The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game

By Michael – Louis Ingram

BASN

(first presented November 7, 2008)

 

“Every day brings change, and the world puts on a new face; Sudden things rearrange, and this whole world seems like a new place…”

 

(“The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game” – lyrics by William “Smokey” Robinson; best rendition is still the original one with Gladys Horton, singing lead for the Marvelettes)

 

 

PHILADELPHIA (BASN/BASN NEWSROOM)—

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter hunts quarterbacks, receivers and ball carriers for a living; and seems to put on a new face every game day, like many others who strap it on in the National Football League.

But unlike many others, Porter sees the two-faced hypocrisy of the NFL, and to his credit, has been forthright in speaking on the duplicitous nature of the league hierarchy and commissioner Roger Goodell.

Porter, in an interview, spoke on the failure of the NFL to act swiftly on Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt “White Lines” Jones, who was caught in possession of an illegal controlled substance — cocaine — yet has not done one day’s jail time or suspended time from the league.

“If I knew the answers, I wouldn’t be out $20,000″, said Porter, who was fined $20,000 last month for criticizing referee Ed Hochuli after a loss to the Houston Texans. “But I’m still trying to figure out how a guy gets caught with cocaine in his car and still plays the game and nothing happens.

“He got caught with cocaine and Matt Jones is still playing football. How does he get away with that? And then you fine people $20,000 for making comments to the media about the refs. The guy got caught with cocaine.”

While Jones was charged with cocaine possession in July of this year in Fayetteville, Arkansas after police saw him inside a parked car allegedly cutting up cocaine with a credit card, many players and some members of the press were surprised that further action wasn’t taken by the league and Goodell, who made a point of rushing to judgment in the Michael Vick and Adam Jones instances.

Last month, Matt Jones agreed to enter into a drug treatment program that could erase the felony charge against him; but at no time was there ever any break in his schedule or threat to his job security on the team.

The NFL suspended Jones for three games, but he appealed the suspension and is awaiting a final decision; but the three games for an illegal substance makes no sense when players like the Williams Brothas (Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin) could do an automatic four game suspension for legal diuretics (water pills?)

In addition, the response by mainstream media to Jones severely pales in comparison to the rancor stirred up on a nightly basis by ESPN and other sports entities to similar and lesser situations regarding people like Adam Jones, Vick, Terrell Owens, Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, and Porter.

So can we ascertain mainstream media and the Commissioner’s office is adverse to “rain” but loves “snow?” Apparently, this seems to be the case…

What’s this whole world comin’ to – things just ain’t the same; Any time the hunter…gets captured the by the game…

On ESPIN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” co – host Tony Kornheiser attempted to rotate this bullshit even further by implying “White Lines” Jones had been subjected to “due process of the law,” and that “(Commissioner) Goodell’s hands are tied” in suspending Jones.

Well, they weren’t tied when he had the press conference before Michael Vick knew the extent of everything; and his media lap dogs relished in convicting him before a gavel hit the desk.

And no matter how many times they pulled up to the bumper on Adam Jones, he was never convicted of anything. If it turns out the other Jones does indeed have an alcohol problem, drying out for a legal substance should trump getting busted with a substantial amount of an illegal one anyway you sniff it.

But again, Kornheiser tries to soft-pedal his crap by saying, “I love Joey Porter, but I don’t need him being someone’s judge.”

No, I guess you don’t — seeing how Goodell has been judge, jury and executioner to those he deemed fit for vivisection; with anesthesia provided by the ESPIN crew.

But why should you expect anything less? This is the same company that does the same to its own employees!

When Jemele Hill said, “Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim,” it led to her being suspended by ESPIN management.

But when college football analyst Lou Holtz spoke these words of beleaguered Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez: “Ya know, Hitler was a great leader, too,” he was scolded — but not suspended.

Things just ain’t the same…

And for all the jiving,’ bullshittin,’ lollygaggin’ and copious complying in application of catch phrases, if you’re black and tale-spinning at the ‘worldwide leader in sports,’ you know what time it really is — if you wanna cash that check.

When you let a Rush Limbaugh come in and punk out the entire Game Day crew because he wanted to apply his Master Race theories on Black quarterbacks while everyone sits in stunned silence except for the viewing audience (what the fuck is this fool saying? And why aren’t they saying something back?) What should you expect?

Should we be grateful that it was Dana Jacobson and not someone Black who said, “Fuck Notre Dame! Fuck Touchdown Jesus — and fuck Jesus!”

Because we know their Black ass would be blackballed and blacklisted from tomorrow to happy ever after.

Should we be relieved Bonnie Bernstein and not someone Black said that all Palestinian kids grow up wanting to be suicide bombers, because they would also assume since the ghetto is the point of origin for some Black players, that they are programmed to play basketball (if they play it well) and ignore everything else?

How many times is a white interviewer going to ask a Black guest to rap or sing or dance before someone says, “What were you thinking?”

What’s this whole world comin’ to…

And that is what Joey Porter is asking.

Let’s see a Black player get caught with some cocaine and see what happens to them. Perhaps the real problem within the Jaguars isn’t just interoffice conflict, or letting players get away, or injuries to the offensive line; but maybe the offensive act of this receiver preparing to do lines before his translucent ass got caught.

For everyone who shouts “shut up and play ball,” to Porter (who has over 11 sacks right now) I’d say he’s doing just that.

But I don’t care if he had no sacks at all, because what Porter is saying is right – and at least he has the balls to say it.

There is no way Goodell can punish any future transgressor fairly or objectively, given the evidence; but God only knows what could have happened when Brandon Marshall had his “Blazing Saddles” moment in the Browns-Broncos game.

What the fuck did you think he was going to whip out, anyway?

Somewhere, Janet Jackson is smiling (Miss Jackson if you’re Nasty!)

But elsewhere, as the NFL turns, more and more of the societal realities are hitting the comfort zones of these self entitled Black brethren harder than Lawrence Taylor on a naked blitz.

Although in Jacksonville it may well be hitting the Jaguars — just as it hit Joey Porter — smack between the eyes; or, as is the case with Matt “White Lines” Jones, right under your nose…

What’s this whole world comin’ to – things just ain’t the same; Anytime the Hunter – gets captured by the Game…

Oh yeah…

Ohhhh yeeeaaahhhhhhhhhh…

always outnumbered – never outgunned.

michaelingram@blackathlete.com/basneditor@basnnewsroom.com