Anyone who believes the majority of franchises would have taken a risk on Adam “Pacman” Jones simply because of his talent has been missing the message NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is sending. Making it rain at strip clubs, carrying guns, getting into bar fights, those things will not be tolerated by the NFL or its subsidiaries.
If sheriff-like commissioners like Roger Goodell and the NBA’s David Stern (the two commissioners whose sport are mostly black) have been monitoring such behavior, then how is the music getting through?
The point has always been there is more to hip-hop music than getting girls and buying cars. Those are just ancillary to the real messages in hip-hop: strength, courage, success, perseverance and hope. When the Green Bay Packers kick-off team did the Soulja Boy dance before every kickoff, Mason Crosby didn’t stand outside of the group because he was white; he stood outside because he was the kicker (Some things never change). The rest of the unit was getting fired up by the beat of the steel drum and the fellowship that followed from doing something fun together.
That hip-hop culture (but even the so-called “gangster” elements) runs congruous with the elements of playing sports. There are adversaries almost literally trying to kill one another. There are people underestimating and downplaying you. There is posturing, bluffing, weapon stockpiling (metaphorically of course), obstacles to overcome, hope, dreams and ultimately success or failure.
The reason you don’t hear John Mayer emanating from the loudspeaker is because who cares how long we have to wait for the world to change, I want to know who is ready. That’s why Archie Eversole’s words “We ready, we ready, we ready for ya’ll” works so much better. Simple, concise, to the point and it really does get the adrenaline pumping.
It isn’t about race, culture or really anything other than a way to get jacked up for a game, a play, a possession or an at-bat. Hearing music gets you going because music has that power over people.
Rays outfielder Gabe Gross actually had Christian rock play before his at-bats with the Milwaukee Brewers but that was what uplifted him. That is what hip-hop music is really about and the more work guys like David Stern and Roger Goodell do, the way the average fan will see 99% of athletes reject the nonsense of some perverted and obfuscated hip-hop machismo as having relevance in their lives but rather choose embrace the power it can have in a positive way.
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