Less than a minute and a half to go in the college basketball championship game and the Memphis Tigers choked on a really big bone. With a final score of 75 to 68, the Kansas Jayhawks ripped victory and a national title right out of the paws of John Calipari's Tiger's.
And it was quite evident that they lost. Walking through the campus today, I could help but notice the hung-low heads of students and faculty from Walker to Central and Patterson to Zach Curlin. Every square inch of the University of memphis campus was littered with dejected students and faculty members. Yet, none of my classes were cancelled damn it! And the campus was only partially full. Many students didn't even show up to class today. And I am sure that most of the instructors didn't even bother to take role in class. Time will heal all wounds and the University and its students and faculty will have to resume life as usual. Mainly because life must go on.
"It will probably hit me like a ton of bricks tomorrow, that we had it in our grasp," Calipari said. "Ten seconds to go, we're thinking we're national champs, all of a sudden a kid makes a shot, and we're not," said the Tiger's head coach.
So, what is next for John Calipari? Most likely, he will return as the head coach for the men's basketball team. He did such a phenomenal job taking the Tigers all the way to the NCAA championship game that I can't imagine that the University of Memphis wouldn't have him back next year to do it all over again. This time with one small difference (we win the game). Calipari is a history-making college basketball coach nevertheless and fans realize that. No one is blaming Calipari for the loss and no one blames the Tiger's players either. Excitement gripped them for a moment and paralyzed their judgment and actions as it would do to any reasonable people.
There is always next year. Go Tigers!
Showing posts with label Things That Make You Go WTF?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Things That Make You Go WTF?. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
It Just Can't Be Swept Under The Rug; But We Can't Keep Tripping Over It Either
Read the Radicalicious article by LaToya Peterson. I have pretty clear viewpoints on this topic and as some of my classmates saw today, I do not lean toward either side, black or white, of a discussion on racial tension or hatred. What happened with slavery was an attrocity. No human being has the right to buy or sell another human being, period. The fact that it happened, not only in our history, but in other cultures and civilizations, is simply disgusting. But you have two choices: either dwell negatively on this issue (inviting hatred, disdain and chaos to breed until it is out of control), or dwell positively on this issue (working toward letting go of the past and preserving the memory of how it happened so as to not let it happen again).
Who is allowed to talk about issues of racism?
White people say Black people talk about it too much and Black people say White people shouldn't talk about it at all. The reality is that if racism exists between two or more races, then ALL races involved are allowed to talk about it. Hell, talking about it is the first step in letting go of it. Many people take a very "elephant in the corner of the room" approach to it. They think if it is never discussed, it will just go away quietly. NEWS FLASH: It ain't gonna happen that way!
What is the difference between "forgiving" and "forgetting?"
Simply put, "forgiving" is acknowledging that someone did something wrong to you and,whether or not you are still going to preserve an amicable relationship with the person, letting go of the hostility that was born out of the misdeed. "Forgetting" is simply the act of not remembering what happened. Not a wise course of action. Forgiving should happen because it is less stressful on your mind and emotions than to continually hate all the time. But, never forget the tragedy, because you can learn from it and develop ways to detect a similar pattern of behavior or events that could lead up to it again, thereby stopping it before it happens again.
What does "cotton pickin" mean to me?
I never really considered its racial context before because I never heard it used as such. Or at least I didn't think I did. I know that my mother and grandmother used it occasionally as an adjective. "Keep your 'cotton pickin' hands off those cookies until after dinner," I would hear either of them say. Or, "Get your 'cotton pickin' ass in this house," when I was out playing with friends and it was time to come home. Honestly, if they used it racially, I was unaware of it. Now, my grandmother was raised in a very racist fashion and she raised my mother that way, though again, I don't know whether or not she meant to do it. Later in her life, very shortly before her death, my grandmother told me that she had not always lived as she would have wanted. When I asked her what she meant, she told me that if there was one thing she could go back and change about her life, it would be that she would be more tolerant, understanding, and loving toward all minorities, which she had not been most of her life. This helped to alter my perception of people. I tell people that something great came out of my mother's and grandmother's racist behaviors: I didn't develop them. I am devoid of hate for an individual based on their skin color. I can hate or otherwise dislike a person based on their personality or something horribly wrong they did to me or a close loved one, but I will never hate anyone based on race. Take that to the Rainbow Colored Bank.
Who is allowed to talk about issues of racism?
White people say Black people talk about it too much and Black people say White people shouldn't talk about it at all. The reality is that if racism exists between two or more races, then ALL races involved are allowed to talk about it. Hell, talking about it is the first step in letting go of it. Many people take a very "elephant in the corner of the room" approach to it. They think if it is never discussed, it will just go away quietly. NEWS FLASH: It ain't gonna happen that way!
What is the difference between "forgiving" and "forgetting?"
Simply put, "forgiving" is acknowledging that someone did something wrong to you and,whether or not you are still going to preserve an amicable relationship with the person, letting go of the hostility that was born out of the misdeed. "Forgetting" is simply the act of not remembering what happened. Not a wise course of action. Forgiving should happen because it is less stressful on your mind and emotions than to continually hate all the time. But, never forget the tragedy, because you can learn from it and develop ways to detect a similar pattern of behavior or events that could lead up to it again, thereby stopping it before it happens again.
What does "cotton pickin" mean to me?
I never really considered its racial context before because I never heard it used as such. Or at least I didn't think I did. I know that my mother and grandmother used it occasionally as an adjective. "Keep your 'cotton pickin' hands off those cookies until after dinner," I would hear either of them say. Or, "Get your 'cotton pickin' ass in this house," when I was out playing with friends and it was time to come home. Honestly, if they used it racially, I was unaware of it. Now, my grandmother was raised in a very racist fashion and she raised my mother that way, though again, I don't know whether or not she meant to do it. Later in her life, very shortly before her death, my grandmother told me that she had not always lived as she would have wanted. When I asked her what she meant, she told me that if there was one thing she could go back and change about her life, it would be that she would be more tolerant, understanding, and loving toward all minorities, which she had not been most of her life. This helped to alter my perception of people. I tell people that something great came out of my mother's and grandmother's racist behaviors: I didn't develop them. I am devoid of hate for an individual based on their skin color. I can hate or otherwise dislike a person based on their personality or something horribly wrong they did to me or a close loved one, but I will never hate anyone based on race. Take that to the Rainbow Colored Bank.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
A Not-So-Funny Thing Happened On Aisle Three @ Kroger.
I am usually a very happy go lucky and carefree person. Sure some of my blogs of a political or religious nature tend to be a little cynical and jaded, but for the most part, I am an even-tempered, mellow kind of guy. And I don't usually ever go around screaming that I'm not a racist. My opinion is that if you have to say it every 5 minutes, then you probably are a racist. But in this case, I will make an exception. I AM NOT A RACIST!! Now, why, may you ask, would I feel that I have to strongly declare this?
Answer: I went to Kroger this evening and was doing a little shopping for the weekend (once I am in on the weekend, I don't like to go out unless I absolutely have to). I bumped shopping carts with this young woman who is black and as I am prone to do, I said, "Excuse me." She gave me the 'evil eye' and said rather loudly for grocery store volume level, "Uh Huh!" It really wasn't what she said, so much as how she said it. I picked up on a trace of an attitude and excused myself from the aisle. Fast forward to frozen foods. I was on the aisle and was intently looking at a few items in the case and didn't see this young lady coming down the aisle. I made a u-turn with my basket and accidentally bumped her shopping cart again, purely be accident I assure you.
This time the 'evil eye' got more intense if that's possible and instead of her initial "uh huh," I received obscenities and racial slurs. I believe her exact words were, "Watch where the fuck you're going you cracker-ass son-of-a-bitch! You are intentionally fuckin with me because I'm black!" All I could say was that i was sorry and moved my cart out of her way. I wasn't really offended at first until I was over by the dairy products and it hit me. Don't get me wrong. I heard what she said and understood the words that were coming out of her mouth. It didn't affect me until I had a minute to think about it. I became angry and then emotionally upset a little bit. This woman didn't know me! And she certainly had no right to say what she said. It was rude, it was mean, and the words she said were WAY off base. One of my ex-boyfriends is black and another is hispanic. I just believe that the racial tension is still alive in this city. And in some people it is boiling over.
Answer: I went to Kroger this evening and was doing a little shopping for the weekend (once I am in on the weekend, I don't like to go out unless I absolutely have to). I bumped shopping carts with this young woman who is black and as I am prone to do, I said, "Excuse me." She gave me the 'evil eye' and said rather loudly for grocery store volume level, "Uh Huh!" It really wasn't what she said, so much as how she said it. I picked up on a trace of an attitude and excused myself from the aisle. Fast forward to frozen foods. I was on the aisle and was intently looking at a few items in the case and didn't see this young lady coming down the aisle. I made a u-turn with my basket and accidentally bumped her shopping cart again, purely be accident I assure you.
This time the 'evil eye' got more intense if that's possible and instead of her initial "uh huh," I received obscenities and racial slurs. I believe her exact words were, "Watch where the fuck you're going you cracker-ass son-of-a-bitch! You are intentionally fuckin with me because I'm black!" All I could say was that i was sorry and moved my cart out of her way. I wasn't really offended at first until I was over by the dairy products and it hit me. Don't get me wrong. I heard what she said and understood the words that were coming out of her mouth. It didn't affect me until I had a minute to think about it. I became angry and then emotionally upset a little bit. This woman didn't know me! And she certainly had no right to say what she said. It was rude, it was mean, and the words she said were WAY off base. One of my ex-boyfriends is black and another is hispanic. I just believe that the racial tension is still alive in this city. And in some people it is boiling over.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Violence In Schools
No cute or clever titles for this one folks. This is a topic that boggles my mind. When the shootings first happened at Columbine High School, I was incredibly shocked and saddened. When the other shootings have happened at other high schools and colleges around the country, I made me outraged. I've often thought "How the Hell can this continue to happen?"
When the latest school shooting happened here in Memphis, I said "enough is enough damn it!" Some of the city schools in this country are breeding grounds for violence and something has to be done to stop it. Some of those schools are right here in this city. I just don't understand how or why nothing is being done to end the violence.
Perhaps my train of thought will be perceived as too extreme by some. But I really think we need to ship these violent offenders off to another country if they can't stop shooting and killing. Yes, I know that most of them are kids, but these violent kids are growing up to be violent adults. School administrators give them chance after chance, shuffle them around to other schools, and have created "alternative schools" for the truely troubled children. Guidance counselors can only do so much when the parents of these kids do nothing. It is very much the parents who are mostly to blame here. Most of the parents either don't care or are just not there for their kids and the kids turn to the only thing that seems to make them feel good about themselves...violence.
Well, this has to stop. This vicious cycle must come to an end and if it means that the kids have to be exiled as a result, then so be it. Oh, and send their parents with them.
When the latest school shooting happened here in Memphis, I said "enough is enough damn it!" Some of the city schools in this country are breeding grounds for violence and something has to be done to stop it. Some of those schools are right here in this city. I just don't understand how or why nothing is being done to end the violence.
Perhaps my train of thought will be perceived as too extreme by some. But I really think we need to ship these violent offenders off to another country if they can't stop shooting and killing. Yes, I know that most of them are kids, but these violent kids are growing up to be violent adults. School administrators give them chance after chance, shuffle them around to other schools, and have created "alternative schools" for the truely troubled children. Guidance counselors can only do so much when the parents of these kids do nothing. It is very much the parents who are mostly to blame here. Most of the parents either don't care or are just not there for their kids and the kids turn to the only thing that seems to make them feel good about themselves...violence.
Well, this has to stop. This vicious cycle must come to an end and if it means that the kids have to be exiled as a result, then so be it. Oh, and send their parents with them.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Memphis City Government Responds: "I'm not Sure We Know What you Mean By Renovation"
Well, here goes Memphis City Government again. Just read the Smart City Memphis blog called, "Unconventional Thinking Needed On Convention Center," and I'm all ready to pull my hair out (that is if I had any to pull out).
Is it me or have every single member up to and definitely including the King, oops, I mean Mayor of our fair city's government lost their ever-loving mind??? What is it with this city's officials!? Instead of repairing or renovating an existing stadium or arena, these officials want to build a new one. Only when they are shot down completely, do they resort to the option they should have chosen first, renovation. This time it appears that King Willie wants to build a brand new arena/convention center here in Memphis, but for now has put those visions on the back burner. Let's see Mid South Coliseum (now defunct), check; the Pyramid (now defunct), check; The FedEx Forum, (brand new, but soon to be defunct), check. For Christmas 2008, my plans are to purchase enought Merrium Webster dictionaries to give one to everyone on the City Council and also give King Willie one. Inside each dictionary will be the words renovate and renovation underlined and highlighted. Hopefully, they will get the picture. I am reminded of the movie Rush Hour in which Chris tucker says, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?"
Is it me or have every single member up to and definitely including the King, oops, I mean Mayor of our fair city's government lost their ever-loving mind??? What is it with this city's officials!? Instead of repairing or renovating an existing stadium or arena, these officials want to build a new one. Only when they are shot down completely, do they resort to the option they should have chosen first, renovation. This time it appears that King Willie wants to build a brand new arena/convention center here in Memphis, but for now has put those visions on the back burner. Let's see Mid South Coliseum (now defunct), check; the Pyramid (now defunct), check; The FedEx Forum, (brand new, but soon to be defunct), check. For Christmas 2008, my plans are to purchase enought Merrium Webster dictionaries to give one to everyone on the City Council and also give King Willie one. Inside each dictionary will be the words renovate and renovation underlined and highlighted. Hopefully, they will get the picture. I am reminded of the movie Rush Hour in which Chris tucker says, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?"
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