It's time to weigh in on a something that's occupying many people's heads and seeing them tread lightly while measuring their words.
I'm talking about Jalen Rose's statement in the Fab Five documentary in which he implied that Duke only recruits black players that are "Uncle Toms" or "sellouts."
First off, those are strong words to a person of African ancestry.
I can tell you first hand that my brother and I have often had those types of salvos hurled at us. Why? Because we came from a hard-working, two-parent home that valued education and personal advancement.
We were taught to hold in high esteem many of the old school values that have been somewhat lost in our society today.
But this is not meant to be a history lesson, so if I have piqued your interest in a word or concept, good, that's a bonus point for me.
I know Jalen Rose and as some people around the NBA will tell you, he was and still is, smart with his money, understands his good fortune and has taken generously to giving back.
If he felt that way about Duke's African-American players at age 17, with part of it fuelled by his competitive fire, that's fine but as he has matured, I hope he doesn't still hold those same sentiments.
So if Rose is still viewing the world through the same prism as he did as a freshman at Michigan, then there's a problem. Let's hope not, but then again, I can see that in some people's world, their perception is their reality and it's up to others to convince them otherwise and even then, there are no guarantees.
Hey, I gave you my own perception of the NCAA and its perceived short comings here last week while discussing how all the members of the Fab Five were unfairly typecast themselves.
It's one thing to look at the Duke Blue Devils as the establishment and cheer fervently against them, lots of people do, the same way they ardently root against the Boston Celtics, New York Yankees, Montreal Canadiens or any other team that has established a winning tradition.
Some will look at Rose himself and say he has partnered with the establishment since leaving the NBA as a player, as he is now a broadcaster with ESPN, while others will say, he's merely learned the system, educated himself and taken advantage of his skills and networking to put himself where he is today.
Only you can decide on what side of the proverbial fence you choose to sit.
I don't condone Rose's statement as it dangerously wields the same double-edged, stereotypical sword that was being brandished at him and his talented freshman teammates back in 1991. Let's face it: the Fab Five played in a manner that was unconventional with a bit too much flair for some in the basketball world, but if it achieved results, there's not much anyone could say.
Grant Hill had this response to Rose in an open letter to the New York Times and I couldn't agree with him more.
Meanwhile, another "Dookie," Elton Brand weighed in with his response.
When I speak with young, minority children of African descent, I often use another Grant Hill quote to condemn the idea that becoming educated and trying to advance in life may cause others in your race to look at you as a sellout.
Here is the quote from the book Money Players in which Hill firs back at some of the negative attitudes directed towards him.
"As a kid, my mom drilled me on the correct use of English and now I have command of the language," said Hill. "Because of that, I'm not black enough for some members of my race. Well, I've been black all my life. I speak the way I've been taught."
But if you don't believe me, here is another corroboration from the outspoken Charles Barkley in his book, I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It. Sir Charles attacks the phrase "keeping it real," when he says: "That "keeping it real sh*t" is irrelevant, or ought to be," he explained. "It's only relevant to the people who want you not to grow and experience new things in your life. Keeping it real sounds like an excuse. To me it sounds like the new way for my own people to tie me down and keep me from working toward something new."
Understand that some players and people fit certain systems in sports and maybe Jalen just didn't fit at Duke while others did and that doesn't make other players wrong to seize the chance afforded to them.
I don't fault Rose for being honest and giving a window into his thinking at a young age.
So make what you want of the phrases selling out, or Uncle Tom but it's 2011 and if you look at it through glasses that say foregoing opportunities to stay where you are and keep the crabs in a barrel mentality, then you need to take off your glasses rub your eyes and change your spectacles.
