It is so nice that you have left the Inquirer so that you can devote so much time to your cute little blog. It is simply precious that your press credentials are now the same as mine, and anyone else who has access to the internet.
Stephen
I'm big SEC fan. I've followed this story from day, so I've heard all the stats and details of the Auburn/Gill saga and the Alabama/Miss St./Croom debacle.
Not trying to knock your column, but I would like to see somebody do some real insightful reporting on this. So, if you decide to do some research on this idea, go for it. Use this as a possible story idea...if you really want to make a difference.
The media, including yourself, that has reported the 6 out of 119 story, has the whole angle wrong. Anybody with any common sense knows you have to look at cause and effect.
First of all, head football coaches at D1 programs aren't made overnight and their race/color choosen like the NCAA 09 game. These men come up through the graduate assistant ranks and earn the assistant coaching positions that will give them the "leverage" and experience necessary for consideration of a head coach position.
Let's look at other possible cause and effects for the 6 out 119 number instead of yelling "racism".
A) How many African Americans are assistant coaches in D1 football, D1AA football, and even D2 football?
-This is your pool of potential African American head coaches. Don't throw the NFL assistants in this pool, it is rare to see and NFL assistant jump to the NCAA.
B) How many African American graduate assistants are there in D1 football, D1AA, D2 compared to the total number?
-This is how the pool of potential African American head coaches will be grown.
Basically, if you want to see more "Black" head coaches, they have to be "grown". They just won't appear overnight because the media jumps up down and cries about Auburn and Turner Gill.
Bottomline:
Increase the number of African American graduate assistants and in 5 to 10 years you will have more African American head coaches.
HAPPY NEW YEAR STEPHEN A!
Thanks for providing hours of entertainment, insight, opinion, and smiles in 2008 via this blog, video clips, interviews, podcasts, and your columns. We are almost at the half way point of the NBA season, and I am enjoying it thoroughly.
Your interview with D Wade was inspirational and made me a believer basketball is like life. I have been a D Wade fan, but will admit when they were losing I didn’t give the Heat my league pass time, and I did talk trash about them, which included D Wade, whether his name was mentioned or not, so I would like to apologize to the Heat and D Wade for that (in case he is a reader of your blog); however if fans and analysis didn’t fuel his fire, would we be seeing his top notch play this year… probably so. While I am apologizing I will give one to T-Mac for some comments I wrote on this blog months back about his soft play. During your interview, I was very pleased to hear him say the things he said about Ron and his scrappiness, admitting there was no one on the team who previously held that roll, including himself. I have a new found respect for T-Mac’s game and clock many league pass hours watching the Rockets. I am pulling for their success and no incidents with Ron.
That was a pretty impressive list of people you want to meet, I don’t think there is a person on earth who wouldn’t want to meet Oprah; she has the Midas touch. Lucky, you met Gabrielle Union. If I had the chance to meet her, I would ask her what is was like meeting Stephen A Smith. How was it talking to him, touching him, smelling him and so forth? My advice for meeting these people on your list is to just pull the trigger, this is exactly what I plan to do if the chance to meet you ever comes my way (not in a weird way). I can’t wait to see you on Dancing with the Stars, you can dance? Of course you can, I imagine there isn’t much you can’t do. Yes! I am a smitten by Stephen A.
Keep, keeping it real, keep smiling, and keep that debonair look you wear oh so well.
Looking forward to another year of all the same and much, much more
Shout out to Rickey Henderson
Holla, Lorris
Hi Stephen, watching your interview with Shaq.....a once great but never as good as he could have been player (IMHO). I don't think he can ever be put into the catagory of Players like Russell and Jordan because he just didn't work as hard over an entire career as those players. It's gotta be tough when your that size to maintain fitness but I think the distractions of fame really took away from him being as good as he could have been. He is one of the funniest players in NBA history. Much respect, Steve B
I just saw you a few minutes ago mentioning your
high school: Thomas Edison High ! !
I graduated from Miami Edison High in Miami, named also from our perinial winter visitor to Fort Myers Florida.
Miami Edison High was the best school in the world in my days !
By the way, I liked your sppearance on "ESPN First Take." today.
You sound like you're a fellow-Believer. Are you?
JDH
Posted by: Dr. Jerome D. Harold (ret.phys.) | January 08, 2009 at 11:10 AM
It is so nice that you have left the Inquirer so that you can devote so much time to your cute little blog. It is simply precious that your press credentials are now the same as mine, and anyone else who has access to the internet.
Posted by: robmo35 | January 11, 2009 at 11:50 AM
You see Stephen:
White people do geeky things like play fantasy football while Black people do cool things like go to barbecues and write blogs
Posted by: robmo35 | January 11, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Stephen
I'm big SEC fan. I've followed this story from day, so I've heard all the stats and details of the Auburn/Gill saga and the Alabama/Miss St./Croom debacle.
Not trying to knock your column, but I would like to see somebody do some real insightful reporting on this. So, if you decide to do some research on this idea, go for it. Use this as a possible story idea...if you really want to make a difference.
The media, including yourself, that has reported the 6 out of 119 story, has the whole angle wrong. Anybody with any common sense knows you have to look at cause and effect.
First of all, head football coaches at D1 programs aren't made overnight and their race/color choosen like the NCAA 09 game. These men come up through the graduate assistant ranks and earn the assistant coaching positions that will give them the "leverage" and experience necessary for consideration of a head coach position.
Let's look at other possible cause and effects for the 6 out 119 number instead of yelling "racism".
A) How many African Americans are assistant coaches in D1 football, D1AA football, and even D2 football?
-This is your pool of potential African American head coaches. Don't throw the NFL assistants in this pool, it is rare to see and NFL assistant jump to the NCAA.
B) How many African American graduate assistants are there in D1 football, D1AA, D2 compared to the total number?
-This is how the pool of potential African American head coaches will be grown.
Basically, if you want to see more "Black" head coaches, they have to be "grown". They just won't appear overnight because the media jumps up down and cries about Auburn and Turner Gill.
Bottomline:
Increase the number of African American graduate assistants and in 5 to 10 years you will have more African American head coaches.
I'm looking forward to your next column.
Posted by: Eric | January 13, 2009 at 02:05 PM
HAPPY NEW YEAR STEPHEN A!
Thanks for providing hours of entertainment, insight, opinion, and smiles in 2008 via this blog, video clips, interviews, podcasts, and your columns. We are almost at the half way point of the NBA season, and I am enjoying it thoroughly.
Your interview with D Wade was inspirational and made me a believer basketball is like life. I have been a D Wade fan, but will admit when they were losing I didn’t give the Heat my league pass time, and I did talk trash about them, which included D Wade, whether his name was mentioned or not, so I would like to apologize to the Heat and D Wade for that (in case he is a reader of your blog); however if fans and analysis didn’t fuel his fire, would we be seeing his top notch play this year… probably so. While I am apologizing I will give one to T-Mac for some comments I wrote on this blog months back about his soft play. During your interview, I was very pleased to hear him say the things he said about Ron and his scrappiness, admitting there was no one on the team who previously held that roll, including himself. I have a new found respect for T-Mac’s game and clock many league pass hours watching the Rockets. I am pulling for their success and no incidents with Ron.
That was a pretty impressive list of people you want to meet, I don’t think there is a person on earth who wouldn’t want to meet Oprah; she has the Midas touch. Lucky, you met Gabrielle Union. If I had the chance to meet her, I would ask her what is was like meeting Stephen A Smith. How was it talking to him, touching him, smelling him and so forth? My advice for meeting these people on your list is to just pull the trigger, this is exactly what I plan to do if the chance to meet you ever comes my way (not in a weird way). I can’t wait to see you on Dancing with the Stars, you can dance? Of course you can, I imagine there isn’t much you can’t do. Yes! I am a smitten by Stephen A.
Keep, keeping it real, keep smiling, and keep that debonair look you wear oh so well.
Looking forward to another year of all the same and much, much more
Shout out to Rickey Henderson
Holla, Lorris
Posted by: Lorris | January 13, 2009 at 05:46 PM
So Stephen, are all those interviews you've been doing with Dallas Cowboys counting as exit interviews.
Posted by: robmo35 | January 15, 2009 at 04:03 PM
Hi Stephen, watching your interview with Shaq.....a once great but never as good as he could have been player (IMHO). I don't think he can ever be put into the catagory of Players like Russell and Jordan because he just didn't work as hard over an entire career as those players. It's gotta be tough when your that size to maintain fitness but I think the distractions of fame really took away from him being as good as he could have been. He is one of the funniest players in NBA history. Much respect, Steve B
Posted by: Stephan Bennett | January 30, 2009 at 11:50 AM