Writing the Ship

So as many of you may have noticed--or not--I haven't posted anything to New Problem Tuesdays in nearly a year.  In case your curiosity may be overtaking you--and if it isn't, then let's pretend anyway--there are many reasons for my hiatus.  Between the 9-to-5 grind, family life, my other side hustle (i.e. music) and various other distractions, the usual suspects can easily be lined up and questioned.  However,there is a more heinous and culpable culprit who has prevented me from sharing one of my God-given talents and passions with you all: me.

If you've been a faithful follower of this blog since its inception in 2013, then one thing is clear: very few of my posts are short on words.  Because I have always allowed others to speak more than I do, everything that I want to say in face-to-face discussion vastly manifests itself in my writing.  With that said, it takes a lot of time and energy to get out all of my thoughts--often feeling like I still leave points on the field.  Thus, mental fatigue sets in trying to say things pursuant to my unique perspective. The thought of writing just ONE blog post let alone three to four often causes my brain to have a narcoleptic episode, consequently leading me to shut down and crawl into my jumbo-sized cubby hole.  So between the massive amount of police brutality cases, the shenanigans with the upcoming Presidential election and, of course, my favorite sport in the whole wide world, trust me when I tell you that I've had a whole lot to say about many topics; I just haven't felt like writing about any of it.

Scribbler's Black History Milestones: The Wide World of Sports

So I have a confession to make: in the past five years or so, I have not celebrated Black History Month in the way that I grew accustomed to doing when I was a child, teenager and young adult.  Maybe I've had a few self-righteous moments of feeling like Black history should be celebrated all year long.  Then again, maybe I was just too lazy to uncover more pivotal moments in our historical landscape.  Thus, one of the two ways that I have decided to commemorate Black History Month this year is to celebrate several people and/or events in different areas of our society that not only display the heritage of our people, but also provide a little more depth to the American narrative. After watching quite a few documentaries in the past week or so, I was inspired to begin this series in one of my favorite areas of discussion: sports.

Scribbler's Predictions: Super Bowl XLIX

So after having a bad case of the Bee Gees--and I don't mean Barry, Robin or Maurice--my planned summary of the AFC and NFC championship games couldn't get turned in on time last week.  Besides, there was only one game worth mentioning anyway in the improbable overtime thriller between the Packers and the Seahawks.  I usually don't watch non-Super Bowl games more than once, but being the largest comeback in any conference championship game and one of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history, I had to watch it again.  Conversely, I lost two-and-a-half hours of my life watching that debacle of a game now infamously known as "Deflategate" between the Patriots and some high school team from Indianapolis.  As far as I'm concerned, deflated footballs didn't matter since the Pats could've beaten the Colts with cement blocks tied to their ankles.  Anyway, we now have the two teams set to duke it out in Glendale, Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX, and there are many compelling smaller battles to explore within the bigger war.  Let's get at it, ladies and gents--well, it's probably more gents than ladies, but that's neither here nor there...

"I'm Not a Racist, But..."

Okay...so maybe you're not as racist as this guy.  Maybe your family never owned slaves.  Perhaps you don't walk up to the first person Black person you see and call him or her a "nigger".  There's a possibility that you don't believe in burning crosses on lawns or hanging "strange fruit" from trees and then having a ham sandwich and a cold glass of lemonade with the family to celebrate it.  However, you might be bold enough to say this...

I Kinda Miss Southeast

When the late, great Honorable Marion S. Barry, Jr., passed away on November 23rd, I realized that I missed more than just the undisputed "Mayor For Life" of Washington, D.C. and one of my most influential mentors.  Seeing so many faces in the crowds as his funeral procession came down Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue by "The Big Chair" or while attending his public funeral service at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center brought on a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.  In the process, I said to myself, "I love the fact that I grew up in Southeast and that our mayor and councilmember fought for us when no one else was brave enough to do so.  More than that, I love my people."  Then, when two fellow alumni of Mayor Barry's Youth Leadership Institute (MBYLI) decided to run for his seat on the D.C. Council--Sheila Bunn, former chief of staff for the Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton and the Honorable Vincent Gray, and Christopher Barry, Mayor Barry's son--I was excited for the potential direction in which Ward 8 could head and made me want to be involved somehow, but remembered that my driver's license now says "Silver Spring, MD".  (The differences between the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles and Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration could be another blog post alone, but I digress.)  So if you were to put my sentiments to an old Manhattans tune, you might come to the following conclusion: I kinda miss Southeast.  Let me tell you some of the things that I do miss...

Scribbler's Wrap-Up: NFL Playoffs, Divisional Round

What if I told you that you may have just watched the last best weekend of NFL playoff football until the 2015 season begins?  Coming into this weekend, there were so many compelling storylines with each game.  The Ravens always seem to have the Patriots' number in Foxboro.  It's always a defensive dogfight between the Panthers and Seahawks.  An injured Mr. Discount Double Check might appear mortal after all in the "Ice Bowl II".  Peyton faces his replacement for the first time in the playoffs.  Some things turned out as expected while there were a few surprises and controversies along the way.  Nevertheless, if you're a true fan of the sport like I am, none of these games disappointed.  Instead of regurgitating statistics, I'll give you my biggest takeaways from this weekend.