This blog is scheduled to be the last
one prior to the return of the beloved interactive sharlogs. Absence of the sharlog for all of these
recent weeks was due in large measure to computer and software problems…
problems which at last have been completely addressed and rectified. The narrative on the next sharlog dealing
with the Amtey autopsy report has been completed, and will most likely be
narrated within 24 hours. Its estimated
date of posting will hopefully be by the end of the week. The topic of the sharlog to follow will focus
on the State and media witch-hunt that has been underway against Mike Nifong
for seemingly an eternity.
Media discrediting Rashad McCants
Word count: 1,096
Well, the media is at it again… using
one of its most effective weapons in its arsenal of devious tricks –
discrediting an individual to minimize one’s message. This was used for a lengthy period against me
when I tried to alert the media and public of problems within the state’s
medical examiner system… long before The
News & Observer five-part series titled “Fatally flawed.” The
News & Observer in particular tried to mute my public service message
by painting me as an interloper and troublemaker in Mangum’s recent murder
case. It repeatedly wrote about how the
State Bar was investigating me… giving the impression that I was illegally
practicing law. Yes, I did attempt to
lend what help I could for Mangum who I accurately predicted would be given the
Judas Iscariot treatment by her defense attorney. However, the most scathing and malicious
article would come from The Indy Week
of August 22, 2013 which was essentially nothing more than a hatchet job. I knew that it would be shortly after I
approached a writer with the weekly about doing a story about the problem with
the medical examiner in Mangum’s case.
Instead, the focus of the article was focused on gossip related to
issues that occurred one or two decades ago and having no relevance on North
Carolina lives. Although the excellent
cover by Chris Williams accurately depicted my objectives and motivation
(depicted as a caped superhero saving Lady Justice), the story was meant to
have the opposite effect… one of discrediting and diminishing my influence.
Scott Fowler, a McClatchy sports
commentary writer for the Charlotte
Observer, in an article in the July 11, 2014 edition of The News & Observer titled “Jamison
calls McCants a ‘clown’” does his best to discredit Rashad McCants, the UNC-CH
basketball star who recently opened up to ESPN in an interview pertaining to
the academic and athletic so-called scandal.
Specifically McCants, who was part of the 1995 Championship UNC team
under popular head coach Roy Williams stated that his academic eligibility was
in jeopardy and that Coach Williams helped insure that McCants, a star on the
team, would remain eligible. In being
frank, McCants said that it was his belief that Coach Williams was aware that
he was enrolled in fail-proof classes provided through the African and
Afro-American Studies Department under the much maligned department head Julius
Nyang’oro.
Antawn Jamison, a UNC-CH basketballer
under Coach Williams began his collegiate career after McCants had left the
university and credited his insights on McCants’ character as stemming from
observing McCants during summer visits he would make to the Chapel Hill
area. For example, Jamison is said to
have noticed McCants’ talents and lack of focus… whatever that means. The article didn’t delve into what Jamison
meant when he referred to McCants’ lack of focus. Whether or not McCants was focused or lacked
focus, that has nothing to do with McCants’ credibility. When McCants says he didn’t write papers and
didn’t attend class, I believe him. When
McCants said that he thought Roy Williams was aware of his academic situation,
I believe that that is what he sincerely believed. Whether that was reality is something else
that only the coach can answer. From
what I have heard from McCants on interviews and from what I’ve read in the
newspapers, I strongly am of the belief that Coach Williams was more involved
with keeping his star performers academically eligible than he let has let on.
The newspaper article made it appear
as though McCants’ statements covered widespread academic misconduct involving
others as well as himself. To my
knowledge, though it may be limited, McCants talked exclusively about his
situation and did not delve into that of his teammates and other players.
Fowler quotes Jamison as saying of
McCants, “I just think he’s a clown. I
think he’s in a situation where he’s looking for attention. It’s just sad.” What does Jamison mean by his statement that
he thinks McCants is a clown? I don’t
know. Fowler doesn’t follow up on the
statement. For Jamison to state that he
believes McCants’ actions are because he’s seeking attention is extremely weak
and is quite often overused. Many
commenters to my blog site frequently accuse me of seeking attention when I
attempt to bring attention to injustices in the State’s legal system. The main reason I am forced to do so is
because the mainstream media has failed to provide this important service for
the people of North Carolina. From what
I’ve seen of McCants, it does not appear to me that he is seeking
attention. What would be his purpose for
seeking attention? What would be the
purpose for me to seek attention?
Attention is the last thing I want, but one cannot be an effective advocate
by being anonymous… and effective and credible advocate must lend his name in
order to show commitment to the causes he supports.
Jamison is also quoted as accusing
McCants of trying to “throw a black cloud over everyone who’s done it the right
way.” Again, Fowler journalistically
fails to follow-up in order to understand the essence and accuracy of Jamison’s
statement. As I have stated, I have
never seen or heard McCants denigrate others or even discuss the situation of
other players academically or otherwise.
Finally, Fowler, through Jamison,
tries to make it appear that McCants’ interviews with ESPN and other media is
vendetta-driven because of McCants’ relationship with the university… in
particular, quoting Jamison as saying about McCants, “Don’t try to bring down a
university because you don’t have a good relationship with the coaching
staff.” Where does Jamison come off
making such a statement about an athlete with whom he didn’t play and whose observations
come from occasionally seeing him every now and then during the summer?
It is clear to me that it’s not
McCants who has an agenda in all of this, but Antwan Jamison. He was not picked up after a lengthy 16-year
NBA career, and is currently trying to latch on to play for the Charlotte
Hornets for at least another year. What
better way to achieve that than by coming to the support of a beleaguered
legendary and much loved basketball coach by helping to take the wind out of
the sails of McCants whose motives in coming forward seem nothing more than
altruistic to me.
I must hand it to Scott Fowler… he
did an excellent job of subtly discrediting Rashad McCants. It certainly wasn’t overkill like the August
22, 2013 Indy Week article about me. nn
Follow-up on P. J. Hairston
Word count: 451
My last blog in defense of P. J.
Hairston may have been a bit hasty.
Going solely by the account in The
News & Observer, in which Hairston’s spokesperson said the high
schooler initiated the shoving and
punching exchanges, I charged in to defend Hairston who has been unfairly
targeted by the media. However, as
events have developed it seems as if there was no shoving during the match, and
that the one or two punches thrown by Hairston were unprovoked, unanswered by
the high school player, and occurred outside the heat of competitive sports
battle.
Like Pope Francis and the Man from
Nazareth, I do not condone violence, and it appears that Hairston was clearly
in the wrong. I find no fault in the
parents of the youth seeking out a warrant under the circumstances. It is my hope that this episode helps make
Hairston a better person… that he learns from his bad behavior and doesn’t
repeat it in the future.
Unlike politicians and many in the
media, I own up to my errors in judgment and have the courage to admit
them. Overall, my last blog about
Hairston missed the mark. See, I don’t
go around trying to make excuses. I
think that part of the problem is that many people think of me as being
perfect, so the important thing is to remember that I am a human being, just
like everyone else, and am therefore capable of making a mistake… on extremely
rare occasions.
The other stories in the news about
Hairston… switching his car with Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon and
having an agent who is not registered should not be brought before the public
as character issues. So he switched cars
with an NFL bad boy… is that against the law?
And so what if his agent is not registered? Maybe he didn’t do his homework like he
should have in selecting him, but if anything it seems like he is the victim
here, if anything.
Even though Hairston disappointed me
in the YMCA pickup basketball game, that does not give the media the right to
scrutinize his every move. Instead of
trying to get the Hornets to fire him, why write and broadcast constructive
stories. During last year’s basketball
season the media had the chance to attack the parasitic NCAA cartel for its
draconian suspension of Hairston, but it didn’t. Fowler should’ve teed off on the avaricious
NCAA members and their self-serving policies that come at the expense of
student athletes. Had Fowler defended
Hairston’s right to play basketball last season, UNC might have made it to the
Final Four… maybe even winning the national title outright. nn
