[Bette]

You get one NFL Truth today. Watching Chad Johnson and Larry Johnson undermine their respective head coaches, Marvin Lewis and Herm Edwards, on Sunday gave me a singular focus, forced me to contemplate an uncomfortable truth.
African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters. That will be the legacy left by Chad, Larry and Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick and all the other football bojanglers.In terms of opportunity for American-born black athletes, they're going to leave the game in far worse shape than they found it.
It's already starting to happen. A little-publicized fact is that the Colts and the Patriots — the league's model franchises — are two of the whitest teams in the NFL. If you count rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez, the Colts opened the season with an NFL-high 24 white players on their 53-man roster. Toss in linebacker Naivote Taulawakeiaho "Freddie" Keiaho and 47 percent of Tony Dungy's defending Super Bowl-champion roster is non-African-American. Bill Belichick's Patriots are nearly as white, boasting a 23-man non-African-American roster, counting linebacker Tiaina "Junior" Seau and backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez.
For some reason, these facts are being ignored by the mainstream mediaHip hop athletes are being rejected because they're not good for business and, most important, because they don't contribute to a consistent winning environment. Herm Edwards said it best: You play to win the game.
I'm sure when we look up 10 years from now and 50 percent — rather than 70 percent — of NFL rosters are African-American, some Al Sharpton wannabe is going to blame the decline on a white-racist plot. That bogus charge will ignore our role in our football demise. We are in the process of mishandling the opportunity and freedom earned for us by Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Doug Williams, Mike Singletary, Gale Sayers, Willie Lanier and countless others. And those of us in the media who have rationalized, minimized and racialized every misstep by Vick, Pacman and T.O. have played an equal role in blowing it.

Race is not the determining factor when it comes to having a good or bad attitude. Culture is.
Hip hop is the dominant culture for black youth. In general, music, especially hip hop music, is rebellious for no good reason other than to make money.
What we're witnessing today are purposeless, selfish acts of buffoonery. Sensible people have grown tired of it. Football people are recognizing it doesn't contribute to a winning environment.
FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - NFL truth: Hip-hop culture hurting NFL

[Bette]

I dont want any nasty racist ideas from either side popping up here. But this article gives food for thought. The writer is an African American.
My big concern here is mostly for the game. If it hurts the black athlete, its going to hurt the game and the NFL.
I never ever look at the player's color. All I care about is, "Can he play?" Right behind that, because of who I am, I really want him to be of decent character, not perfect, just decent.
I laugh at some of these guys antics' (the celebratory ones at any rate) but I would laugh at the touchdown celebrations regardless of the guy's skin color.
Its not just celebrations the writer is talking about here. Chad Johnston has reportedly taken a swing at his coach in a fracas in the locker room. PacMan, Vick, TO, Tank Johnson, well, we all know about them.
So, Hip Hop in the NFL-- Helping or hurting????

[simple simon]

this has been a big concern in the NBA for a few years now

seems most of the backlash came from the high dollar sponsors

so far the biggest change seems to be the dress code the NBA put in place .... i think the NFL is trying to do like things with the Commish cracking down so tough .... and maybe it is partially a result of pressure from sponsors

let's see ....... drinking - looking tough with dogs - smoking pot - having weapons - having lot's of women - displaying your bling ...... yeah sounds like a rap video or a night out with the NFL

[Bette]

Its not just the stuff going on off the field, its whats on the field too. I heard the term buffoonery used in connection with what's on the field. And yeah, that's the stuff I laugh at. If we are not careful, we are going to end up like "Pro Wrestling" and football will be classified as sports entertainment.

[EmpireWF]

Hey now bette, tons of pro football players have gone into pro wrestling and said the latter was more physically demanding and difficult.

But as for the topic at hand, I wouldn't lump all black athletes as falling under the guise of hip hop culture.

In the NBA, sure it's an issue...one of the bigger ones. The NFL is different IMO since they wear helmets and it's not a real individual game the way the NBA is. Besides the top guys like Manning, Brady, Tomlinson, etc.

[Bette]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

Hey now bette, tons of pro football players have gone into pro wrestling and said the latter was more physically demanding and difficult.

But as for the topic at hand, I wouldn't lump all black athletes as falling under the guise of hip hop culture.

In the NBA, sure it's an issue...one of the bigger ones. The NFL is different IMO since they wear helmets and it's not a real individual game the way the NBA is. Besides the top guys like Manning, Brady, Tomlinson, etc.

I wasnt making a dig at pro wrestlers. I just dont want football to be classified as entertainment.
I dont follow the NBA but in the NFL it seems like these guys are getting all the attention. So the question remains, is it hurting the NFL? Is it hurting the black athletes???

[EmpireWF]

It's not hurting them now. The NFL is still the most popular sport in America and athletes are making a ton of money.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

It's not hurting them now. The NFL is still the most popular sport in America and athletes are making a ton of money.

Not so sure...there have been some posts on this site about Vick and the Falcons etc...and how they are not "appealing" to a family base etc...

That aside, every team should have a set of team rules that govern dress code and acceptable behavior. Where I work, I could not come in looking like a gangster etc...so why should a sports team be except?

[EmpireWF]

I don't think Vick's circumstances have anything to do with hip hop culture. He made poor decisions and is paying for them now.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

I don't think Vick's circumstances have anything to do with hip hop culture. He made poor decisions and is paying for them now.

Dude...you are misunderstanding what I said...I never said that... I said that Vick brought that atomsphere to the Falcons and its fans...according to some Falcon fans who have posted.

[EmpireWF]

What do you mean by 'atmosphere' brought by Vick?

[desertrat]

Hip hop is crap anyway. I feel sad for anyone that gets caught up in that attitude and culture. If you're going to rebel, you need to have a cause. There are other things that contribute to the lack of class among our young, it's in the video games they play. I'm glad we didn't have video games when I was a kid because it was already hard enough to get enough guys together for a pickup football, baseball, or basketball game. Now it's near impossible as fat sloppy kids sit on their rump all day playing pathetic video games while our overall fitbess as a nation slowly deteriorates.

[EmpireWF]

Originally Posted by desertrat

Hip hop is crap anyway. I feel sad for anyone that gets caught up in that attitude and culture. If you're going to rebel, you need to have a cause. There are other things that contribute to the lack of class among our young, it's in the video games they play. I'm glad we didn't have video games when I was a kid because it was already hard enough to get enough guys together for a pickup football, baseball, or basketball game. Now it's near impossible as fat sloppy kids sit on their rump all day playing pathetic video games while our overall fitbess as a nation slowly deteriorates.

Woah there, way to hate on video gaming lol. I wouldn't umbrella everyone who plays video games as being fat. Tons of pro athletes are gamers, too.

Not all hip hop is crap, most of the mainstream stuff is. But there are still some artists out there who make meaningful music in the genre.

[azrael492]

I think it will hurt the game, but not by the culture. There are a lot of people out there that dress the part, but are good guys. The reputation is being hurt by a few high profile players and fans think of every player that way. It doesn't matter how well you make them dress for interviews or getting off planes, bad people are just bad.

I used to work for a company that had a conduct policy. It stated that we represented them even on our off time. We could be terminated if we go into trouble. The NFL should adopt a similar policy.

[Geechee843]

yea alotta the colts, and patriots rosters might be white but how many starrters are white? barely any. i think there is only one white guy starting on the colts defense and 2 on the pats defense (junior seau is not white). There os no proff that a black athlete doesnt contribute to a consistent winning environment. just look at barry sanders,emmitt smith,walter payton,jim brown,eric dickerson,marshall faulk,marvin harrison,reggie wayne etc. you cant single out terell owens,randy moss and michael vick and se them as a reperesentative of all black athletes. they havent caused any type of drop in the number of black athletes being drafted.the only reason to think that is because most outstanding athletes are black, so when you turn on espn 75% of the people you see on the b-ball court or football feild are gonna be black.

but if you are gonna make that arguement why dont you make the aguement that all the white guys who use steriods and are racists, alcoholics,gamblers,wife beaters or a combo of the 5 are bad for baseball?