We don’t want to accuse Stephen A. Smith of literally phoning in his columns – that’s just crazy talk.
However, yesterday he wrote the most rambling piece of garbage we’ve read since we reread our own posts from Friday. He says (we think) that the only reason Maurice Cheeks was hired to coach the Sixers was because he’s black, but now he needs to watch his step because he’s black. Or something.
Here’s the dirty little secret talked about amongst African Americans in the sports world: While the numbers are proliferating, methodically erasing the need to make an issue out of the paucity of black coaches in the game, it hasn’t changed the unwritten standard attached to their job description.
Most coaches are hired to win basketball games. Black coaches are hired to do so while keeping players under control. If this were not true, you still wouldn’t see many black coaches in this game.
Huh? What’s he saying exactly? Are white coaches hired because they let everyone run wild or something? Can black coaches lose as long as their players are under control? AI is “under control” and having his best season ever – why is Mo in trouble?
Maybe it actually comes back to winning and losing? Hasn’t Maurice Cheeks shown in both Philly and Portland it’s not something he can really do? Is it possible he’s just not a good coach? Where does race work into this at all? We can’t imagine SAS is just trying to be controversial – that’s not something he would do.
Perhaps we can gain some insight by looking at the first line of the column:
Maurice Cheeks is a black man.
Yes. Brilliance through the economic use of words. Now the last line:
That, in itself, is a problem he needs to fix. Now!
He writes just like he talks! We’ve been told we do that, as well, but we talk like a sane person generally. Now!
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He’s an idiot, but I kind of get what he is saying. From my knowlege the Sixers are out of control. No one respects Mo, and everyone on the team is at each others throats. And since Stephen A. thinks that is what all black coaches are hired for, that is why he thinks he is doing a bad job. He’s an idiot! I just enjoy hearing him pronounce Slava Medvedenko.
Since you’re not a black coach, you wouldn’t understand. Only us black coaches understand this, which means Stephen A. doesn’t even understand what he’s trying to understand. Ya understand?
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