Greetings all, I hope this week’s editorial finds everyone extremely blessed and highly favored. It’s a little late and I find myself running behind schedule so this week I am going to get right to the matter at hand.

The title of this editorial is infamously known to be associated with the great Malcolm X, who had given a speech titled “God’s Judgment of White America (The Chickens Come Home to Roost)”. However it wasn’t until after the speech that this phrase caught on like wildfire and could be looked upon as one of the many episodes that marked the demise of not only Malcolm’s relationship with the Nation Of Islam, but his life. Shortly after making this speech, Malcolm was asked his opinion on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the previous month. Malcolm replied that Kennedy “never foresaw that the chickens would come home to roost so soon" – the reason some call this Malcolm’s “Chickens Come Home To Roost” speech. The remark set off a firestorm, leading Elijah Muhammad to sentence his spokesman to 90 days of silence.

I come to you today, to speak on another set of chickens that have come to roost; though these chickens will not set off a political controversy it may spark drama in the world of sports for decades to come. The chickens I am referring to appear in the form of USA Basketball.

In the last couple of weeks, United States Basketball has taken a heavy blow in the competitive international arena, losing two games to countries that they should have handled with ease. No one would have seen this coming when the Heads of USA Basketball gave the thumbs up on allowing NBA players to compete in International Play over 13 years ago and the first Olympic-NBA laced team consisted of names like Magic, Jordan, Barkley, Bird & Ewing, just to name a few.

Everyone from all tips of the globe assumed that International Basketball had been reduced to a “second place and beyond” race. I mean after all the United States have the greatest athletes in the world so the assumption of world dominance was a legit thought. So what happened? How could a nation with such promise have so such vulnerability?

Well we don’t have to research this issue too much before we find the problem and unfortunately the problem is one that is a characteristic of America as a whole. We as Americans have fallen into the Glamour & Glitz way of life and left the fundamental, traditional lifestyles that our parents and ancestors lived fall to the wasteside. America is no longer focused on hard work ethics and making sound decisions. Many of us would take quick money over an education and a Cadillac Escalade over owning a home. This is what has happened to United States Basketball. Today’s players are lacking the fundamentals of the game, eventhough they can embarrass you with a cross over spin dribble or rise above you on their way to the rim. Instead of participating in basketball clinics, many of the players in the NBA would prefer being on a highlight reel. Because after all dunking on someone is much cooler than hitting a 24 foot jump shot or shooting 85% from the free throw line.

What is sad about the whole issue is that the N.B.A has embraced this type of activity and has tried to find a balance in the game by running overseas and picking up players that have less true talent, but more skills, the same players that are kicking the U.S. team’s ass right now! The N.B.A. has also allowed this super influx of high school graduates to enter their league allowing them to bypass not only an education, but many of the key fundamentals, that are needed for the next level.

Granted for those of you who don’t know, the U.S. team representing us now is not the original team that was asked to participate. Several big names like Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd all had committed then backed out due to various reasons. There is no doubt in my mind that if we sent the best NBA players to represent the U.S. we would thrash all opponents by at least 20 points. However there was a time (a very short time ago) when we could put a second or third rate list of stars (such as we have now) out on the court and still not be beaten. But what occurred was that instead of trying to get a team that had a complete overall blend (athletic, skilled, etc) to it, the NBA in what I feel was a marketing stunt put it’s up and coming stars on the team and honestly if you look at where these players should be based on age we have a team that is six college players and six seasoned professional players and out of those six professionals, three are superstars while the other three are close to reaching that potential.

It is hard to win when you have those odds stacked upon you and when you throw in the fact that NONE OF THESE BAMMAS CAN SHOOT PASS 16 FEET, then you really have a problem!

I will say this in closing. If the U.S. team comes away from Athens with a gold medal, it will truly show just how talented we are. However, until we install a discipline of fundamentally sound actions not only in American basketball, but in American culture we are slowly going to see our reign on the top fall.

Until next time people, get it together.

Peace

Angree Bruther

Got a thought or comment? Maybe a suggestion for Angree? E-mail him at angreeb@highergroundonline.com