Imagine a world with no wars, no racism, and no Covid
The Tuesday Talking Points
Yesterday, Harold Perkins, a 5-star high school senior linebacker who committed to play for Coach Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M University in December, announced that he was no longer committed to the university and exploring his options.
While a number of websites that follow high school football recruiting, like the Rivals Network, immediately concluded that Perkins may sign with the Florida Gators or LSU Tigers next week, several others predicted that he could sign with Jackson State University to play for Coach Deion Sanders.
As reported in this blog last month, Sanders has already signed the #1 high school player in the country, Travis Hunter, and two weeks ago received a commitment from the #5 wide receiver, Kevin Coleman. Coach Sanders is also in the running to sign 5-star defensive end Shemar Stewart, and 5-star saftey Jacoby Matthews, a haul of top tier talent that would rank Jackson State not far from Alabama and Georgia as far as collecting 5-star talent.
Trust, after a weekend where 4-star defensive tackle Christen Miller just visited Florida A&M and raved about the HBCU life, there's some ignorant racists who are REALLY upset that these events are coming to pass!
You see, ignorance is when I read illogical comments on these websites such as "your (they meant "you're") a racist, Chuck, for wanting a player to go to a Black College," the depths of such rank stupidity would be comical if it wasn't so apparent that millions of modern Americans are totally clueless about "why" HBCU's were founded (Jim Crow laws created by racist white Southerners); how they flourished despite the best efforts of racist white Southerners to keep them separate and "unequal," and how, despite a lack of resources, the list of famous HBCU graduates still reads like a "Who's Who in American History”—while spanning multiple professional fields. This would include football, where men like Bob Hayes of Florida A&M, Ed "Too Tall" Jones of Tennessee State, Walter Payton of Jackson State, Doug Williams of Grambling, Jerry Rice of Mississippi Valley, Aeneas Williams of Southern, Shannon Sharpe of Savannah State, and Steve McNair of Alcorn State (to name a few) truly revolutionized the game during their legendary NFL careers.
But the ignorant only know what they know, as I reminded a few that came onto my Facebook page talking boldly “late in the midnight hour:”
Unfortunately, the real kicker is that the majority of those doing the most whining and moaning on social media about which school a 17-year-old kid chooses to attend are jealous because they were not gifted athletes—or students—when they were that age and because of that, they are projecting who they wish that they were on kids that they do not know personally—and could not care less about outside of said kid's athletic abilities.
Looking back—while looking ahead
Five (5) years ago today, I was nominated by The Hill for a Pulitzer Prize in Commentary by my editor, Joel Kabot. When he left to take a position at another news site, I soon found that the articles that I pitched were being rejected left and right!
Instead of begging for a seat at The Hill's table, I started my own news site, the original Hobbservation Point, and have enjoyed knowing that whenever I write a piece about political, historical, social, or sports related issues, that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it will be published in real time—and enjoyed by my thoughtful and extremely intelligent readers!
Tucker Carlson's rank ignorance
Juxtaposed to the high quality reporting and analysis at the Hobbservation Point is Tucker Carlson, an entertainer masquerading as a serious journalist whose commentary on Fox News, at times, places his own viewers at peril when they depend upon old Tuck to do the thinking for them.
The latest example of Tucker's bad influence is on the Russia-Ukraine standoff that has all of Eastern Europe on high alert.
Yesterday, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) stated that his office has been inundated with calls from Tuck fans who believe that the U.S. should side with the Russian invaders! Malinowski Tweeted, "My office is now getting calls from folks who say they watch Tucker Carlson and are upset that we're not siding with Russia in its threats to invade Ukraine, and who want me to support Russia's 'reasonable' positions."
Reasonable positions? I never thought that I would see the day when modern day Russia, the descendant of the totalitarian Soviet Union that's led by former Soviet KGB agent Vladimir Putin, would have millions of Americans cheering for their form of political repression!
To be clear, I have never had a problem with the United States engaging in dialogue to improve relations with Russia, but dialogue— and giving a blank check to invade its neighbors—are not one and the same.
What's worse is that Tucker really thinks he is being smart in his Russian cheerleading, when the truth is that he is merely cheering on a fool (Putin) who could very well plunge the world into a dreaded third world war.
The Covid Blues
I have said it before and I will say it once more: "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF COVID!!!!" My being sick and tired, though, has not compelled me to lose my common sense or resolve to wear my masks, wash my hands, and stay as socially distant as I can!
Yesterday, while meditating on the fact that we are now squarely into year three of the Pandemic, I began counting the costs of lost lives, lost health, lost businesses, and children that have lost skills in schools that are not running with the same efficiency as they did pre-Covid.
In fact, each time I see reports that teachers, administrators, and staff are dying or quitting their profession, I cannot help but wonder what long term impact such will have on our kids, as well as our country, 10 or 15 years down the line?
I don't have the answers, but I stay in constant prayer and meditation that this long global nightmare will end--and soon...
George Floyd’s other killers on trial
The Hobbservation Point will be keeping an eye out on the federal trial in Minneapolis of J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, the three former policemen who stood idly by for nearly ten minutes while now convicted officer Derek Chauvin literally choked the life out of George Floyd, 46, in 2020.
During her opening statement yesterday, Prosecutor Samantha Trepel outlined her theme that “these three CPR-trained defendants stood and knelt next to officer Chauvin as he slowly killed George Floyd right in front of them.
Reading Ms. Trepel's words sends chills down my spine to think that these officers were too cowardly to stop a murder happening right before their eyes—while Floyd wept and cried out for his long deceased mother. 😠
Here's hoping that this trio, too, is convicted and sentenced to prison for their deadly dereliction of duty.
Thank you for subscribing to the Hobbservation Point—have a wonderful Tuesday!
These ignorant peckerheads are exhausting.
Excellent!!! Always!!!