Black, White & Brown "Thats how it goes down"
Posted: Monday, October 27, 2008
by Tony Price
The Darker Shade of Sports
As I casually strolled across the dingy Boston playing field on a brisk Sunday afternoon the winds began to whip through my jacket and the words watch your step scrolled across my mind as I carefully navigated through the debris that is a part of many urban ball fields , broken glass, geese droppings, etc. Wait a minute is that human feces? I finally made it to the sideline set up my portable sports chair and got ready to watch an M2Sports flag football game between the Giants and the Eagles. The only reason I was at this game was to watch my son Tony aka "Tadow" along with the rest of his Giant teammates "H8me, Sho Nuff, Killa, Toby, Javafi,Jeebies, El Negro, Phil, Cbert and P.T compete. The game finally began and immediately there was a lot of trash talking, this was my first time attending the games, so the language assault I experienced caught me off guard, I was sure someone was going to take the comments out of context and blows would be thrown, this was definitely not a PG-13 event and don't get it twisted just because it's a flag football league, this sports is not for little boys, hits on the sideline are legal and people can and do get cracked, much to the delight of the crowd on run backs or blocking at the line. Both teams spent a fair amount of time and energy trading verbal air assaults from ethnic put downs to the questioning of "Manhood" for everyone to hear and laugh at on the sidelines. The contest was intense and went back and forth the Giants scored first then the Eagles and this pattern lasted over two hours, until "Tadow" scored the game winning touchdown. What happened at the conclusion of the game is what really impressed me, I just knew that after all the jarring that took place the end of the game would be the opportunity for someone to over react to something that was said and blow it out of proportion, as I watched the teams walk toward each other at midfield, the teams simply shook hands, embraced, laughed, shared water and a genuine respect for their brothers after all it was just a game they left their differences on the football field.
At that very moment I pondered the following, why can't these same men who represent something larger than themselves come together for a common cause away from the playing field and take that same passion and energy back to the community to help tear down the walls that separate us and make a difference? What is it that keeps our neighborhoods segregated once they exit the playing surface? After the games are over, the blacks will go their way and hang out with the blacks, the Latino's will hang with the Latino's and so on for the white males. It's been said that sports serves as a microcosm of the larger society in many ways, but it's ironic that the same people who can spend hours together as teammates or engaged in healthy competition go their separate ways and live in different worlds once the games end. Imagine how powerful it would be to see these same men standing side by side leading voter registration drives, mentoring programs, policing the block to make the hood safe, visiting classrooms, and juvenile detention centers. They would be excellent role models in demonstrating to our youth that beneath the obvious differences of color and race we can get along. On the playing fields diversity is what helps a team come together, the successful teams adopt the philosophy of inclusion and appreciation of variety and they figure out how to make those differences work together for a common goal, "winning". Yet that same approach is rarely seen in other area's politics, education, religion and employment to name a few.
Perhaps one day we will find a way to make society a microcosm of sports, rather than the other way around. This Article has been viewed 1,213 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Life itself is a game we play in society. Perhaps if the rules were different we could all unite with common ground. "Good article Tony"DavidThank You for the compliments and I couldn't agree with you more, if we can somehow change the rules then just maybe we will unite on a number of fronts
"Perhaps one day we will find a way to make society a microcosm of sports, rather than the other way around." Well-said and very well-written article. I visited your website earlier today after reading this article and enjoyed being there.AvisThank you for the kind words regarding this article and my website, glad you enjoyed the experience, and would encourage you to share with others.Thank You
The game is the ideal that life tries to live up to.
- G
Tony an intelligent and articulate article. You hit the nail on the head. First the language, lack of respect, trash talking as you called it. In my day the coach would yank you by the nape of the neck and you sat. The language the respect the expected much different today. If mom and pop condone that language and lack of respect, why should the child and they grow up to propagate it in theirs. So we do have like it or not a big difference today. I call it a lack of values and character and I include everyone. Now we always had differences in this country. As an Italian I was called a Wop and yes even the N word and still am today. Other nationalities the same, Mick for the Irish, etc. So why can't we all be just men and woman? The answer has dogged mankind for ages yet it is right before us and with all the religion, the pious preaching, the professing, we have not LOVE. If we allow the negatives as adults why do we expect our society to be any different. Go to any kindergarten class and you do not see it. I'll give you one word, innocence. Only until we "adults" instill it does it manifest itself. Only when we adults allow it does it grow. Great job, best wishes.
Great article Tony!I also wish that society could learn to get along other than just the playing field. I firmly believe that race and color are just that. A race should be run and color (any) is beautiful. God didn't make any mistakes when we were created.God bless you always,
Tony,
I played sports organized and pick up for years. I played high school and college baseball, basketball, and football. However, around 34 or so, I began to get weary of all the "trash talking." The focus was more on, as you said, one's manhood and the winning of a meaningless game. I often played just for the fun, the competition, the exercise, but one day, when a confrontation occurred and someone went to a brown paper bag and pulled out a gun, that was it for me.
Why the anger? Why the ingnorance? And most importantly, what's to be done?
Nevertheless, tolerance is in low supply these days. Or was it ever in high supply? Probably not.I see this ignorance on the roadways, in the political world, on chat rooms, and in the class room. A friend of mine was putting up a sign for Prop 8 and some in opposition drove by yelling and cussing without provocation. In sport chat rooms, I've seen angry people jump on those who they disagree with like they want to kill them. Same on the roadways and elsewhere.John Adams said over 200 years ago, "Democracy is about consideration and compromise, yet I see few people doing either." Nothing has changed for people are still people. And even though prejudice is not as accepted as it was 30 years ago or so, it's still alive and well, just not a visible. I've heard hundreds of stories first-hand from students in my classes of the prejudice they're experienced today. My wife, who is Latino, sees it too often. And my African, Middle Eastern, Asian friends suffer the same.But how ignorant, stupid, and limiting is it for people to believe that with the great variety that we have in cultures, colors, creeds, religions ad infinitum, that there wouldn't be differences. Hell, we should expect it and because of its reality applaud and encourage it in all its forms to create the beauty, merit, and elegance that is known as the human race. A thing of beauty, diversity, and wonder if allowed to life freely, which is what our Constitution is all about. Yes? God bless you and your message. May the love that reigns in your heart be passed onto the many and not the few. God bless.JeffI love your comments, Thanks for sharing your engaging perspective it seems as if you and your love ones have experienced quite a few challenges. This country has not fully learned to embrace the beauty of our differences and the upcoming election has shown that, but those of us with great faith have to believe one day there will be a significant shift in appreciating diversity. Love your comments
I never leave comments on things I read online, but I feel like I have to on this one. First of all, my name IS Mario Lopez and M2 Sports is MY brainchild. It was put together to keep young adults from getting into something that will ruin their future. My older brother got me into it when I was only 12 and i'm to say that I don't have a police record. I have read your comments about the trash talking that goes on during games. It's gonna happen. The piece i'm trying to teach these young adults is that it's just that... talk. So if they learn to dish it out and take it on the filed, then my hope is that when someone is talking trash to them on the bus, train, school, work or anywhere else, that they will say the same thing... it's just talk. It's the first year and it's non-profit. This is truly just for us. The city refuses to keep the lights after it gets dark even after I offered to pay to keep them on. I was told that if we are caught in the park after dark that we will get arrested for trespassing. My vision is to continue to grow and start doing things to help kids stay focused on positive things. Maybe starting a football camp for young kids. Neighborhood projects. And maybe some sponsorship so it can be easier for me to get things we need. I had to borrow money to pay my mortgage because of what I put in this dream. My question to you is what have you done, and sacrificed to bring your dream to life? And thank you Tony. It really means alot to me that you took time to write about this. Thank you very much. When I read your article I got choked up.MarioThanks for leaving your comments, You are doing a great thing with the league and its making a difference, you should be applauded for your efforts and its a shame that you are not getting much support from the city. However I want to encourage you to keep moving forward and promote your league, develop a website to attract potential sponsors and if enough people hear about the good things taking place in the league the recognition and assistance you seek will follow. I was very impressed when I attended the games and saw the men having fun and respecting each other as BROTHERS once the game ended. There is no drama at the league and that is a reflection of the respect the players have for you. I think your vision for helping the youths with camps and other community service events would go a long way in helping the community. I would be more than happy to share with you some of the things I sacrificed to bring my dreams to life and I'm glad you approved of the article, you are a good man!
Thank you Tony. It's hard for me to manage this league but when we play on sundays and I see the laughter and the hard work everyone puts in I know iit's worth it. I can remember after week 2 a young man from the steelers thanked me for putting this together because if it wasn't for this he would be home watching his brother get high. If you have any ideas for us to put this out there and help kids like these out' let me know. We have rules that keep anyone from fighting. We do charge a one time fee of 35.oo to play and we sell dvds of the games and ALL the money goes into the league for trophies and awards. Nothing goes into anyone's pocket. Thank you again Tony.HI MarioI'd be more than happy to meet with you and discuss ways to market the league and anything else, the men of the league appreciate what you have done, I can see it on their faces, if you go to my website darker shade of sport, there you will find my email and we can discuss this further
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