Episode 22 The Follow Up & Football

August 28, 2019

I've reached a bit of a milestone in my podcast journey. This will mark episode 22 of the Zero to One Hundred podcast! Initially I always envisioned this to be a bit of a season finale for me, and it would pick right back up at the start of football season. Don't know why I zeroed in on the number 22, could be that my favorite football player of all time is Emmitt Smith and his number was 22. It could be that most TV shows before this golden age had like a 22 to 24 episode season count. Point is I wanted to do an episode where I had the opportunity to air some audio that I had to edit out of some earlier episodes. Also, this gave me an opportunity to look back on how far I've come in producing each episode. I'm bias but at least in my mind it's gotten better with each posting. Now I haven't been as up to date on the blog as I should have with posting each episode. But I figured I'd embed some missing episodes on this post as well. So if you primarily listen to the podcast once I post it through my blog here's the missing episodes:

Episode 17 Remembering Nikki- Which was about my sister who passed away in April. I miss her tremendously, and included in the latest episode I get some memories from the rest of her Kids that I didn't get to include in episode 17.

Episode 20 Are You Not Entertained- Which was my reaction to the Mueller testimony before congress. I know that most people seem to have A.D.D when it comes to Trump and his administration, but I hope people remember all this joker's foul acts come election time.

As I state in the episode this and been a great experience and I appreciate all those that have supported the blog and the podcast! Be sure to comment or email me at 0to100pod@gmail.com follow me on Twitter @wcwpoet

Episode 21 Chess Not Checkers/ I'm Confused

August 19, 2019

I'm Confused

Earlier this week it was announced that Jay-Z would be partnering with the NFL. Initially reported the deal was for him to be in charge of Super Bowl entertainment and social justice initiatives. Later reports from TMZ stated that the deal would include a significant stake in an NFL franchise. This news has prompted a series of mixed reactions. Some seemed to praise the "not just a business man, I"m a Business, man" while most seem to blast the hip hop billionaire as a sellout, and other harsh critiques. Writers like Jemele Hill and activist Shaun King blast Jay-Z for the partnership, stating that this was at the expense of Colin Kaepernick's career. As of this post the #JayZNFL was trending, again with some supporting, but the majority blasting the move. None seem to be more angry at the move than Carolina Panthers safety and former Kaepernick teammate Eric Reid, I'll discuss his issue later. A lot of the backlash seemed to come about when false reports stated that Jay-Z spoke with Kaepernick before the partnership. Which wasn't the case, nor did Jay-Z ever present it as such. A reporter asked Jay-Z if he had spoken to Kaepernick? Jay-Z answered that he had spoken to him, he didn't specify the time, because the truth was he spoke to Kaepernick and other NFL players after the partnership was completed.

This is the start of my confusion, if people were angry that Jay-Z didn't talk to Kaepernick before the deal, or that he presented it as if he spoke to him but didn't WHY SHOULD THAT MATTER? I must've missed the point where the blood of Martin Luther King Jr was used by the spirit of Malcom X to anoint Colin Kaepernick as the savior of the Civil Rights movement and all social justice acts must go through him. Why would Jay-Z have to seek permission from him in the 1st place? That's one part of my confusion, the 2nd part comes from those that equate the NFL as this evil racist organization that's responsible for all the social injustice against black people in America. The whole point of Colin Kaepernick's protest was to bring awareness to police brutality and the inequity of justice for people of color here in America. That effort was a rousing success, as more players took up the call and began to protest as well. Now if a person that supported that message and has been a strong advocate for social justice now partners with an organization that before didn't take part in social justice programs, is now in a position to lead that charge, HOW IS THAT A BAD THING?

During the press conference Jay-Z stated: “I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice so in that case this is a success — this is the next thing. There’s two parts of protest: the protest, and then there’s a company or individual saying ‘I hear you, what do we do next?

I included that quote because I don't feel like people are seeing the bigger picture. The point of a protest is to spark CHANGE! If you're protesting and nothing happens from that then what was the point of the protest? To my friends that I know are boycotting the NFL when the issue began I would ask, what do you want the NFL to do? I'm confused by the fact that a SPORTS LEAGUE is being held to a higher standard it seems than members of congress, the senate, or even the White House. Did I miss the part where the NFL became the United Nations? IT'S A SPORTS LEAGUE and in reality a BUSINESS! But I'll hear "Billy they didn't like their players kneeling and wanted them to stop" guess what yeah, but THEY STILL ALLOW THEM TO DO SO! You know who doesn't allow their players to do so the NBA, it's in their contract that they can't! The commissioner Adam Silver stated it, you know what I don't hear? NOT ONE WHISPER OF CRITICISM. The point of a boycott is for it to end at some point once you get the desired result. If the protest of players was about social injustice, and the NFL is now partnering with someone who's done a lot for social injustice, that shows that your protest was successful in making them move!  It'd be like if Martin Luther King Jr. and others after the successful Montgomery bus boycott then stated "we got what we wanted, black people can sit wherever they want" and then go "yeah eff those buses we're not riding them anymore". DO YOU SEE HOW INSANE THAT WOULD BE! Yet that's what people are doing to the NFL here.

When Kaepernick began his protest, the racist that opposed him successfully to an extent flipped the narrative to what he was even protesting. They framed it as he's disrespecting the flag, he's disrespecting the military! Which none of that was true, now I feel like those that were supporting his message have flipped it, it's gone from bringing awareness and fighting social injustice to this millionaire no longer has a job! That brings me to Jemele Hill's criticism, her article states that Jay-Z's partnership with the league essentially helps banish Colin Kaepernick.  Like I stated earlier you have to look at the BIGGER PICTURE!  Is it about social injustice or is about Colin Kaepernick HAVING A JOB?  Also how do you know that Jay-Z being put in a power position isn't a way for him to get Kaepernick back into the league, a sentiment thought by artist like Cardi B. If he has a significant stake in an NFL team perhaps he would advocate for said team to get Kaepernick.  But again what was the point of the protest to begin with social injustice or one guy getting a job.  Now some will say why do they have to be mutually exclusive?

That brings me to good ole Eric Reid. Who went on a rant blasting Jay-Z, especially when the news broke that he would become a part owner of an NFL team. A move Reid calls "despicable", I'll try to understand his view point here. A friend I had dinner with stated her issue with the move, not that she was canceling Jay-Z, and she had other reasons to dislike the NFL which is fine and valid. But here was her analogy, "Let's say a friend of yours was working for a company, and the company did that friend dirty. But then you turn around and do business with that company." In her estimation and others that's wrong and that's foul. Now to me this situation with Jay-Z isn't the same because while Jay supported Kaepernick, it was his message of social injustice he supported. To me he doesn't fit that analogy, you know who does though? ERIC REID, he was a teammate of Kaepernick and was one of the first players to take part in the protest. He also joined onto a lawsuit that Kaepernick filed against the NFL, for claims of being black balled. By here's my issue and confusion with Eric Reid's anger, IT'S HYPOCRITICAL AS HELL!

Let me explain Eric Reid was out of work for about 2 months, he didn't file a separate lawsuit. He latched onto Kaepernick's lawsuit which was settled and split the settlement money with Colin Kaepernick. The lawsuit was the fact that neither player could get job in the NFL. There's one problem before Eric Reid settled he was SIGNED by the Carolina Panthers. I'm confused if you were suing the league because you weren't signed, but then you got signed and you took more money away from an actual player that was black balled and hadn't played in a FULL YEAR! How were you supporting your friend and teammate? Eric Reid signed a 3-year extension with the Carolina Panthers for 3 years 22 million, 10 million guaranteed. Let me get this straight you think the NFL is racist and you hate the fact that your friend Kaepernick doesn't have a job, YET you're perfectly fine with taking away part of his SETTLEMENT MONEY EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE SIGNED BY A TEAM, THAT EVEN GAVE YOU AN EXTENSION? To my friend's analogy I'd add this if a person who knows that friend, gets the opportunity to get involved with that company, and make changes from within so that it's better than before, why is that a bad thing? Out of Jay-Z or Eric Reid which one is despicable? Yet from Jemele Hills and the Shaun Kings I hear crickets.

Thus all my confusion, I love people that speak out on social injustice and protest. But I love even more people who actually act to put in place change. There's so much more on this topic that I'd like to share, and I'll be doing so with some other guest, so check out the Zero to One Hundred Podcast and here what we have to say. Let me know what you think of the Jay-Z and NFL partnership. Hit up the comments, or email the show at 0to100pod@gmail.com follow me on twitter @wcwpoet.