The Starting Five

I don’t know if any of you followed the story last week out of DC that Gilbert Arenas allegedly stored unloaded guns in a locker room in the Verizon Center and handed then over to authorities. His reasoning was he didn’t want the guns around with three young children in the house. Makes sense right?

Well…

Details (The best piece yet on the subject after David Aldridge’s great reporting set the bar high earlier) are emerging that Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were involved in an incident involving those three guns. Gilbert speaks of it and another incident on his Twitter timeline. He seems to downplay this as a joke gone awry. We are probably not going to get the full story on what exactly went down, but Jones’ piece is the most we’ve gotten so far. Gilbert Arenas is beloved in DC and does so much for the community but having guns in the locker room…loaded or not…was not smart. Abe Polin, R.I.P., would be sick. How this plays out will have a lasting impact on the franchise.

These are the stories that tend to get out of hand and I’m honored to say that David Aldridge, Mike Lee and Mike Jones have all done a great job reporting this as accurately as possible. Mark Stein on the other hand was digging deep into the demographic by actually including a preposterous reference to the 2004 incident in Detroit.

No.

The two have nothing to do with the other. There will also be writers speaking about the number of players who own guns.

Do you see why we do what we do here? There shouldn’t be any generalizations in dealing with what went down in DC because this is a situation all of its own so please reporters, stick to the script. Thank God the NY Post piece wasn’t the sole source. Thank you brothas for hopping on as quick as you did.

This is the reason why we need diversity in journalism.

Do you get it now? It doesn’t have to be all about snark. Good work fellas.

A recent (A DC win vs. Cleveland) locker room presser with Gilbert and Antawn (his first game back).

Chris Webber Part IV later today or early tomorrow. This happened over the weekend. Posting it now because of no Monday links.

News on Twitter spreads fast and I think it was Dwele who broke the passing of Baatin on the social network. There was great tribute and respect given after the news struck. I immediately was upset because Slum Village was one of my favorite Hip Hop acts. Grown folk smooth, hardcore rough I used to say about the group because nothing was off limits lyrically and the beats were always Dilla tight. Yeah, anything else just won’t do. I dig that smooth stuff because life is tough enough. When it’s time to chill, I want it easy. Music is peace to me in this particular form. Slum Village speaks to my mind. I could bang Dilla every minute of the day and not listen to anything else.

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When the Flyers signed  former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery earlier this month, two questions came to mind - what took them so long and how long will the marriage last?

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Crazy how sports changes in a year. Last year this time, Derrick Rose and Memphis lost dramatically to Kansas on a legendary Mario Chalmers bomb. Depending on my work schedule, I would love to live blog tonight as well. We’ll see. Hope you all had a decent weekend. I’m covering a panel this morning discussing high school drop out rates that’s moderated by Stephen A. Smith. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, future Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, Keith Russell, Ken Shropshire and Gary G. Cobb are among the panelists. I’ll have a report this week. Have a good Monday.

Dante Stallworth was already in a substance abuse program. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Gary Washburn comments on Geno Auriemma discussing race. (Gary Washburn’s Sports Blog)

Ashley Fox’s excellent series on North Philly: Bernard Hopkins. (Philly.com)

Africa for the Africans. (The Nation)

Jamie Foxx fights off crazy dude in Philly. (CBS3.com)

Earthquake kills at least 50 in Italy (NY Times)

What is the value of an African American life? (Powahatan Today)

The following was originally posted on February 22, 2008–43 years, one day after Malcolm’s death.

Today would have been his 83rd birthday.

Reminisce with bliss of what a day this could have been…

I’ve never seen this before. Notice how proud Ali was taking this pic

Slept on the anniversary of the death of Malcolm X yesterday. My bad. Here’s a compilation of speeches during those fiery times. Goodness I wish I was there. Would be honored to meet Malcolm and bring back a well needed sense of urgency. His was the spirit of unapologetic passionate knowledge and wisdom cultivated through hellish personal experience and an unabated hunger to see his people through.

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My adviser and I had a conversation after Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected into the MLB Hall of Fame. We thought it was ridiculous Rickey wasn’t the first unanimous choice strictly because of his impact on the game. Anyone steal 130 bases lately? Nah. How about 2190 walks? Didn’t think so. You walked him, he scored and he shook up your pitcher and entire defense in the process. Anyway, does Rickey crack your all time lineup? This was my adviser’s lineup: RF Aaron, CF Mays, LF Henderson, 3B Rose, SS Banks, 2B Morgan, 1B Ruth, P  Ryan, C  Bench. I added a manager, right and left handed pitchers and a closer. No position changes in the outfield.

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(Photo: AP/Mark Duncan)

TNT’s NBA Coverage continues Thursday, Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. ET with the Cleveland Cavaliers @ Chicago Bulls followed by the Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets

Game #1:  Washington Wizards (89) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (93)

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(AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Chris Webber

Barkley on the addition of Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets: “Ron Artest is a really good player who says crazy things. (The Rockets) could win the championship, but he could blow that team up any day now.  Ron Artest is going to have to prove it to me, that’s no disrespect, he’s got a track record and his track record is up and down.  He’s going to have to prove if he can keep his head together for the entire season. I think a person who has issues always has issues.”

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(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Sup with your boy TO D? I know he’s a beast but he’s gotta keep it together when he feels he’s not utilized properly. Did anyone see the look on his face when he sat alone on the sideline? TO, you are three and one. Quit crying and catch one of the 17 passes Romo threw your way. Didn’t you run the ball twice? They are trying to get you the ball.

Chill brotha chill.

Andy Reid is going to hear it in Philly this week. What was he thinking running three straight times on the goal line even though he has Donovan McNabb under center? I know Donovan is hurt, but he’s a big dude Andy. Run the sneak!

Brett Favre throws for six tds. Damn dude. You sure know how to keep your name on the front page huh?

Kurt Warner cannot throw that hospital ball at that point in the game. He’s lucky Anquan is going to be alright. Gaston if you do that, you better run like I’m chasin’ you.

Tennessee is for real. Do not sleep on the defense or Albert Haynesworth and that front four will make sure you don’t wake up.

New Orleans has a prolific offense, but it seems like the offenses they play against are as well.

Here’s the scores. Ron Glover will write the recap next week. I’m just a sub.

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This interview is about what is to come and what we can learn collectively about the intentions of those great whom have come before.

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I swore I wasn’t writing anything about this non-story and a lot of people–including you Jason Whitlock–are not going to like what I have to say because I go hard on a brotha. I’m taking a hardcore peace stand just in case no one else does. I don’t write like this all the time obviously, but when I see bs? I’m gonna call it exactly what it is….bs.

I think it’s crazy that a grown man can’t go to his boy’s house to watch Monday night football without the cops being called.

Maybe they thought he was gonna rob somebody of their hubcaps or something and his gold chain was going to get caught in the wheel well as he ran from the cops.

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John McCain has just made 1st term Alaska Govenor, Sarah Palin his choice as vice president. She’s 44, with 5 children, is pro life (she will appeal to pro lifers because she has a child with Down’s Syndrome) and against gay marriage.

The self described Hockey Mom also hails from a very important energy state. He has to restart the conversation that he too can be a change agent. I guess after last night’s amazing pageantry, McCain has to do something drastic to make winning the November 4th election a reality. He’s going after the women and independent vote in one fell swoop. This is a huge roll of the dice and it proves the Republicans are scrambling to run an idealogical campaign of sorts.

She’s attractive (Miss Alaska runner up), young and poised to become a power player in conservative politics. Economic and social conservatives are going to love this pick I hear. Simply put, the Republicans might have created a star.

She is facing an ethics investigation in her hometown state for firing a state commissioner who refused to fire a state trooper. The trooper was her sister’s ex husband who allegedly physically abused her so there are supposedly some extenuating circumstances. I’m sure this will be something the Dems will go after even though she hasn’t been found guilty of anything.

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Yeah, so Manu and Andres Nocioni got their swerve on and beat The Answer, Duncan, LeBron and Flash up in 2004. In one fell swoop Argentina helped turn a nation of media against its own. It was a sentiment that has infiltrated the psyche of those who normally wouldn’t doubt the talent, drive and dedication of players USA Basketball has assembled. Even though the US is 6-0 and blowing everybody out this side of the New York Knicks (sorry Modi and Poet), there are those who still doubt. They hear the names of Ginobli, Nocioni and Oberto and they think, “Oh my God! Those foreign cats have been dominating the league! There’s no way we could beat them right? Aren’t Dirk and Nash on this team too?”

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It’s not Friday, but I gotta ask this question and many many more: What are your thoughts on the trade?

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Without Jesse, there is no Barack

As I sit here a sports writer a little perturbed three White athletes got off (media coverage) because of Brett Favre’s right to change his mind (he’s a legend, when he’s gone, he’s gone), I have to step out of my box and write from a very neglected corner of my soul that is about to become the most vocal. I’m very appreciative for the NYOIL interview for it made peace the steps I personally need to take in whatever happens to me personally and professionally.

Just got off the air on WVON 1690 in Chicago–Curtis Monday’s Dollars and Sense show. I was part of a panel that included Jill Johnson–who works in IT and has done some stuff with the Department of Defense, and Bonita Parker, Chief Operating Officer, Operation Push.

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