Another thread about a "poor Black athlete" going nuts with his money

[Horse with no Name]

I remember when Troy Aikman was in his heyday as a player. His contributions to kids and his community were well-covered by the media--as well it should.
Last night I was watching 60 minutes. I had no idea whatsoever of the wonderful contributions being made by Ladainian Tomlinson.
In a time when I thought there were very few role models and hero-worthy sports figures, I was pleasantly surprised.

[Captain Hilts]

1. When you follow sports, as I do, you read a LOT of these stories.

Hell, that's a primary reason I use Mookie's name here. What he and his wife did for low income girls in NJ.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. MookieWilson did great stuff. On top of playing for the greatest team in MLB.

[Captain Hilts]

8. And I worked in their AAA ballpark in Norfolk! nt

[Midlodemocrat]

12. You did? How cool!!!

I still remember my dad yelling at the television screen when someone missed a ball, or stuck out "Go back to Tidewater".


It wasn't until I moved here that I had any idea what he meant by that. :rofl:

[SidDithers]

14. Toronto Blue Jays?...

:evilgrin:

Sid

[Captain Hilts]

17. Mookie followed me to Toronto from Norfolk. He could have been mayor there. nt

[Horse with no Name]

3. Point of it being

I don't follow sports yet I know all about the contributions of Troy Aikman.

[Captain Hilts]

6. Actually, I'd never heard what he does. But, this sort of thing is a standard in sports reporting.

[dmallind]

13. But is this consistent or market based?

While I'm not a super-passionate NFL follower I definitely pay attention and did NOT (and frankly still DO not) know what Troy Aikman did that is so supposedly well-publicized. Perhaps you are in a market where Dallas Cowboys are a big deal? On the other hand I do know about the positive efforts of Robert Smith in football, Stephon Marbury in basketball and Alex Rodriguez in baseball. In fact I can't think of a big Anglo sports celebrity charity leader other than Doug Flutie and that is more because I know his kid is afflicted himself.

[Horse with no Name]

15. Aikman and Tomlinson are both local

So even in that was the case, I would have even heard of it.

[dmallind]

16. Fair enough

But I still think this would be more consistent if there were some universal tendency to praise white athletes while ignoring the contributions of black ones.

I'm sure there are cases where this happens of course but based only on the whim of local editors and management etc - unless I'm the one who lives in the only area with a more inclusive news team that is!

[Bill McBlueState]

4. Braylon Edwards, too

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/browns/2007-10-09-Edwards_N.htm

Edwards, 24, pledged $1 million this year to Cleveland's public schools for 100 scholarships for children who might not otherwise be able to attend college — or, in some cases, provide incentive for students to further their education. Last year, in the midst of a five-year, $40 million contract, he created a $500,000 endowment at Michigan, the largest donation by a former athlete.

He is a man with a social conscious, serious about education and as self-assured as he is about his football skills when considering how and why he must make a difference.

Eugene Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District — which includes 58,000 students in the poorest big city in America, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics — says Edwards is a godsend.

Growing up, I saw that there were a lot of kids who could do what I could do from an intellectual standpoint, an athletic standpoint," says Edwards, a Detroit native, "but they didn't have the push and motivation. … All that they were seeing around them was negative. And that's all they know. So my goal has always been to help if I was ever in a situation to do anything."

[LisaM]

7. Braylon Edwards is a rock star in my book

It's a pleasure to see him playing so well. Of course, his father was a professional athlete as well, so Braylon did not have to grow up poor and overcome childhood deprivation. Still, he's yet another fine Lloyd Carr product, and they are legion.

[liberalnurse]

5. It's all about money

and disposable people these days......:shrug:

[napi21]

9. I was very pleasantly surprised by that segment too!

I even commented to my hubby that THERE is a football player who really deserves admiration! In all fairness, there are very few I can say that about! My FAVORITE, Terry Bradshaw (yea I'm old!) was an idiot human being off the field! Thank you 60 Minutes for bradcasting that!

[murielm99]

11. They saved the zinger for the end of the story.

He was chosen by his team over Vick.

I liked the way he was right there with his wife. They look like full partners.

[Captain Hilts]

18. It's a tremendous generalization to condemn nearly all that play in the NFL....

sure, there are louts, but being in the NFL takes a degree of discipline, smarts and dedication that you don't see among all those doofus 'scholarship' athletes in college.

The Redskins do a lot of community work and RARELY appear on the police blotter. There is a famous story of when running back Larry Brown was visiting a childrens' hospital and they introduced him to a 7 year old boy who had never spoken and he looked at Brown and said 'football'.

Darryl Green got a lot of press for charitable work. LaVar Arrington's efforts to help his kin got a lot of press. There just doesn't seem to be a racial component to it.

[Thothmes]

20. Doofus scholarship

Unless I have been misinformed, a large majority of NFL players were scholarship atheletes in College.

[panader0]

10. Anton Cason, who plays football at the U of A, just won the Jim Thorpe

award. In his "spare" time while a senior, he raised a lot of money for charities. Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson, both former U of A basketballers now in the NBA have donated more than 50 million to their alma mater. Wow!

[GreenInNC]

19. Adonal Foyle - NBA Star/Social Activist

http://www.adonalfoyle.com/BIO_off_the_court.shtml

[Thothmes]

21. Going nuts with his money

Vick also has contributed to the kids and community in Newport News, VA. Largely overlooked in light of his recent legal problems.