Black NFL referee refused to work Redskins games in protest of racist team name

A former NFL referee told The Washington Post that he requested not to work home or away games for the Washington Redskins due to the team's controversial nickname.

Mike Carey, who retired after the 2013 season following 24 years in the league, says he requested off Washington's games beginning with the 2006 season because it became clear to him that "something disrespectful" was happening and being on the field "probably (was) not the best thing for me."

"Human beings take social stances," Carey, the first African-American referee to work a Super Bowl, told the newspaper. "And if you're respectful of all human beings, you have to decide what you're going to do and why you're going to do it.

Longtime NFL referee Mike Carey said "even if I didn't have Native American friends, the name of the team is disrespectful." "In America we've learned that respect is the most important thing that you have. I learned it from my parents, my schools, from my faith. And when you learn there's something that might not be as respectful as you like, when you come to terms with it, you have to do something about it."

"I know that if a team had a derogatory name for African-Americans, I would help those who helped extinguish that name. I have quite a few friends who are Native Americans. And even if I didn't have Native American friends, the name of the team is disrespectful."

Read more here: Mike Carey said no to Redskins

LAPD: DeSean Jackson not linked to gang activity

I'm glad that the LAPD released this statement. While most in the media have tried to be fair and take NJ.com's report that Jackson had gang involvement with a bit of skepticism many fans were not as nice. Even though the Philadelphia Eagles have not publicly cited that as a reason for Jackson's release many fans ignorantly went there anyway. Many jumped to conclusions about DeSean Jackson's gang involvement ( wonder why? ). DeSean Jackson wont get any apologies from those fans but at least he has been cleared of any wrong doing. George Cook AAReports.com

[ SOURCE ] Not long before the Philadelphia Eagles announced the release of DeSean Jackson, NJ.com reported the team was concerned by the pro bowl wide receiver’s “gang connections.“

It was reported that Jackson had relationships with two gang members linked to homicides in Los Angeles since 2010. The LAPD is now saying it has never linked the former Eagle to gang-related activity and that he wasn’t a suspect in the homicide investigations.

“It’s kind of like ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,’ ” LAPD Homicide Det. Chris Barling told the Philadelphia Daily News. “When people grow up in neighborhoods where you have gang involvement, you don’t have to look too far before you find a connection to a connection.

“Now, how sinister that connection is, our position is that’s for others to judge.”

Should the NFL attempt to ban the n-word?

Oh well here we go with another conversation about the use of the word nigger. ( I am not going to use the term n-word as we are all grown here. ) Right from the start let me state that the word nigger is one of the most vile and reprehensible words in our language. It's only use was and is to demean blacks and to make them feel inferior to others. If you think any differently then you really look into the history of the word and stop deluding yourself.

Now back to the conversation on the actual use of the word nigger. This conversation normally brings out some of the stupidest things that can possible be said.

Examples would be:

"Rappers and comedians use it all the time..."

"We use it as term of endearment..."

"It's just a word..."

"We are taking the word nigger back..."

It seems that this conversation sends us into bizzaro world. Today I was watching TV as two white men discussed the use of the word nigger and then defended a black man's right to call another man a nigger. WTF!

The two men's conversation stemmed from a proposed rule that would give a team a 15 yard penalty if a player used the word nigger during a game.

At first I laughed because I thought that it would be ridiculous to try to control what grown men say on a football field. Why should the NFL even try to ban the use of the word? But then I thought about it. It could be that the NFL and more importantly it's corporate partners and just tired of it and afraid that it may soon affect the bottom line. It could even be that the NFL has suddenly become socially aware and feels a sudden sensitivity toward it black players.. ( okay I'm pushing it )

I started to think of how the NFL could do this. The players may be in the NFL but playing football is their job. Just like you and me there are rules that we have to follow when at work. Most of us work at jobs were openly calling someone a nigger or using the word in front of the wrong person would get us fired or suspended. Why shouldn't it be the same for NFL employees. That's right I wrote employees. NFL players are employees and can be subject to workplace rules like the rest of us.

The NFL has the right to ban a word or words that it finds offensive in the workplace. ( Yes I know the NFL is somehow cool with the name Redskins but that's another article ).

Now even if the rule goes through I doubt that it will be called much or that it will change the players off the field behavior. But maybe just maybe it can make some think about their use of the word. If not the current players maybe the young men that follow them. That's about all we can hope for.

George Cook AAReports.com