[PHILADELPHIA (BASN/BASN NEWSROOM) – In our previous column, Kyle Serba, the SID at North Carolina Central University, criticized the Internet radio show “The Batchelor Pad” with supposedly painting his school in a negative light due to “inappropriate language.”

 

Serba, who had been a frequent guest of the show, played dumb about the fact the show was based on unscripted, real dialogue free of FCC restraints.

 

Whether done out of cowardice in an attempt to save face or feigning ignorance, this act was a punk-ass move; and makes NCCU appear to be full of shit, quite frankly.

 

The issue of an HBCU seeking to distance itself from a media entity seems to be a continuance of an atmosphere of fear; stirred up in large part by a recent incident involving Savannah State University and the Muthafuckin’ Mouse – aka ESPN.

 

The issue, one covered by BASN on this site, entitled, “Murder at Savannah State,” (http://blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/The_Sporting_Life_44/Murder_at_Savannah_State.shtml) involved the former head football coach Robby Wells, who forwarded an agenda which led to his firing and subsequent charges of reverse racism.

ESPN, in their “news magazine” program, “Outside the Lines,” presented a sloppy, slanted piece which did not ask pivotal questions (or even basic ones, for that matter) which pertained to improper practices and racially biased attitudes on the part of the school.

 

One particularly egregious excerpt had to do with some kids who were supposedly recruited by Wells but were found to not have any paperwork in the form of a letter of intent or any correspondence indicating a binding agreement between school and recruit.

 

Ironically, according to the Associated Press, four of the would-be recruits have now filed a lawsuit against Savannah State, which states Savannah State denied the players’ scholarships offered by coach Robby Wells after university administrators fired him in January.

It says the players were scheduled to sign their letters of intent by Jan. 31.

 

The lawsuit, filed in Atlanta’s District Court, further states Savannah State’s “discrimination on the basis of race was for the purpose and had the effect of perpetuating segregation in higher education;” yet Savannah State attorney Joe Steffen said the university has no record of scholarship offers to any of the four white players.

 

“These kids did not have scholarship offers, period,” Steffen said. “There is no written commitment between them and the university. We didn’t even know who some of these individuals were before the suit was filed.”

 

The four players — Andrew Cannon of Orange Park, Fla., Jacob Farmer of Riverview, Fla., Rico Arellano of Matthew, N.C., and Forrest Hill of Jonesboro, Ga. — say they made verbal commitments to play at Savannah State after Wells offered each full scholarships.

And that this key element comes to surface now is but another indication as to the level of disdain shown by ESPN in not asking the questions which could have better defined and balanced out their presentation in their magazine piece.

 

While the lawsuit, filed Monday, says university administrators reneged on those offers after Wells was fired less a month before the players planned to sign letters of intent; the matter becomes he said/she said because it was verbal.

 

Cannon’s father, Jim Cannon, said Wednesday he accompanied his son to visit Wells at Savannah State in early January. He said they toured the campus and his son filled out an admissions application after accepting the coach’s scholarship offer.

 

“He said ‘you’ve got a full ride here at Savannah State,’” Jim Cannon said. “There was no doubt in my mind that they had agreed on a four-year scholarship.”

 

However, he said his son called the school later that month and learned that Wells had departed; and he was no longer being considered for the football program.

 

“I think what they did was based on race,” said Cannon’s father, who said his son will play at Henderson State University in Arkansas.

 

Steffen said he didn’t know if Savannah State recruited any white players this year. But he noted the Tigers’ starting quarterback, sophomore A.J. DeFilippis, is white.

 

The players’ lawsuit comes nearly two months after Wells, who became Savannah State’s first white football coach, filed his own federal lawsuit against the school in May. Wells says he was fired because he’s white.

 

And Wells, in my humble, is full of shit. You’re hired to be fired, his won-loss record was sub-par and he went against the wishes of his employer regarding football matters. In the real world, that means you are out the door…

 

Sadly what also happened was a terminal case of spinelessness; on the part of other HBCU schools who witnessed Savannah State getting carved up by The Mouse in primetime.

 

Why no one from any school in the CIAA, SIAC, SWAC or MEAC did not speak up or stand in solidarity is truly beyond me. It’s understood you must “protect your house,” – but that attempt at journalism did not pass any objective smell test.

 

Knowing how hard the process is to comply because Black schools are under greater scrutiny, no dissenting voice to decry the lack of respect shown Savannah State was deplorable.

 

Who Will Speak?

Long after folks give a fuck, the only voices to speak up for Black achievements will likely be our own; but will they be heard and how will they sound when hands are tied by gatekeepers and little minds poked and prodded by elitist hobgoblins who espouse being a certain kind of Black; because of their own fear that when “Babylon” does roll up on dem ass, they are the Nigger they so badly desire to escape from…

 

It’s interesting how NCCU would rather suck on The Mouse’s cock; the invertebrates who work for them are part of a noxious breed whose parasitic posturing in front of the tube lays the foundation for further devaluation of HBCU talent — and achievements.

 

Rubbish, you say?

Well, over the past two years, with the assistance of several BASN contributors, I put together “The HBC All-Universe Team,” a composite of the best of the best HCBU talent to ever play professional football.

 

One key reason for putting together this project was the knowledge that a generation from now many deserving players will go unnoticed; partly due to the backlog, and partly due to lack of desire by anyone in this current generation of mainstream media to do the digging.

 

Among that vast array of talent, two NCCU Eagles who we felt merited consideration into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — linemen Doug Wilkerson and the late Ernie Barnes.

 

As taken from those columns, here is our assessment of both players:

Doug Wilkerson

MLI: For the San Diego Chargers of “Air Coryell” fame, Dan Fouts & Co. would never have got off the ground if it were not for an offensive line that did the best job of pass protection this side of Miami and Dan Marino. As the lynchpin of that line, Wilkerson was one of the strongest and steadiest at the position over his 15 seasons in the league.

A classic pulling guard with nimble feet and unrelenting power, Wilkerson was a three-time Pro Bowler who enabled Fouts to succeed with the Jeffersons, Joiners and Winslows downfield. While a good amount of AFL players who were on similar levels, that superior talent was ignored by the beat guys from the senior league, who suppressed and minimized the oncoming accomplishments because the Junior League was, to a degree, bucking the status quo.

 

This method would deprive Wilkerson of having anyone attempting to make a legitimate case for him as a worthy addition into Canton.

Ernie Barnes

MLI: Ernie Barnes was as adept with pulling as he was with painting.

Playing in the AFL, Barnes showcased his talent by painting for the league owners. As good as Barnes was on the O-line, he was great on the canvas.

 

His artistic efforts would quickly transcend his work on the field, becoming the official Olympic artist of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games, and his paintings were on display to millions of households during the run of the television sitcom “Good Times.” And anyone who owns Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” album {or CD} has a miniature copy of “Sugar Shack”– his most well-known masterpiece as the cover.

 

In the tradition of artists like LeRoy Neiman, I submit Ernie Barnes for submission to the Hall as a contributor; his depictions of athletes in motion captured the essence of competition.

To the following, I have only one question: Do you think the Muthafuckin’ Mouse would take the time to sufficiently and succinctly recognize anyone from NCCU?

 

I got your “inappropriate” – right here!

 

Next Time: Some garden variety and off-the-wall profanities.