Yesterday I read the take on the All-star game that was held in Vegas. The perspective was from a man I respect, admire, and actually personified the term student athlete while enrolled at Ball State University – Jason Whitlock. The article was called “Mayhem Main Event at NBA All-Star Weekend.” He suggested that the NBA and the local communities like Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas have experienced this for years.He described all star weekend as an “unmitigated failure” and said it was merely a”new millennium Freaknik. I guess the shoe may fit somewhat. After all, I consider myself old school ATL folk and was a participant at each one. Everybody I have talked to that attended the All-star game said they game itself was not the attraction, but mainly talked about the wild parties, the freaky women, folks shooting guns and smell of Purp everywhere. But then again that is what people talk about whenever they go somewhere expecting to have a wild time. Then again, it is Las Vegas, a city that sells itself on the statement “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” They have some responsibility for this also.
Over a three-day period, it is reported that a total of 403 arrests were made by police with a large amount of these being vice-related. Others have stated that 362 people were arrested during the All-Star Game. The say one man was shot at 4 a.m. in the front e of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino as late as Monday and that a brawl broke out around 30 minutes later in a club at the Wynn hotel. NFL player Pacman Jones, Nelly and Jermaine Dupri were at the Minxx Gentlemen's Club. The way I have heard it from news and blog outlets, The Tennessee Titans Cornerback Jones had a bag with $10,000 worth of singles and started to “make it rain” being the College Park Native he is., took the singles out, and threw them in the air all around the club for strippers and patrons. After a few fight broke out, the club owner told him he had to leave. After which one of his boys who was sitting with him while inside went back and started shooting. It was also alleged that by the owner of the strip club that PacMan slammed and punched a stripper before the shootings.
I can expect this from Pacman, given his poor decision-making and penchant for “keeping it real” – really stupid. CBS says that the professional football player was just a “witness to the triple shooting early Monday that left two critically wounded.” The owner of the strip club with the shootings was on the radio saying one of PacMan's crew was the shooter. Also said PacMan slammed and punched a stripper before a bouncer got there and they closed the club all-leading up to the shootings.
Then there was the little altercation between Young Buck and Game. It too occurred durinmg the early morning hours of Saturday (February 17) when Game attended a party hosted by T.I and Jeezy. The event, called The Las Vegas Takeover and was held at the The Ice House Lounge nightclub. All over non sense because Buck got on stage, grabbed a mic and started a freestyle dis of Game on one of Games Tracks [ACTUAL VIDEO HERE]. Security had to hold back Game and his folk escort Buck and rapper Young Jeezy who came together, out of the club.
Now I do not get Mr. Whitlock with his nearly 350 pound self. But he sounds more like ESPN’s Bill Simmons than a brother. Simmions described the event as the “hip-hop Woodstock”. I would expect Mr. Simmions to be afraid but not Mr, Whitlock. I am 6'2" and barely 180 pounds but I am not afraid of anyone. The only thing I am afraid of is not being able to take care of, provide, and protect my family. However, Whitlock basically said that he was afraid of his own folk in 2007. Now I am hard, extremely hard on my folk but I am not afraid of them nor promote to feel uncomfortable or threatened by people that look like me. Mr. Whitlock I still respect you but let’s attempt to expose the problems without stereotyping all our folks. We do need to check our behavior. Especially those behaviors that are self-destructive and artifical and rooted around money defining who we are. However, you have picked the wrong side, and may even be the personification of what Frantz Fanon called “Black Skin White Mask.” I do respect your opinion, I am just not afraid of my own kind.
