The Revolution will be Televised and Tweeted

I have been following the twitter feeds of individuals who have been covering the tragic death of Mike Brown, who was killed by a Ferguson, MO police officer on August 8. What I read has been nothing short of sickening. It’s truly sad that there is an open season on the lives on Black men in America and it’s those who are to “serve and protect” us that are doing these atrocious acts. Tonight’s coverage of the situation in Ferguson by MSNBC was mind-boggling and chilling. The fact that police officers waited until nightfall to attack the peaceful protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets is beyond me. Sidenote: I commend the local and national reporters who have risked their lives to cover the story, especially Washington Post’s @WesleyLowery, who was arrested in a nearby McDonald’s while covering the story. Check out his timeline for the details. However, I’m also appalled that CNN would rather do a story about Iraq and not on Ferguson. I now know how they feel about us, but I digress.

The police response to the citizens of Ferguson are outrageous, not to mention they are violating a plethora of civil rights afforded to us by the Constitution, starting with the 1st Amendment. Who will police the police? Why is this happening in America in 2014? Additionally, I have some questions that need to be answered.

1. Why are the local and state officials silent on the matter?

2. Why did it take a tweet from Gov. Jay Nixon to inform us he was finally going to get involved on the situation?

3. Why does a small-town police force need military-grade weapons including a tank?

4. When will the Ferguson PD release the name of the officer who killed Mike Brown?

5 Will Mike Brown’s family get the justice they deserve?

I pray that justice will be served and questions will be answered for the people of Ferguson. I also urge my generation to get involved in your respected cities and demand change not only in Ferguson but across this country. We owe it to our ancestors.  But for now, sign this petition: https://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-please-enact-new-federal-laws-to-protect-citizens-from-police-violence-and-misconduct

Lutheran group hosts education forum

http://dallasexaminer.com/news/2014/apr/28/lutheran-group-hosts-education-forum/

Dallas Cowboys 2014 schedule a treacherous road

When the 2014 NFL schedules were released on April 23, it felt like Christmas morning. NFL fans across the country were already making projections of how their teams would fare by season’s end. However, for Cowboys fans, the slate of games looked like a nightmare on Elm Street. The Dallas Cowboys will open their 2014 campaign versus NFC rival San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 7 at AT&T Stadium. The most recent matchup between these storied franchises was a Sept. 2011 overtime win by the Cowboys at Candlestick Park. QB Tony Romo rallied the troops to victory by overcoming a 24-14 fourth quarter deficit while dealing with a broken rib injury.

The season opener will set a barometer of a team who has gone 8-8 in three straight seasons. The Cowboys’ first 10 games of the season are favorable with road games at Tennessee and St. Louis and a trip across the pond to play Jacksonville in London on Nov. 9. The team will have five prime time games including a week 4 tussle with the New Orleans Saints and an Oct. 27 game versus the Washington Redskins on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.  Following the week 11 bye, four of their final six games of the season are on the road with trips within the division at NY Giants (Nov. 23), at Eagles (Dec. 14) and the season finale at Redskins (Dec. 28). Speaking of the Eagles, the Cowboys will host them for the annual Thanksgiving Day game on Nov. 27. The overall view of the schedule is that while difficult, the Cowboys can find ways to win at least 11 games and win the division if they do not get in their own way. Being that Romo has turned 34, the Boys must become a run-oriented team to take the pressure off Romo so that he doesn’t make anymore game-ending turnovers. In addition, the defense must step up in 2014 and protect double-digit leads in the fourth quarter if the team will have any kind of postseason success.  The Dallas Cowboys should go 11-5 and will avoid yet another “Win and In” situation.

Dallas Cowboys release defensive end DeMarcus Ware

The Dallas Cowboys released defensive end DeMarcus Ware Tuesday as the NFL Free Agency kicks off the 2014 season.
The seven-time Pro Bowler was set to make $16 million against the cap and wouldn't budge to a pay cut to stay with the franchise. He is the all-time leader in sacks for the club and is second only to Jared Allen in that category since entering the NFL in 2005.  The decision was a tough but inevitable one for owner Jerry Jones, who says the team is open to bringing back Ware after he tests the market. The de facto leader of the defense brought an emotional edge to the defense and was a menace on opposing quarterbacks.
However, his play has declined since 2010 as he has battled numerous injuries and Father Time. There is no doubt that suitors will line up for Ware's services but which team is willing to pay his asking price? As for the Cowboys, the move saves them $7.5 million in cap space and will continue to do team evaluations as the free agency period progresses. In addition, it puts them in the right direction to fix a defense that among the worst in the NFL last season and cost the Cowboys numerous wins because of their inability to hold double-digit leads in the fourth quarter. The Dallas Cowboys have the 16th overall pick in the May 8 NFL Draft.

Report involving Incognito and Martin investigation released

Independent investigator Ted Wells released his finished report on the bullying scandal Friday that involves Miami Dolphins offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. The report revealed that Incognito and two other players including offensive lineman Mike Pouncey engaged of a pattern of harassment including teasing and verbally abusing Martin with racial comments and sexually explicit comments toward his mother and sister. The Dolphins soon suspended Incognito once the allegations were made known during the middle of the 2013 season. The NFL has since made the Wells report available to all clubs and to the public. Here is a link to the report: nfldolphinsreport.com.

Broncos, Seahawks advance to Super Bowl XLVIII

The Seattle Seahawks forced three second half turnovers including an interception in the end zone with 22 seconds left to defeat San Francisco 23-17 to claim the NFC title. The NFC West Champions will be making only their second Super Bowl appearance in team history with their first coming in Super Bowl XL in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seattle proved to be the better team in the second half as their top-ranked defense held the 49ers to only seven points and limited the running game. They also made key plays on both sides of the ball including a touchdown on 4th and 7 to take a 20-17 lead. Seattle will face the Denver Broncos who claimed the AFC crown with a 26-16 win over New England. Peyton Manning threw for over 400 yards and two touchdowns while the injury-plagued defense kept Tom Brady in check and shut down their running game. The Patriots have now lost their second straight AFC Championship game and are 8-8 in their last 16 playoff games.
It's only the fifth win by Manning in the storied rivalry with Brady and also improves his playoff record to 11-11. The AFC West Champions will be making its seventh appearance in the Super Bowl, the first since 1998 and Manning will be making his third appearance in the big game looking to capture a second championship. For the first time in a while the top-seeded teams from each conference will meet in New Jersey on Feb. 2 for the right to raise the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Off the Field Accountability is Lacking in Professional Sports

The trial involving former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent began this week in a Dallas, TX courtroom.  The 25-year-old is accused of intoxication manslaughter after leaving a Dallas-area nightclub Privae on Dec. 8, 2012 and crashing his vehicle, which resulted in the tragic death of teammate Jerry Brown, Jr.
According to USA Today, a toxicologist testified Wednesday that Brent had a blood alcohol level of .18, which is twice the legal limit of .08. Brent originally told police following the crash that he only consumed five alcoholic beverages prior to the fateful incident. As of today, testimonies are still being heard by the jury from waitstaff of the nightclub and former Cowboys teammates.
Furthermore, Brent was indicted for manslaughter in addition to the intoxication manslaughter charge. He can be convicted of the manslaughter charge if the jury finds he was not intoxicated and faces 20 years in prison but can also be sentenced to probation.
The ordeal with Brent is simply a chapter in the lengthy book of pro athletes not holding themselves accountable for their actions when they decide to have a night out on the town. They make way too much money in their respective sports to make poor decisions that can alter their own life and the lives of others as it is being displayed right now in a Dallas courtroom. There is no excuse why athletes who make upwards of $20 million a year are somehow too poor to rent a limousine or to have designated driver if they decide to get hammered in a bar. Athletes should be more aware of their actions because they are a direct representation of the teams that keeps them gainfully employed.

Charlie Strong in Uphill Battle at Texas

The University of Texas hired Louisville coach Charlie Strong on Jan. 5 to replace the outgoing Mack Brown. Strong was formally introduced as the 29th head coach at Texas the following day and is the first African-American coach in the program history. There is no doubt that Strong can lead the Longhorns back to national prominence and in line for another national championship. His 37-15 record in four seasons at Louisville including a victory in the 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl over Florida is more than enough proof that he is the man for the job.

The hiring of Strong by athletic director Steve Patterson has received mixed reactions among the Longhorn faithful. While some agree that Strong was a great hire to move the football program forward, others such as long-time booster Red McCombs say otherwise. The co-founder of Clear Channel Communications said in a radio interview Monday with 1250 ESPN in San Antonio that the hiring process was "a bit sideways" and the hiring of Strong by Texas was a "kick in the face." He later went on to say that Strong would make a great position coach, maybe even a coordinator. It is comments like these by McCombs and other boosters like him at Texas is the battle Charlie Strong will be up against as he takes over the football program. 

There will be immense pressure on him to win early and often to prove the naysayers wrong. Strong and his staff will have the daunting task of recruiting in a state that is brimming over the top with four and five star talent with other in-state schools like Baylor and Texas A&M and out of state schools such as Oklahoma State and Missouri. Moreover, Strong is the best coach by Patterson's standards to resurrect a football program that has fallen out of the national limelight since reaching the 2009 BCS National Championship Game vs Alabama. 

If Strong turned around a dormant and unknown football program in Louisville into 2013 Sugar Bowl Champs and a potential No. 1 pick in Teddy Bridgewater then he can do the same at Texas. McCombs and the other high-dollar boosters must give him a chance to succeed in Austin. However, let's hope that the marriage of Strong and the University of Texas doesn't end in the same manner as Mississippi State and Sylvester Croom.