ARTICLE FROM theroot.com (Full story click here)

What a surprise to see a school here in Seattle make the national news. If you are from Seattle and grew up in the Central Area of Seattle, you already know about Garfield High School. It is known for it’s many titles in basketball and also for it’s nationally known jazz band along with the school I went to high school at Roosevelt High.

But Garfield High made the news for another reason the last few days. Because the entire football team took a knee during the national anthem before a game with West Seattle here in Seattle. Not just the players but the head coach and the rest of the coaches. Plus some of West Seattle players also took a knee during the anthem before the game. It was something the players on the Garfield Bulldogs wanted to do.

Of course the anthem protest was started by former guest (two times) on “Music Inner City TV/”Sports Inner City TV”, 49er QB Colin Kaepernick. He started the protest because of what he felt was unfair treatment of African Americans and people of color here in the United States. And it has spread big time all over the U.S. among football players in the pros and now high school sports. There has been protests in the soccer arena and more.

Of course you have uninformed guys like Tony La Russa who recently blasted Kaepernick and his protest. This is from a guy who if you Google his name and then look for his problems with African American baseball players he managed, you will see La Russa had a lot of problems with African Americans and has been called a racist more than once. Heck he is with a team now, the Arizona Diamondbacks that has a grand total of ONE African American player in former Mariner Rickie Weeks. So I think La Russa needs to chill and not say anymore on this topic.

You have others like Trent Dilfer and Boomer Esiason and more who have joined La Russa in speaking out against the anthem protest. And even….yes Donald Trump. On the other hand their are sports icons like Hall Of Fame members Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabber and entertainer and another icon Harry Belafonte and actress Kerry Washington and more are supporting what Kaepernick started.

Shout out to Garfield High School and Head Coach Joey Thomas for realizing at a young age that racism is alive and well in America. I deal with it EVERYDAY as a Adult School Crossing Guard with the Seattle Public Schools. I deal with the “slient” racism which is the worse kind. We will be doing more stories on this very interesting topic. Because it is not going away anytime soon.

“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

More Seattle Seahawks news coming at ya on “Sports Inner City TV” webcast that will include “In The Locker Room” of the Seattle Seahawks and more!

First of all I am happy as hell because FOOTBALL IS BACK!! And since I was not packing my stuff to head to Century Link to cover the game, I was parked in front of my big screen starting in the early morning on Sunday to get ready for the 10am games on NFL Red Zone.

Who ever thought of the NFL Red Zone, thanks for doing this for us football fans because the Red Zone is off the chain!! Going from one game to another game. And there was some great games on the 1st Sunday of the season. And one of the great games was here in Seattle.

The Seahawks hosted the Miami Dolphins at Century Link Field which is only 5 minutes from my apartment.

This was a tough game for the Seahawks. We already knew that the O line was a huge question mark. And we saw that question mark during the game. For the first 11 times Seattle had the ball, they punted six times. They also had a few turnovers. The Hawks ended up with only a few field goals. Seahawks fans for sure are not used to seeing their team score so little. We are used to seeing Russell Wilson running all over the field and throwing touchdowns and our running game racking up the yards game after game. But not this game.

A big scare happened in the 3rd quarter to QB Russell Wilson when he was sacked by Portland, Oregon’s own Ndamukong Suh. He suffered an ankle injury. After that injury he did not look to good. But he hung in their even though he was moving very lightly. It will be interesting to see if this injury will hang around for awhile.

Anyway in the 4th, and the Seahawks behind by 4 points, Wilson led the team on a 14 play, 75 yard drive. And the drive ended in a short 2 yard td pass to Doug Baldwin. Folks Baldwin is really turning into a really good player who has national press saying some very good things about him. That is great for Doug.

Hawks won 12-10 but of course this was not a easy win. And now it is on to next game on the road in Los Angeles and first home game for a NFL team on L.A. in two decades.This will not be a easy game.

Russell Wilson was 27-43 for 258 yards and one td and one int. Christine Michael was 15 for 66 yards and Thomas Rawls was12 for 32 yards. Doug Baldwin caught nine passes for 92 yards. And Jermaine Kearse caught five passes for 57 yards. KJ Wright led the Seahawks with 11 tackles. with three solo tackles. He played a great game as did Jeremy Lane who was all over the field.

So now it is back to practice to get ready for the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams always play the Seahawks very tough when they were the St. Louis Rams. By the way how do you think the fans in St. Louis will feel watching the Rams first regular season game in L.A? Of course we know the feeling because our Seattle Sonics left here for the dust town Oklahoma City in 2008. I will report on that next week.

“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

It was sad what I watched this past Thursday in the first NFL game of the season between the teams that met in the Super Bowl, the champs Denver Broncos vs the Carolina Panthers in Denver.

Sad because of the mistreatment of NFL MVP QB Cam Newton. This cat took a beating by the Broncos. A beating to the head and the refs allowed it to happen. The question is why? Were the refs blind like the late great Ray Charles or another icon Stevie Wonder? What in the hell were the refs looking at? They did not see that Cam was getting blasted by helmet to helmet hits? What I saw was a outrage.

And I am reading today that the NFLPA and the NFL are going to review the handling of the hits on Newton. Well duh!! Hell yeah they need to review the hits because what I saw was totally out of line!! If you like Cam or not, you have to admit something wrong was going on.

Where in the HELL was the medical team’s response to the blatant hits on Newton? There was ZERO calls for the new Concussion Protocal in the NFL to help Cam.  Newton took about four helmet to helmet hits on Thursday night’s game in which the Panthers got beat 21-20 in a very exciting game. Newton took a vicious hit on the Panthers last series. Heck only one penalty was called.

Readers when Cam took took the big helmet to helmet hit, he laid on the damn ground hurt.  Nothing was done. The medical officials I guess looked at video and refs went over to Newton when he finally got up and in their opinion, he was OK. The NFL on this past Friday said the leagues concussion protocal was done right. In my opinion that was BS!! It was NOT handled right.

I can go on and on about the mistreatment of Cam Newton. Because readers as a sports fan, I was and still am real upset about how Newton was treated by the refs and the NFL in all the hits he took in the game. Plain as day. Helmet to helmet hits. Basically no calls. The refs said “Oh this is Cam Newton getting hit in the helmet, good for him. I am not going to call shit.” That is what happened.

Remember this is Cam Newton. The man who dances and wears Superman stuff and daps and does commercials and other things. I remember games last season when Cam hit hard and late and nothing was called. This is becoming a habit. Is this a “payback” by refs to say they were not going to call stuff on the showboat Cam Newton? I say YES! And this is very very wrong sports fans.

I do not care if you are a fan of the Seahawks for which I am or what ever. The lack of calls against Cam Newton was one of the worst things I have ever seen in sports and I hope I never see again.

“One Man’s Opinion” by Gordon Curvey

I am a sports fan who loves sports. I grew up loving football, basketball and baseball. But as I get older my love for baseball has really decreased big time.

I see young inner city kids turning away from the sport by age 12 or 13 to play only football and basketball. Young inner city kids do not even know any African American MLB players names!! This is shocking. I know this because I am a Adult School Crossing Guard on the side for the Seattle Public Schools. And I did a poll of about 20 African American kids.

They were about 11, 12 and 13. I asked them have they heard of Matt Kemp or Andrew Mccutchen or David Price. None of them had ever heard of the players! None of them. This is amazing.

But these same kids know who Curry is and who KD and Westbrook and Russell Wilson are etc. They know the number they wear on their jersey and their average per game and more! This is sad. One of the reasons these kids do not like baseball is one thing…it is boring and to slow. Which sorry to say, it is true readers. Lately I have seen too many three hour or more games by our Seattle Mariners. Something needs to be done.

One thing that can be done is a time clock for pitchers. Less than 20 seconds to pitch. Pitchers are taking to long to pitch. Also batters who wear batting gloves have to stop messing with their gloves. EVEN AFTER A PITCH IN WHICH THEY DO  NOT SWING!! This also slows down the game a lot. Maybe it is a habit. But it needs to stop. The Mariners Robinson Cano is guilty of this.

Also another thing that slows the game down is visits to the mound by catchers. There needs to be a limit to this going on. Also when a pitcher wants to put a runner on, why is it the pitcher has to throw four wide pitches? This REALLY slows the game down big time.

Old school baseball fans do not think changes should be made. Leave the game alone. Well I strongly disagree!! Changes need to be made and made now. Three hour games is ridiculous. NBA and NFL games move at a quick pace. Unlike baseball games. If MLB wants to reach young inner city kids again, then they have to make some changes to the game. Let’s hope they do this.

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I am sure that many many of you will disagree with me and what I am about to say here on my website. I may get blackballed from covering Seahawks games at Century Link or something. Who knows.

If so, I am sorry but it is truly how I feel about 49er QB and former guest on “Music Inner City Television” Colin Kaepernick. (pic with myself and Kaepernick)

First of all I am sure many of you have never met Colin. Well I have met him and interviewed him. He has appeared on “M.I.C-TV” two times. I interviewed him a few years ago in Los Angeles at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party. And he also appeared on our program a few years ago at the Body@ESPYs pre show for the ESPYs also in L.A. Interviewed by Curtis “Boss” Elerson.

Kaepernick is a very intelligent young man. I am hearing and reading a bunch of crap from mostly white folks concerning Colin and his decision not to stand for the national anthem before a 49er per-season game. Ladies and gentlemen I DO NOT have a problem with Kaepernick and his protest.

And if he wants to not stand for the anthem all season, I do not have a problem with that. Colin feels America has not treated African Americans and people of color well and it is the truth. Kaepernick feels America allows racial inequality. Well it is the truth. If you think racism has got better in America because the first African American President..President Barack Obama was elected  and re-elected, you are wrong folks.

It does not matter if you have millions like Colin or if you are homeless, a black man experiences racism in one way or another EACH AND EVERY DAY! This is a fact. When Colin says his stance is bigger than football and it would be selfish on his part to look at it any other way. I agree again with Colin.

He said that he was not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. He also said there are bodies in the street and people are getting paid leave and getting away with murder.

Yes, many folks think Kaepernick not standing for the anthem is disrespectful to America. People are saying he picked the wrong way of taking a stance. Well who says? In his mind he feels his way was the way to get attention. I do not have a problem with his feelings.

I have just learned that the great Jackie Robinson said in 1972 that he does not stand up and sing the anthem because of what black people experience in America. WOW!! Jackie Robinson said this folks!! A sports icon and legend! Now decades later, Kaepernick is basically saying what the great Jackie Robinson said decades ago. So now are certain people are going to bash Robinson in his grave? Ummm?

Guys like Seattle Seahawks player Richard Sherman says Colin could have picked another way of speaking up. Well I disagree with Sherman and by the way this is not the first time I have disagreed with Sherman. Real talk. A lot of times I agree with him, a lot of times I do not.

Some say he has basically made his way out of the 49ers camp by taking his stance. He was in a battle for the starting QB position. Head coach Chip Kelly already has a rep for really not getting along with African American players. Would it be a good look for Kelly to cut Colin now? I would say HELL NO!! He would catch hell from the NAACP, the Urban League, Rev Al Sharpton’s National Action League and Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. Not a good look.

You know what REALLY REALLY GETS ME PISSED? It is listening to sports radio hosts who let’s keep it real, who are mainly white, TRYING to discuss a issue THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT!! And that is the topic of RACE AND RACISM.

I just listened sports radio KJR and Dave Mahler on the Kaepernick situation. I listened to a point then I had to turn the radio off with a quickness and that is for sure.  Mahler TRIED to give his CLUELESS opinions on race and racism. DAVE MAHLER AND MOST WHITE SPORTS RADIO HOSTS DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN WHITE DOMINATED AMERICA!!!!!

It turned the radio off when Mahler started to take calls from KJR’s target audience….white suburb living, no African American friends or associates, no knowledge of our society or our culture listeners. Who of course would get on the radio and blast Kaepernick. Then Mahler had the nerve to have a African American former Seattle Seahawks player , Bryce Fisher on his show. I did not have to listen to know what Fisher was going to say because the brotha is a former member of the Air Force. You know he was going to disagree with Kaepernick and his protest.

It again shows something I have fought for and spoken out about for years and that is the inclusion, not the exclusion of African Americans as sports jocks on sports radio. Because readers IT IS A FACT, that whites and African Americans think differently on just about EVERYTHING, including the topics of race and racism.

Keep in mind readers that Colin has NOT broken any NFL rules. The 49ers released a statement supporting Kaepernick’s right to choose whether or not to acknowledge the national anthem.

I saw online that some brainless clowns have burned Kaepernick jerseys to protest the national anthem. Give me a break folks. Of course the folks doing this are NOT African Americans. Today thank goodness I have heard the leading scorer of all time in the NBA and now a community activist the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Seahawk player Michael Bennett and other sports stars support Colin and his protest. Including a mannwho is known for his famous protest in the Olympic’s back in the 60’s, Tommy Smith. That makes me very very happy. If you disagree me…sorry.

This young man is joining Lebron, Melo, CP3, D-Wade, WNBA players and more in speaking out in there own ways about police shooting of African Americans. Readers we know it is WRONG for police getting shot and killed. THIS IS A FACT. Also a fact is this. what Colin Kaepernick said is flat out true. And that is in just about EVERY killing of a African American by cops, they have not been charged or on PAID leave!! This hurts me, it hurts Kaepernick, hurts Melo, CP3, Lebron and D-Wade and millions of other folks.

YES, black on black crime is WRONG and it needs to stop. But also the killing of African Americans by police needs to stop. Sports radio hosts like Dave Mahler and others DO NOT spend time around African Americans in our community. They know NOTHING about us. They are guessing. They “wonder” about us. Guys like Dave Mahler on KJR here in Seattle NEED DIVERSITY TRAINING in a worst way!! It stands out like two left shoes the lack of knowledge guys like Mahler and other folks in the media when issues of race and racism like this Kaepernick protest comes up.

So again I am proud of Colin and protest. It makes me proud to see a man who in reality can take his millions and say f..k black folks! And not say anything about race or racism like Tiger Woods. Micheal Jordan in a surprise to everyone, recently donated to African American organizations and even spoke out about black folks getting shot by police as well as police getting shot. Colin can just get his millions, drive his Jag or Benz and be happy. He has decided not to do that!! He cares about the plight of black people.

The NBA and now the NFL. I am waiting on a few African American Major League Baseball players to stand up and speak out. Let’s see if this will ever happen. Until that time, shout out to Colin Kaepernick. A brotha who even with MILLIONS in the bank has not forgot where he has come from. That is a good look!!

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