Vol. 23 Issue #192
$1.00
October 15th-30th 2012
President Barack Obama’s Uneven Road To Re-Election An analysis on Reality TV Pg 3
President Barack Obama shaking hands with supporters. By Zena M. Gray Just four years ago, millions witnessed what can only be described as history. Sure they were hopeful, sure they envisioned it, and sure they voted and assumed it would be, but no one could have ever prepared himself or herself for the reality that America observed on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Democratic candidate Barack Obama, an African American man won
the race to the White House and a black man would be our 44th President. “It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America,” Obama declared at a rally in Grant Park. The world rejoiced and history was made. Months before that night in Chicago, then Senator Obama stood center stage at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver and accepted the Democratic presidential nomination declaring, “It’s time for us to change America.” Now four years later it seems that we remember his promise
of change coming to America, but many have forgotten what Obama said when he actually won. “The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there,” declared an earnest Obama, despite the elation of his supporters surrounding him. With that one statement, Obama set the political structure for his entire presidency and for any chance he has at extending it. With the close race at the polls, voters need to go back and recall how... (cont. on page 2)
Stop Booing! pg 6
From Marcy to Barclay pg 5
Travel: Berlin, Germany pg 4
Cover Story ...life was at the starting line. Look at how productive Obama has been, even if the product is unfinished, put everything in the perspective that we are climbing out of the worst economic hole of our lifetimes. Remember that he did say from the start that it might take more than four years. In this election Obama is up against historical odds and a formidable Republican challenger in Mitt Romney. The past four years have indeed been steep for him, from that football field in Denver in 2008 to the DNC at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC in 2012, where he accepted his party’s renomination. His message of hope is still tucked into his campaign, but today the pitch is a lot more hangin-there-with-me as we move forward. There’s a division over him in our country. Many of the politics he promised to change remain bad. Yet regardless of what you may think of him, his presidency has been significant. Although struggling with a monster recession at the start of his presidency, Obama moved fast to get passage of a giant stimulus package with the support of his party. When the public mood shifted to aversion over debt, he and his Democratic allies in Congress took a midterm shellacking, forcing him to adjust to the frustrating life of divided government. Revamping health coverage in America, one of his signature domestic efforts, consumed up a lot of time and capital. Just barely getting it through the legislative body, he had to watch eagerly as it sped toward review at the Supreme Court. It survived by a single vote — from Chief Justice John Roberts, whose confirmation (then-Sen.) Obama had refused to support. That high court, meanwhile, is beginning to bear Obama’s stamp. Before his term was half over, he had won confirmation of two justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Obama ended the unpopular Iraq war, although it was on the path to an end anyway. And he is promising to close the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
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Even his critics applauded at least one defining moment. Obama ordered the risky raid to send special operations forces into Pakistan to get Osama bin Laden, the most hunted terrorist in the world. The al-Qaida leader behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was shot dead. Most of Obama’s term has been scandal free, with exceptions such as Secret Service agents hiring prostitutes in Colombia. Though lacking scandal, Obama’s time in office so far has been flocked with crises and conflict. He felt compelled under pressure to show his birth certificate to prove he was born in the United States after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The national debt continues to soar, the auto bailout, the Gulf oil spill, military action in Libya. The government nearly shut down and defaulted. Those close to Obama say he is fundamentally the same person as always. He has, though, changed in certain ways before the nation’s eyes. At age 51, Obama appears to be in impeccable shape, is active in sports, shares romantic dates once a week with the first lady Michelle and he’s quit smoking. The only physical indication of job related stress are the graying roots in his head. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that our presidents grow in office,” says his friend and campaign adviser, Robert Gibbs. “And in some cases, they gray, too.” Obama invariably talks of decisions through the filter of fatherhood. His daughters, Malia and Sasha, have turned 14 and 11 in the White House. Heading toward Election Day, about half the country approves of Obama’s performance. That standing has been pretty steady for the past three years. The public gives him worse grades on his handling of the economy. Yet more people than not like him personally. Rarely part of the discussion, although a major part of his election is his race or his role as the nation’s first black president. “He has an acute sense of history. He wants to be remembered as a great president, not a civil rights icon,”
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President Barack Obama giving a speech at the National Defense University
said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley of Rice University. Right now what he wants is four more years in office. Obama himself has agreed he has not changed the tone in Washington and that at times, he has lost a connection with the American people. “The mistake of my first couple of years was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right,” Obama said recently. “And that’s important. But the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times.” Obama’s campaign pitch this year could easily be pulled from the speech he gave on that Denver convention stage four years ago — essentially that government can help the middle class and support private industry and protect the hurting. He says Republicans favor an economic trickle-down approach that leaves people on their own. The bottom line is that voters have two choices to make. The first is whether they’re going to
October 15th-30th 2012
give Obama credit for economic progress. The other is whether they think he or Romney will lead the nation better going forward. The economy weighs on Obama’s chances. He is expected to face voters with the highest national unemployment rate of any president since the Great Depression. The jobless rate got as high as 10 percent in October 2009. It is now at is 8.3 percent, about where it was in his first full month in office. The climb back remains enormous. The nation lost 8.7 million jobs in the recession and its aftermath in 2008 and 2009. Since then, it has regained 3.9 million. Obama once said, early in his term, that if the people were not feeling economic progress in three years, then he faced a “one-term proposition.” Challenged about that this year, he said: “I deserve a second term, but we’re not done.”
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Enter tainment
By Anastasia Williams My love for reality television started when I was eleven years old. FOX had just created the show The Simple Life, which revolved around two socialiteshotel heiress Paris Hilton and Lionel Richie’s daughter Nicole. With their horrible multicolored extensions and “Your Hot” bedazzled tank tops, Richie and Hilton took over television. Young girls loved watching the two girls attempt to do hard labor, which they were definitely not used to. It was exciting and always made me laugh. This was my first taste of reality television and I saw it as harmless and silly. Fast forward nine years later and I can honestly say I do not feel the same way about reality television. Television has morphed into a reality show based platform where only the most outrageous antics gain the most exposure and attention. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy watching the occasional tussle on television. Weave pulling, scratching, spitting- all signs of, in my opinion, barbaric behavior but nevertheless it is entertaining to watch and read about. But there comes a point where one must reevaluate and think “Who am I watching? How old are they? Is this appropriate? What does it say about me?” Reality television reflects a wide range of people from all walks of life. Coming from a personal standpoint, it seems that the majority of the Black community idolize and mimic the behaviors of reality television stars, when in retrospect, they should be condemning it. The majority of reality television shows I have seen are the ones that are directed to a more “urban” audience, like Love and Hip Hop or Basketball Wives. They all seem to have acquired a violent ele-
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The Women of Basketball Wives
ment that was not there in the first few episodes. But, as tensions rage and women become more hostile, it is only natural that tussles escalate. However some have taken a stand and produced documentation that requests the show be taken off the air for bullying and inappropriate behavior by the stars of the show. Baseketball Wives executive producer Shaunie O’neal agrees, stating “It is always going to be drama because it is women together. There’s always going to be some ‘you don’t like what she said,’ we’re always going to get that, but I think the level of where it is going is out of control.” VH1 has taken this situation seriously and in order to keep their fans happy, they have officially announced that after the remaining episodes of Basketball Wives season 4 ends, they will bring the show to an indefinite close. This seems like the right move, but why did the station wait until various lawsuits were filed to end the show? The network has received an average of three mil-
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lion viewers watching per episode. Great ratings are always beneficial for a network, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of other’s well-being and safety. This past season on Basketball Wives, star Tami Roman verbally abused newcomer Keisha Nichol for being “too sweet” and “looking too white”. I, like Keisha, come from a mixed background that includes Black and White. As a multiracial girl watching a fellow Black woman abuse another multiracial women, I was personally offended and disgusted. In the Black community the idea of light and dark skin has been an issue. This topic has been discussed for centuries, dating back to slavery when darker skinned women would do field work, and lighter skin women would be “house slaves”. Black women and men complain about this comparison but how can we expect it to go away when our own people are pointing out the differences between skin, “good hair” and light eyes on national television? We shouldn’t expect oth-
October 15th-30th 2012
er races to let it go if we can’t do it ourselves. Producers behind these shows have one job- to make sure the viewer wants to watch again. That being said, the success of a show is measure by the amount of buzz and exposure it gets from its viewers. Networks should take the time to explore other tactics to bring in viewers, rather than promote a sense of violence and bad behavior on their reality television shows. Stations seem to not realize that they may be personally offending some of their viewers by encouraging a demographic to act in a certain way. Racial stereotypes are alive and well for a reason, and I think that the best way to tackle the issue would be addressing program that seems to glorify it.
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BOOK REVIEW ACCLAIMED AUTHOR EXPLORES RELATIONSHIP TABOOS IN NEW BOOK
Enter tainment
e-book in all epub formats including Kindle, Nook, iPad, tablet and smartphones. The hard copy will be available at a later date. An audio excerpt is available at the publisher’s website, www.sittingbullpublications.com, or at www.ReneeDanielFlagler.com.
“Raging Blue” Synopsis
Blue Holiday reaches the end of her rope, her marriage, and Renee Daniel Flagler debuts her latest novel entitled “Raging Blue” her long-time friendship with BFF, Mia Reynolds. She’s ready to move on but now her husband, the infamous bad-boy baller, Jaylin Mack, has been cut from the team because of his erratic behavior, and without Blue he’ll be broke. Their chances of reconciliation are doused the moment a salacious secret is revealed. As far as Jaylin is concerned, if he can’t have his wife, living off her trust fund will do just fine. Problem is, he forgot a woman in love will put up with a lot But a woman enraged…will make you pay.
Easily considered one of the writing world’s rising stars, Renee Daniel Flagler has made her most recent novel, Raging Blue, available to all! Fans will be delighted to find that the author’s flair for sassy story-telling has been turned up a notch with her latest work. The novelist, who also serves as a relationship expert on panels and at conferences nationwide, skillfully explores the taboos of relationships and dating exes while keeping the reader fully engaged in every saucy, page-turning detail. “Raging Blue is just as deliciously dramatic Renee Daniel Flagler is a teaching artist, award-winning freeas my other books,” explains the award-winning writer. “It’s loaded with jaw-dropping twists, unexpected turns and relatable characters lance journalist, marketing professional, relationship expert and the author of four novels, Mountain High Valley Low, Miss-Guided, In that leap off the page and get into your system.” Her Mind and, Raging Blue. Renee resides in New York and can “Raging Blue” delves into a myriad of topics and is sure to spark en- be seen serving as a relationship expert on discussion panels and lightening dialogue amongst women and men alike. It brings to light at conferences across the country. She is currently at work on her the monetary issues faced by many in relationships, from women next novel, Still Raging and her first nonfiction work, The Relationmaking more money, to a man’s spousal support entitlement. Not ship Survival Guide. Connect with Renee on Facebook, Twitter or at only does this book entertain, it will get people talking endlessly www.ReneeDanielFlagler.com about the “what if’s”! “Raging Blue” is currently available as an
About Renee Daniel Flagler
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New York Trend NYC
October 15th-30th 2012
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Tr a v e l
Berlin, Germany:
Now 775 Years Old, Is An International Symbol For Peace and Unity
by Jim Weaver I went to Berlin hoping to learn how it has changed since the collapse of Soviet controlled East German government, the GDR, in 1989. While most visitors are simply looking for the tourist sites, I was looking for something more. Having visited Leipzig just days earlier, I had seen St. Nicholas Church near the city center and learned of the “Peaceful Revolution” of October 1989 inspired there. It resulted in
koko Brandenberg Gate was the dividing line between East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years.
nonviolent demonstrations in Leipzig, in Berlin, and in other GDR cities and the collapse of the Soviet controlled government. Berlin was a divided city for nearly 30 years and the Berlin Wall (the “Wall of Shame” according to former mayor Willy Brandt) had symbolized the “Iron Curtain” that separated the city and Germany. Today, only a small section of the wall remains and its a graffiti art gallery. The Berlin Wall Memorial is a stark reminder of the division of Germany. Located next to the former border, there is a piece of the Berlin Wall next to the infamous border strip and watchtower. The facility shows how the border facilities were constructed and imparts to the visitor a lasting impression of the nation’s tragic division. The Reconciliation Church was located at this site. It was blown up in 1985, as it stood right on the no man’s land “death strip”. After the fall of the Wall, a Chapel of Reconciliation was erected and opened in 2000. Victims of the Wall (more than 1,100) are regularly remembered during church services. There are also several other
“Wall Memorials” in the city. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial, is located near the Brandenberg Gate. It consists of nearly five acres covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or “stelae”, arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. According to the architect, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. An underground information center here has the names of all known Jewish Holocaust victims. The Jewish Museum Berlin, one of the finest (and most recognizable) examples of contemporary architecture in the city, was designed by Daniel Libeskind. He has called it “Between the Lines”, a title that reflects the tensions of German-Jewish history. The permanent collection extends over 2,000 years of GermanJewish history. Every Berliner over 40 years of age can remember the years when the city was divided and the Soviet Union controlled East Berlin and East Germany. The DDR Museum (GDR in English) here recalls life as it was for millions of Germans during the years of the Soviet regime. Visitors can see a furnished apartment and a Soviet made car. The interactive exhibits demonstrate the many pressures
Holocaust Memorial remembers the millions of European Jews who died under Nazi rule.
and limitations that made up everyday life under Soviet rule. The Brandenburg Gate, erected between 1788 and 1791, has been one of Berlin’s most important monuments for over two hundred years. A former symbol of the divided city, it drew visitors who would climb to an observation platform to glimpse of the world behind the Iron Curtain which
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separated East from West Berlin, geographically and politically. I asked my guide what Berliners thought following reunification. “Initially everyone was very pleased,”
The DDR Museum remembers life in Berlin as it was under Soviet control from 1945 to 1990.
he said. “Later, some from East Berlin missed the old system where most all of their needs were provided for, and some West Berliners complained strongly about the high cost of rebuilding East Berlin and East Germany. Berlin has 170 museums (Museum Island in the Spree river alone is the site of five internationally significant museums) which makes it an impossible challenge to visit all. However, American travelers will no doubt appreciate The Kennedys Museum and The Ramones Museum. President Jack Kennedy make a great impression on citizens when he visited here in 1963, at the height of the Cold War, and made his famous quote “Ich bin ein Berliner.” The president and his family are remembered at this museum. The Ramones were a punk rock band from New York City. They had a 30 year career before retiring in 1996. The museum exhibits the impressive personal collection of artifacts from a Berlin fan. Berlin is blessed with some of the world’s greatest architecture, both classic and contemporary. One could spend weeks just exploring architectural gems. The baroque-style Hohenzollern Palace, once the seat of German government was a landmark in the city since the 15th century, when the Prussian royal family began construction, until 1950, when the GDR decided the war-ruined palace was a reminder of a decadent old world and destroyed its remains. In 1976, The Palast der Republik was built. It housed not just the East German parliament (largely a
October 15th-30th 2012
ceremonial body) but also a bowling alley, a disco, and other public space. In 1993, it was torn down because it was riddled with asbestos, but critics argue that asbestos problems in West Berlin were solved without demolishing buildings. They believe a remnant of Cold-War politics was behind its demolition and the neo-Hohenzollern palace construction project now in the works. The question is when it might be finished. The due date is 2013, but its budget still has to make up an 80 million Euro shortfall in private (corporate) donations -- and 32 million Euro from the city of Berlin, which was deeply in debt even before the current financial crisis hit. For now the “Schlossplatz,” or palace square, is empty, and not all of Berlin will mind if it stays that way. I had hoped to see the new Berlin International Airport scheduled to open in June 2012, however, here to, construction delays have pushed the opening back a full year. A good reason to return in 2013. Berlin is a fascinating city and I hope to see more If you’re traveling to Berlin, you should consider staying at Indigo Hotel, a new boutique hotel well located in the old East Berlin <www.hotelindigoberlin.com>. Owned by the same folks who own Holiday Inn, it is very comfortable and has an excellent restaurant. When planning your trip view <www.visitberlin.de/en> and <www.germany.travel.com>.
Olympic Stadium built by the Nazi government for the 1936 Games now fully restored was the site of the World Cup Soccer Championships in 2010.
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7
From Marcy to Barclay: “I’m Not a Businessman. I’m a Business, Man.” By Zena M. Gray Shawn Corey Carter. Does that name ring a bell? Probably not instantly rec-ognizable by most, but once you hear his epithet it’s safe to say you know who I’m talking about. Jay-Z, Jigga, Young Hova, Hov, sound more familiar? Yes, I thought so. Noticeably one of the most famous men in the world, Jay-Z - as he’s more commonly known- is quite the legend, living legend that is. He might just be the epitome of the adage “going from nothing to something,” or “rags to riches.” Born and raised in the Marcy housing projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, NY, Jay-Z has far exceeded any expectation that anyone could have ever envisioned. A former drug dealer, who used to flip kilos of coke and vials of crack rock turned his life of trial and tragedy into one of triumph and success, making a ton of money (an estimated $460 million dollar net worth), marrying the girl of his dreams (hi Beyoncé) and his “his greatest creation” as he stated in his song ‘Glory’, fathering his daughter Blue Ivy Carter. These days, he rubs elbows with Warren Buffett and President Barack Obama and generally mobs around the world like the boss that he is. His influence on pop culture, business and African-American history, is pretty unparalleled. The president –Barack Obama- even appeared in a pre-recorded video introducing the rapper at the “Made in America” festival in Philadelphia in August, saying Jay-Z represented what “Made in America” means. While Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter is a phenomenal musician, songwriter and record producer, his entrepreneurial portfolio is what may be the most impressive on his resume. No stranger to major blockbuster business deals, Jay- Z has had his hand in making major moves throughout his career. He co-founded the now dissolved rec-ord label Rocafella Records and later signed a ten-year deal with the corporate monolith Live Nation and partnered with them to create Roc Nation, a management, publishing and entertainment company. He owns 40/40 Club franchise and ad firm Translation. He’s also an investor in Carol’s Daughter-a line of beauty products and serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select. He also invested in a real estate de-
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velopment venture called J Hotels. Jay-Z also expanded his portfolio with his latest venture a Facebook game called “Empire,” which takes you on a journey from the streets of Marcy Housing in Brooklyn to the hotspots of the rich and famous: from hustler, to entrepreneur, to business mogul. Pretty much paralleling his own life and rise to fame.
VM u s i c
It taught you toughness as well. Because you needed that survive,“ Jay-Z narrates as the video plays a montage of clips showcasing every-thing from the Marcy Projects welcome sign, a young “Hov” loading records in the trunk of a car to him getting donning Rocawear clothes and jewelry in a dressing room and looking over a concert set list. “My goal was to have one
Jay-Z overlooking the Barclay Stadium
Although he sold the rights to his Rocawear clothing label for $204 million, he retains a stake in the company, overseeing marketing, licensing, and product de-velopment. His most recent and probably most monumental business venture in-cludes him holding stakes in New Jersey Nets. He actually encouraged the team’s re-location to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (from New Jersey) in the 2012–2013 season, at which point the team took on the Brooklyn Nets moniker. Recently he developed a marketing strategy for Rocawear with an ad video paying homage to his roots and hustle, “Marcy to Barclays” documents Jay-Z’s mete-oric rise from some of the meanest housing projects in New York to part owner of the Brooklyn Nets who now make their home in the Barclays Center. The piece is an impressive retrospective of the rise that Jay has made, not only in hip-hop but busi-ness as well. The small commercial takes us from the gritty streets of Marcy Projects in Brooklyn all the way to the newly minted home of the Brooklyn Nets, The Barclays Center. “Wherever you grew up, it’s your root right? It’s everything you are. I’m a kid from Marcy projects from Brooklyn. It made me exactly who I am. It built my charac-ter, it built my resolve, it built my strength. It taught you these values, it taught you integrity, it taught you honesty.
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gold album and that was it,” he continues as the clip showcases him signing a record deal with Def Jam Records and hanging a gold plaque on the wall for his first album. “I want to show that an artist can ascend to an executive ranks…Rocawear is a incredible thing because the longevity of the brand, there has to be some truth in it. We never thought that we create something iconic and unforgettable,” Hova continues re-counting as a group presents Rocawear’s latest garments and fans throw Jay’s signa-ture diamond in the sky. “That it would be on every corner, every window and on billboards around the world. It’s almost like climbing a mountain, and then you see another mountain and you go to the next one and the next one. Yet here we are, stronger, stronger than ever. Yeah, that sounds about right, ” he concludes walking out onto a performance stage to thousands of screaming Jay-Z enthusiasts at the Barclays Center. The Barclays Canter arena, which opens in September, is the home court of the newly renamed Brooklyn Nets and already has a huge slate of worldclass con-certs scheduled, led-off by Jay-Z headlining an amazing eight-gig run. The truth is he’s more than just an entertainer: he’s an empire. Having an “Empire State of Mind” has helped Jay-Z quickly learn what other entrepreneurs are just now learning: that business is more personal
October 15th-30th 2012
than ever. He has said, “My brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me.” We all get to bear witness to the greatness that Jay-Z is, but we what we need to know is how Jay-Z became not just one of the greatest rappers of all time, but one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 21st century. “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man,” Jay rapped on ‘Diamonds From Sierra Leone’. He has shown us time and time again just how accurate that line is. Hustle. These days he runs legitimate businesses instead of selling illegal drugs, but he’s always held onto his spirit of hustler. He’s definitely the engine behind his success, more or less. Being Proactive. Jay-Z didn’t have a drum kit or Pro Tools growing up, but that didn’t stop him from making beats to rap over (he used his fist and a kitchen table). Likewise, when Jay-Z first started Rock-A-Fella records the company office didn’t have desks, computers, or air-conditioning, but the company still put out hit records and turned a profit. Truth is, if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen. Knowing How to Handle Rejection. Every label in the industry turned down jay-Z. So did he give up on his dream of becoming a professional rapper? No. He started his own record label. JayZ was offered a weak endorsement deal from Ice-berg Apparel, even though Jay’s shout-outs for the clothing company were boosting their sales through the roof. So did he accept their offer? No. He started a competing clothing line and sold it ten years later for over $200 million. Jay-Z has an amazing knack for bouncing back from rejection. We would all benefit from adopting this mindset. Accept Help from Mentors. Entrepreneurs and artists tend to be strongminded individuals. Jay-Z is both, but that hasn’t stopped him from seeking the guidance of a host of mentors through the years. A good mentor has already been in your position. That means they can see what steps you need to take and what mis-takes you must avoid – all while still giving you room to breathe and grow on your own. If you don’t yet have a mentor on your entrepreneurial journey, get one. With-out role models, Jay-Z couldn’t have become the entrepreneur, rapper, and champi-onshipcaliber performer that he is today. Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter is his business, he’s selling his lifestyle – and we’re buy-ing. Not bad for a former drug dealer from a single parent home in a bad neighbor-hood in Brooklyn huh?
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Sports
percent of these young players ever make it to the next level. “These are kids just out of high school who have devoted their lives to the game. Most will not become millionaires, or even go pro, so I wish fans would give them a break,” Kronick says. “They are also full-time students, too, with all the added pressures of academia.”
A Michigan fan boos from behind the gates Saturday as the Notre Dame football team enters Michigan Stadium.
The Ignorance of Booing at Sporting Events Every college football fan has asked, “What was the coach thinking?” at some point or other. That’s OK, says Kathy (Currey) Kronick, author of Mrs. Coach: Life in Major College Football sometimes I wish they would bottle their “BOOs.” As college teams and their fans prepare for the kickoff of another contentious season, Kronick offers insights from her unique perspective as a longtime “Mrs. Coach.” “I have been in stadiums where I’ve thought to myself, ‘This must be what it was like in ancient Rome,’ ” says Kronick, whose book recounts her years married to Coach Dave Currey. “Some fans get so caught up in the heat of the 10
moment that they forget these players are just kids who may be dealing with injuries or personal problems.” There are many factors that feed into a coach’s decision regarding players, plays and clock management, she says. Last-minute decisions may be influenced by events and observations that go back to Pop Warner, or even earlier. “A football coach’s work is never done,” she says. “When they’re not on the field, in the weight room or at meetings, a head coach’s mind is still on football. It was frustrating for me to know all that was behind a decision when fans started booing.” She says fans should remember the following realities in college football: • Student athletes: It’s very difficult to earn a slot on a major college team’s roster from high school, and only 2.4
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• Injuries: Some of the most egregious booing comes from fans who think a player isn’t tough enough when injured. “The charge is ‘lack of heart’ when an important player is out of a game due to a ‘borderline’ injury, which cannot be diagnosed by a doctor or seen in an x-ray,” she says. “Many of these student-athletes incur injuries that may affect them if they try to go pro. Even if they don’t continue in football, they may carry the limp of the game for the rest of their lives. No athlete should ever be forced to play with an injury.” • Coach knows best: It’s the coach’s job to obsess over every detail that will help the team win. They do that 24/7, 11 months of the year. (They’re off the month of July, when they attempt to make up for all the family time they’ve missed, but even then, they’re still thinking about the team, Kronick says.) “Their lives revolve around winning – and not making mistakes. A bad call is only so labeled if a play doesn’t work,” she says. “Couchsurfing coaches and Monday-morning quarterbacks should be aware of that before criticizing.” Coaches always say that if fans buy tickets, they have the right to boo, Kronick says. “But coaches’ wives say, ‘Please don’t boo around us.’ ” NEWYORKTRENDnyc
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Owner & Publisher/Executive Editor Dr. Teresa Taylor Williams Vol: 23
Issue: 192
Writers Zena Gray Juliet Kaye Deardra Shuler Donna Lamb Justin A.Williams
October 15th-30th 2012
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S ports
Crash the Plane
NJ Jets Need to take an Early Dive…. By Justin A. Williams
The New York Jets must tank the rest of the season. Not purposely, since their dignity demands that as professionals they should still try to compete. But for the greatest good of the franchise to give the team the opportunity to win games and possibly the Super bowl, the New York Jets have to lose as many games as possible this season. Wining inconsistently, as they have done so far, simply will mask their glaring deficiencies such as the inability to run the ball, defend against the run, pass the ball or defeat really good teams. It is sad to say but after watching the Jets 34-0 loss to the San Francisco 49er’s, it is more than absolutely evident that the Jets simply do not have the talent to compete with the elite teams in the AFC or the NFC (the 49er’s conference) for that matter, I believe in the truth, and that Rex Ryan, their head coach, does too. So if he wants to have a “successful” season he must be honest with himself about the discrepancies and the enormous difference, between the talent his team has and the talent the team should have in order to execute Ryan’s game plan. Rex Ryan comes into every season for the past four years preaching` ground and pound’ football; a style predicated on running the football to wear down the other team on the ground and presenting a punishing, blitzing, man to man defense that thrives at preventing any offense from scoring points and gaining many yards. The season also began with the Jets having a sincere chance of accomplishing this goal. They had the best cornerback tandem in the league with
Darrel Revis, the best corner in the game, and a former all-pro in Antonio Cromartie. Along with defensive stalwart Linebacker David Harris and a front line that boasts two first rounds picks in 3-4 defensive ends Mohamed Wilkerson and Quinton Coples, the Jets defense looked poised to execute Rex Ryan’s aggressive and usually potent defensive strategy. On offense, the boasted two all-pro linemen in Nick Mangold
ing receivers. The defense has not stopped the run nor have they been able to put pressure on the quarterback. Rex Ryan’s blitzes only expose a now beleaguered secondary, allowing for big plays for the opposing team through the air. It’s a shame yet it is the truth that this jet team, two years removed from the AFC championship game can barely muster the power to compete with elite teams any more. What’s
an inconvenient albatross of a truth. Mark Sanchez is not the answer, but with a high draft pick they can try again to find the answer with a new quarterback. With a high second round pick they can definitely find a more complete and dynamic running back than Shaun Greene. Through free agency and the later rounds they can add youth to an aging line backing corps and find some hidden games for their overrated defensive line.
Wide receiver Mario Manningham breaks a tackle by New York Jets defensive end Mike DeVito
and D’brickashaw Ferguson, and the promise of youth at running back, Shaun Greene, receiver, Stephen Hill, and Quarterback Mark Sanchez. Alas, great expectations are so often lowered by the reality of the grueling season as injuries have stripped the team of its best player, Revis, and its best offensive threat, WR Santonio Holmes. But those losses on further expose problems with this team that are not clearly evident: they are simply way to overrated. Shaun Green has no burst in his legs and is averaging less than four yards a carry, Mark Sanchez is turning in another disappointing season, barren of the progress most fourth year quarterback’s show and will be wearing the label of bust if he cannot cut down on turnovers and stop overthrow-
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so surprising is that many of the same players from those previous squads are still on the roster. A roster that is on paper better than the AFC championship teams, except for at running back (we miss you Thomas Jones). Now that we are all clear that the Jets are overrated, we can begin to fix this problem. Going 8-8 is not the answer. This team needs to revamp itself with a high first round draft pick. Trying to reload on the fly while trusting a mediocre scouting department to plug in small wholes is a plan for teams like Atlanta or Pittsburgh, teams with stud Quarterback’s and proven veteran talent at nearly every position. The Jets are weakest at the most crucial positions in the game. A fact that eluded them in the preseason has become
October 15th-30th 2012
I’d love to see the Jets win this season and go 12-4. I’d love to see Sanchez turn his season and career around and become at the least, a winning quarterback if not an all-pro. I’d love to see this defense be galvanized by their failures and return to the form that had them in the top 5 of defenses in the league multiple times during Rex Ryan’s tenure. I just know none of that is going to happen and I am sounding the alarm now before the losing really begins. I may be panicking, maybe I will be proven wrong, but if the Jets really want to win a Superbowl within the next five years, you better hope I am right.
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Vol. 23 Issue #192
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October 15th-30th 2012
From Tragedy To Triumph By Darwyn Lynch Wide receiver Torrey Smith scored two touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday September 23rd, less than 24 hours after his younger brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. Torrey Smith is a father figure for his six younger siblings, making the death of 19-year-old Tevin that much tougher. Tevin Chris Jones was riding his motorcycle on Route 672 in Westmoreland County in northeast Virginia on Saturday night when he ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole, according to Virginia State Police. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He was wearing a helmet, and alcohol was not a factor. The accident is under investigation.
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Smith was notified at the Ra- In the second quarter, Smith said. Before the game, vens’ hotel on Sunday shortly he caught a 25-yard touch- a moment of silence was observed for Jones, whose picture was placed on the replay screens at the stadium. “If you’re around athletics, I guess you feel like it’s an escape, an opportunity to do what (Smith) does,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after Sunday’s win. “He’s been doing it his whole life; he knows what to do. When Torrey said he wanted to play, the decision was finished. He was going to get the opportunity to play, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (left) he deserved that.” hugs wide receiver Torrey Smith. “When I came here, the more I was grounded. The more comfortable I began to after 1 a.m. ET and, accom- down pass from Joe Flacco to feel,” Smith said. “I’m glad I panied by a member of the cut New England’s lead to 13- came back up here. It helped Ravens’ security staff, left 7. me out a lot.” immediately to be with his With 4 minutes to play Torrey Smiths story is family. Smith returned to the in the game, Smith caught a one of much inspiration and Ravens late Sunday afternoon, 5-yard TD pass to bring the courage. He did not let his participated in warm-up drills Ravens within two points. brothers death deter him from and started the game Baltimore went on to kick a playing the game he loves, so “It was tough. I didn’t field goal in the final seconds he went in and played his heart know until 4 o’clock if I was and won 31-30. He finished out; exactly what his brother going to play,” Smith said. “I with six catches for 127 yards. would have wanted him to do. only had like an hour of sleep. “It means a lot not just Emotionally, I didn’t know for us but for my family... how I was going to hold up.” That’s for my little brother,”
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October 15th - 30th 2012
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