Dexter's Vantage Point!

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...