Do you think Pedro Gomez is satisfied with his lot in life? Does he feel out of place?
I saw him on SportsCenter last night, doing a little pre-game research bit for Game 1 of the world series. I just realized that for the last 3 years, up until August of this year, Pedro Gomez has only reported on Barry Bonds. Not the Giants, not big milestone home run for across Major League Baseball... just Barry Bonds.
No joke; when he first started covering the Barry Bonds saga, he had mostly black hair, with a small streak of grey. After reporting on the trials and tribulations that Barry Bonds has gone through, he's fully entered the Anderson Cooper- full head of silver hair zone. Is it total coincidence that he's reached the age of hair color transformation at the same time as this Barry Bonds era of his career, or has the Bonds drama actually stressed him? If so, what exactly stressed him: was it the lack of dignity that he suffered by going from being a sports journalist to almost a personal gossip columnist for Barry? Or did he vicariously feel the slings and arrows of the outrageous fortune that Bonds had to endure? Did he sympathize with the constant barbs and denigration that Barry had to endure from his detractors? Did the fact that Pedro and Barry's lives became so inexplicably intertwined lead to Gomez actually empathizing with him?
And how does he feel now? Is he relieved to finally be rid of the Bonds Crazy Train? Or does part of him miss it?
Right now, Pedro Gomez is in Boston, Massachusetts, part of ESPN's travel team, covering the World Championship of Major League Baseball: The World Series. To most sports journalists in the world, nay, most sports fans in the world, that is a dream come true. Is it possible that, deep down, Pedro Gomez instead wishes he was the lead reporter following the story of the tainted anti-hero of America's Pastime?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Re: A History of Mistrust
regarding Wright Thompson's piece on ESPN.com, August 2007
note: this is very "train-of-thought"... I just wanted to make sure I wrote a response while the piece was still fresh in my head, and I might not have organized the thoughts as well as I could have.
Good Afternoon-
I would just like to say that I feel honored to have read your story on ESPN.com this morning. I've read so many pieces in the media pertaining to this story, and it's been almost sickening to see the wrath of the public's hatred without anyone even beginning to take into account the entire racial circumstances of the situation. Being an African-American youth (relative youth; I'm 25, and my parents were teenagers during the 60s) growing up in the Northeast, I feel like I've been blessed and cursed with regards to the significant racial undertones that do still permeate many American communities. At times, I almost feel like I've grown up with too much of a sense of naivete towards these feelings that are so common in the South because of the acceptance (real or facade? probably a little of both) of integration in my neighborhoods. But with the innocence and lack of experience of overt malevolent racist thoughts and actions, my naive view of the world is hiding me not only from what my ancestors had to deal with on a daily basis, but what some of our black brother and sisters still deal with today in given areas south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Your piece has forced me to experience a rainbow of emotions. I feel angered that someone as talented as Michael Vick, someone who was placed on a pedestal because of his amazing ability, can be vilified so quickly without being given the chance to defend himself. I feel saddened that the monumental steps that Martin, Malcolm, and so many other strong activists and leaders from decades past are almost insignificant when one realizes that there is still so much deep-rooted, irrational hatred for man towards his fellow man. I feel disappointed when I realize how many people don't understand this strong racist undertone still exists, even though there aren't the obvious displays of racism as there were in generations past. But I also feel a sense of hope. I feel proud that there are still men and women who will take up the challenge to educate the public to the state of affairs that still exists; that even though integration is law, that de facto segregation still has a strong place in the old Jim Crow South, and that it's not going to go away or get better with effort. I feel stronger knowing that a family such as the Abernathys, with such strong ties to the Movement of the 60s and 70s, has not slowed away from being active in their community, nor have they shied away from the controversy that they might encounter by speaking their mind.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson, for providing not only the African-American community but the entire country (via espn, at least) with an educated look at the dark past of our nation, and for reminding all of your readers that although the "Civil Rights Movement" has technically passed, the idea of Jim Crow is still prevalent in some areas and that everyone still has to continue to help eliminate that idea of overt and latent racial biases in their everyday lives.
JJ
note: this is very "train-of-thought"... I just wanted to make sure I wrote a response while the piece was still fresh in my head, and I might not have organized the thoughts as well as I could have.
Good Afternoon-
I would just like to say that I feel honored to have read your story on ESPN.com this morning. I've read so many pieces in the media pertaining to this story, and it's been almost sickening to see the wrath of the public's hatred without anyone even beginning to take into account the entire racial circumstances of the situation. Being an African-American youth (relative youth; I'm 25, and my parents were teenagers during the 60s) growing up in the Northeast, I feel like I've been blessed and cursed with regards to the significant racial undertones that do still permeate many American communities. At times, I almost feel like I've grown up with too much of a sense of naivete towards these feelings that are so common in the South because of the acceptance (real or facade? probably a little of both) of integration in my neighborhoods. But with the innocence and lack of experience of overt malevolent racist thoughts and actions, my naive view of the world is hiding me not only from what my ancestors had to deal with on a daily basis, but what some of our black brother and sisters still deal with today in given areas south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Your piece has forced me to experience a rainbow of emotions. I feel angered that someone as talented as Michael Vick, someone who was placed on a pedestal because of his amazing ability, can be vilified so quickly without being given the chance to defend himself. I feel saddened that the monumental steps that Martin, Malcolm, and so many other strong activists and leaders from decades past are almost insignificant when one realizes that there is still so much deep-rooted, irrational hatred for man towards his fellow man. I feel disappointed when I realize how many people don't understand this strong racist undertone still exists, even though there aren't the obvious displays of racism as there were in generations past. But I also feel a sense of hope. I feel proud that there are still men and women who will take up the challenge to educate the public to the state of affairs that still exists; that even though integration is law, that de facto segregation still has a strong place in the old Jim Crow South, and that it's not going to go away or get better with effort. I feel stronger knowing that a family such as the Abernathys, with such strong ties to the Movement of the 60s and 70s, has not slowed away from being active in their community, nor have they shied away from the controversy that they might encounter by speaking their mind.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson, for providing not only the African-American community but the entire country (via espn, at least) with an educated look at the dark past of our nation, and for reminding all of your readers that although the "Civil Rights Movement" has technically passed, the idea of Jim Crow is still prevalent in some areas and that everyone still has to continue to help eliminate that idea of overt and latent racial biases in their everyday lives.
JJ
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
you see all these movies
(originally written 2/21/2004)
You see all these movies, books, tv shows
With men being men
The ultimate man
Pure
No flaws
No problems
Strong principles
Never wavering
But in the real world, its not like that
No one has principles
Everyone wavers
And yet all these people experience “Greatness”
“glory”
“fame”
and I try and stick to what I think is right
what is pure in the world
what is right…
what is right…
and I get screwed over
nothing goes right for me
people treat me like shit
and I find amusement in trying to treat other people like shit
but I shouldn’t
I don’t really want to
I feel like I’m a good person
I was a good person
I just want to be a good person again
You see all these movies, books, tv shows
With men being men
The ultimate man
Pure
No flaws
No problems
Strong principles
Never wavering
But in the real world, its not like that
No one has principles
Everyone wavers
And yet all these people experience “Greatness”
“glory”
“fame”
and I try and stick to what I think is right
what is pure in the world
what is right…
what is right…
and I get screwed over
nothing goes right for me
people treat me like shit
and I find amusement in trying to treat other people like shit
but I shouldn’t
I don’t really want to
I feel like I’m a good person
I was a good person
I just want to be a good person again
Friday, July 13, 2007
Joe Buckman
*character sketch for my upcoming story
I'm 35, overweight and balding, and i have a penchant for biting sarcasm. I just purchased my first pair of glasses in 15 years; apparently aviator prescription glasses are no longer in style. I'm clever as hell but lonely as a rock. I grew up in Ann Arbor, and have spent pretty much every day of my life in michigan, save a vacation I took when I was twelve (my little sister was five) to disney world and a spring break trip i took during college to visit san diego.
I like sushi but HATE fish. I like thai food but am allergic to peanuts. I write poetry but I am unable to feel emotions. I love baseball but I hate hot weather. I'm going to vote for Obama even though I know he can't win. I'm an OSU fan even though I ride past the Big House on my bike every day.
...and I just inherited 325 million dollars, but have no friends or family.
I'm 35, overweight and balding, and i have a penchant for biting sarcasm. I just purchased my first pair of glasses in 15 years; apparently aviator prescription glasses are no longer in style. I'm clever as hell but lonely as a rock. I grew up in Ann Arbor, and have spent pretty much every day of my life in michigan, save a vacation I took when I was twelve (my little sister was five) to disney world and a spring break trip i took during college to visit san diego.
I like sushi but HATE fish. I like thai food but am allergic to peanuts. I write poetry but I am unable to feel emotions. I love baseball but I hate hot weather. I'm going to vote for Obama even though I know he can't win. I'm an OSU fan even though I ride past the Big House on my bike every day.
...and I just inherited 325 million dollars, but have no friends or family.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Enter Sandman
"Here's what we'll tell our kids: He looked like an alien, and threw like a god. He had one pitch -- and with that one pitch, like David with one rock in a slingshot, he could fell any foe. With that one pitch he could escape any danger. With that one pitch he could intimidate any lineup. With that one pitch he won world titles. With that one pitch he pitched his way to the Hall of Fame. With that one pitch he performed surgery. With that one pitch he wrote poems. With that one pitch he sang songs. With that one pitch he saved souls and converted non-believers, and brought peace to the boroughs and joy to the masses. And we will not be exaggerating."
--Eric Neel, espn.com
--Eric Neel, espn.com
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