering him at breakfast. Again, these are behaviors I found inappropriate, but I did not agree with suspension.

So I punished JJ at home and ignored my concerns. Then, two months later, I was called to pick up my 3-year-old son, Joah. Joah had hit a staff member on the arm. After that incident, they deemed him a “danger to the staff.” Joah was suspended a total of five times. In 2014, my children have received eight suspensions.

Again, you'll need to read the entire story to get the full context, so please do that before commenting below.

Question: Do black kids really get suspended at higher rates and if so, what's the reason? Does this woman have a legitimate beef or should she (and her husband, who is curiously only mentioned in passing) do a better job? What has your experience as a parent been like?

Someone Actually Thought This Was A Good Idea...

We have Verizon FIOS at home, and everytime I venture into the hinterlands of my onscreen guide (aka: The Non-HD Channels) I find a new station I'd never heard of before. There's Chiller, a channel that presumably shows horror movies. There's something called Blue Ocean Network that's in some language I don't understand. There's BYUTv, presumably for people who want to watch Jimmer Fredette highlights all day.

It seems like there's a channel for every possible niche. So yeah, I suppose this would fit someone's niche. I'm just not sure whom that someone is...



Actually, I do. People bought this woman's books and still pay a pretty penny to see her babble word salad in person. So yeah, someone will be forking over $10/month. Not me, but someone.

Question: What's the dumbest, most pointless channel you've got on your cable box? If you have HD, do you also find it impossible to watch standard definition channels?

Embrace Baldness or Invest in Hair Loss Treatment?

Hair, we all have it. Some have more than others. For hair that grows on the head, men typically lose hair sooner than expected. In some cases, women can lose their hair as well. Now, people that lose their hair have a choice. Should they embrace baldness or should they invest in hair loss treatment?

Embracing Baldness- For hundreds of years humans having been losing hair that once occupied the space on their head. Typically men have had to deal with the aftermath of losing their hair. In today's society many men have learned to be proud of their bald heads. For instance, celebrities such as Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander, and many more. This just goes to show that you can still be successful in life without having hair on your head. Now if you are not an actor, everyday human beings are bald. People that are executives, cashiers, baseball players, retail clerks, etc. It happens to every kind of person, regardless of their status in society.

Invest in Hair Loss Treatment- This is a question that bald people have asked themselves at one time or another. Should you or shouldn't you? Well for one, if you are self -conscious about your image, this may be the right option for you. Treatment can be quite expensive, but if you have the money to spend by all means give it a go. It will help your self-esteem and boost your confidence. Options include Hair Transplants.

Hair Transplant- This is another option with regard to Hair Loss Treatment. A hair transplant can be costly and time consuming. It is a long process that you must devote your time and money to. Hair transplants can be painful as well. Your scalp may have scarring, scabs, and may be tender to the touch. Choosing the hair that will suit you is another challenge. This will take time and patience to see which kind of hair is right for you. Which can up the bill of the transplant depending on what type of hair you decided to go with. Just remember, time and money is what you are in for, make sure you are one hundred percent sure you want to do this. You can remove the transplant if you are not satisfied with the outcome. But that will mean more money and more time in finding the right fit for your new head of hair.

Hair is something that we all have to deal with. For the people that are missing hair, the options they can take are time consuming, but can yield amazing results. Now, you don't have to take this road if you don't want to. Like I said before, many people embrace their baldness and love how they look. For the people who don't, hair transplants are a great option to boost your confidence and replace hair that you once lost. It's up to you.

35% Of Americans Want Obama Impeached. Because Sarah Palin Said So.

Some of you have no doubt noticed the lack of political posts (or for that matter, post period) around here lately. The reasons are many, but the overarching theme is that nothing's actually happening. The folks on the Hill are clearly gearing up for November, and the POTUS is about as lame a duck as they come. Sure, there was some action along the border last week, and a lingering VA scandal, but in a mid-term election year, nothing is gonna get done because nobody has anything to benefit from something actually getting done.

So to fill the vacuum of actual political news, comes this nonsense.

Roughly a third of adult Americans want to see President Barack Obama impeached, according to a new CNN poll released Friday.

Support for impeachment cuts down party lines, with 57% of Republicans favoring the idea but just 35% of independents and 13% of Democrats feeling similarly.

The poll comes a day after the House Rules Committee approved Speaker John Boehner’s lawsuit against the President over part of his signature health care law. Some conservatives, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, have gone a step further than the lawsuit, calling for Obama’s impeachment.

The solid majority of Americans who oppose impeaching the president is similar to previous years, CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. In 1998, 67% of Americans opposed impeaching President Bill Clinton and 69% opposed impeaching George W. Bush in 2006. The poll surveyed 1, 012 adult Americans between July 18-20 with a 3% margin of error.

So yeah, that's where we've arrived as a country. 33% of Real Americans polled think the President needs to be removed from office. But what exactly is the reason? Well, let the 2/3 term Governor of Alaska and reality TV star explain it. I hope you're hungry for some word salad.



Uhhh, seriously, is this chick out her rabbit assed mind?

Question: Should the POTUS be impeached? If so, for what? Is Sarah Palin capable of stringing together a coherent sentence?

Chris Paul & Doc Rivers May Sit The Season Out If Donald Sterling Doesn't Sell The Clippers. Yeah, Right?

Funny how the whole Donald Sterling fiasco disappeared from the news after the Clippers got eliminated from the playoffs. Since then, the case has done to court, and as anyone who's actually been to court knows, legal proceedings are boring. Sure, Sterling's said some crazy sh*t on the stand a few times, but just as I expected, this thing is dragging out and shows no signs of resolution. It's entirely possible that when NBA camps open in October, Sterling will still technically be the owner of the team, which puts some of its players (and coach) in a very precarious situation.

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul told ESPN.com it's "unacceptable" if Donald Sterling is still the owner of the team when the season begins.

Paul also said he has spoken to coach Doc Rivers about the possibility of sitting out if Sterling remains in control when the seasons begins in a little more than two months.

"That's something me and Doc are both talking about," Paul said on Thursday after coaching his AAU program, CP3. "Something has to happen, and something needs to happen soon -- sooner rather than later."

Interim Clippers CEO Dick Parsons testified earlier in the week in state court that Rivers told him on multiple occasions that he doesn't think he wants to continue coaching the team if Sterling remains in control of the franchise.

"We're all going to talk about it," Paul added. "We're all definitely going to talk about it. Doc, Blake (Griffin), DJ (DeAndre Jordan). It's unacceptable."

Part of me feels like Paul (and Rivers for that matter) put himself in a trick bag here. Sure, the audio of Sterling talking to his sidepiece (whatever happened to her, BTW?) was appalling, but so was this Sterling's longstanding history of housing discrimination. That's been on record for quite some time now, long before Paul resigned with the team after being traded there. Rivers, who once played for the team at the height of Sterling's legal battles, was traded there (yes, coaches get traded too) last summer. He wanted to go there.

For both of these guys to suddenly act all appalled comes across as a little odd. It's not like Sterling hasn't been a racist asshole for years. His racist assholery just surfaced in a very socially unacceptable manner this time. So yeah, whatever.

I suspect in the end, both will relent and say that they're going to "let the NBA handle this" while they just "focus on basketball". But what say ye?

Question: If Sterling still owns this team in the Fall, what will the Clippers players and coaches do? Will other NBA players (ie: Lebron James) who spoke out against Sterling's comments take a stand?

Eric Garner, Police Brutality, And We You Can Do About It.

I don't have anything to say about this Eric Garner story. I wish I did, but I just don't. So instead of sitting here and going on some long, emotional diatribe, I figured I'd just open the mic.



Tell me how this story makes you feel.

Question: How could this have been prevented? What would you do if put in a similar life or death situation? What would you do if you were an innocent bystander watching something like this unfurl?

NFL Camps Are Open For Business.

Any sports fan knows that the gap between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the NFL season is the worst stretch of the team. You have to feign interest in baseball, sit through sloppy NBA summer league games, or God forbid, spend more time with your family. And yes, that last one was a test to make sure you're actually reading the lead-in.

Thankfully, that's all over now, as NFL camps opened earlier this week. Here's a handful of topics on my mind:

Johnny Football - How long does it take before the Browns realize they're f*cked and just turn the team over to him? I say Week 3, if not by the end of the preseason.

Michael Sam - Will this 7th round pick (with a Top 5 selling jersey) actually even make the opening day roster? I say he does, if to sell more jerseys if nothing else.

The Seahawks - Can they defend their title? Smart money says yes.

RGIII - After a disappointing season in which he was never really 100% healthy, can he regain his rookie form? You'll recall Freshman Griffin was among the top in every qualifiable QB rating and the Skins won their division in come-from-behind fashion.

Peyton Manning - After getting rolled in the Super Bowl, how does he bounce back?

Question: What are you most looking forward to this season? Who do you have winning it all, as if such a thing can be predicted 6 months in advance?

Why Would Any Sane Person Buy A Car From GM?!?

My 2nd car was a Chevy Nova, like the one you see above.[1] It was labeled a Chevy, but it was technically a Toyota Corolla, if you can recall the 80s/90s when this sorta of domestic/foreign arrangement was the norm. And that car was a total piece of sh*t, that broke down as often as it cranked up. It was a hand-me-down from my parents for a job well done in college. I handed that sh*t back and bought myself a Honda as soon as I was financially able to do so on my own.

And now, a really poor segue...

The hits just keep on coming for General Motors. A company that required a federal bailout a few years ago is now embattled in a very different dilemma that may threaten the automaker's future yet again.

General Motors expects to pay between $400 million to $600 million to compensate victims of ifs faulty ignition switch tied to at least 13 deaths.

The families of those killed and people injured in crashes involving the ignition switch can start filing for payments next month.

The problem with the ignition switch can cause the car to shut off while driving, disabling safety features such as air bags, anti-lock brakes and power steering. GM has admitted that its employees knew of the problem a decade before recalling 2.6 million cars earlier this year.

The automaker has been under fire from Congressional, Justice Department and federal safety regulators for the delay and could face criminal charges.

GM (GM) said it set aside $400 million in the second quarter to cover victims' payments. But it said Thursday in its quarterly results that because its compensation program does not have a cap, it might have to pay an additional $200 million in future quarters.

The company also set aside an additional $874 million for the cost of repairing the record 30 million cars it has recalled so far this year. The combined $1.3 billion in reductions once again essentially wiped out the company's profit, leaving it with net income of only $33 million in the quarter.

GM's culture of quieting (and in some cases punishing) whistleblowers directly contributed to the issues with the ignition switch, which is just another example of poor management at the top that's hurt American automakers. It's also why, although other countries have their own auto problems, I won't but buying American anytime soon. Sorry, Detroit.

Question: What was your first car?!? Would you buy a car from GM right now?

[1] You already know about my first car. And my latest. Right?

AB.com Open Mic Tuesday

Busy week here. Ya'll talk amongst yourselves. I'll be back soon.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

Great Moments In Modern American Racism.

We all know that racism officially ended on January 22nd, 2009 with the election of the country's first black President. Apparently a lot of "Real Americans" didn't get that memo.

These are there stories...

I grew up in Klan Kountry. My rural suburb of Raleigh, NC was right on the cusp of one of the biggest clusters of KKK members in the state. It was commonplace for them to march in Christmas/Thanksgiving parades. I went to school with many of their kids, I'm sure. And in the winter, you could easily see their bonfires in the distance through the woods from my (all black) neighborhood.

Oddly, they never actually caused any real trouble. They were just a toothless sideshow. A handful of grown men who had been castrated of any actual power to invoke fear in others. They were sorta sad, pathetic, and comical. To my knowledge, however, none of them were actually high ranking police officials!!!

Echoing the once-segregated South, a Florida deputy police chief has resigned and an officer has been fired after the FBI reported that both belonged to the Ku Klux Klan

Fruitland Park Deputy Chief David Borst has denied involvement with the notorious white-hooded hate group that emerged after the Civil War and continued to terrorize and murder blacks through the mid-20th century.

The 49-year-old Borst, a department veteran of more than 20 years, was also fire chief for the Lake County city of 5,000, about 40 miles northwest of Orlando. He resigned both posts Thursday after being confronted with the FBI report.

Officer George Hunnewell, who was demoted last year over performance and attitude complaints, was fired Friday by Chief Terry Isaacs.

The state attorney's office is reviewing every arrest made by the officers and giving particular scrutiny to cases involving minorities, Isaacs said.

It the second time in five years that Klansmen have been found in the Fruitland Park Police Department. In 2009, Officer James Elkins resigned after photographs showed him in a white robe and pointy hood, and he later admitted he was a leader of the local KKK.

Uhhh, seriously... how does sh*t like this happen? Who's working in HR for the Fruitland Park Police Department? David Duke?



A Tea Party Congressional candidate is in hot water for mistaking a bus of YMCA campers for... wait for it... illegals!!!!

Arizona state congressman (and national congressional candidate) Adam Kwasman intercepted a bus full of migrant children in Phoenix Tuesday, tweeting, “Bus coming in. This is not compassion. This is the abrogation of the rule of law.”

Or so he thought. Kwasman was caught short when Arizona Central reporter Brahm Resnik informed him the bus he lamented was actually full of YMCA campers, who another reporter said were “laughing and taking pictures of the media.”

“I was actually able to see some of the children in the buses. The fear on their faces…. This is not compassion,” Kwasman was telling the reporter when Resnik broke the news to him.

“You know that was a bus with YMCA kids?” Resnik asked.

“Well, they were sad too,” Kwasman said. A moment later, he conceded, “That was a mistake,” and deleted the tweet.

I totally understand why and how this guy got himself into such a predicament. I mean, seriously, those brown kids are coming over the border quicker than NBA owners are signing marginal players to bad contracts. Whouda thunk a bus full of brown kids might actually be, you know, American citizens out on a field trip. This happens to the best of us. Nothing to see here. Movin' right along...

I remember the days when I could watch local news and not get a side of some jackass' biased social commentary. Unless said jackass is NBC4 DC's Jim Vance. That brother can talk as much random sh*t as he likes. He's an OG of the news game. So yeah, maybe I'm a little biased myself. But nothing excuses this New Jersey reporter who went all Anthony Cumia on broadcast recently.

News 12 New Jersey reporter Sean Bergin has reportedly been suspended for comments he made on-the-air Sunday evening about the black community.

After reporting on a suspect in the fatal shooting of Jersey City police officer Melvin Santiago, Bergin told his viewers that News 12 was “besieged” with phone calls from police officials “furious that we would give media coverage to the life of a cop killer.”

Those complaints were “understandable,” Bergin said. “We decided to air it because it’s important to shine a light on the anti-cop mentality that has so contaminated America’s inner cities.”

He then made the controversial argument that led to his reported suspension:

It has made the police officer’s job impossible and it has got to stop. The underlying cause of all of this, of course: Young black men growing up without fathers. Unfortunately, no one in the news media has the courage to touch that subject.

According to TheBlaze’s Jason Howerton, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed the suspension of unspecified length. Bergin has, thus far, been asked not to come into the office on Monday and Tuesdayas station brass figure out what to do.

The segment itself has also apparently been scrubbed from the News 12 website.

Nobody's saying white people can't speak on what's happening in the black community. Nobody.



But there's a time and place for everything. Reporters do just that. Report the facts. Your personal opinion has no place here. Read what's on the teleprompter and shut the f*ck up.

But nah, racism doesn't exist anymore. It's just a figment of the imagination, right?

Question: What's with these three stories? Are these people actually racist, or merely misunderstood? What was your read on the Anthony Cumia story (that I totally missed blogging about)?

Lebron James Is Going Back To Cleveland. Why?

Earlier today, Lebron James shocked the world of sports by announcing that he'd buck conventional wisdom and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after spending 4 years (and winning 2 rings) in Miami. While I was fairly certain James would leave the Heat after getting throttled by the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the Cavs were the last place I thought he'd end up. I mean, seriously, have you been to Cleveland? I have. It's the only place on Earth I've ever observed women in a nightclub wearing baseball (Indians) apparel. So yeah, go Cleveland. Where, I have no idea.

The move is odd simply because the Cavs (as presently constructed) aren't a very good team. At all. They were a dysfunctional mess last season despite having multiple Top 5 picks on the roster. "Star point guard" Kyrie Irving is a dribbling sensation that couldn't win a game of solo spades. Number one overall pick Anthony Bennett looks like he could eat himself out of a job any day now. Dion Waiters is publicly envious of/wants to be Irving, but has half the talent. I don't know what Tristan Thompson does besides be tall. Anderson Varejao and his hair are still there occupying space. Annnnnd, that's about it. The NBA gifted the Cavs yet another number one overall pick last month, which they used on Andrew Wiggins, a guy who was supposed to be The Next Lebron, but spent his single season at Kansas looking like The Next Harrison Barnes.

For all the complaints about James' supporting cast in Miami, reality is Wade and Bosh (especially Bosh) are light years better than anybody the Cavs have right now. Irving's pound the ball into the ground escapades are going to be a less frequent when he's sharing the court with James. Get ready to hand the ball over and go stand behind the 3pt line, buddy. The Cavs lack the shooters Miami had, and (of course) there's zero playoff experience among the supporting cast (sans Varejao, whose goose is cooked anyway). This has all the makings of a 2nd round loss to Indiana, unless the overall talent level is upgraded. A trade for Kevin Love might address that, but it likely involves losing a couple of the aforementioned players and draft picks. It still wouldn't make the Cavs better than the Pacers, and certainly doesn't make them better than the Spurs.

Maybe Lebron doesn't care about any of that. Maybe he really just wanted to go back home, which, if you think about it, he's certainly entitled to. Better teammates and wins will come with time. A ring? Prolly not. But whatever. Cleveland's relevant again.

Load up the bandwagon, "Cavs Fans". It's leaving South Beach as I type this.

Question: Did Lebron make the right Decision this time around? Will the he bring a title to the city of Cleveland?

A Word From The Management Of AB.com (...And Today's Open Mic!)

No, this blog hasn't (totally) gone black. Folks, ya'll know the drill. I have a Day Job. I have a wife. I have #3Kidz. I don't have free time. Something has to give, and lately... okay, for the past year, this blog has been that something.

I'm not closing shop. Not even remotely. But sporadic posting is gonna be a way of life here until one of the aforementioned obstacles changes. I don't see that happening anytime soon, because I love my wife and #3Kidz, and I have bills. Pepco and Montessori schooling don't pay for themselves.

I hope you'll all stick with me nonetheless. You can always follow me on Twitter, which I mysteriously find a lot more convenient a place to talk. You know, 140 characters and whatnot. Follow me now! What are you waiting for.

Anyways, drop your links and whatever else below and keep the convo moving. I'll be back soon. Or not. Or soon.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

Unemployment Nearing 5% Mark. Is It Time For Haters To Give The POTUS Some Credit?!?

[Editor's Note: This blog post was refashioned from my Twitter account. If you aren't following me there, why are you still here?]

I criticize President Obama for a lot of things, but let's give him credit where it's due. The unemployment rate is now %6.1. The Dow is pushing 17,000. Long term unemployed rolls have dropped by 1/3 this year. The Black unemployment rate is at lowest since he took office. My 401k is awesome! Everything is awesome!

Now imagine if he'd actually had one iota of help from the GOP the past 6 years. The economy's finally rebounding despite total obstruction. I'm sorry, if you're a Republican, how do you honestly justify your party doing little more than collecting paychecks for half a decade? Sure, hating Obama and obstructing everything he tries to pass is fun and gets you on TV, but it doesn't help a single person that voted for you.

I wonder how history will view this Presidency. Has any President ever gotten so little help from the opposing party? Ever?

I've blamed the President (and caught plenty of flack for doing so) for his leadership style and total lack of attention to the black community. Those criticisms stand. But if you look at the bigger picture, it's hard to believe anyone would deem the Obama presidency as a failure. He's done much with little.

Am I personally better off now than I was when Obama was elected? Yes, by far.

And that's the ultimate measure.

Question: Has your life personally gotten better or worse since Obama took office?