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Daily Dose: 7/3/17

Carmelo is ready to leave the Knicks

Clinton Yates By @clintonyates

1:14 PMI’m writing this on a plane, watching a documentary about Allen Iverson, my favorite basketball player of all time. You can expect this to be a very inspired post.

So, President Donald Trump had a pretty eventful weekend. After deciding it was a good idea to openly endorse violence against the media, he doubled down and told the world that one day we would all be forced to acknowledge his accomplishments. Mind you, he’s speaking with quite a few world leaders this week but somehow found the time to drop a Reddit meme on his Twitter feed. Tuesday is Independence Day in the United States of America. Just a reminder of where things are in this nation.

We’ve got another entry into the “things we been done known” category. If you weren’t aware, the specific parts of this nation that make the economy go are typically the most unseen and underappreciated. In other words, the people who do the jobs that some folks think they’re above are beyond vital to making sure that we all can live. So when a new report says Latinos are key to U.S. growth, this is obvious. Because people don’t pay attention to black and brown folks, this is somehow news.

The Essence Festival has come to a close, which means your aunties will have quite a bit to talk about for a couple of months. This year, the homey Mayor Mitch Landrieu showed up and dropped a “stay woke” for the people, Diana Ross reminded the world of how glorious she is and Jill Scott gave us all ‘fro goals for the rest of time. Then, Chance the Rapper hit the stage. One day, when I’m old enough to enjoy this properly, I’m going to do it and do it well. Until then, I’ll read about that life online and wish from afar.

Carmelo Anthony’s life is fascinating. He plays for the New York Knicks but also gets paid a boatload of money to basically just shoot the basketball. He also is married to La La, and that’s come with its own drama. But now, because his team fired Phil Jackson, there’s a thought that he might actually leave New York. Which means he might get to join his close personal friends LeBron James or Chris Paul to hoop wherever he likes. Which means that we might get the banana boat crew back together!

Free Food

Coffee Break: I once met a guy who said that when ordering steak, “anything more cooked than medium rare is uncivilized.” I still laugh at the casual elegance with which he said it, and how he was dead serious in such a matter-of-fact way. Here’s an interesting breakdown of how Americans order their steak. Hint: It’s not a pretty sight.

Snack Time: What if I told you that, in the year of our Lord 2017, Public Enemy was still making music? Would you believe me? Well, you have no choice. Because it’s true.

Dessert: Happy holidays, kiddos.

TU_ALLDAY_1920X1080 All Day Podcast

All Day Podcast: 6/30/17

What is the state of black television today?

Clinton Yates By @clintonyates

4:44 PM

 

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | ESPN App | RSS | Embed

Hey, gang, I’ve been in California all week, and this episode reflects it. I’m in San Diego, and it’s beautiful out here, so we stuck with a theme of the Golden State for the show. First, I sat down with Amy Aniobi of HBO’s Insecure. She’s the TV producer and writer who’s written and been a part of all sorts of shows from network to cable to the internet.

We talked for nearly a half-hour, and she explained how she got into the TV industry, who her influences were and what she considers to be classic shows. Then, taking things a little more personally, she discussed her feelings about when she felt she really belonged in the Hollywood world. Lastly, I asked her about who among her peers she thought was doing well and what’s next on her plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQntBFGoNXQ

In the final segment, I had to address something that happened on WWE’s Monday Night Raw. LaVar Ball made an appearance and brought his sons LaMelo and Lonzo, the No. 2 overall NBA draft pick for the Los Angeles Lakers, along too. While they did all the usual promo stuff, things went a tad awry when Melo started dropping N-bombs on a live mic. It wasn’t a great look, but let’s be real. The kid is in high school.

I gave my thoughts on why this will never be a big deal in my world and also point out that Vince McMahon, onetime CEO and owner of WWE, has done the same on the air as well. So, let’s just be real. That’s a far more egregious violation, and most people don’t even know that actually happened.

Overall, New York last week, California this week. We’ll see where next week takes us. Enjoy!

 

US-ENTERTAINMENT-JAY-Z Daily Dose
In this photo taken June 26, 2017, a New York City bus with an advertisement for Jay-Z’s anticipated new album “4:44” turns a corner in midtown New York City. Earlier this week, Jay-Z announced that official listening parties will take place across the US on June 29. Guest hosts will play the album in specific Sprint stores located in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and more ahead of its June 30 release. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Daily Dose: 6/30/17

It’s not about Jay-Z being back, it’s about never leaving

Clinton Yates By @clintonyates

9:57 AMI got to ride bikes with an X Games gold medalist Thursday, so that was superfun. I also happen to be really falling in love with the city of San Diego, but that’s a different story for another time.

There was only one way for Jay to go with this new album. He’d done the gimmicky “look at my new partnership deal” already. He’d done the luxury rap nonsense with more than one project. Listening to Shawn Carter stunt on people about how rich he was had already gotten old before he had gotten old. He had to come with some actual dad rap, as in, with the wisdom of a man with kids. He did it. He nailed it, and 4:44 is a fantastic album. Listen to him break down every song and its meaning. Deacon Hov is very much in the building.

When you got a lot going on in your life, you get sleep where you can. If you take public transportation, that can mean sleeping on the bus or the train. For me, this life started back in middle school. After I stayed up all night talking to girls on the phone, the commute across town was definitely sleep time. I’d miss my stop sometimes, but not usually. Somehow I’d trained my brain. As an adult, it served me well too. The question is, how does that actually work? And can you actually get decent sleep that way?

In India, cows are sacred. As a result, many people do not eat beef, and if a cow decides it wants to sit in the middle of a crowded street, you basically just have to deal with it, in your car. Also in India, like pretty much everywhere else in the world, women do not get the respect they deserve. And violence against women is rampant. Various gang rapes have occupied the headlines in recent years, leading to the question: Are cows treated better than women in India? One photographer is raising awareness about this with an incredible picture campaign.

Let me take a wild guess. You don’t spend a lot of time watching polo. You know, the sport where the riders wear white pants and long boots on horses and hit a small ball with a mallet? Aka, horse croquet? To call it old school is a major understatement, and as a result it’s not something that very many black people do. Never mind black women. So when Shariah Harris takes the field at the Greenwich Polo Club’s Silver Cup this weekend, she’ll be the first black woman to play that tier of the game. Good for her.

Free Food

Coffee Break: I’ve been telling you all about 3-on-3 basketball for a while. It’s fun, it’s quick and it’s not gimmicky, which is why it’s coming to the Olympics in 2020. The FIBA U18 World Cup is happening as we speak, and half the fun is a guy named Kyle Montgomery, who’s handling the broadcast. This is worth your time on a side screen.

Snack Time: The likelihood that I ever actually buy anything from Supreme is extremely low. But I’ll definitely be checking for these collaboration drops, and the latest with Louis Vuitton is super fuego.

Dessert: Yeah, this fight won’t even be close. Enjoy your holiday weekends, kiddos. Safety first.

Indianapolis Colts v Washington Redskins Daily Dose
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 17: Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins watches his team warm up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at FedExField on October 17, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Colts defeated the Redskins 27-24. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images) Photo by Larry French/Getty Images

Daily Dose: 6/29/17

Clinton Portis was this close to doing something horrible

Clinton Yates By @clintonyates

11:52 AMI’ll be on the West Coast for the rest of this week, shooting some things for the X Games coming up next month. My body clock is a little screwy but the weather is great, so no complaints from me.

The president woke up Thursday morning and decided he was going to tweet disparaging messages about a woman’s face. That woman happens to be Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, which she co-hosts with her fiancé Joe Scarborough. The man is the leader of the free world and taking shots at television hosts over who looked like what at his luxury estate. Meanwhile, Trump’s personal bodyguard, now a White House aide, is being looked at in a probe to determine whether he had any link to Russia. As my coaches used to say: Priorities, people. Priorities.

We have another entry into our newly famous file. The list of “things black folks have been telling y’all forever but you refused to listen” is now more than we can count on one hand. The latest, done by Georgetown University — you know, the one that saved itself back in the day by selling slaves — is telling us that Americans view black girls as inherently less innocent that white ones. You don’t say! Next thing I know they’ll be telling me that most people don’t like ceding right of way to black folks when walking on the street!

A decade ago Thursday, the world changed. That’s because it was the day that Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone to the world. If you don’t think that was one of the most important moments of your lifetime, I don’t know what to tell you. At this stage, for me, I have no idea what my life would be like without it. I use it for my job, for my personal life and for everything in between. Listen to people laugh at this when it’s first presented. It’s wild.

Clinton Portis is about that action. Years ago, he got involved in some financial deals that ended up fleecing him and quite a few professional athletes. It involved quite a few guys from Florida, specifically. But the former NFL running back didn’t plan on taking his swindling sitting down. He was a big spender and, eventually, nearly lost it all. As a result, he was ready to kill a man who ruined him financially. Like, actually shoot with a gun and murder. Thankfully, a friend talked him out of it. What a story.

Free Food

Coffee Break: It looks like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is finally trying to make some moves in the right direction. On Wednesday, it invited 774 new members to the fray, a record-breaking number. The goal here is to make it less white and less male. Now if they can just get competent folks to hand out envelopes.

Snack Time: This remake of Jumanji looks excellent. The original was a flick that was just outside of my age interest at the time, but I’m all the way in on this remake with The Rock and Kevin Hart. Check it out.

Dessert: Hate to ruin your day, but this is one of the most terrifying things I’ve seen.

Daily Dose

Daily Dose: 6/28/17

Finally, the Chicago cops who killed Laquan McDonald are indicted

Maya A. Jones By @mjay615

4:52 PMClinton is traveling west on assignment, so I’m filling in. And the news never stops.

Hump day is filled with NBA news. Phil Jackson! Carmelo Anthony! Chris Paul! Paul George! On Wednesday morning, five of Twitter’s top 10 terms contained the name of an NBA player, attached to breaking trade news and rumors. The news of Jackson and the New York Knicks mutually agreeing to part ways doesn’t come as a surprise, considering Jackson’s unpopular team decision-making and rocky relationship with Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony. The most surprising news on Wednesday’s radar may be the Los Angeles Clippers’ deal that will send star point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets in exchange for small forward Sam Dekker, guard Patrick Beverley, guard Lou Williams and a top-three protected 2018 first-round draft pick. Along with the trade came swirling rumors that Anthony and Indiana Pacers guard/forward Paul George will soon join Paul in H-Town, if the Rockets have anything to do with it. Yep, it’s that kind of day. Refresh and you might miss the next big trade.

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A little justice, with a side of skepticism. Three years after the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, three Chicago police officers have been indicted on felony charges of conspiring to cover up details of the shooting to protect Officer Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke, who was charged with murder, responded to the radio call that McDonald had been breaking into cars and had a knife. After McDonald punctured the patrol car’s tire with his knife, Van Dyke shot him 16 times after the teen had fallen to the ground and was no longer a threat. The officer moved to reload his weapon and only held fire after being instructed by his partner to do so. According to the Chicago Tribune, the indictment alleged that Detective David March and Officers Joseph Walsh and Thomas Gaffney made false police reports, ignored contrary evidence and obstructed justice “to shield” Van Dyke from criminal investigation and prosecution. The three officers are set to be arraigned on July 10 in Chicago.

The Central Park Five receive long-overdue accolades. In 1989, life changed drastically for a group of five teens, ages 14 to 16, who went from being normal teenagers to doing hard time for a crime they didn’t commit. The teens, who were wrongfully accused of the brutal rape of a woman jogging in Central Park, served various sentences ranging from seven to 13 years before being exonerated by DNA evidence. Although the five men have since reached settlements that total nearly $45 million, the time they lost during their teen years will never be replaced. Yet, three men were determined to finish their education. On Monday, Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson and Raymond Santana Jr. were invited to participate in the Bronx Preparatory High School graduation ceremony, where they sported caps and gowns while receiving honorary diplomas. The men received their GEDs and associate degrees but were denied a ceremony during their time in prison. This time around, all eyes were on them. “We are honored. We are hopeful. We are blessed. And we accept,” Salaam said.

ABC’s “The Bachelorette” – Season 13 The Bachelorette
As the two-on-one date between Kenny and Lee amps up, Kenny, the fierce professional wrestler, meets Lee head on about the accusations he made to a stunned Rachel. Thomas Lekdorf/ABC via Getty Images

In another world, Rachel and Kenny would have been perfect for each other

After four black guys are eliminated on ‘The Bachelorette,’ we’re left with just Eric

By @yerraaa

1:10 PMRachel, I doubted you, but you pulled through and made the right choice: Lee is gone, y’all! Bachelor Nation can now enjoy The Bachelorette (sorry, Chicago!) without feeling guilty about watching a racist dude pine after a black woman. But even with Lee out of the picture, Kenny wasn’t safe. He just couldn’t walk away from the two-on-one without some choice final words for Lee, none of which are appropriate for me to repeat here. His decision to go back irked Rachel, but Kenny eventually got the rose.

Here’s where things got really good. We all know Kenny is a devoted father, so much so he’s apparently the only cast member who is allowed to have contact with the outside world. If you’re not ugly-crying during his emotional Skype sessions with his 10-year-old daughter, McKenzie, well, you’re just not here for the right reasons. On Monday night, Clinton (who so graciously allows me to take over every now and again) wondered why Kenny stayed at all, given how he had to put up with such nonsense from Lee. Tuesday night, Kenny answered that question: “The potential impact that Rachel could have in our lives is the reason I’m still here.” He’s so devoted to his daughter.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough, as after a heart-to-heart with Rachel she let him go because she knew how much of a toll being away from McKenzie was for him. And he left graciously, acknowledging how smart and insightful Rachel is. Kenny was willing to give up Rachel for his daughter, which is all we can hope and ask for. I’m not crying, you are! I hope it works out with Rachel and whoever she does pick, because if it doesn’t work out with that guy, I think she’ll regret that Kenny slipped through her grasp.

There were other, not so gracious exits. Oh, Josiah. You were never as cool as you thought you were.

Also leaving the show were Anthony and Will. Neither man had anything wrong with him per se, but they didn’t have what Rachel’s looking for. Let’s talk about Will. I won’t even get into his dating history (white girls). The more pertinent thing is the way he behaved around Rachel. He was extremely respectful, to the point of emotional and physical distance. As we’ve seen time and time again with some of the more assertive guys, Rachel isn’t looking for a guy who takes his time, and a lot of the men on the show hover somewhere between shy and respectful, depending on how you look at who you’re rooting for.

But here’s the thing: Rachel is a power bottom. She’s looking for that guy who will take charge and scoop her in for a kiss without asking first. Will wasn’t willing to step up to the plate, so Rachel sent him packing after their one-on-one. She was insulted when he told her about how passionate he was in past relationships (with white women), and she had every right to be because he wasn’t showing her any of that passion. Will doesn’t have to try so hard to elucidate passion with white women, I guarantee you. Just his big, black presence is enough for them. Rachel clearly didn’t appreciate being Will’s black girl experiment. This is, perhaps, the learning moment we’ve been waiting for.

At this point there are two clear front-runners: Bryan and Eric. From day one, Rachel has been extremely attracted to both men, but they offer very different things. Bryan is the alpha of the pack and exudes sex appeal. He’s suave, but we don’t really know that much about him, which is unusual at this point in the game. It’s looking more and more like he’s a loser in cool clothing. Eric is the sweeter of the two, and his eagerness at the prospect of a relationship makes up for the fact that he doesn’t move as fast as Bryan. Plus, he’s an open book.

There are also two dark horses:

Seriously, who are these guys and how did they get a rose when Alex didn’t?! I can’t believe they’re still here when four (4!) black guys were eliminated in one episode. I can’t wait for next week.

Clinton Yates contributed to this report.

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