Brother John's USA Yesterday

Of mosques and Muslims

Brother John — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:54:12 +0000

New York’s supposed to be the place where dreams are made, right? It’s the spot where folks with big ideas can make them happen. So how come all the drama from those against the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero? Find out here.

Jets, Revis go underground for contract talks

Brother John — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:06:07 +0000

The New York Jets and star cornerback Darrelle Revis reportedly are $40 million apart on agreeing to a contract with which both sides can live. Revis said he won’t play unless he gets what he wants. Word is there will be no more public comment on the matter until a deal is done. For more on the story, click here.

Brett Favre’s doing it again

Brother John — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:05:09 +0000

While you’re waiting to find out whether Brett Favre will play in the NFL this season, take a time out and think about this play call right The Return of Brett Favre" target="_blank">here.

President Wyclef?

Brother John — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:55:54 +0000

Singer Wyclef Jean has filed to run to become president of Haiti.

And for a change we have a candidate whose goodwill gestures weren’t about political posturing. Wyclef was helping his home country Haiti before that earthquake tore up the place.

For more perspective, click Wyclef for President " target="_blank">here.

Parts of hot Arizona law frozen

Brother John — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:24:14 +0000

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton dealt a blow to the Arizona immigration law.

So for now, cops in Arizona can’t ask Hispanic people to prove they’re in America legally. The judge is expected to rule on whether the parts of the law she froze should be permanently ruled unconstitutional.

For a viewpoint on this story, click here.

Don’t wince, Cincy fans — T.O.’s OK

Brother John — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:10:32 +0000

We dog athlete’s for having me-first mentalities.

Then when they put aside ego and join forces with other superstars, we still dog them.

Traditionally outspoken wide receiver Terrell Owens will be just fine sharing both the stage and the football with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, who’s not exactly the most bashful guy in the world, either.

The Bible talks about there coming a point where you put away childish things. I’m thinking T.O. will fall into that category.

It’s just like the Superfriends down in Miami. LeBron James, as bright as his star was, chose to dim his shine a bit to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to try to do something special with the Heat.

People grow. Priorities change. We’ve already seen that growth in T.O., which you’ll recall when you click here.

Messy Marvin

Brother John — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:57:02 +0000

That little dude N.C State University basketball coach Sidney Lowe has coming in to run the point for the Wolfpack is gonna give fits to UNC’s Larry Drew II.

I saw Ryan Harrow the other night at the summer league at N.C. Central University, and he ain’t as big as nothing. But that brother can leap out of this world! And he can really push the ball. Harrow’s like UNC’s former playmaker Ty Lawson on P90X.

Plus, I hear incoming Duke point guard Kyrie Irving is the truth.

Now, that’s just Tar Heel basketball. First, we have to get through UNC’s football season. And right about now that bunch in sky blue has a gray cloud hanging overhead.

UNC fans are worried whether Tar Heel linebacker Quan Sturdivant will spend more time lighting up ball carriers — or blunts.

Sturdivant getting caught with marijuana blows my mind, because I’m thinking elite athletes put only elite stuff in their bodies. But maybe it’s a thing where highly conditioned lungs and all can better handle the side effects of smoking reefer.

A couple of my buddies who played big-time college football made it clear guys back in the day were smoking dope. So this isn’t new. Reefer’s always been around. But these days it does seem like the blackened lips associated with marijuana smokers is more prevalent among everybody.

Of course, sports agents have been around for a long time, too. But Twitter accounts have not. And we’re learning account holders who get sloppy with their social media can get in trouble.

UNC defensive tackle Marvin Austin put his business out there for all the world to see. He referenced money and champagne and other things that bling. And if that didn’t tip off NCAA investigators, then it certainly stands to corroborate their suspicion that he was among those possibly shaking down sports agents looking to get cozy and represent them in the NFL.

Hush that talk about universities ripping off players by making money off the blood, sweat and tears they spill on the gridiron. It’d be one thing if Austin were a marginal player with no shot at the NFL. But he could’ve gone pro as a junior. Now he may miss his senior season in college because he didn’t apply what he’s used to keep from jumping offside when he’s anchored on the line of scrimmage:

Patience.

This agents-athletes issue comes down to avoiding unfair recruiting advantages for colleges and universities, Duke deputy athletics director Chris Kennedy said. Players can’t take what’s considered extra benefits from folks who aren’t family members. There’s wiggle room when it comes to preexisting relationships. But when it doubt, don’t, Kennedy explained.

It’s like this: Duke guard Nolan Smith is friends with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley. They were pals long before Beasley made it to the NBA.

But Kennedy said if Smith came to him talking about Beasley wanting to buy him a Benz or something, he’d tell him no.

“We want to preserve amateurism,” Kennedy said.

I wanted to speak with someone at UNC who deals with these compliance issues. UNC associate director of athletics for communications Steve Kirschner said those folks were tied up. I couldn’t imagine why.

But Kirschner didn’t shy away from my questions, like how come student-athletes can’t even accept stuff from innocuous dudes off the street.

“They’re called extra benefits,” Kirschner said.

Or let’s say a current UNC football player is friends with a UNC alum now in the NFL. The pro player only can give his college friend gifts that are comparable to what he would have given when the two were together in school, Kirschner said.

Now, Kirschner left it right there. He said he’s not in the business of interpreting the parameters of that rule.

But I am.

So what I hear Kirschner saying is if a former UNC player now in the NFL drove a raggedy Toyota Corolla with plastic wheel covers up and down Franklin Street while in college, then the current UNC player doesn’t need to be behind the wheel of his pro buddy’s Cadillac Escalade with the pimped-out rims. The student-athlete has to push the Corolla.

And exercise a little patience.

Pregnancy parable

Brother John — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:26:07 +0000

Here, meet Adam and Eve:

They’re a Christian couple who take their faith seriously. Which means even though the Bible doesn’t necessarily forbid drinking liquor, Adam and Eve don’t imbibe, because they don’t want to be a stumbling block to anybody.

And on the issue of abortion, Adam and Eve are the type of Christians who vowed to keep the baby if Eve were to get raped. Their belief is the baby would have nothing to do with the sin of sexual assault, so there’s no need to punish the child.

Listen, here’s how seriously they take their faith: You know that Scripture about not letting the sun go down on your wrath, not going to bed holding something against somebody? Well, these two many a night have stayed up late clearing the air.

But there was one night Adam and Eve actually went to bed upset with each other. And it was about an issue on which they believed they were in total agreement — abortion.

It’s like this: You’re a Christian, right? So you’re aware the Bible gives husbands authority over their wives. Right?

This isn’t about husbands being dictators. Wives have plenty of say-so in marriages. But at the end of the day, the husband has the authority to make the final call. And as long as the husband isn’t asking the wife to disobey God, the wife is to submit to the husband’s decision.

Right?

And what had Adam and Eve all worked up that night was a discussion they were having about another couple facing a rape-induced pregnancy. The pregnant wife’s doctor informed her she certainly would die if she delivered the baby, yet the expecting mother still wanted to carry the baby to term. She believed she had lived a good life and had accomplished some things for the kingdom of God, so she felt like the right thing to do was to give her unborn baby a shot at life.

But the pregnant woman’s husband wanted her around and believed an abortion would be justified.

“According to Scripture, that wife can’t deliver that baby,” Adam said.

“But it’s the woman’s body, so it’s her decision if she’d rather let the baby live!” Eve said.

“Wives are to submit to their husbands!” Adam preached.

So you can see why Adam and Eve weren’t their usual biblical selves that evening.

But, considering what’s biblical, who’s right in this parable?

Hong Kong Super Buffet

Brother John — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:19:34 +0000

My babies wanted Chinese food, so we pulled into the parking lot of Hong Kong Super Buffet.

Now, the place didn’t look like very much — at least not from the outside.

But inside? Oh, man, it was beautiful! Some of the freshest-looking fruit I’d seen all spring. The strawberries were sweet. And the pineapples were sweeter. That stuff sure enough didn’t come from a can.

The hot food was laid out just as nice. There were the egg rolls, the spring rolls, the fried rice — all of that.

Now, what always puzzles me about Chinese joints is the fried chicken. I don’t know about you, but I don’t associate Chinese people with fried chicken. But whatever works, I guess.

You know, the Bible speaks about this very thing. Naw, not finger-lickin’-good Chinese chicken. But Scripture puts forth the principle of not judging stuff by outward appearances. Like that time in 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel showed up in Israel to pick a new king after King Saul messed up. There was a man named Jesse who had a bunch of sons who to me and you would’ve looked more like king material than the man’s youngest boy, David, who is described along the lines of having a smooth, baby face like Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Which would seemingly translate as too soft and weak to be a king.

But God looks at people’s hearts. We skim the surface and judge that way. Image is everything, right? But God is deeper than that.

And had I not ventured inside Hong Kong Super Buffet, not only would I have missed out on some good food, but also I wouldn’t have witnessed the a decent serving of multiculturalism: Why, there I was with my two black babies. There were a host of Hispanic people (don’t say nothing to me about that Arizona anti-illegal immigrant law). And shortly before I gathered my girls to hit the door, a trio of obese white folks squeezed through the door looking like they were intent on shutting down the buffet. Glad we got there when we did.

Gender blender

Brother John — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:57:30 +0000

My male-specific multivitamins come with a warning on the bottle for me to consult my physician if I’m pregnant or nursing.

Huh?