Black Thought II
The trials and tribulations of a 23-year-old college student who in his head thinks he's already a star in the journalism world. Ok, ok, maybe not a star...
It's always good to see a fellow black player get called up to the big leagues.
This week the New York Mets called up highly-touted Lastings Milledge up from AAA Norfolk.
As a semi-Met fan, I knew all about Milledge's performance on the field.
What I wasn't aware of was his performance off the field.
Lastings, like many players before him, had a bit of a troubled past.
Milledge, 17 at the time, admitted to having sex with his then girlfriend who was 15.
Big deal, right?
How many teens in high school haven't dated and fooled around with someone younger than them?
As a result he agreed to enter a juvenille arbitration program to avoid prosecution.
That should have been the end of it but later, someone wrote a letter to Lastings new school and suggesed that when Milledge was 16 he was getting sexual favors from girls as young as 12 and 13.
He was never found guilty of the accustation but the Mets still took it into consideration before signing him.
The other word that has been tagged on to Milledge besides the phrase "character issues" is "flamboyance."
This "flamboyance" resulted into a minor league brawl a few weeks ago when Milledge slid into the 3rd base with his spikes high.
Guys like Lastings, Deion Sanders, T.O., they have been tagged as having ""flamboyance."
Guys like A.J. Pierznyski and others are just "intense" in the media's eyes.
The reason why I know all this information is because the NY Media has done nothing but attack the kid all week since he was promoted.
When a white athlete has a checkered past, it is considered they are turning their life around and it's a "feel good story" when they make it to the big league.
Don't believe me.
Read any story about Brett Favre.
For a black athlete, the media just wants to resort back to his past.
I am hardly letting all black athletes recieve a free pass. But to make a big deal over something that happened five years ago when the guy was in high school with his then girlfriend is just low and uncalled for.
Reading the newspaper, you sometimes forget that it is indeed 2006.
This week the New York Mets called up highly-touted Lastings Milledge up from AAA Norfolk.
As a semi-Met fan, I knew all about Milledge's performance on the field.
What I wasn't aware of was his performance off the field.
Lastings, like many players before him, had a bit of a troubled past.
Milledge, 17 at the time, admitted to having sex with his then girlfriend who was 15.
Big deal, right?
How many teens in high school haven't dated and fooled around with someone younger than them?
As a result he agreed to enter a juvenille arbitration program to avoid prosecution.
That should have been the end of it but later, someone wrote a letter to Lastings new school and suggesed that when Milledge was 16 he was getting sexual favors from girls as young as 12 and 13.
He was never found guilty of the accustation but the Mets still took it into consideration before signing him.
The other word that has been tagged on to Milledge besides the phrase "character issues" is "flamboyance."
This "flamboyance" resulted into a minor league brawl a few weeks ago when Milledge slid into the 3rd base with his spikes high.
Guys like Lastings, Deion Sanders, T.O., they have been tagged as having ""flamboyance."
Guys like A.J. Pierznyski and others are just "intense" in the media's eyes.
The reason why I know all this information is because the NY Media has done nothing but attack the kid all week since he was promoted.
When a white athlete has a checkered past, it is considered they are turning their life around and it's a "feel good story" when they make it to the big league.
Don't believe me.
Read any story about Brett Favre.
For a black athlete, the media just wants to resort back to his past.
I am hardly letting all black athletes recieve a free pass. But to make a big deal over something that happened five years ago when the guy was in high school with his then girlfriend is just low and uncalled for.
Reading the newspaper, you sometimes forget that it is indeed 2006.
About me
- I'm Vandy
- From Harlem, New York, United States
- That dude.
- My profile
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