Dexter's Vantage Point!

Pittsburgh Steelers  running back Rashard Mendenhall's statements regarding the announcement that Osama Bin Laden was killed have come under fire. From his Twitter account  Mendenhall issued the following:  "What kind of person celebrates death? It is amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..." Mendenhall then went on  to express his thoughts  on the Sept. 11 attacks. "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style." Yesterday Mendenhall went into damage control.  I do not understand why.  I thought there was a thing called freedom of speech. Well, I guess it exists for those in the majority. Mendenhall issued the following yesterday to clarify what he we attempting to say.   He stated in his blog,  “Nothing I said was meant to stir up controversy. It was my way to generate conversation.” Mendenhall...

It’s a done deal.  The   Carolina Panthers   selected Cam Newton with the No. 1 pick in this years   NFL draft. Newton caps a tumultuous year off the field but a superlative one on it. Off the field Newton was the subject of persistent media scrutiny as he guided the Auburn Tigers to the BCS National Championship and an undefeated season. Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, was believed to have brokered a deal for his son to play-for-pay at Mississippi State before he eventually settled on attending Auburn.  The media obviously feasted on the story. Newton was scrutinized for his questionable character flaws and his fathers’ actions.  The media talked about an incident when Newton was at University of Florida he allegedly stole a lap top.  He was also accused of academic fraud while at Florida. Newton moved on from Florida and played Junior College football where he guided Blinn College to the Division II National Championship in 2009. As the 2...

Why is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is getting the royal treatment from the media? The embattled quarterback has consistently harped he wants out of Cincinnati.  Palmer has stated if he’s not traded he’ll simply retire. Where’s the media outcry? Why is the story flying so far under the radar? I will give you part of the reason: Palmer’s trade demands are not deemed serious news due to the current media composition. According the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports, 94, 88, and 89 percent respectively of the sports editors, columnists, and reporters are white. African-Americans account for 1, 6, and 8 percent respectively of the sports editors, columnists, and reporters in sports media. African-Americans account for 68 percent of the players in the NFL . Facts indicate the vast majority of the sports coverage we digest comes from a white vantage point. Clearly there is a glaring disparity between the number of African-Americans covering ...

NBA Commissioner David Stern did not waste any time in levying a fine against Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant for uttering the slur “f**king fa**ot” to a referee during a Tuesday night contest against the San Antonio Spurs . Bryant suggested he meant no ill-will towards the referee. He was just frustrated and meant no harm. “What I said last night should not be taken literally," said Bryant on Wednesday. "My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period.” Bryant added, "The words expressed do not reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were not meant to offend anyone.” The Human Rights Campaign begs to differ. They feel Bryant’s poor choice of words creates an atmosphere for bigotry to fester, as does the commissioner. According to ESPNLosAngeles.com, Stern suggested such derogatory statements have no place in sports or society. “Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000. Kobe and everyone associated w...

Now that the NBA Playoffs are set to start there are many questions. Should Derrick Rose be named the MVP? Will the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant repeat as champions? Can the Miami Heat and LeBron James hoist the championship trophy this year? Looking beyond the spectrum of this years playoffs I asked a fellow journalist the following question: Who is the greatest winner in NBA history? Without hesitation he uttered, " Michael Jordan of course." Good choice. Jordan was the skinny kid who was cut from his high school basketball team.  He turned the negative into a positive in college as he helped lead the North Carolina Carolina Tarheels to the NCAA Championship as a freshman in 1982. Jordan won two Olympic Gold Medals in 1984 as an amateur and in 1992 as a pro.  When Jordan helped lead “The Dream Team” to Olympic gold some experts suggest it was the greatest team ever assembled. Jordan was selected third in the 1984 NBA draft by the Chicago...

As Cam Newton strives to be the first quarterback taken in the upcoming NFL draft, some suggest he’s been subjected to racist stereotypes. Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon has been advising Newton.  Moon—who experienced a lot of scrutiny as an African-American quarterback coming out of college—suggests the way Newton is being portrayed in the media is racist. Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com recently interviewed Moon regarding Newton’s characterization.  Here’s what Moon suggested: “A lot of the criticism he’s receiving is unfortunate and racially based,” Moon told Freeman.  “I thought we were all past this.  I don’t see other quarterbacks in the draft being criticized by the media or fans about their smile or called a phony.  He’s being held to different standards from white quarterbacks.  I thought we were past all this stuff about African-American quarterbacks, but I guess we’re not.” Moon was a great quarterback who led the Washing...

Oh the irony. The Duke Blue Devils are set to square off against the Michigan Wolverines today for a trip to the Sweet 16. No matter the outcome of the game a storyline that will not be avoided is the Fab Five’s (Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Chris Webber, Ray Jackson, and Juwan Howard) recent documentary which aired on ESPN recently. Controversy swirls around both teams resulting from controversial statements made by former Fab Five standout and current ESPN Analyst Jalen Rose. While the entire piece was rather telling it was Rose’s statement suggesting Duke largely recruited African-American players who were “Uncle Toms” that raised many eyebrows. Does Rose’s statement have credence? Being called an Uncle Tom is arguably the most damaging slur one can hurl at another African-American. Whether or not you agree with Rose’s statement at least he had the stones to say exactly what he felt. To put Rose’s assessment into perspective it’s important to define what an Uncle T...

The ESPN 30 for 30 special on the Fab Five is a must see.   It was an excellent depiction of how five freshman basketball players at the University of Michigan changed the landscape of college basketball with their confidence and style. The piece was a job well done. Even more telling I was extremely surprised at some of the brute honesty that came from the likes of Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King. Chris Webber declined to participate in the documentary.   I have more on Webber a bit later. Rose suggested the type of African-American players Duke recruited were “Uncle Toms.” He suggested Duke rarely recruited so players from the hood from poverty stricken circumstances. Jimmy King referred to Christian Laettner as an overrated “bitch” that over-hyped by the media. Ray Jackson said he simply “hated Duke” and all they stood for. The latter statements were very powerful points of view: As those of you who follow my commentary such points of view ...

Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel just got smacked with a two-game suspension and a $250,000 fine for not notifying the NCAA that he knew two of his players were under investigation by the FBI. The players in question were also receiving improper benefits for selling property they owned. In an email sent to Tressel by a lawyer dated April 2, 2010, Tressel was made fully aware of the infractions. Oddly, he opted to plead the fifth and not notify Ohio State officials or the NCAA. That means Tressel kept the information to himself for nine months. Tressel did his best to live up to the code of keeping your mouth shut and not ratting anyone out, but the cat is out of the bag now. All of this over five guys who sold items they owned for a few extra bucks. Tressel issued the following at his weak press conference yesterday regarding the "E-Gate" scandal, saying, "I take responsibility for what we do at Ohio State tremendously seriously. Obvious...

March 8, 1971 was arguably the most magical evening in sports history.   On this date 40-years ago two undefeated heavyweight champions squared off at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden, in what was billed the “Fight of the Century.” Muhammad Ali entered the fight with a 31-0 record with 25 KO’s while “Smokin” Joe Frazier was 26-0 with 23 KO’s. Frazier held the belts but Ali was still the peoples’ champion.   Ali was seeking to reclaim that which was stripped by the United States government and the boxing authorities.   His championship belts. In 1967 Ali refused to military induction.   His controversial stance led to his forced 42 month exile from boxing. Despite being rusty from the long layoff Ali won two tune-up fights before climbing into the ring with Frazier: He cut Jerry Quarry to shreds in winning by a TKO in the third round and he knocked out Italian brawler Oscar Bonavena in the final round of their fight. Ali looked surprisingly sharp ag...

President Barack Obama being elected the first African-American President of the United States was viewed as significant forward along racial lines.   President Obama’s rapid ascent towards oval office glory was supposed to signify we’ve officially embarked upon a post-racial society.      While there may be an element of truth regarding advancements along racial lines we still have a ways to go.   I was recently forwarded a rather disturbing story written in the Final Call from Coppin State professor Byron Franklin.   The story was about a young African-American man who lost his life in Mississippi.   The authorities ruled the death a suicide but some believe the victim was lynched.   That’s right, a possible lynching. I humbly ask, where’s the media coverage? Dec. 3 the limp body of 26 year-old Frederick Jermaine Carter was found hanging from an oak tree with a noose securely tied around his neck in a predominately white neighborhood in...