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What rock have you been living under? Most corporate companies and government organizations won't even employ someone with visible tattoos and dreadlocks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie_himself
What does acting like a rapper mean?
When did Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice or Warren Moon ever throw wads of money at strippers, fight dogs, or become involved in knife fights and shootouts? I can't say the same for Michael Vick, Ray Lewis or Adam Jones.
What rock have you been living under? Most corporate companies and government organizations won't even employ someone with visible tattoos and dreadlocks.
When did Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice or Warren Moon ever throw wads of money at strippers, fight dogs, or become involved in knife fights and shootouts? I can't say the same for Michael Vick, Ray Lewis or Adam Jones.
You yourself sound uneducated and ignorant.
And these corporations are correct in their judgement? It's this kind of thinking that prevents people from being themselves and conforming to the bland lifestyle that people like you think is acceptable. Never met a doctor or lawyer with dreads? You should get out more.
That's all good and well but they don't speak for the rest of the players in the league.
I'm ignorant because I'd rather judge someone for who they are and not what they decide to do with their hair?
And these corporations are correct in their judgement? It's this kind of thinking that prevents people from being themselves and conforming to the bland lifestyle that people like you think is acceptable. Never met a doctor or lawyer with dreads? You should get out more.
That's all good and well but they don't speak for the rest of the players in the league.
I'm ignorant because I'd rather judge someone for who they are and not what they decide to do with their hair?
Perception is why most corporations would not and do not hire anyone who does not look the "norm".
Deadlocks have a very bad connotation for lots of whites. Jamaica and drugs, ghettos and drugs, drugs, period. That is the truth. I'm sorry if that is a wrong perception but there it is. "We" only learn from what we have been shown, either through tv programs, news reports or whatever.
I have met good people with and without dreads. Bad people, with and without dreads. It all boils down to an individual but the perception, the first impression, is not a good one.
I'm ignorant because I'd rather judge someone for who they are and not what they decide to do with their hair?
No, because you called me a racist. If all the white guys who played professional baseball started dressing and acting like Hells Angels bikers I'd have the exact same complaint.
Here's my take on why black athletes have become more ghetto: In the '80s there was a stark cultural separation between athletes, rappers, and street hoodlums. In the '90s the culture of rappers and street hoodlums merged, with emergence of gangster rap, which became so popular that all of the '80s rappers who were more positive and about "fun" rap and funk, were ousted. From that point on, to even be a successful rapper you had to be a thug (or at least appear to be) and rap became synonymous with thuggery.
In the 2000s the culture of black athletes and rapper/gangsters merged. The athletes wanted to be like the rapper/gangsters and started adopting their style of dress and lifestyle. Floyd Mayweather began hanging out with rapper 50 Cent, dressing like a rapper, acting flamboyant and literally burning $100 bills in night clubs. Adam Jones started hanging out with the rapper Nelly, and he was with Nelly at a strip club when he assaulted a stripper, got into a brawl with bouncers and his entourage shot some of the bouncers.
While a lot of black athletes haven't engaged in this type of illegal activity, they still emulate the rapper/gangster with their hairstyles, clothing, tattoos, slang, and even demeanor. Please go research black athletes from the '90s and before (Mike Tyson excluded, lol), ESPECIALLY NFL and NBA athletes, and notice the stark difference.
No, because you called me a racist. If all the white guys who played professional baseball started dressing and acting like Hells Angels bikers I'd have the exact same complaint.
Here's my take on why black athletes have become more ghetto: In the '80s there was a stark cultural separation between athletes, rappers, and street hoodlums. In the '90s the culture of rappers and street hoodlums merged, with emergence of gangster rap, which became so popular that all of the '80s rappers who were more positive and about "fun" rap and funk, were ousted. From that point on, to even be a successful rapper you had to be a thug (or at least appear to be) and rap became synonymous with thuggery.
In the 2000s the culture of black athletes and rapper/gangsters merged. The athletes wanted to be like the rapper/gangsters and started adopting their style of dress and lifestyle. Floyd Mayweather began hanging out with rapper 50 Cent, dressing like a rapper, acting flamboyant and literally burning $100 bills in night clubs. Adam Jones started hanging out with the rapper Nelly, and he was with Nelly at a strip club when he assaulted a stripper, got into a brawl with bouncers and his entourage shot some of the bouncers.
While a lot of black athletes haven't engaged in this type of illegal activity, they still emulate the rapper/gangster with their hairstyles, clothing, tattoos, slang, and even demeanor. Please go research black athletes from the '90s and before (Mike Tyson excluded, lol), ESPECIALLY NFL and NBA athletes, and notice the stark difference.
Thank you, UNLV, for making me feel like it's not just because of my lack of color. You are one smart dude.
When did Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice or Warren Moon ever throw wads of money at strippers, fight dogs, or become involved in knife fights and shootouts? I can't say the same for Michael Vick, Ray Lewis or Adam Jones.
Just curious, maybe I missed it or live under a rock or something. What was Ray Lewis involved with? I've always seen him as a good team player and citizen.
Just curious, maybe I missed it or live under a rock or something. What was Ray Lewis involved with? I've always seen him as a good team player and citizen.
I think he's refering to Ray Lewis being involved with a homicide right before the 2000 superbowl in Atlanta. He got off, but the case was very shady and one could easily conclude that he was very involved and got away with it.... It's worth a look, check it out for yourself.
I think he's refering to Ray Lewis being involved with a homicide right before the 2000 superbowl in Atlanta. He got off, but the case was very shady and one could easily conclude that he was very involved and got away with it.... It's worth a look, check it out for yourself.
Now that you mention it, I do recall something to that effect. I'll look into that more. Anyway, I still don't see him as a "thug" per se, at least compared to many others. When I think of low class and other things, the first one to pop into my mind is Haynesworth.
I grew up playing and watching football in the '90s and the African-American players that dominated then were people like Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Warren Moon and Emmitt Smith. As a young African-American, these guys were role models for me and a lot of other young males in my community. They were very good sportsman, very professional, presented themselves well, and were just classy guys both on and off the field. I don't feel the African-American athletes in the sport now have that same level of class. They seem to be much more "street" with more flamboyant and aggressive personalities, they're not as "well kept" (tattoos and braids and dreadlocks) and many of them dress and act like rappers. Other than their athletic accomplishments, I wouldn't want my son looking up to most of these guys as personalities off of the football field.
Am I just seeing things from a skewed view, remembering the '90s with an imaginary nostalgia, or being falsely critical of today's players? Or am I on to something here?
I understand your point but my only problem with what you're saying is the fact that you're stereotyping an individual as being a "bad person" or "ghetto" (whatever that means), based on looks without any experience with that individual's character. And you being black, makes that point even more so...
That's the basic principle of racism, to judge someone purely based on looks (color of skin etc...). I'm not calling you a racist, just making a point.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very diverse environment and have known many that fit what you describe but were some of the nicest people you ever meet and would do anything for you. Don't judge a book by the cover, judge it by its content! Not to get all cheesy on you, but this is a very appropriate topic to spend some time on and think about given tomorrow is MLK day and what he preached.....
Last edited by X-Greensboro Resident; 01-15-2012 at 06:47 PM..
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