HARD WORK DOESN'T ALWAYS PAY OFF

JaMarcus Russell, the big man from dixieland with the bigger arm and the bear-like agility to move quicker than a man his size should be able to. He was the number one pick of the Oaktown Raiders owned by AFL original Al Davis, a man dedicated to speed and putting the ball in the air as far as it can be thrown. He didn't care about the whispers about Russell's work ethic; his bouts of excess weight gain; his nine-to-five mentality about a position on the field that has no off-days, let alone off-hours. Quarterbacks in the NFL are 24-7 maintenance men in a complex where a loss must be fixed immediately and at any cost. JaMarcus never clued in to the responsiblity he held as "the man" in Oaktown.

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business that has, without question, become America's past time; it's game of choice; the bully of the American professional sports landscape that makes a schedule other leagues work around and television conglomerates cater to. Every team in the league represents a vehicle that is supposed to move toward a bottom line that provides millions for the league coffers and those of the owners. The QB, by virtue of the position, holds the keys to the truck. But JaMarcus Russell was still operating on a learner's permit, failing to see the need to take more instruction. He just didn't "get it." The Raiders released him then embarrassed him with the news that they were considering suing him to regain some of his bonus money.

So now comes the news that Russell has been busted in Alabama for downing too much of the "purple drank" that has roots in the south and gained popularity in certain circles of Hip Hop culture. I don't know if a man should be arrested for drinking what essentially is the cough medicine we all took for the slightest cold as children, mixed with soda and candy, but the fact is he was arrested. Was he downing the "drank" in Oakland? Did it drain his focus? Did it cloud his mind? Work ethic was the downfall of JaMarcus Russell in the NFL yet his physical talent was getting him some consideration from the New York Jets. It seems Russell's work ethic in obtaining the purple drank was better than his on the field ambition and his hard work might have cost him his last chance in the NFL. And that's a sad thing to say about a man with more physical talent than half the QB's in the league.

CYBER GANGSTERISM

The culture of the new millenium is one moved by technological advances that cater to the fast paced, the ultra-new, the demand for immediate gratification. The immediacy of news and information has led to a communal meeting place that some call a "forum" and still others refer to as the "message board." The ability to congregate with people from anywhere around the globe at any time is an intoxicating notion. Gathering of information, sharing of opinions could only lead to the possibility of changes, movements and simply learning something new that one did not know before the encounter. Those are all positive ends Unfortunately, something that could be labeled a grand ambition is still prone to the imperfection of those that utilize or abuse the opportunity.

The rise of cyber gangsterism has grown to epic proportions in the past several years and today stands at it's all time worst. You have been there; reading an article on political policy or last nights NBA game or a fashion blog turns into a diatribe of racism, sexism, homophobia mixed with bad punctuation, misspelled words, CAPITALIZED FRAGMENTS TO TRULY GET ACROSS THE POSTERS' ANGER!!!!! Sigh. What the message board has turned into is an opportunity for those who sit in some basement in 'anywhereville' to gain power through their keypad. The ability to dehumanize, defame and debase faceless contemporaries, political parties or entire cultures.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said during a critical point in the civil rights struggle (In Texas the civil rights movement, but that's another post altogether) that people must learn to disagree without being violently disagreeable. Violence does not just come in the form of physical confrontation. Mental or spiritual violence can be just as harmful and in today's culture of high technology where interpersonal interaction is disappearing behind a DSL connection, the violence of tone becomes even more pronounced. The discovery of fire, the creation of the automobile were just as important as the advent of the technological age. The uses were many, the convenience revolutionary; yet there are arsonists and drunk drivers. Within every sweet thing hides a bitter taste. The trolls of the message board who use it to advance pure ignorance without needing the courage to face the object of their derision is a necessary price to pay for the access to those of good will who can inform each other and provide well thought out viewpoints in intelligent ways even in the face of disagreement.

But there are millions who wish they could meet the cyber gangsters of their favorite websites in the school yard just one time.