Mike Tomlin- Head Coach – Pittsburgh Steelers

Rod Graves- VP and GM -Arizona Cardinals

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals face off in Super Bowl XLIII, the issue of race will not be a major point of discussion among fans and commentators. Less than two weeks after Barack Obama, the United States’ first African American President, took office and a few days after the Republican Party selected an African American, Michael Steele ,as its chairman, there is little discussion of race and its importance to the game.

Black Quarterbacks

Flashback to 1988 and Super Bowl XXII, when the Washington Redskins and faced off against the Denver Broncos, race was front and center in the discussion of the game. Doug Williams was the Washington quarterback and was the center of attention because he was the first African American signal caller to start in a Super Bowl.

Williams got a great deal of attention especially when a member of the media allegedly asked him “How long have you been a black quarterback?” Williams had a record setting performance, led his team to victory and was the Most Valuable Player of the game. Williams’ performance helped to open up opportunities for African Americans to become starting quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL).

Black General Managers

In 2001 at Super Bowl XXXV, the New York Giants faced the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants were a solid offensive team pitted against the Ravens’ great defense. While both teams had a number African American star players, the Ravens’ director of player personnel, Ozzie Newsome, was one of a very few African American executives to run the player selection function of an NFL franchise.

The Ravens won the game and Newsome  was promoted to general manager and joined the ranks of revered executives in the NFL. In 2008 at Super Bowl XLII, another African American, Jerry Reese, the general manager of the New York Giants, built a team that won the big game.

Black Coaches

In 2007 at Super Bowl XLI, the Chicago Bears met the Indianapolis Colts. The issue of race was at the center of discussion regarding the game because both head coaches were African American. Lovie Smith the Bears head coach was a former assistant coach to Tony Dungy, the Colts’ headman. The Colts won the game and Dungy was the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl. This victory cemented Dungy’s legacy as one of the league’s great coaches.

Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl XLIII features the Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither of the starting quarterbacks are African American but the Steelers have had three African Americans as backup signal callers during the season. There has been a good deal of talk about the Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin is the youngest head coach ever to participate in the Super Bowl. There is a great deal of discussion about the fact that Tomlin got the his job when the Steelers’ passed over one of their assistant coaches, the current Arizona Cardinals’ Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Much of the discussion centers on whether Whisenhunt’s knowledge of the Steelers gives the Cardinals an advantage in the game. There is little attention to the fact that Mike Tomlin is African American.

The media has focused on the Cardinals’ star players Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner. Fitzgerald is one of the league’s great receivers and Warner is a veteran quarterback who won a Super Bowl when he played for the Saint Louis Rams in 2000. Few people seem to talk much about the Cardinals’ Rod Graves,the man who put the team together. Graves is the Vice President of Football Operations and changed the culture of a team that had been perennial failure in the NFL for many years. By the way, Graves is also an African American.

Therefore, while America may not be a post racial society after electing an African American President, the National Football League might be on its way.

Phillip Fulmer

Seventeen years ago, I sat in a news conference in Memphis, Tennessee where officials of the University of Tennessee announced that head football coach Johnny Majors had resigned and was being replaced by offensive coordinator Phillip Fulmer. Last Monday November 3, 2008,
University of Tennessee officials held a press conference in Knoxville, Tennessee to announce that this would be head football coach Phillip Fulmer’s final year.

In seventeen years at Tennessee, Fulmer won almost 75% of his games and won a national championship in the 1999. In order to fire Fulmer the University will have to pay him more than six million dollars. In addition, the University will have to pay all of Fulmer’s assistant coaches’ salary for a year or two if they are not retained by the new University of Tennessee head coach. So firing Fulmer is a multi-million dollar act on the part of the University.

McCain’s Navy

Almost twenty-five years ago, I attended a luncheon at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, Arizona where a first term United States Senator named John McCain spoke to a group of the city’s African American leaders. McCain assured the group that he was everybody’s senator and vowed to work closely with the small African American population in the state of Arizona.

As a show of his commitment, the senator came with a group of people he called “McCain’s Navy”. These were mostly white professionals who volunteered their services to help improve the lives of a variety of individuals and groups in Arizona. McCain also had syndicated columnist George Will with him. Later, Will, an avowed conservative, wrote a very positive column, which suggested that McCain was a new breed of legislator. More recently, in his columns, Will has been a constant and severe critic of McCain.

On Wednesday November 4, 2008, McCain lost his bid to become the President of the United Sates to Barack Obama, an African American.

‘From Winning to Losing

Both Fulmer and McCain have distinguished careers. Fulmer is one of the most successful coaches in the history of college football. Fulmer is an affable fellow who is revered by his former players. He is a former Tennessee offensive lineman who is very large man. Having participated in golf tournaments where Fulmer was a celebrity participant, I can attest to Fulmer being “a hail fellow well met”.

Despite his past success, the University of Tennessee was willing to part with millions of dollars in order to fire Fulmer. Fulmer had a losing record this season and seemed to be unable to compete with some of the newer and more successful coaches in the Southeastern Conference (S.E.C.). Alabama coach Nick Saban has turned Southern football on its ear .In the week when Fulmer was fired, Saban’s Alabama team was voted the number one team in all of college football.

Fulmer also suffers in comparison to other S.E.C. coaches such as Georgia’s Mark Richt and Florida’s Urban Meyer. The newer S.E.C. coaches are more youthful, more media savvy and have installed offenses that are more dynamic and have become fan favorites. Fulmer’s perennial nemesis South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier was quick to “stick the needle” in after embarrassing the Tennessee Volunteers on the field a few days before Fulmer’s firing.

The New Guy Wins

Like Fulmer, Senator McCain has a distinguished and successful career. A genuine war hero who was imprisoned and tortured by the North Vietnamese, McCain has been a legislative leader. He can point to a number of significant achievements in service in the U.S. Senate. His major strength as retired a Navy officer was national security. When the focus of the election shifted to the economy, McCain was out of his element and seemed never able to gain his footing. Consequently, his campaign became tactical rather than strategic. McCain was short in what George Bush 41 called the “vision thing”.

McCain’s opponent, Senator Obama, is forty-seven years old while McCain is seventy-two. Obama bounds up stairs and glides across stages while McCain has a halting gait in part due to old war injuries. With the overwhelming number of Americans believing that America is on the wrong track, McCain suffered when compared to Obama’s inspirational oratory an seeming unflappability.

For both Fulmer and McCain their past successes are laudable, but the future has been ceded to a new generation of leaders.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the former head of Goldman Sachs, has had a very successful career in business. He has earned hundreds of millions of dollars as a savvy investor and deal maker but he just cannot give a good speech. In the face of the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression, Paulson could not convince the Congress nor the American public that this crisis required unprecedented governmental intervention into the U.S. economy.

Bernanke Fumbles Also

Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, is a brilliant economist, but just like Paulson was unable to mobilize support for the $700 billion Troubled Asset Recovery Plan (TARP). In the midst of crisis, Bernanke’s words failed to persuade. Bernanke is one of the leading experts on the Great Depression. Despite his wisdom, he could not explain why the TARP initiative was the right approach to addressing the current crisis.

Bush Stumbles and Mumbles

President George Bush is also inept in when it comes to explaining the crisis and outlining his solutions. When President Bush has spoken during the times that U.S. financial markets are open, it seems that the stock averages decline in value. While, Bush has never been a great speaker, in the waning days of his presidency he seems disinterested.

Why Words Matter

During the bruising campaign for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton was fond of saying that she had a record and Senator Obama has a speech. Senator Clinton was late in understanding the importance of a good speech. Many commentators say that if she had given the speeches she gave at the end of her campaign earlier, she might have won. Sometimes people need to hear good words.

Especially, in times of rapid change and crisis, people yearn for information, direction, and inspiration. For many people the words used in their religious services help them confront the challenges of daily life. When we graduate from high school or college words in ceremonies send us off to new adventures. When we retire, we get a gold watch and good words, and when we die, good words comfort and console those we leave behind.

Presidents and Good Words

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We often remember and judge U.S. Presidents by the words they have uttered in times of crisis. From Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln to FDR, JFK and most recently Reagan and Clinton the words they used to explain and inspire frame their legacies. Their words were bridges from a troubled present to a more hopeful future.

In the Presidential campaign of 2008, words have been Senator Obama’s best friend and Senator McCain’s difficult acquaintance. Tens of thousands of people continue to endure long lines and metal detectors to hear Senator Obama speak. Until Senator McCain began appearing with his running mate Governor Palin, his audiences were small and polite.

Americans are clamoring for more explanation and more inspiration. In a time when the American economy seems to be spiraling downward people want to be convinced that there are brighter days to come.

In the second Presidential Debate held in Nashville , Senator Obama was able to explain in less than two minutes to why the TARP program was important to average Americans better than Paulson, Bernanke, or Bush have ever been able to do.

Senator Obama’s rising poll numbers are not only due to the economic downtown, but also because the Illinois Senator can explain, inform and inspire.

When John McCain selected Alaska governor, Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, he demonstrated his support for affirmative action in hiring. In July, McCain announced that he was supporting a proposed ballot initiative in his home state of Arizona that would ban the use of race, gender, and ethnicity in giving preferential treatment in any state governmental activity.

Against Affirmative Action Now For It

This proposed initiative, championed by Ward Connerly, would have followed the lead of states such as Michigan and California, which have already banned affirmative action in state and local government programs. For years, McCain has opposed anti affirmative action initiatives as being too divisive. As he tried to distinguish himself from Barack Obama, the first African American presidential nominee of a major party, McCain changed his position and supported the Arizona proposal

The question became moot, when the Arizona Secretary of State determined that the supporters of the Arizona anti affirmative action initiative did not have enough valid signatures to get on the ballot.

Palin’s Qualification

By selecting Palin, McCain has effectively returned to a pro affirmative action position. No matter how McCain tries to justify the selection saying , Palin has the necessary experience and gravitas to be vice president, gender was clearly a very significant factor in the selection process. Cindy McCain strained credulity by saying that Palin did indeed have international experience because Alaska is very close to Russia.

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton

In the September 2, 2008 Wall Street Journal, Nancy Pfotenhauer, the national spokesperson for the McCain campaign , argues that Governor Palin’s 20 month tenure as governor qualify her for vice president. Pfotenhauer goes on to stress Palin’s leadership in ethics reform and her knowledge of energy issues are reasons for Palin’s selection to the McCain ticket. However, the strongest argument Photenhauer makes:

All women should be proud of Mr. McCain’s selection of Ms. Palin as his running mate, an historic moment that came the week of the 88^th anniversary of women earning the right to vote. Sarah Palin will break through the glass ceiling that as she noted on her first day as the vice presidential nominee, has 18 million cracks thanks to Hillary Clinton.

For the Bridge Before She Was Against It

Whenever Republicans praise Hillary Clinton, there is always a deeper meaning to what is said or written. In Ms. Photenhauer’s piece, it is clear that gender overwhelmed all other factors. Governor Palin’s brief tenure in a state with a large land area but a relatively few people were not comparable to the qualifications of Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty or Tom Ridge to name a few. In addition, Governor Palin is lauded for opposing funding for the “Bridge to Nowhere”, but she was for the bridge before she was against it.

Affirmative Action Has Its Place

While there is nothing wrong with giving opportunity to people with potential, McCain and his campaign and the Republicans who are now fawning over Palin need to admit that affirmative action has a place in hiring. Giving an opportunity to an exciting youthful person who might bring a new approach to government service can be an “out of the box” decision. McCain has demonstrated that affirmative action does have a place in America.

Ward Connerly, Where Are You?

However, I wonder what Ward Connerly and all those who rail against affirmative action think about the choice of Palin.

When Rev. Jesse Jackson said on a Fox News set that Obama was talking down to Black America and he wanted to “cut his nuts off”, it became clear that it is time for Jackson to leave the American political scene. A “hot microphone” picked up Jackson’s comments during a break in the show.

Jackson apologized profusely to Obama but at the same time tried to emphasize that Obama’s achievements are the culmination of the work of a variety of heroes who have made it possible for an African American to be a serious candidate for President of the United States of America. Jackson pointed to the efforts of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and of course himself.

Willie Mays Messed Up Also

My son reminded me that Jackson was not the first to “stay to long at the fair”. He reminded me that one of my childhood heroes, Willie Mays continued to play baseball long after his skills had declined. I followed Mays’ career for more than 30 years. As a small child, I saw him play for the New York Giants in the Polo Grounds and later as part of the San Francisco Giants in Candlestick Park.

Mays was one of the greatest baseball players of all times. He could do everything. He could run, hit, hit for power, catch, and throw. At the tail end of his career, Mays left the San Francisco Giants and joined the New York Mets .But as a Met, Mays was a shadow of his former self and he embarrassed himself on a number of occasions by his inability to play the outfield. Rather than praise him for his illustrious career, fans and commentators began to laugh at his present failures.

Jackson Should Have Learned From Mays

Like Mays, Rev. Jackson does not know when to quit. In making his vulgar statement about Obama, Jackson is now the subject of ridicule. He is being psycho analyzed by journalists, bloggers, and pundits. Many say his egomania has gotten the best of him and that he is in a struggle to try to assert his continued relevancy. Others say that Jackson is suffering from “Obama Envy”. Added to his earlier anti-Semitic remarks, Jackson has now alienated another major segment of American progressives.

Obama Strikes Fear in Many African American Leaders

As we have written here before the Obama campaign strikes fear in many traditional African American leaders. Like Jackson , people like Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Andrew Young, and BET founder Bob Johnson will find it difficult to be significant players in “Obama World” should he win the presidency. In addition, a number of elected officials who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton and attacked Sen. Obama will probably not be the high on the White House invitation list.

Remember Willie Mays!

David Stern

Watching NBA Commissioner David Stern respond to the latest salvos from felonious referee Tim Donaghy, I think it is clear that Stern needs to move on. Most fans believe that Donaghy is telling the truth when he says that referees made calls that favored one team over another.

Donaghy Says the Fix Was In

The motive Donaghy says was to extend playoff series in order to generate more revenue or to make sure that large market teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers advanced. Specifically the former referee who was convicted for gambling on NBA games points to a 2002 playoff game between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings. In that game, there were a number of non-calls and phantom calls that helped the Lakers win. Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon among others was highly critical of the referees at the time of the game.

Stern the Lawyer is not Believed

Commissioner Stern is struggling to get fans to believe that NBA referees are not conspiring to fix the outcome of basketball games. I think Sterns problem is he sounds too much like a lawyer defending his client. In fact, Stern is a lawyer and cannot shake off his advocacy training to convince non-lawyers that Donaghy is the only rogue among NBA officials. Lawyer talk does not make the average fan feel comfortable that bad calls by referees are not deliberate attempts to fix the game.

Stern Knows Diversity

The overwhelming majority of players in the National Basketball Association are African American. There is a growing presence of players from countries around the world. Today’s NBA has players from Europe, Asia, and North, South and Central America. Stern has also presided over the birth of the WNBA, a major professional sports league for women. One test of Stern’s success with diversity is, when African American coaches and executives are hired and later fired, race is usually not mentioned.

Stern the Businessman is First Rate

Stern took over an NBA that was struggling financially. NBA championship games were often shown on tape delay on network television. NBA arenas often had many fans cleverly disguised as empty seats. Today the NBA is a major professional sport and business. It still has challenges, but Stern has made professional basketball relevant again. Not only is the NBA Championship series on primetime television, but the NBA is everywhere on cable and satellite television in the United States and around the world.

Stern Knows Globalization

Stern has transformed the NBA into an international phenomenon. Players from around the world are joining NBA teams. More than 200 million people in China watched a game this year between the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks. The game featured two Chinese players Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian. Stern has internationalized basketball in a way that few other businesses in America have been able to do. I have personally seen youngsters in Morocco, Spain, France and Israel in recent years playing soccer (football) wearing NBA jerseys.

Stern for Vice President

Whatever you might think about Stern, he is a very smart man. He is a strategic thinker who has made the NBA successful. He understands globalization better than most of America’s corporate executives. Stern is a tough businessperson who knows transformational economics. This is just what the United States needs today. Finally, Stern knows diversity and in the United States today, that is valuable.

Ralph Nader for NBA Commissioner

I heard Ralph Nader on the Dan Patrick Show the other day, complaining about NBA referees. Nader says he wrote Stern a letter after the 2002 playoff game that Donaghy says the referees fixed. Nader said that because NBA fans are consumers they have the right to expect that NBA referees would be like “Caesar’s wife”, completely above reproach.

Ralph Nader

Like Stern, I believe Nader also needs a new job. Becoming NBA commissioner, he would be a strong consumer advocate. The NBA position would also keep Nader from destroying his legacy by putting an end to his “Quixotic” run for President of the United States.

Geraldine Ferraro

Geraldine Ferraro, a former Democratic Party nominee for Vice President of the United States, says that if Barack Obama is her party’s nominee for President she might not vote for him. Ferraro believes that Obama has run a sexist and unfair campaign. She believes that Obama played the “race card “against her when she made a statement, “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”

Will Clinton Supporters Vote for McCain?

Ferraro is not alone among avid female supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton. Ben Smith in the Politico reports ,an Ohio-based group of Democratic Hillary Clinton supporters say they’ll work actively against Sen. Barack Obama if he becomes the nominee, arguing that Clinton has been the subject of “intense sexism” by party leaders and the media. “

Taylor Marsh a talk show host and avid Clinton supporter says that the anti-Obama sentiment among women who support Clinton has hardened to the point that these women will not vote for Obama under any circumstances The anger at the way some women believe that Senator Clinton has been treated in the campaign is extremely intense. There are active campaigns that call for boycotts of television networks and their sponsors because of the perceived basis against the New York senator.

McCain is Committed to Overturning Roe v. Wade

Traditionally, for most feminists the “litmus test” for candidates they will support concerns the candidate’s commitment to support the principles of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. This decision affirmed the right of women to terminate pregnancies without government prohibitions. Republican presidential candidate,
Senator John McCain, has made clear that he not only opposes Roe v. Wade but that he will appoint Justices to United States Supreme Court who will overturn the 1973 Court’s decision. In addition, Senator McCain opposes equal pay for equal work legislation, legislation to allow victims of gender discrimination to have more time to legally protest their situation, and the extension of family leave. For many of the issues that feminists say they are committed to, McCain opposes including ending the war in Iraq, providing universal health care, and helping people facing home foreclosures.

Will Feminists Vote for Senator McCain?

With Senator McCain at odds with most issues that feminists have held dear for so many years, will women support McCain to spite Obama? Will this be the time when women’s issues take a backseat to the anger generated by the rough and tumble primary campaign between Senators Clinton and Obama?

Al Davis and John McCain

In the 1970,’s I lived in Northern California and owned one-half of a season ticket for the Oakland Raider football games. The Raiders were an exciting team and the atmosphere at the games was exciting. On Sundays when my turn came to use the tickets, we would assemble at a neighborhood restaurant have brunch board a bus and begin a Sunday morning rolling cocktail party. By the time the bus reached the stadium, many on our bus were “well oiled.”

The Raiders’ Black Hole

Raider games in those days and in many ways today, were parties as much as football games. The story that was spread then was that the Raiders built their fan base by selling tickets to bars and restaurants that like us traveled to the game in large groups. While I had been to N.F.L. games in other cities, none compared to the energy and excitement of a Raider game. A major characteristic of Raider games was the racial diversity of the fans in the stadium. Again, the story was that the Raider fan base was built from the black, white, and Hispanic neighborhood bars.

The Raider teams were always different from most other teams. Al Davis the managing partner was devoted to wide-open football that emphasized the long passes. Darryl Lamonica, the “mad bomber, “might connect for seventy yards with the likes of Warren Wells on any given play. Kenny Stabler who succeeded Lamonica as quarterback, had Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff to grab his throws.

Al Davis created a team filled with sometimes wild and crazy personalities. He had, for example, the “Mad Stork”, Ted Hendricks. The Raiders had Otis Sistrunk, an alumnus of the “University of Mars”, George Blanda, a quarterback who played well into his 40’s, and Warren Wells, a man troubled with a variety of legal and personal issues. The Raiders were the last refuge for talented players who had troubles in college or with other N.F.L. teams.

Just Win Baby

The Raiders’ motto was and is, Commitment to Excellence. Al Davis’ personal mantra was and is, “Just Win Baby”. Moreover, Davis and his Raiders have been winners for many years. The Raiders throughout their history have been one of the most successful teams in the National Football League. The Raiders have also been Super Bowl winners.

In addition, Al Davis has been in the forefront of important changes in professional sports. Davis hired the first African American head coach and the first Hispanic head coach in the N.F.L. Davis , is the man who elevated a young assistant coach named John Madden to head coach. Madden is now and more known for his television work and video games than his stint as Super Bowl champion coach. Davis involved himself in on-going disputes with N.F.L. commissioner Pete Rozelle and several of his fellow team owners. Davis won court decisions that in part changed the way the N.F.L. does business to this day. It is important to remember, that Davis was once an assistant football coach in the old American Football League who rose to become commissioner of that League and through his shrewd moves became the managing partner of an N.F.L. Many sources report that Davis’ net worth now exceeds 100 million dollars.

Tony Dungy’s Tampa Two

In recent years, however, the Raiders have fallen on hard times. They have been perennial losers. They have had a revolving door of coaches and have selected a number of players who have not succeeded in the N.F.L. The Raiders, who were once at the top of professional football, are now the subject of ridicule and scorn.

As great as Al Davis has been in the past, he is now and aging, disabled man who has let the game pass him by. Tony Dungy’s, “Tampa Two”, defense that has been adopted by many N.F.L. teams, has neutralized the long pass. Defensive players in the league are so big and fast that many of the plays that once worked do not work as well today. The so-called “west coast offense” perfected by the late Bill Walsh which emphasizes short passes is the predominate offense in today’s N.F.L.

Despite the changes in present day football, Davis continues to build his teams the same way he did in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He has let go two of the league’s best head coaches, Mike Shanahan and John Gruden and now has a 33 year old, former college assistant coach, Lane Kiffen who he wanted to get rid of after one season. Another thing that has changed in today’s N.F.L. is the salaries paid to players. In Davis’ heyday, players’ salaries were modest compared to day. The world has changed and Al Davis has not.

A Cautionary Tale for McCain

John McCain needs to look carefully at Al Davis’s current situation. Although McCain has had a reputation as independent and a maverick Republican member of the U.S. Senate in his run for president, he has adopted the standard Republican Party orthodoxy. McCain thinks the solution to the nation’s current economic woes rests on the continuation of the tax cuts that President Bush has touted as producing prosperity. The credit crisis, the growing wave of house foreclosures, the skyrocketing price of gasoline, the falling U.S. dollar are just some of the challenges that McCain needs to address. McCain wants to see the Iraq War through to a successful completion. The people of America want a swift end to the war. Similarly, most Americans want the nation to regain its role as a leader of the world but McCain argues to continue the unsuccessful international policies of the current administration.

Can old warriors change? Al Davis has not. Will John McCain change?

Roger Clemens

Rev. Jeremiah Wright

With apologies to Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens is probably the greatest pitcher in the last twenty plus years of baseball history. Clemens has won 354 games and lost 184 in his 24-year career. He won the Cy Young award seven times. The Cy Young award signifies that during that season, Clemens was the best pitcher in his league. Clemens has won three games and lost none in his World Series appearances with the New York Yankees.

Clemens has always presented himself as a “real man’s man.” He is an articulate, college-educated athlete and appeared to represent the best, baseball had to offer. During his career, Clemens made more than $100 million dollars in salary from his teams. He has also been very successful in endorsing products and services of corporate America. He has been in demand for speaking at events and memorabilia and card shows.

The Mitchell Report Changes Lives

Clemens’ life and reputation changed dramatically on December 13, 2007. On that day, the Mitchell Report was made public. In the report, Roger Clemens was identified as a player who had used performance-enhancing drugs. Brian McNamee, a former trainer, said Clemens used performance enhancers on several occasions. McNamee also identified Andy Pettitte, as another of his clients who used banned substances. While Clemens denied McNamee’s claims, Pettitte admitted to using performance enhancers.

Clemens and McNamee went “toe to toe” before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. McNamee forcefully repeated his accusations. Clemens vehemently denied that he ever used banned substances. Republicans on the committee seemed to believe Clemens while Democrats on the committee seemed to support McNamee. In the end, the committee voted to ask the Justice Department to investigate both Clemens and McNamee to determine which one had committed perjury. Clemens compounded his problems by appearing on the CBS television program “60 Minutes“. In his “60 Minutes” interview , Clemens suggested that everyone is lying but him.

Making the Beast with Two Backs

Clemens reputation took another hit when the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had a number of extra marital affairs with a variety of women. The first woman identified as “making the beast with two backs” with Clemens, was Mindy McCready a troubled, country singer whom Clemens first met and invited to his hotel room when she was fifteen years old. Clemens denies having an “inappropriate relationship” with McCready.On the other hand McCready, seems to suggest that her sexual relationship with Clemens did not occur until after she turned eighteen. The Daily News has identified several other women, including one of golfer John Daly’s ex-wives, who were intimately, involved with Clemens. For Clemens who often declared that his wife and family were the most important parts of his life, these revelations are particularly damaging.

Jeremiah Wright – Another Successful Career

Like, Roger Clemens the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has had an outstanding career. Wright a decorated member of the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy was riding high .In Chicago, as pastor, preacher, teacher, scholar, and community activist Wright was one of the best. He helped build the ministries of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago to the point where this church became one of the most important and vital churches in the city. Oprah Winfrey and other local movers and shakers were often members and visitors in Wright’s congregation. For African Americans visiting Chicago, Trinity was a must stop in the same way that Rev.T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s House is in Dallas.

In 2007, Jeremiah Wright was about to retire from the active pastorate. A successor was in place and Wright was about to be honored and recognized by churches, seminaries, and civic organizations across the nation. Wright was being honored for his outstanding body of work. On top of these accolades, one of Wright’s congregants, Barack Obama, was becoming the first African American with a serious opportunity to become the nominee of his party for President of the United States.

YouTube Changes Lives

For Jeremiah Wright, YouTube changed his life. Snippets of Wright’s sermons form several different dates appeared on YouTube. In those snippets, Wright blasts America for its treatment of African Americans. In one clip he suggests that the American government may be responsible for the spread of AIDS among African Americans. For many the most disturbing clip involved Wright saying,”Not God Bless America but God Damn America.”

Wright the decorated former Marine was now seen as “unpatriotic”. The pastor who helped develop a dynamic program to address the issues of HIV/AIDS in the African American community was now called a “nut case.” The spiritual adviser to a potential U.S. President was now being called “a dangerous old man”. The national media descended on Wright’s church and congregants looking for more examples of Wright’s “inappropriate words and deeds.”

Wright compounded his problems with speeches he made before the Detroit NAACP and the National Press Club. These were nationally televised speeches and Wright seemed intoxicated by the presence of the television cameras. Following these speeches, Barack Obama felt it necessary to totally repudiate Wright’s words and to some degree distance himself from Wright the man. Obama said that Wright was now a caricature of a once talented and distinguished pastor.

The Tragic Flaw in Clemens and Wright

To see two men who have had such successful careers fall so far in the estimation of the public is deeply disturbing. Roger Clemens the great pitcher and competitor is now the butt of jokes about sex and drugs. Jeremiah Wright the great preacher and pastor is now a racist “madman” in the eyes of many Americans. For many African Americans the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is now a “dream killer”.

In both cases, the body of work that was celebrated not long ago will be forever tarnished and in some cases dismissed. Both these men are exceptionally talented but their flaws have brought them to this difficult time in their lives. In the Greek tragedies, it was hubris that brought great men down to their knees. In today’s world, it is the television camera and hubris, that can bring great men down to their knees.

“The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves…..”