Friday, August 30, 2013

BOBBEE BEE: Will Johnny "Football" get the Lindsay Lohan treatment?

by Eric D.Graham

NORTH CAROLINA (BASN)-Will white privilege and white supremacy protect Johnny Manziel from receiving harsh punishment from the NCAA?

Will the one nick-named “Johnny Football” simply receive a long lecture and a “good-ole boys”” pat on the back from NCAA officials for violating their rules?
 In laymen’s terms, will Manziel get the Lindsey Lohan treatment?

Who, for some odd reason, despite being a sub-par actress, seemingly avoids jail-time all-the-time even after several run-ins with the law for using drugs?

Matter of fact, Lohan has cleverly capitalized off her drug habit and addiction. And, even recently, landed on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network with an exclusive interview and a possible reality show.

White Privilege Hero

Seriously, could you image if Johnny Manziel was a big-named Black quarterback, who arrogantly
flashed cash at casinos, was photographed drinking underage, overslept and missed practice while getting kicked out of the elite Manning Passing Academy, hung out with rappers like Rick Ross, got arrested for using a fake I.D., constantly got into twitter beefs online, and frequently got into fights at frat parties?

Honestly, if this was the track record of a Black signal caller, the guns would have been drawn out already?

Plus, the handcuffs would be placed around his ankles and wrists and he would be on his way to prison, -Michael Vick style.

 Kendrick Marshall, from the Negro Voice, addressed this issue in his excellent article entitled Johnny Manziel is a Hero of White Privilege, which he wrote:

“White privilege reared its ugly head from the keyboard of Fox Sports national columnist Jen Floyd Engel who compared Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel to Civil Rights Movement mother Rosa Parks… Where was this consciousness when Terrelle Pryor was pinched by the NCAA and suspended by the NFL for trading in various Ohio State items, including jerseys and championship rings for tattoos and cash? Where was Engel when then-Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green was suspended for selling his jersey? Where was she when any black athlete was punished for similar infractions that Manziel has been accused of committing? Well, Engel was too busy comparing Pryor to a terrorist. Yes, a college quarterback who wanted free ink was essentially compared to the Boston Marathon bombers.”

Even though, we might hate to invoke race into this issue, we must, especially after the Trayvon Martin case, which a large portion of white America felt deserved to be killed because of a couple of Facebook pictures, traces of marijuana in his system, trouble at school and a grey hoodie.

With that same evidence used to demonize Martin, one has to ask the question, whether Johnny Manziel would be considered a thug by the same white conservative media?
 Let’s not forget, according to certain reports, Manziel allegedly was going to use the money he earned from signing his name to get some rims for his car.

Could you imagine the outrage and commentary coming from white sports reporters if a Black quarterback had allegedly made those comments?

 All hell would have broken loose!!

Innocent until proven guilty

But so far, there hasn’t been proof of money actually changing hands.

Therefore, Johnny Manziel is innocent until  proven guilty.
So, despite the many personal character flaws of this spit-fire, red shirt sophomore  QB, who led the SEC in rushing while throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns, which propelled him to become the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, he may avoid being penalized and punished from the NCAA.

But if he is found guilty for breaking any of the NCAA’s rules, what will be Johnny’s faith?



If my memory serves me correctly, former Georgia wide receiver A.J.Green, now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, missed four games in 2010 for selling his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000 and several Ohio State players, which included QB Terrelle Pryor, were suspended five games in 2012 for selling memorabilia or for exchanging memorabilia for tattoos.

 Therefore, if Manizel is guilty, he should receive at least six games, if not more, for his alleged illegal money-making schemes with autograph dealers, which one Florida autograph broker named Drew Tieman claimed he paid him a “five figure flat fee” last January.

Snitching Scenario

Despite all of these scenarios, John Infante, a former university compliance officer and proprietor of The Bylaw Blog, which covers NCAA compliance issues, offered another scenario – though he said he considered it unlikely – in which the NCAA offered Manziel limited immunity for telling them how the autograph process worked, according to USA Today.

In other words, Johnny “Football” would now be known as Johnny “The Snitch “in the hood and in the huddle.

Because, in order to reduce his potential suspension and maintain his eligibility before the Aggies play Alabama on Sept. 14, which is considered one of the biggest college football games this year, “little innocent” Johnny, who was a naive victim of autograph vultures, would have to reveal how the autograph operation works “inside and out” and possibly give up some names in the process.

And, while Manizel’s “whiteness” may protect him and his little “white lie” may be overlooked by college football fans, the NCAA’s governmental body may have to stick to the books, especially with the recent scandals surrounding the Miami Hurricanes and Penn State and place Johnny “Football” on the bench as this investigation continues.

NOTE: The NCAA and A&M agreed on the one-half suspension because Manziel violated NCAA bylaw 12.5.2.1, an NCAA representative confirmed.
 Eric D.Graham is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where he received a B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio and Television and a minor in History, with an emphasis in African-American Studies. Currently, he is the Editor and Chief of  Black Athlete Sports Network, where his articles  appear daily along with his controverisal  cartoon character Bobbee Bee “The Hater.” Graham can be reached at lbiass34@yahoo.com

Thursday, August 22, 2013

BOBBEE BEE:GREED IS GOOD!!!

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on BASN on October 22, 2011. But, we, at Blackathlete.net felt it was worth re-printing, especially after the Johnny Manziel scandal.



by Eric D.Graham



NORTH CAROLINA (BASN)—Gordon Gekko famously said in the movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps that “Greed is good. Now, it seems, it’s legal.”



Yes, Greed has become legal and it has gotten greedier.
And in this BRAVE NEW WORLD, the bankers have become the new bank robbers.
Universities operate like corporations.
And coaches make decisions like CEOs.
The need for excess wealth has become a major factor behind college athletics, especially in football.


Now, hundred dollar hand-shakes, million dollar meetings, and billion dollar bowl games dominate the headlines more than touchdowns and homecomings. The integrity of the game is gone.


Plus, the evolutionary concept of survival of the fittest is the new business model. And since recruitment is the foundation of college football, national television exposure and multi-million dollar television contracts have become top priority.

Many people blame the University of Texas and their Longhorn Network for starting this mess, but this has been going on for years. Now everybody is jocking for position and making business moves as college football expands beyond its borders.

Consider the recent trend in college football, where conferences are merging like banks in order to produce super conferences. The arrangement and alignments of these new conferences have nothing to do with geography, academics, scholarships, sportsmanship or school pride. These new conferences are being designed to generate mega-bucks.

“With all the conference realignments, universities are needy to do what’s best for them.” said Texas head football coach Mack Brown, who recently signed a $5.1 million contract, which is the second highest in college football.

“We have to make money. I’ve been an athletic director. Coaches are making money. Facilities are growing at each school. Programs are growing. So there’s no way athletic directors and presidents can look at these situations without considering the financial side of it.”



Yes, it is purely about cash because college football is big business.

Plus, these young muscle-bound athletes fund the operation.

As a result, I return to the wisdom of Gordon Gekko once again, who said, “It’s all about bucks (money) kid, the rest is conversation. It is a zero sum net game. Somebody wins; somebody loses.”
Yes, this is the God honest truth.

To borrow from Charlie Sheen, who played the character Bud Fox in the original Wall Street, universities are “Winning!” while the athletes remain broke and college coaches get cuddled with million dollar contracts and bowl game bonuses.



Yes, money is the driving force behind these so-called amateur games of competition.
Let’s stop living in denial.

With the current corruption that continues to spread like cancer throughout college sports, we, however, can’t play race blind politics.

Because politically, most of these athletes being exploited by this system of greed are players of color.

College sports, in effect, has grown to become one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in America.

Bernie Madoff, in fact, would be extremely proud of the NCAA.

Because every shrewd capitalist knows that “the mother of all evil is speculation.”


By definition, speculation means engaging in a risky business venture on the chance making a huge profit.



And without a doubt, the NCAA has taken its risky business model and made billions of dollars off the blood, backs, and bodies of these young athletes.

But without fear, we now must name the villains and the victims of this system despite the victories.

Why? Because this current system of exploitation by the NCAA is failing and eventually its bubble will violently burst.

This Ponzi scheme operating by the NCAA can be exposed once sports reporters decide to stop dumbing-down athletes and start educating them about the game behind the game.

This, however, will be a difficult task because most athletes are still blinded by the spot light of playing on national television and possibly living out their dreams of playing in the NFL.

Therefore, we must dim the light so they can see the picture much clearer.

Because even though the NCAA continues their unwavering argument of false scarcity, they are really operating from a space of excess abundance.

The crisis in collegiate athletics, in fact, is a crisis of distribution.

In other words, if they learn to share, we could all live in prosperity.

As a result, I suggest that the players stand-up as a united front and OCCUPY THE NCAA like the protesters are doing in Manhattan at Zuccotti Park and throughout the globe.

We could call this monumental event the DAY of OUTRAGE, which athletes all over the country would spontaneously take off their shoulder pads and walk-off the field during the college bowl series.

Hopefully, this protest will cause a domino effect.

Next, during the NCAA basketball tournament, another protest will be sparked, which will be brilliantly named a MARCH ON MADNESS.

With that said, we return to the wisdom of Gordon Gekko, who said “Money is not the primary asset in life. Time is. ”

Therefore, we pray that the NCAA’s time of exploiting athletes will come to an abrupt end.
Power to the players, because the time is now.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

FANNIE FOUR EYES: I SEE SCHOLARSHIPS!!!

Nationwide (June 4, 2013) --
Financial aid is a huge problem for millions of students every year who want to attend college. And yet, it is reported that billions of dollars in scholarship funding and grants are given away annually. One web site, ScholarshipsOnline.org, helps students find those opportunities.

Below they have identified the top 2013/14 scholarship opportunities for women:

#1 - The AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program provides scholarship funds to low-income women who are over the age of 50, and are seeking new job skills, training, and educational opportunities. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/04/aarp-foundation-womens-scholarship.html



#2 - The Betty Rendel Scholarship is available to female undergraduates each year who are attending a four-year accredited college or university and majoring in political science, government or economics. It is open to women across the nation. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/04/betty-rendel-scholarship.html

 #3 - The Women's Independence Scholarship Program, Inc. helps women who have survived domestic violence to return to school and become self-sufficient. The primary candidates are single mothers with young children who lack the resources to attend college. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/04/womens-independence-scholarship-program.html

#4 - The Miss America Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well as Miss America first place winner, four runners-up, semi-finalists and non-finalists. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/03/miss-america-scholarship-fund.html

#5 - The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is open to female undergraduate seniors or female students enrolled in a graduate program and studying Computer Science or Computer Engineering. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/01/google-anita-borg-memorial-scholarship.html

#6 - The Young Women In Public Affairs Award is a scholarship for young women age 16 to 19 with an interest in public affairs who plan to enroll in college. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/young-women-in-public-affairs-award.html



#7 - The Talbots Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to women who want to go back to school to earn their undergraduate degree after graduating from high school or receiving their GED at least ten years ago. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/the-talbots-scholarship-program.html

#8 - The Go Red Multicultural scholarship champions greater inclusion of multicultural women in the nursing and medical industries, address important gaps in treatment, and ensure that all Americans have an opportunity to work with their healthcare providers to make the best choices that lead to good health. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/09/go-red-multicultural-scholarship-fund.html

#9 - The Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund awards scholarships every year to low-income women who are 35 years of age or older. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/05/jeanette-rankin-womens-scholarship-fund.html

#10 - The AWG Minority Scholarship program encourages young minority women to pursue courses of education and careers in the field of geosciences. Learn more at www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/04/awg-minority-scholarship.html ScholarshipsOnline is a free online resource for scholarships and grants available to students, parents, and teachers. To find and apply for hundreds of scholarships for men and women of all ages, visit www.ScholarshipsOnline.org

Friday, August 09, 2013

BOBBEE BEE: 37th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Young Leaders Recognition and Networking Reception

Eric Graham along with his cartoon character Bobbee Bee were invited to attend the 37th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Young Leaders Recognition and Networking Reception at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel September 28th in Washington, D.C.

Eric was invited and recognized by Howard University's Dr. Ivory Achebe Toldson, the Strategic Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation for his outstanding work with children.

The Congressional Black Caucus was founded on February 2, 1970, by a group of black members of the House of Representatives, which included Shirley Chisholm of New York, Louis Stokes of Ohio and William L. Clay of Missouri. Blacks had begun to enter the House in increasing numbers during the 1960s, and the formation of the Caucus reflected their need for a formal organization. Originally called a "Democratic Select Committee," it was named the Congressional Black Caucus in February 1971 on the motion of Charles B. Rangel of New York..


Its primary goal and objective was to positively influence the course of events pertinent to African Americans and others of similar experience and situation, and to achieve greater equity for persons of African decent in the design and content of domestic and international programs and services. While the Congressional Black Caucus has focused on the concern of African-Americans, the Caucus also has been at the forefront of legislative campaigns for humans and civil rights for all citizens.

This year's Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 37th Annual Legislative Conference, however, was entitled "Unleashing Our Power." The purpose of the Conference was to mold and shape a new generation of black leaders and activist.

During this high-energy event, Eric had an opportunity to network face-to-face with high-powered African-American executives and leaders in the world of business, government, education, sports and entertainment. “I am honored and privilege to attend such a prestigious event. I shook hands and talked to some very many important people” stated Eric.

This year's conference was attended by presidential candidate Barack Obama, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (CA), Rep. Charles Rangel of New York (Ways and Means Committee), U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan (Judiciary Committee), Bennie Thompson of Mississippi (Homeland Security), Georgetown Professor Dr. Eric Michael Dyson, Rap-mogul Russell Simmons, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, Martin Luther King Jr. III, Percy Miller aka Master P, CEO of NO LIMIT Enterprise, Marian Wright Edelman Children's Defense Fund, Dr. John Jackson, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Andrea Young,Southern Education Foundation Inc., and many more distinguished panelists.
There were also several educational seminars and discussions held during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 37th Annual Legislative Conference which included: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. In it to Win It: Winning Campaign
Strategies
Sen.Barack Obama Climate Change: Are You Ready?
Rep. Shelia Jackson The Language of Hip-Hop A Way of Life
Rep. John Lewis War & Peace: Examining the Culture of Violence through the Non-Violent Lens
Rep. Maxine Waters Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Rep. Kendrick Stolen Childhood: How Youth Destroys Lives and Fractures Communities Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton Can Blacks Find Freedom from Self-Promoted Stereotypes Rep. Danny Davis Is there Life after Prison: Ex-Offenders Reentry
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones African-American AthletesRep. Julia Carson Black Women Surviving Unmet Mental Health NeedsRep.C.K.Buttterfield Poverty in Rural America: Ending the Destructive Cycle

"This was a tremendous event as well as a great learning experience for me. I hope to be in Washington, DC next year for the 38th Annual Black Congressional Caucus Legislative Conference. Maybe next year, I'll be addressing Congress." laughed Eric D. Graham.


Photo Listing 1. Eric Graham with Jenice Jennings of Glory Watch. 2. Eric Graham with Attorney & Counselor at Law, Tracey Lee II, Esq. 3. Eric Graham with Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. President and CEO of HipHopCaucus.

Monday, August 05, 2013

BOBBEE BEE: 10 Black Child Geniuses You Should Know

Stephen R. Stafford IIby Amir Shaw

If you only watched the evening news or depended on pop culture to paint a picture of young Blacks, you would probably think that the majority of Black youngsters were only ambitious about sports and music – or caught up in crime and debauchery.

However, the face of Black success isn’t limited to the fields that are occupied by Jay-Z, Beyonce and LeBron James. There are a multitude of young Blacks who are achieving at a high level in science, math, classical music, chess and other knowledge-based areas and preparing to change society.

Stephen R. Stafford II
Stephen entered Morehouse College at the age of 11 and picked up three majors. Now 16, he is currently studying computer science and mathematics. He will likely graduate at 17.

Mabou Loiseau
Mabou Loiseau
By the age of 7, Loiseau spoke French, Creole, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and Russian. She also plays the harp, clarinet, violin, drums, guitar and piano.

Andrew Koonce
Andrew Koonce
Andrew is a master violinist based out of Atlanta. He was named concertmaster of the Georgia Music Association’s All-State Middle School Orchestra. The title goes to the most skilled musician in the section.

Autum Ashante
Autum Ashante
 
Raised by a single father, Autum was ridiculed by highly regarded conservatives at the age of 7 for writing a poem that highlighted the travesty of slavery. Autum never wavered and mastered languages such as Arabic, Swahili and Spanish. She scored 149 on the standard IQ test. At age 13, she was accepted into the University of Connecticut.

Imafidon family
Imafidon family
 
The Imafidon family is known as the smartest family in the U.K. The youngest siblings, Peter and Paula, made history by becoming the youngest students to enroll in secondary school. Their older sister, Anne-Marie, was the youngest student to pass A-level computing at the age of 13.


Rochelle Ballantyne
Rochelle Ballantyne
 
At 17, Rochelle Ballantyne is one of the top chess players in the world. She is currently on the verge of becoming the first Black American female to earn the title of chess master.

Ginger Howard
Ginger Howard
 
Ginger Howard is the youngest Black American woman to become a pro golfer. Howard is competing to become the fifth Black American woman to join the LPGA Tour.

Tony Hansberry II
Tony Hansberry II
 
Tony used failure as inspiration. After he didn’t place in the eighth grade science fair, Tony interned at Shands Hospital and developed a method of reducing the amount of time it takes to perform hysterectomies and potentially reducing the risk of complications after the procedure. He was honored for his contributions.

Chelsea Dock
Chelsea Dock
 
Chelsea has been an accomplished pianist since the age of 5. Now 13, Chelsea has performed at Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Steinway Hall. She’s also an artist and straight A student.

Daquan Chisholm
Daquan Chisholm
 
Daquan created a walkie-talkie, bulletproof helmet at the age of 12. He’s currently working with Johns Hopkins University to gather funding to patent the idea.
Amir Shaw is a filmmaker and music and sports director for Rolling Out magazine. Follow him on Twitter @arshaw. This story first appeared in Rolling Out.

Sunday, August 04, 2013

BOBBEE BEE: THE REAL DEAL ABOUT RITALIN

 By T.Berry Brazelton, M.D., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
Emeritus at Harvard


In 1990, 900,000 American kids were on Ritalin.

Today some estimate the total number of children on Ritalin has increased to 4 - 5 million or more per year .

America now uses 90% of the world's Ritalin - more than five times the rest of the world combined.

Emergency room visits by children ages 10-14 involving Ritalin intoxication have now reached the same level as those for cocaine which indicates escalating abuse of this highly addictive drug. 80% of children on Ritalin are boys.

 Children are being put on three & four medications to deal with complicated family patterns and stress.

 A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that alarming numbers of preschoolers were put on medications not approved for very young children with three quarters of them not having concurrent psychological or family therapy to teach them new copying capacities.

More and more children are not being helped enough to deal psychologically with the stresses of their lives. There is little exploration of FEELINGS and attempts to work with the families to alter maladaptive patterns.


When children are in STRESSFUL relationships and family CIRCUMSTANCES, even attempts at using appropriate medications rarely work because the STRESS is ongoing.


While, medication may work temporarily, it rarely works for a long period of time.

This leads to second and third medication or higher doses of the original medication.

Recently, I saw a youngster who had been on four different medications, the third one of which provided such severe agitation that he had to be hospitalized.

It was rationalized that his hospitalization was due to his impulsive and agitative behavior. He had started off with mild symptoms of anxiety and inattentiveness and ended up being hospitalized twice for aggression and agitation.

After a full evaluation and the realization that his behavior had changed for the worse with each subsequent addition of medication, he was gradually taken taken off the medications and helped to get into intensive psychotherapy with the family involved.

There were indications of a number of conflictual and anxious patterns that could be helped with this approach. The child was a very bright and verbal little boy who could participate to his advantage in a combination of individual and family-oriented therapeutic approaches.

Within eight months, he was functioning well in school and verbalizing his
feelings.

The family was learning supportive and constructive approaches rather than undermining and anxiety-causing ones.

NOW he continues to function well, both in school and with his peers.
 

While he is not on any medication, other children sometimes do require some medication along with psychotherapeutic works.

Note: These books are not endorsed by Dr.Brazelton or are they to be read as a cure-all for children, who have been diagnosed with ADHD.

With this said, “Please help us prevent our children from being over-medicated by reading our series of therapeutic children’s books and learn more about our cartoon character BOBBEE BEE “THE HATER by author/cartoonist Eric Graham.
Go to www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com, www.walmart.com, www.amazon.com, www.target.com, and get your copy of "IN THE MIND of BOBEE BEE" and "Larry Long Legs"

Other books coming soon include: A Diary of a MAD Child, The Gossip Girls, and HOPE IS STRONGER THAN A HURRICANE,