The Hypocrisy of Clippers Owner Donald Sterling

When I look at the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team I see a team full of talent and driven to win a championship. It is a team that struggled for so long but over the last few years they have really turned it around. The Clippers have become as equal as the Lakers in popularity and the view of people in the city. However not everyone feels the way I do and the way the rest of Clippers fans do.

A phone recording that was sent to TMZ is the alleged voice of Clippers owner Donald Sterling being harsh with his girlfriend by making statements such as,"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?"  He continues by saying, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." This all stems from Sterlings girlfriend V. Stiviano posting a photo of her and Magic Johnson on Instagram which since been removed. Officials are still trying to figure out if it was Sterlings voice or not. However it is clear that it was his voice then some serious action needs to be taken. 

This is not the first allegations of racism that Sterling has had against him. There are players past and present who have claimed the he is a racist. Others in the media have said so as well. If he is truly is a racist why does he African American players playing for him? If it's to make money for him then wouldn't that be considered as the same thing as slavery? It sure sounds like it to me. There is room in sports, society and in this country for racists or racism. I honestly thought we have moved on from that but some people still show the hate and ignorance. So one has to ask, what kind of action will be taken?

If I was the NBA Commissioner there are a few things I would consider. I would consider kicking him out of the league all together since he has a long history of racism. It is unfair to the coaches and players in the league to have to deal with such a man. With that being said I would offer any African American player, coach or staff member of the Clippers to get out of their contract without any penalty. No member of the Clippers should be subjected to work for this owner. Lastly, this is very extreme but I will say it anyways. I think there should be 1-3 period where he is not allowed to sign or draft any African American player. If you want to be a racist then maybe your team should reflect it and see how downhill you go from there. 

The NBA should not allow a hypocrite such as Donald Sterling to have control of the Clippers or to make money off of people his racist against. I am angered by this story and feel for those who have to work for this man. I really hope the NBA takes action and I hope the Clippers players do something to send a message that this will not be tolerated.  

Racism is hate, and hate is wrong. I hope this man seeks help for whatever issues he has. I hope he relinquishes his team to someone who cares and who doesn't have that attitude. Only time will tell if Donald Sterling will be dealt with the right way.

Remembering Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (May 6, 1937 – April 20, 2014)

I was fourteen years old when I first saw the movie The Hurricane in 1999. As I watched the movie I saw a man in this movie that fought injustice, racism, and he had to fight for his freedom.

Even though there some inaccuracies in the film it was the message the that movie sent. After I watched the movie a couple of times I decided to do some research on Rubin Carter.

The Hurricane was a rising star in boxing when he was wrongly convicted of the murders at the Lafayette Bar and Grill. After Carter was convicted he received a lot of support including support from Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan. Dylan wrote the song "Hurricane" which he declared that the Hurricane was innocent. Over the next twenty years witnesses and alibis were proven to be false but it still took until November 1985 for Rubin Carter to be set free. Judge Sarokin noted that the prosecution was "predicated upon an appeal to racism rather than reason, and concealment rather than disclosure."

Once he was free he worked as executive director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) from 1993 until 2005. In 1993, he also received an honorary championship title belt from the World Boxing Council. Rubin Carter and Denzel Washington had a great relationship during and after the filming of The Hurricane. The stories of Rubin Carter, Lesra Martin and John Artis are real life stories of overcoming hate, racism and injustice. Although the film itself had some fiction in it their stories are one that needed to be told.

Fifteen years after the movie came out I still watch it with great interest. Rubin Carter is truly an inspiration to many. His fight, his struggle and his pain can be felt through the movie and some of the real life interviews I have watched of him. As a Christian I find it really fitting that he went to join Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. His two year battle with prostate cancer had come to an end but it will be his twenty year fight for freedom that will always be remembered.

Thank you Rubin "Hurricane" Carter for your inspiration, spirit and your hope to never give up on whats right. May you rest in peace and your memory live on forever.

Rubin Carter and Denzel Washington 

Smarkasses Episode 32: Tributes and Turmoil w/ guest Leo Drama- 04/16/2014(WWE,TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Should Athletes Confront Fans Who Interfere in the Game?

This past week New York Mets Outfielder Curtis Granderson confronted a fan who shoved him in the back right before Granderson was throwing the ball back to the infield. Granderson did not got physical with the fan but exchanged words with him. Just a few days before this Baltimore Orioles Adam  Jones said that players should be allowed to cleat fans who run onto the field. There have been quite a few incidences in sports where fans have got out of control and caused some major problems.

When I think of these problems I think back to the saga at The Palace of Auburn Hills when the Pacers came to play the Pistons. It was the Pistons fans that egged on Ron Artest with a fan eventually throwing stuff on him. This led to one of the biggest fights between fans and athletes in sports. If you think that this was bad take a look for yourself. (Note this video was uploaded in 2009 but it explains what I am getting at)

The problem with athletes fighting back is they get punished. I truly believe if a fan gets physical with an athlete that the athlete should be able to fight back without any consequences. When fans buy tickets to sporting events it does not say that you are allowed to get involved with the game or put your hands on an athlete.

In WWE, there have been quite a few crazy incidences that have taken place between the pro wrestlers and the fans. The one I remember the most didn't even take place during the event. It took place after the event was over. Chris Jericho was leaving the arena when fans got into his personal space. Here is a look of what happened.

The fact of the matter is Chris Jericho back then had every right to defend himself and protect himself from the fans. Shouldn't every athlete have that right? Just because a fan pays money to come to an event does not give them the right to interfere with things and get physical with the athletes. 

College universities have got it right over time. A lot of colleges are not allowing students and fans to rush the football field or basketball court after a game. There have been to many incidences where students and athletes have gotten hurt. I've seen it where coaches have gotten hurt as well. I think these colleges are taking the right steps to ensure the safety of everyone at the event.

Colleges are getting it right but how do the professionals get it right? A college crowd is a little easier to tame but what happens when have riots in Detroit, New York or another big sports town. I think there needs to be a little more security. I think heavier criminal charges need to be put in place if you interfere with a game or pick a fight with an athlete. I am not saying athletes are above everyone else but what if you were working in customer service and a popular athlete punched you in the face because they didn't like your service? Is that appropriate for them to interfere with your work and does that give them the right to attack you? No it doesn't. People forget that athletes are human beings too. As much as I don't like some of them and I don't agree with how much they get paid, but that does not give a fan the right to harm them or the game they are involved with. Athletes have lives, emotions and worries just like the rest of us. 

So how do you feel about fan interference with games and athletes? Should athletes retaliate? These are questions that professional sports organizations need to answer. If Curtis Granderson would have hit the fan that shoved him in the back I wouldn't have blamed him for doing so. The fan physically messed with him and interfered with the game. What else more needs to be said?

Colin Cowherd and Nancy Grace: Shut Your Mouth About WWE

RIP Ultimate Warrior

Smarkasses Episode 31: In With the New, Out With the Old- 4/8/2014 (WWE, ROH, TNA and Pro Wrestling News and Rumors)

Reaction to The Undertakers Streak Ending

Review, Recap and Review of WWE Wrestlemania 30

For the first time in a long time I do not know where to even begin. I am just going to start with the most obvious thing and get it out of the way. I have never been a huge fan of The Undertaker but I have always respected what he has brought to this business. I am not sad that the streak or The Undertaker's career has ended. I am disgusted at who brought it all to an end. Brock Lesnar does not care about the pro wrestling business and is not a face of the future. If it was Mark Callaway's decision to end his career and character I hope someday we get an explanation as to why he picked who he did. I do not want to focus on the only negative part of the show because one match in the end is not the entire show.

The show opened with Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock honoring each other along with all the past legends that have been apart of Wrestlemania. These three are really the three biggest mega stars in the history of WWE and the pro wrestling business. It was great to see the past legends honored but I love how they acknowledged that it was time for the future to shine.

Tonight started the building process for the future. The opening match between Daniel Bryan and Triple H told a great story. It reminded me of the Austin-Rock match from Wrestlemania 15 when Austin took on the entire corporation. Daniel Bryan had the deck stacked against from the beginning but Triple H made the right decision by putting him over and building for the future. However this is not the last we would see between Triple H and Daniel Bryan in the evening.

The Shield is another group of men that will be the future of the WWE and that was very evident on the show. Even if they break up The Shield it proved that Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose are there for the long haul. I thought it was cool that the veterans let them shine.

Speaking of shining and building for the future. What a great night for Cesaro and his career. He broke off from Jack Swagger after they failed to capture the tag titles in the fatal four way tag team title match. Then he goes as an unannounced participant into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and wins. His future, and his career in WWE are a lock for a long time to come and I am glad they are using this to build him. I also thought it was great that Big Show brought back the single strap singlet in honor of Andre. Big Show was very classy all around.

Even though Bray Wyatt was the only young guy that didn't win he had one hell of a performance tonight and his passion for the business was felt and shown. I think The Wyatt Family is going to go down as one of the all time greatest stables in WWE history. They are different from The Shield in the sense that all of their characters are connected whereas if you split The Shield up you have three separate identities that can go on their own

The Divas match was not long and nothing really stood out for me personally. I was really hoping to see Tamina turn on AJ but they never interacted once. I was hoping for a Naomi, Natalya, Brie Bella or Tamina win at Wrestlemania 30.

The Main Event was better then I expected. I think all three men knew they had to bring their A game and they did. I have been very critical of Batista since his returned but he really stepped it up tonight along with Randy Orton. In the end, I am so happy WWE righted the wrong of what they have been doing for the last eight months with Daniel Bryan. I love the fact that Triple H and Steph played a role in the match and got taken out. All the factors of the storyline and all the obstacles that have been put in Daniel Bryans way were played out in this match. Wrestlemania 30 ended the way it needed to end and that's with a huge celebration.

The Showcase of the Immortals and the Grandest Stage of Them All was epic and had a lot of great storytelling tonight. The past was honored, the future was built and a legend came to an end. I want to leave you with this. If you think one match ruined wrestling, ruined WWE, and ruined Wrestlemania 30 go back and watch it and skip through that match and then give me your opinions. Yes it was emotional and shocking but isn't that what we have been begging for since the Attitude Era ended? I will continue to watch WWE, I will continue to be a fan and I will not let one match dictate my opinion of the show. The was a 9 out of 10 for me and quite possibly the best show WWE has put on in the last 5 years. Tonight was truly a night that will be remembered forever and my love for the wrestling business will continue on with the future starts of WWE. Thank you WWE for 30 years of greatness and special moments that will last a life time.

Smarkasses Epsiode 30: Battle of the Sexes Wrestlemania Edition- -4/02/2014

College Athletes Should NOT be Unionized