By Victor C. Kirk
Grambling’s loss vs ULM’s Win:
I thought it was an irony that the usual Monday morning quarterbacking found among the pages of the News Star was apparently suspended after ULM’s victory over Deion Sanders’ Jackson State Tigers. I did not attend the game but was depending on the local media to provide at least a blow-by-blow account of this epic match against “Mr. Prime Time” – Deion Sanders. After all he is one of the most celebrated NFL players having racked up award after award during his 14-year NFL career.
Just to mention a few, “an eight-time Pro bowl participant who was considered one of the strongest pass defenders ever to play the game”, a member of the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, and bragging rights to both a Super Bowl Ring and becoming the first player ever to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl and hit a home run in a Major League Baseball game in the same week. Just imagine a player of his caliber turning his immense talent to college sports at a celebrated HBCU in none other than MISSISSIPPI.
Now mind you to be fair, the News Star did feature Grambling University’s big time 37-0 loss to Southern Miss. The section B headliner showed in rather large print “Grambling St. Held to 102 yards in loss”. Imagine how excited I would have been to have read in the Monday morning News Star that the game between Jackson State and ULM was filled with high intensity moments – total yards for JSU – 269 and ULM – 250. But passing yards is where the action begins. JSU racked up 243 passing yards compared to ULM’s 156. ULM kicked butt with 94 rushing yards compared to JSU’s paltry 26 yards.
But a defensive blowout it was for sure as each team was held to minimum yards per play. ULM held to 3.3 yards and JSU only slightly better with 4.6 yards per play. Even first downs were epic. JSU with 16 and ULM 17. Third down efficiency for both teams was a struggle. JSU with only 4 of 13 for 30 percent and ULM 5 of 19 for 26 percent. The tale tale difference in the game was penalties and fumbles lost. JSU amassed 7 penalties for a whopping 60 yards and fumbled and lost the ball twice. The victory for ULM was the golden foot of the place kicker who came thru with 4 field goals.
Was this a thriller – yes, but we were unfortunately left to depending on word to mouth of the events of September 18th that rocked the stadium and cried aloud for a rematch.
R. Kelly vs R. Kelly Music:
My wife and I had a heated discussion following both a CBS report and a discussion on “The Talk” about the conviction of R. Kelly for running a sex enterprise. Most of the news reports spoke to individuals making a conscious decision to destroy his music that they owned or to press disc jockeys to not play it. So, it would seem the debate is whether his music financed his most troubling dilemma rests with replaying his hot selling song “I believe I can Fly.” It would appear a few Black church choirs would be at odds with putting this particular song on a banned list. Its words of redemption and hope permeate the souls and minds of the troubled across the world. We all need a central theme to uplift and guide our visions of a better day if we can only believe.
Yet, the discussion ensues about the roll his music plays in support of the abuse inflicted on young girls. A practical argument to keep his music alive evolves when one attempts to address payments to victims of his abuse. It has not surfaced but surely civil suits will mount and a campaign to seize his assets, cash them out, and distribute the net to victims of his crime surely is forthcoming.
The only barrier that is presently not a part of the discussion is the type of case the government brought against R. Kelly. He had been previously convicted before of sex trafficking or something in that realm of ugly. But this time there is a new twist – he was convicted of running a criminal enterprise. From what I understand this means the Racketeer Influenced Organization Act or RICO takes effect. The Act has a section 15811592 (relating to peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons) and sets specific penalties which includes “forfeit to the United States …any interest the person has acquired …any property or contractual right of any kind”…in other words, everything R. Kelly owns or has a right to is forfeited.
It would appear that to reject his music or promote its destruction will make it even more difficult for the victims of his crimes to receive any compensation. His actions were shameful but the manner in which he was convicted or the new twist to securing a path for his conviction, is troubling at best.
