My Favorites: Today's 5

My Favorites: Today's 5
M.D. Wright
2.8.10

***EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's Top 5 takes a cue from one of my readers, Candace Matthews -- as we delve into the past and wax nostalgic. This time? About shows we WISH we could have back -- especially in lieu of the trash that we were inundated with over the pasta decade.

Today's 5: TV SHOWS WE WISH WE COULD HAVE BACK.

1. NEW YORK UNDERCOVER.
I can't speak for everyone, but I loved that show. Thursday nights were my jumpoff. The show premiered my freshman year of high school and ran through my freshman year of college (although I didn't really watch the final season for reasons obvious to any other fan of the show). So basically, Thursdays in high school -- when we were out at basketball games, track meets or traveling were Martin, Living Single and New York Undercover. Doesn't get much better than that.

We all hated that Torres got killed off, even though we knew weeks in advance that it was coming. We had just begun to accept McNamara and he gets whacked by that bank robber broad (she took out McNamara AND Torres as a matter of fact!), and well, by the last season... ugh.
















2. LIVING SINGLE.
As a segue to the first post, Living Single just embodied everything that the 90s were, whether you were coming of age as I was, or already in your 20s and living the single life in New York (or anywhere for that matter; but the vibe here is different and anyone from New York and lived elsewhere during their lives during their teens and 20s knows what I mean). We don't necessarily need the same cast back, but the same format, themes, etc. would be a good look. I never missed an episode.

3. HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET.

I love those Baltimore-based shows. It's just something grimy and gritty about them that had me hooked. Plus I'm a Cop Show fanatic (thanks to my grandmother, who had us hooked on LA Law, Law & Order and In The Heat Of The Night from their respective inceptions. The acting was great and the stories hit close to home, with that real-life feel.
















4. MIAMI VICE.
The 80s were spectacular for me. I had great TV, great sports, didn't have a care in the world other than eating, playing sports and having fun (part of that fun included watching TV). Set in Miami just as Miami was experiencing a social renaissance of sorts, it made you want to move to Miami and be a part of the action. Even though Don Johnson is a clown now, who didn't think he was cool back in the day?

5. THE FLINTSTONES.

To me, they never made enough episodes of this cartoon. Quotables for a lifetime for me. I grew up watching syndicated episodes, still watch them today, had 5 of the 6 seasons on DVD (two of them were stolen somehow -- who even cares about the Flintstones that much ha?) Everyone knows someone who carries themselves and looks like each of the characters featured throughout the entire series. My sister and I (along with a few of my cousins and some friends out there my age) share inside laughs about episodes past; too bad these youngins nowadays just don't appreciate it. While I LOVE Family Guy, without appreciating The Flintstones for what it was, well, you're missing out.

DISCUSS>>>

2010 NFL Super Bowl XLIV Bettor's Guide

2010 NFL Super Bowl XLIV Bettor's Guide
M.D. Wright
2.7.10

***EDITOR'S NOTE: Super Bowl XLIV. Needs no explanation.

Okay, we've heard all the pontification, all the posturing, all the political correctness from Saints' QB Drew Brees and all the political INcorrectness (which I am usually in favor of, but was done in poor taste this time by DC Gregg Williams) and we've dissected all the angles the Colts' defense may have to play if DE Dwight Freeney cannot go or is not effective. But to get right down to it, the analysis of this game is simple:

Colts' Offense >>> Saints' Defense.
Colts' Defense >>> Saints' Defense.

And Drew Brees has NOT fared well against teams that play a Cover 2.

Rather than go down the roster and get into all the X's and O's (which really won't matter at the end of the day), I'll give you a few things to look out for.

1. Saints will look to establish the run early.

This is where Freeney's impact may be missed. Although at times, he does take himself out of running plays with his spin moves, he is still otherwise a stalwart versus the run. DE Robert Mathis plays the run well also, and the Colts' triumvirate at defensive tackle mans their A and B gaps very well -- which allows their linebackers (notably Mike LB Gary Brackett and OLB Clint Session) to flow freely to  the ball and make plays. It is why the Colts always seem as if they swarm to every play; their defensive line makes plays. Their secondary does not have to cover as long as other teams that don't play a Tampa 2, and they're only responsible for ZONES; not covering a man for potentially 3-4 seconds after the sticks.

ADVANTAGE: COLTS. No one really runs the ball that well against them, and bums like Pierre Thomas and bust-in-the-making Reggie Bush aren't about to start.

2. Peyton Manning playing chess vs. the Saints' defense and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

I like this matchup. Manning is the smartest QB in football. His audibles at the line of scrimmage can annoy viewers or Colts' opponents, but he gets to the line early, makes his reads, feels what the defense is doing, and all the gestures and voice audibles/changes in cadence are  used as a reaction to the defensive alignment. You have to love it if you love watching the best QB in the NFL at work.

ADVANTAGE: COLTS. The Saints resort to cheap shots and media talk because they know they cannot outclass or outsmart the Colts. You know you're beaten when you have to do these things.

3. Colts' Stretch Play Run/Stretch Play Action.

It is no secret; the Saints are an opportunistic team. They force turnovers and they play with reckless abandon on defense. Led by Mike LB Jonathan Vilma, they are ferocious when it comes to stripping the ball, and FS Darren Sharper is a ballhawk, leading the NFL in interceptions. The Saints are smallish on defense, nonetheless -- especially without DE Charles Grant and excluding All-Pro DE Will Smith. The Stretch Play is designed to take advantage of overpursuit on defense and utilize active linemen to get out on the perimeter to create gaps for the running back to run through. Expect to see a good bit of the stretch play in both running and play action situations.

ADVANTAGE: COLTS.

4. QB: Head to Head. Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees.

Manning has been here before. Brees is having another stellar season, but has not won a big game (notice I am saying this even after the 2009 NFC Championship -- because the Vikings LOST it/gave it away more than Brees and the Saints WON it). They are both ridiculously accurate. Brees has a quick trigger and has more targets than Manning. But Manning has more years in with WR Reggie Wayne and TE Dallas Clark. And there is no one on the Saints who can cover Wayne. And if they devote too much attention to Dallas Clark with Vilma, they could get beaten backside with WR Austin Collie and/or WR Pierre Garçon. There will be plenty of one on one situations for Colts' receivers. The Saints won't have many, because the Colts rarely play man-to-man. And with the Colts playing a Tampa 2 defense, their safeties both have the speed and discipline to keep everything in front of them, which is the basis of the defense.

ADVANTAGE: COLTS.

5. Coaching.

Jim Caldwell vs. Sean Payton.

Honestly, this is a push. Colts haters, racists on message boards and uncouth people out there like to make fun of Caldwell's sideline demeanor and lack of expression. I've heard him called some pretty low-ball names. But you cannot negate how good of a coach he is, because Manning is so great. He coached great football at Wake Forest, turning them back into a relevant program and he's steadied the Colts' ship when a LOT of people pegged them to fall back to the middle of the pack this year.

Sean Payton is a knockoff Bill Belichick; gambles too much on 4th down, too aggressive for his team's own good and the smug look on his face (watch him during the game, he's always looking like he's eating sour patch candies with that pucker he makes with his lips no homo). BUT HE CAN COACH. His offensive game plan is lights out and it plays to the strengths of his QB, RB and WRs. That's what you're supposed to do. Caldwell kept the ship steered and had a 16-0* season, the Saints finished 13-3, despite losing 3 straight to end the season, but they've come on strong building up to the Super Bowl.

* Let's face it, the Colts don't take their starters out vs. NYJ Week 16, they win, and they DEFINITELY destroy a hapless Bills team that still barely beat the Colts' backups Week 17.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH.

Let's get to Vegas' numbers --

New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
Sun Life Stadium
Miami, Florida
February 7, 2010
6:25 PM EST

Over/Under: 57
IND: -4.5
NO: +165
IND: -190

Pick:
New Orleans 24
Indianapolis  38

FINAL
----------------------

When You Think Of The Greatest Quarterbacks Ever...

When You Think Of The Greatest Quarterbacks Ever...
M.D. Wright
2.7.10

***EDITOR'S NOTE: We have to put this argument to rest until it becomes viable again. People are allowing hatred of certain players and teams, and their irrational and unexplained fandom of another team/player cloud their judgment. Let's be OBJECTIVE about this one.

Out of the 10 Quarterbacks that people like to list as all-time greats, and the 4 or 5 that people like to tout as "Best Ever", let's break them down and look at what made them great and also find potential areas to SHARE credit, rather than bestow it all upon one guy.

1. JOE MONTANA.
2. JOHN ELWAY.
3. DAN MARINO.
4. JOHN UNITAS.
5. PEYTON MANNING.
6. TOM BRADY.
7. STEVE YOUNG.
8. TROY AIKMAN.
9. BRETT FAVRE.
10. FRAN TARKENTON.

Off the bat, we can eliminate Tarkenton (never won anything), Young (great, but didn't play as a starter but 10 full seasons, and only won one Super Bowl as a Starter) -- I'll leave Aikman on the fence for now, because he did win three. But the basis of my argument will push him off the fence, with three other QBs who receive far too much credit having the same argument levied against them as well.

You cannot bestow an INDIVIDUAL DISTINCTION ("Best Quarterback Ever") and then bring in TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS (Winning multiple Super Bowls). That's just like changing tenses within a sentence when writing proper English. Your professor will dock you points for going from past tense to present or future tense incorrectly. It weakens your argument, and for football's sake, it's INVALID. People just use this Best QB/Super Bowl Wins argument to bolster their already-irrational and questionable objectivity and to further prove their point.

And without further adieu.

Joe Montana.
Montana was great. He was cool under pressure (although he readily admits he was nervous as hell during those comeback wins), didn't make mistakes to kill his team and ran the West Coast Offense that was designed to play to his strengths. If you are a QB, that is what you do within that system.

But let's take a moment and assess things. Montana had ALL-WORLD players at darn near every position during his entire tenure in San Francisco (1979-1991). WR Jerry Rice (Best in the NFL the entire time, best of all-time), WR John Taylor (The Prototypical "Z" receiver, even though a WCO doesn't feature one), WR Roger Craig (Highstepped like Deion Sanders and was a 1,000 yard rushing AND receiving player in the same season in the 80s), RB Ricky Watters (Craig-Lite), FB Tom Rathman (One of the Best Fullbacks since the merger), TE Brent Jones (one of the best TEs of this generation and certainly the best in the 80s/early 90s), a stellar, if not dirty offensive line that never allowed defenders to touch Montana (until '86 and '90 Giants got to him, of course), a very good defense, including ALL-WORLD SECONDARIES -- not to mention one year where their ENTIRE. DEFENSIVE. SECONDARY. were voted as All-Pro/Pro Bowl STARTERS. Are you kidding me?

Montana didn't play on a team of slouches. The 49ers won 4 Super Bowls in his tenure (and later a 5th with QB Steve Young at the helm) because they had the best players in the NFL at a number of positions. Not just QB. Montana's great, but he's not the best of all-time. He's #2 in my book.

John Elway.
For me, what sticks out about Elway was watching him while I was growing up in the 80s. They could never win. Sure, part of that was Dan Reeves' philosophy and bad breaks. But now, all of a sudden Mike Shanahan becomes coach, the Broncos go to a Zone Blocking Scheme so that your grandfather with two bad hips could rush for 1,000 yards for them (I mean, one of the guys who did it, RB Terrell Davis, was a 6th Round pick, and RB Clinton Portis could get 1,000 yards in his sleep -- but the other guys were bums and still did it), they land a great receiving corps, implement a great system and played tough defense (their offensive line was notorious for "Leg Whips" like the 80s/early 90s San Francisco 49er offensive lines were known for) and "VOILA!" they win back to back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. Elway has the numbers, and even won 2 Super Bowls, but ineptitude for an entire decade and a HALF has to push him down to 3 in my book.

Dan Marino.
He could zing it all day. Best arm I've ever seen. He couldn't run. Nor could his team (especially when it mattered). The Dolphins always seemed one-dimensional to me. Sort of like Dave Kingman -- it was all Home Runs or nothing with them. If Marino wasn't on, they couldn't run the ball effectively, and while their defenses were usually Top 10 while Marino was QB, they still never won a Super Bowl. And in the one Super Bowl that Marino played (Super Bowl XIX vs. San Francisco), they get utterly destroyed in losing fashion.

Sorry.

#4 for me.

Johnny Unitas.
He played in an era where defending the pass was still somewhat a new art. Pass rushers were just becoming the vogue thing (i.e. Deacon Jones and those of his ilk), defensive backs were mostly clumsy and weren't athletic as they are now. They took poor angles and most weren't even good tacklers (excluding D. Lane, D. LeBeau and guys of that ability). Unitas did his thing, however, but it's hard to put him above the others, even though he did win a Super Bowl.

#5.

Brett Favre.
One "lucky" Super Bowl win (more attributable to Reggie White's clutch pass rush on QB Drew Bledsoe who WAS going to lead the Patriots down the field for a Game Winning Touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI in 1996) and a decade-long trend of killing his team with backbreaking interceptions to kill playoff runs (including a 6 INT playoff game vs. the St. Louis Rams a few years back).

Yes, Favre has numbers for days, played more consecutive games than any non-punter, has all the passing yards, touchdowns (also interceptions), etc. etc. etc. I believe he was very much injured in 1999 and had he sat, and the Packers not gone 8-8 with Favre's mediocre play, head coach Ray Rhodes would not have been run out of town after just one year (does anyone else STILL find that odd how that turned out -- Holmgren stays for 7 years, leaves, Rhodes comes in, Favre is hurt all year, they go 8-8, he gets fired, Sherman comes in, stays for 7 himself and legitimately gets fired after having tons of time to produce results?)

Anyway, I digress.

The number of backbreaking interceptions '01, '02, '07, '09, just to name a few -- if you, the supposed best QB of all-time can't win FOUR GAMES that could've catapulted you to Super Bowls, and you're the prime reason (not sole, but PRIME -- i.e. '09 Vikes with several fumbles, but they still had a chance to win  despite those fumbles, but "THE INT" killed them) for those late losses, you can't be the best ever. Sorry.

#6.

Tom Brady.
Call me cynical. I don't care. You can't call me a hater, because I hated SF more than I have ever hated NE. And I don't hate Brady, so in this individual vantage point, you really cannot call me a hater for listing him #7, or bringing up what I'm about to say:

THE PATRIOTS CHEATED TO WIN AT LEAST TWO OF THEIR THREE SUPER BOWLS. And the NFL CAUGHT THEM DOING IT. Do (bandwagon) Patriots fans forget this? Do Tom Brady sycophants remember this fact? They were fortunate, due to bad officiating and the NFL's ongoing hatred for Al Davis, to win the 2001 AFC Championship game and barely eke out a win over the St. Louis Rams, but other than that, while they certainly had good teams for their other two wins, they CHEATED to do so. And since they've been caught, they've had an 18-0 season derailed by a tougher team and are in a tailspin back to mediocrity.

You cannot put Tom Brady NEAR the top of that list.

Steve Young.
As previously stated, Young simply did not play long enough. He did not become a full-time starter for good with SF until (he did start throughout 1991 while Montana was out for the season, if I recall properly -- I'm doing this off dome, forgive me for inaccuracies with years) 1993. While he did have spot starts whenever Montana was nicked up prior to that, only being starter from that point forward. Young retired in 2000, so even though he won 3 total Super Bowls (1 as starter), he didn't play long enough, and was often concussed (the last one leading to his retirement). #8.

Troy Aikman.
Another frequently concussed QB. He was on teams for the ages, though. The Dallas Cowboys could have easily won 5 straight Super Bowls. God knows the players they had in the years they DIDN'T win it all were there. If not for the 1994 San Francisco 49ers All-Time/All-World squad that wasn't going to lose to ANYONE and a few bad breaks to start the 1997 season, the Cowboys would have certainly won 5 straight. Aikman had great numbers most of the time, but he never passed for 4,000 if I'm not mistaken -- not that you need to with ALL-TIME RB Emmitt Smith in the backfield and some ferocious defensive squads (including All-World/Best of All-Time Cornerback Deion Sanders from 1995 forward). Aikman had a cannon for an arm and threw one of the best deep balls ever, but nah, #9.

Fran Tarkenton.
He ran like Young, Cunningham, Vick all did this generation, he could wing it, but he never won. Plain and simple. And he wasn't on bad teams in Minnesota either. The Giants were DREADFUL, however. He stays at #10.

Peyton Manning.
As long as he's healthy, he's going to have every pertinent passing record (passing yards, touchdowns, rating -- close to Young's all-time record). He may win Super Bowl XLIV, and probably another one or two.

But say he doesn't?

He hasn't had all-world players except WR Marvin Harrison -- who he didn't even have this year. His offensive lines were decent, but not great, especially not the past 3 years when they've been unable to run the ball. Their running game has been a joke outside of 1999-2005 when Edgerrin James was their feature back and did big things. Their defense's 2nd best player is almost always on IR (SS Bob Sanders), and their current best defensive player, DE Dwight Freeney, may not even play in Super Bowl XLIV at all. And given all those things, the fact that the Colts run a Cover 2 scheme, therefore, no one really has stellar numbers outside of a defensive lineman, because everyone is in a zone and mans that zone. They have not featured any real superstar players outside of the aforementioned Harrison, Freeney, James and borderline Sanders, but yet I hear people say Manning is not the best ever. He's the smartest QB ever. His audibles at the line of scrimmage are not posturing. He reads defenses better than anyone ever has. He has the arm to make all the throws. He's obviously accurate beyond belief, and for people to try to say Montana is the best of all time by mentioning Super Bowl wins (go back and read the way the 49ers broke down as a team top to bottom -- if there WAS a bottom -- in the 80s and then come back and read what the Colts have had since Manning arrived in 1998) are just ludicrous. You cannot go from making an individual distinction to bring up something that is done by a team (Super Bowls).

And those who will say "well, if he's so great, he should've been able to carry the team". BS. Montana was able to come back in games because their defense was great. WHAT OTHER TEAM HAS HAD AN ENTIRE SECONDARY VOTED AS PRO BOWL STARTERS IN THE SAME SEASON?

The Colts are fortunate if Sanders is healthy and he becomes that Pro Bowler.

The Colts' defense ranked 18th overall this season, and that's usually where they've been since Manning arrived. The 49ers were almost ALWAYS Top 5 when Montana was starter in San Francisco.

KNOCK IT OFF, ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 5, 2010

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 5, 2010
M.D. Wright
2.5.10


***EDITOR'S NOTE: Black History Month Series.


Today's Person Of The Day:
DR. BEN CARSON.

Dr. Carson has always been interesting to me. He's somewhat tangible as a "legend" of sorts, because he's still alive and not someone who  paid their dues and left this world 200 years ago. Personally, I love it when a Black man gets notoriety for something OTHER than being a successful (or unsuccessful) rapper, professional athlete or shuckin' and jivin' in movies. Not knocking the arts, as I love them in almost every carnation that they manifest, but as a professional myself -- entering the legal field, I love an example of a successful Black man who is an attorney, doctor, scientist or something other than the stereotypical career choices. This is why Dr. Ben Carson was chosen on this day.


Biographical Information Borrowed From Dr. Ben Carson's Website:

Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D., had a childhood dream of becoming a physician. Growing up in a single parent home with dire poverty, poor grades, a horrible temper, and low self-esteem appeared to preclude the realization of that dream until his mother, with only a third-grade education, challenged her sons to strive for excellence. Young Ben persevered and today is a full professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and he has directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for nearly a quarter of a century. He became the inaugural recipient of a professorship dedicated in his name in May, 2008. He is now the Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D. and Dr. Evelyn Spiro, R.N. Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Some career highlights include the first separation of craniopagus (Siamese) twins joined at the back of the head in 1987, the first completely successful separation of type-2 vertical craniopagus twins in 1997 in South Africa, and the first successful placement of an intrauterine shunt for a hydrocephalic twin. Although he has been involved in many newsworthy operations, he feels that every case is noteworthy – deserving of maximum attention. He is interested in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery and has a special interest in trigeminal neuralgia (severe facial pain) in adults.

Dr. Carson holds more than 50 honorary doctorate degrees. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Horatio Alger Society of Distinguished Americans, and many other prestigious organizations. He sits on the board of directors of numerous organizations, including Kellogg Company, Costco Wholesale Corporation, the Academy of Achievement, and is an Emeritus Fellow of the Yale Corporation, the governing body of Yale University. He was appointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush to serve on the President’s Council on Bioethics. He is a highly regarded motivational speaker who has addressed various audiences from school systems and civic groups to corporations and the President’s National Prayer Breakfast.

In 2001, Dr. Carson was named by CNN and TIME Magazine as one of the nation’s 20 foremost physicians and scientists. That same year, he was selected by the Library of Congress as one of 89 "Living Legends" on the occasion of its 200^th anniversary. He is also the recipient of the 2006 Spingarn Medal which is the highest honor bestowed by the NAACP. In February, 2008, Dr. Carson was presented with the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Medal by President Bush at the White House. In June, 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the President, which is the highest civilian honor in the land. He has literally received hundreds of other awards during his distinguished career.

Today, Dr. Carson and his wife, Candy, dedicate themselves to expanding the reach of the Carson Scholars Fund.  Their dream is to name a Carson Scholar in every school within the United States.

DISCUSS>>>

College? What For?

College? What For?
M.D. Wright
2.5.10

***EDITOR'S NOTE: Continuation of the Recession (Depression) Series. I will keep writing and exposing some of the hiring practices of certain companies and the virtues (or apparent lack thereof) of going to college/returning to college in this day in time.

My man Cameron Giles (aka Cam'ron) said it best years ago, "What I'mma do? Go to college, what the f--- for? So I can get a job, get paid $30,000 a year, be paying student loans for 30 years? How I'mma be able to go to Miami 10 times a year off that?"

You  may not agree with his grammar, or the content of his lyrics, but he makes a point. Is this where we are right now? There was a time, from about 1981-2000 -- that if you were ANY American, White, Black, Asian, Latino, Arab, what have you, and you went to college, got a degree or 3, you were GUARANTEED to find a job. And the more degrees you had by your name, the more of a sliding scale your pay and job prestige would be. Ever since Bush, Cheney & Co. had the planes flown into WTC, the Pentagon, etc., the job market has become progressively worse for college graduates. And it's been even more pronounced since 2007.

Think about some of the sacrifices people make to even go to college. Think about the sacrifices some people would make if they were even ALLOWED to go to college, if not for the prohibitive nature of the cost to do so? There are millions of people who would like to go to college, if for no other reason than to broaden their personal perspective and become enlightened in a concentration -- much less to be better suited to receive a promotion at a job or move to a new field altogether. I am cognizant of these people, and can relate to them. No one wants to be staring $125,000 (I have a few friends who have gotten 4 or 5 degrees and are into Uncle Sam $400K) in loans directly in the face for 10-30 years; particularly when they can't even get a job on par with the one they had before going to school in the first place.

SEGUE.

I just wonder how this system we have in place was set up to begin with. What does it say about this nation and its consideration of Black men (Black women don't have it so hard, as almost every Black woman I know is employed and almost every job I've applied for has featured one interviewing me for the job), that you spent the better part of the last 30 years extolling the virtues of going to college, getting educated, then you have a subgroup of females who do nothing but berate even the best of those men who seek to enlighten themselves, not even to better their job prospects, but better THEMSELVES and expand their horizons, especially should they choose to become entrepreneurs? So many Black guys I know have a Bachelors degree, maybe a Masters, a few of them have Juris Doctorates and I even knew a Ph.D. who couldn't even get a job flipping burgers because of his educational background (yet couldn't get a job in his field either). This is ridiculous. A man's desire is to be able to sustain himself first, then potentially a family and above all else, HE WANTS TO WORK. When he cannot work, cannot sustain himself, cannot provide for a wife and children, what does that lead to (a whole 'nother column, whole 'nother day on that)?

Personally, my situation is rather unique. I began college in 1997 with my high school graduating class at Long Island University in Brooklyn. I was where I was supposed to be, on track to graduate with my class in 2001, had made inroads at Madison Square Garden (for an internship with the Knicks) and had a very nice 5 year plan laid out. Circumstances that I will not speak about publicly necessitated that I withdrew from the school and leave New York (and anyone who knows me knows I would not have willfully done that, since I had no desire, no reason, no purpose for being down south). That set me back, but being resilient, I made the most of it and tried to see the other side of things: WORKING.

It was tough to find a job at that time. I had no refined skills, just a high school diploma and no substantial college education, didn't belong to any organization that could have vouched for me to get a decent job, so I had to go through a temporary staffing agency to find employment. That is how I ended up with Aetna. I know a lot of people ask me how I got that job without a Bachelors degree and no insurance background at the time, but there was no magic wand -- simply got placed there through the staffing agency.

Moving on, I, being a man of structure and order, built a reputation with Aetna and carved out a nice niche there. I maxed out by 2003 (actually fought every year to move back to New York and spent every summer here re-establishing my contacts so that I would hit the ground running when I was able to move back) and became disenchanted. While I was making very good money, plus bi-monthly stock options that I could cash in on (and they were lucrative at the time, given that Aetna was prospering in a major way after about 2002), along with quarterly bonuses, my job was mind-numbing. I could do it in my sleep. Being a natural entrepreneur and a leader by birth, I find it hard to sit and do the same thing every day, 40-50 hours a week with no ability to grow or be promoted within.

By 2004, I was sitting pretty. I wanted to break into real estate investing in 2000 and spent five years trying to put myself in position to acquire property that could be rented, while I was able to buy my own house and build equity rather easily. I had started a non-profit organization with my cousin in 2004, had continued to offer services through my  own personal business since 1997 (one that had been conceived one night back when I was living in Brooklyn as I pondered methods by which I could apply my innate abilities business-wise). In short, I was good bread at that point.

BUT I WAS DEPRESSED.

That job was dead-end, unless you had someone willing to put selfishness aside and put in a word for you to be promoted beyond our level. I had maxed out salary-wise, and with no promotion involved, my business acumen and other dreams (which were inadvertently placed on the back burner when I left New York as I had to go from "Goal-Achievement Mode" to "SURVIVAL OR DIE MODE") were lying dormant. I could barely force myself to get up and go to that job the entire year in 2004 and the part of 2005 that I was there before I left it for good. I had decided to go back to school in 2004, and I worked full-time, went to school full-time, served over a ministry and started a non-profit ALL within that two year period, and doing each simultaneously the entire time.


That's dedication and focus.


I had bought a $40,000 sports car (Nissan 350Z) and I had several lines of credit, as my credit score was 815 (due to my meticulous nature of immediately paying all debts and having paid off two cars before I was 25 -- I also had multiple accounts with several banks and credit unions, which also builds your credit score, provided that they remain in the positive). I WAS GOOD MONEY. I figured going back to school was a natural progression. It was time. I was 25 years old. I didn't have time to waste.

LITTLE DID I KNOW.


I know people mean well, but I am really sick of all the church clichés and other bunk that people spew about my situation since September 2005 (which has rapidly deteriorated ever since), but I really do not want to hear it. I don't want to hear about earthquake, tsunami victims and the homeless. There is a time and place for that, and while in a position to help those people, I have done so, but you are talking about someone who had everything working for them and finds nothing but bad breaks, poor fortune and complete rejection at every turn ALL OF A SUDDEN. Earthquakes happen, tsunamis happen as a result of those, the homeless face bad breaks, too -- but usually have no contingency plan in place when things fail and they go under. I am no quitter. The hustler in me won't allow me to. People ask how I was able to support myself on nothing but those paltry student refund checks, a few gifts from family (and this was not substantial by any means) and NO INCOME since August 2005 -- but anyone who is from, ever lived in or spent any significant time hanging out in Harlem knows that hustling is THE WAY OF LIFE, and you pick it up honest.

Think about it. I had a near-perfect credit score. A year's wages saved up for when I went back to school (half of which was depleted upon arrival at UNC Greensboro as a transfer from Long Island University), a $40,000 car which was 3/4 paid for, two businesses and real estate options at hand.

Fast forward 4 years.

I HAVE NONE OF THAT. No job. No income. No serious job prospects, and without which, there is no "CREATING YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES" -- I get so sick and tired of people saying this to me. The next person who does it may get smacked with a Johnston & Murphy. I'm dead ass. You don't have capital, nor the means to generate it, THERE IS NO CREATING OF ONE'S OWN OPPORTUNITIES. Much less when you're drowning in credit card, student loan and hospital debts with no ability to repay them (itself  being a likely culprit explaining the inability to secure employment).

Then I catch nothing but bad breaks ever since? I had to haggle with UNC Greensboro for a YEAR in 2007 for money that belonged to ME. And even after they finally relented and paid up, I only got HALF of what was due to me.

I broke my back later that year, was completely inactive in 2008, other than walking like Phil Jackson to get to class. Anyone who has had back woes/ruptured disk knows not to make this seem trivial. I had people trying to minimalize the significance of my injury -- clearly people who have never injured their backs. I am one of the toughest guys I know. I have a high threshold of pain. When you play sports year-round for 15 years and never sit out, despite obviously getting nicked up and injured at times within that period, you're not a softie. When I was unable to walk for more than 20 feet at a time without collapsing in pain regularly, people thought I was punking out.

WHEN I FINALLY HAD SURGERY IN 2008, MY DOCTOR THOUGHT IT WAS A MIRACLE I COULD EVEN SIT UP AND GET OUT OF BED. Meanwhile, I was going to class every day and even tried to work out, run and play basketball through it. My roommate and his now-wife can attest to it. Michael Wright is no quitter. When I've caught bad breaks, I've fought through them. But this has been going on for FIVE FULL YEARS NOW. Enough is enough. From breaking my back, to breaking my BANK, from having my non-profit fail, to losing my good name/credit score, to having to sell my 350Z, to depleting my savings, rack up tens of thousands in debt in my path, from not being able to get a job -- despite applying like a madman ever since October 2005 and still have not had a full-time job in that time (only three two-month stints at temporary or seasonal jobs). I'm sick of it.

As depressed as I was at that job, I DID have a solid income and had options to do things as an entrepreneur and invest. I am at the end of my rope and all I'm going to say now is this -- I have always respected dudes in the streets. I have always been a legit dude and cats in Harlem, Brooklyn and out on Staten Island know my hustle and respect it. For that, I get a street pass. No snitch here. But at the end of the day, I know why most of the REAL hustlers resort to doing what they do. If they see a cat like me, with everything I had going for me, education, business acumen, etc. and can't cut it -- they figure "why go to college, when I can flip this White and move to Alpine?"

And I can't say that I blame them. With every passing day, I almost regret going back to college. Why does a Black man need college nowadays? The better jobs seem to go to those Black men who barely graduated high school, while those of us who sacrificed our whole lives just to be able to go to school can't even wash cars. Again, I sacrificed my entire life, can I at least get laid paid? For those who like to toss out empty rhetoric, church speak and can't help with the job prospects, if you have kids, I wish I could just kick them in the fucking head and stomp on their testicles, so you could feel the pain I feel.

And no, I'm not laughing. I can wholeheartedly understand why Tyson said that, and I feel the same way right now.

NFL History: Unbeatable Teams Since 1980

NFL History: Unbeatable Teams Since 1980
M.D. Wright
2.4.10

***EDITOR'S NOTE: Super Bowl Media Week Blitz; random stories, Super Bowl annals and historical teams for the ages.

This just a little blurb about some of the teams that I can recall in my lifetime that won Super Bowls and were not going to be deterred no matter what.

Remember, this is 1980-present. Please don't write me about 70s Steelers teams, or the Lombardi Packers, or even the '72 Dolphins. Read the title first.

1984 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.

In 1984, these guys were scary good. It had all come together for them. They had QB Joe Montana (aka Joe Cool), WR Jerry Rice, RB Roger Craig, WR John Taylor CB/FS Ronnie Lott, amongst others (including their offensive line, which, while good, was one of the dirtiest ever) that enabled them to go 15-1 that season and trounce the Dan Marino-led Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX. Marino was coming off his record-setting 5,084 passing yard season (a record that still stands). The 49ers were having no parts of it.

1985 CHICAGO BEARS.

Those '85 Bears, man... they were scary on defense. They already had steady QB Jim McMahon (steady, referring to his play, rather than his mental state ha), All-Pro, Hall-of-Famer, best RB ever Walter Payton, Willie Gault, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, and a host of other great players. The Dolphins only beat them because of murky conditions during a late-season Monday Night Football game. The Bears demolished everyone in their path in the playoffs and completely manhandled the New England Patriots on their way to their win in Super Bowl XX.

1986 NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS

The Giants were a complete football team in 1986. I loved watching them play and the playoff wins were as epic, bone-chilling, spine-tingling and goosebump-inspiring as the Super Bowl XXI win itself; particularly the win over the Redskins, a team that many thought was the only true rival to the Giants that year.

Lawrence Taylor was the NFL's MVP, with 20.5 sacks. You did not stop LT (the ONLY "LT", by the way, can we knock it off calling LaDainian Tomlinson "LT", ONCE AND FOR ALL???) I loved watching LT play. It seemed like he was going to get a sack or cause great harm to a RB on every play. He was great on Tecmo Bowl and racked up honors left and right. The thing is, he wasn't alone on that squad for the ages. Harry Carson, Carl Banks, Gary Reasons, Pepper Johnson, Leonard Marshall, Jim Burt, Joe Morris and last but not least, PHIL SIMMS -- these guys were destined to win it all that year. Two minor blips on the radar led to a 14-2 regular season record, but no one posed even a half-hearted threat to the Giants in the playoffs, including the complete annihilation of the John Elway (then-starcrossed) Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI.

1989 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.

As good as the 1984 team was, THIS ONE WAS EVEN BETTER. Probably the most dominant team all-around that I have ever seen. The 49ers were known for their vaunted "West Coast" style of offense. Something that was pretty much indefensible at the time. No one knew who to cover. Montana had Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig, Tom Rathman, Brent Jones -- ALL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PRIMES -- making plays all over the field. They dominated everyone they faced in the playoffs following the 1989 season (it should be noted that the same Los Angeles Rams that lucked out and defeated the Giants the previous week were included in this -- as the Giants were the only team that had a realistic shot at beating San Francisco that year; given that the two teams had a rivalry that was pretty evenly-matched in the 80s).

This team was like playing Madden '10 with the Bolts or Madden '09 with the Patriots. Offense for the AGES. They defeated the same Elway-led star-crossed Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, 55-10. The game was over before the 2nd quarter got going good. That's how great these guys were. Their defense was amongst one of the best ever also, which is unfair. This is why they are probably the most dominant team all-around ever.

1990 NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS.

The 1990 incarnation of the Giants wasn't quite like the 1986 team, but they were unbeatable in a different way. They had moxie, most of the same players from the '86 team (most notable absence was Harry Carson, who had retired in '88 -- and Phil Simms was lost earlier in the season due to injury versus the same Buffalo Bills team that they faced in Super Bowl XXV). These guys had been there before, were unphased by the playoff stakes and relied less upon their offense, but rather a stellar defense. LT still led the troops, which featured '86 holdovers Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson and Gary Reasons. Jim Burt had jumped sides to the 49ers, who the Giants faced in the 1990 NFC Championship Game.

QB Jeff Hostetler stepped in for Simms, and even HE was injured in the NFC title game, before coming back in and gritting out a last second drive -- setting up the game-winning field goal by Matt Bahr, which sent the Giants to the Super Bowl in Tampa. This was the year of the Persian Gulf War. We watched all the proceedings in 6th grade on TV. This Super Bowl was poignant as a Giants fan. The Giants finished 13-3 that season, grinded out wins in the playoffs and won Super Bowl XXV by virtue of a missed field goal by Buffalo Bills' kicker Scott Norwood. While the game finished 20-19 Giants, they were unbeatable nonetheless. This team never hiccupped all season, nor did they flinch when injuries threatened to derail their season.

1991 WASHINGTON REDSKINS.

YIKES. The Skins had previously followed a Giants Super Bowl win in 1987, and they did it again in 1991. This team was a whirling dervish. I remember it well. QB Mark Rypien, WRs Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders, along with '87 Browns goat, Earnest Byner. Ricky Ervins was huge for the Skins as the season wore on. The Skins finished 1st in total offense in 1991, scoring 485 points. Their defense was also very good, led by Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Wilber Marshall and Andre Collins -- yielding only 14 points per game, 2nd in the NFL. Hard to beat a team that good. Super Bowl XXVI was trivial, at best, as the Skins mauled the Buffalo Bills (sorry, Bills fans) 37-24.

1993 DALLAS COWBOYS.

The three guys pictured above pretty much say it all. They were The Triplets (I hate these silly nicknames, BTW, but that's what they were called) and made tons of plays all season. The thing is, no one really had eye-popping numbers. RB Emmitt Smith sat out the first two games of the season due to a holdout, and rushed for nearly 1,500 yards, which is remarkable. WR Michael Irvin had nearly 1,400 yards receiving on 88 catches and 7 touchdowns and QB Troy Aikman had 3,100 passing yards and 15 TDs. Nothing out of this world. No one on their defense had great numbers either. Somehow they finished 2nd in both total offense and defense. There was not much doubt about them repeating as Super Bowl XXVIII Champions after winning Super Bowl XXVII.

1994 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS.

I still hated SF in 1994. Particularly as a side-Chargers fan. The 49ers destroyed the Bolts twice that year. The first game featured Deion Sanders getting an INT on Chargers' QB Stan Humphries and streaking up the sidelines, high-stepping for 50 yards (unreal) and doing jig that he patented (and one that all of us growing up back then and played CB emulated, myself included). That was the theme of the 49ers' season. They just RAN AWAY FROM EVERYONE. Deion Sanders led the defense, having his best season ever -- which is saying something, given his history in Atlanta and a few great seasons in Dallas after 1994. It was as if the 49ers caught lightning in a bottle that year. They had everything to come together, great talent, Hall of Fame players, some at the ends of their career, and got it done. It should be noted they haven't sniffed a Super Bowl since this season in 1994, but they were not to be beaten that year. Start to finish, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Ricky Watters, Deion Sanders, William "Bar None" Floyd, Bryant Young, Dana Stubblefield (or as John Madden called him repeatedly -- "Dana Stubbafield"), Ken Norton (previously on Dallas), Richard Dent (previously of the Super Bowl XX Bears' squad), Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald, etc. all steamrolled their opponents.

The 1994 NFC Championship game, which from 1992-1994 featured the Dallas Cowboys playing the 49ers, had gone the Cowboys' way in 1992 and 1993 on the way to their back-to-back Super Bowl wins. However in 1994, the 49ers, featuring Deion Sanders shutting down Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman throwing INTs (yes, I remember this game like it was yesterday, and it was 15 years ago) were not to be deterred. They beat Dallas 38-28 and it wasn't that close. Every playoff win was a blowout for SF, as they beat the Bears (who were not to be heard from the rest of the decade following this loss) 44-15, Dallas 38-28 and utterly embarrassed the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, 49-26.

The 49ers scored 505 points that season (easily leading the NFL), even though they had a game where they only scored 8 pts, and another with only 14. MERCY.

2000 BALTIMORE RAVENS.

GOOD HEAVENS WHAT A SCARY DEFENSE. We never stood a chance after the refs called DT Keith Hamilton for a holding call that gets called once every 17 years in the NFL. One of my favorite players ever, Jessie Armstead, had picked off QB Trent Dilfer and returned it for a touchdown on the play. After that, the Ravens thoroughly demolished the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Such was the case with anyone else who dared to step on the field with the Ravens that year. They featured an all-time great defense, led by Ray Lewis and rolling out such studs as Sam Adams, Rod Woodson, Jamie Sharper, Rob Burnett, Chris McAlister, Peter Boulware and Michael McCrary. They only yielded 10 points per game all season. That is UNHEARD OF.

2002 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS.

Swarming defense for the ages. They didn't utterly shut teams down like the Ravens of 2000 -- although they did only yield 12 PPG, but consider this: The Ravens played an attacking defense, predicated upon getting pressure with their front seven and allowing their secondary to be aggressive and jump routes, make plays near the line of scrimmage and gamble a bit. The Cover 2 requires discipline, staying within your gaps on the defensive line, manning your lanes and having extensive coverage range as a linebacker and the safeties are not to allow anything to get behind them, as cornerbacks are responsible for the area NOT covered by linebackers. The Bucs played the defense better than anyone ever had before and since.

The Bucs played various packages of a base Cover-2 defense (later simply called the "Tampa 2"). Head Coach Tungy Dungy instituted the scheme in 1995 and the Bucs perfected it. Jon Gruden gets credit for winning the Super Bowl with Dungy's players and scheme, but everyone knows that Gruden was given the same instructions that Dennis Erickson was given when he became head coach at "The U." (The University of Miami) in 1989, following Jimmy Johnson -- DON'T WRECK THE PORSCHE. These were Dungy's players and Dungy's philosophy at work. Ironically, Dungy left the Indianapolis Colts in 2008 and the 2009 Colts are on the verge of winning without him. Reverse Ewing Theory much ha?

The Tampa 2 played to the strengths of OLB Derrick Brooks and cover corners such as Donnie Abraham and Ronde Barber. FS Dexter Jackson had a field day all season, particularly in the Super Bowl XXXVII embarrassment of the Oakland Raiders (Gruden's former team, ironically). The Bucs sonned the Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII.
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2009 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS?  We will find out Sunday!

DISCUSS>>>

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 4, 2010

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 4, 2010
M.D. Wright
2.4.10


***EDITOR'S NOTE: Black History Month Series (Continued)


Today's Person of the Day:
WARRICK DUNN.


I can write a Warrick Dunn biography myself, given that I have followed his life since he joined the Florida State Seminoles football team in 1993. He is one of my favorite players ever, both at FSU and in the NFL and the reason he is being listed today as our person of the day is the fact that he is a humanitarian and a person who used his platform as an NFL star for unselfish reasons and many people have benefitted from his good works.


Warrick Dunn was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1975. Most FSU fans and ardent college football followers know his story. As he was growing up, his mother Betty Smothers had been a police officer while raising her children as a single parent. While Dunn was an accomplished football star at Catholic High in Baton Rouge (played quarterback, cornerback and runningback -- leading the school to a state title 1991), he was unprepared for what lied in store just as he was set to graduate high school and attend Florida State.


Just after New Year's in 1993, Dunn's mother was murdered as she escorted a businesswoman to a bank in order to make a night deposit. That left Dunn to care for his siblings on his own and as an incoming freshman at Florida State -- where he immediately began playing upon arrival later that year. 


As a personal side note, I was overwhelmed to hear Dunn's story when he first saw the playing field at Florida State. At that time, I read everything about the team, recruiting information and gathered information for my Sports Digest that I was known for writing back then (pre-internet). It was remarkable to me to hear about an 18-year old lose his mother, raise his siblings, start as a freshman on a powerhouse football team, helping them win a National Championship as a freshman, focus on his studies and still come out on the other  end as a better man.


Dunn left Florida State with many of the rushing records, most of which still stand today (3,959 rushing yards for his career, 1,418 yards in 1995 -- which was a season filled with irony, as Dunn's fumble vs. Virginia led to FSU's first ACC loss and knocked them from contention for the 1995 National Championship) and embarked upon a stellar NFL playing career, finishing with nearly 11,000 rushing yards. Not bad for someone who was considered too smallish and not built to withstand the rigors of NFL rushing. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers from 1997-2001, 2008 and the Atlanta Falcons from 2002-2007, narrowly missing a Super Bowl win, as the Bucs won in 2002 -- the year after Dunn left for Atlanta.


During his initial stint with the Buccaneers, however, Dunn began the program for which he is noted as a humanitarian. The Warrick Dunn Foundation, and by-proxy, the Homes For The Holidays Program. The latter assists struggling single parents purchase homes. The program buys homes through a down payment provided by Dunn, who also worked with area sponsors to furnish and outfit the homes. The program, as of 2009, has assisted 86 single parents and 233 dependants in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Tampa, and Tallahassee. Dunn's goal is help these parents realize the dream that his mother was not able to give to him and his siblings, to own their own home. Dunn's achievements have been recognized over the years. He received a Giant Steps Award in civic leadership from former President Bill Clinton for his program. In 2005, Dunn was presented with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award; named after theChicago Bears running back who died in 1999, the award is the only NFL award that recognizes a player for his community service as well as for his excellence on the field. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dunn challenged all NFL players, except for those who play for the New Orleans Saints, to donate at least $5,000 to the effort. The effort received over $5 million in contributions.


For his exceptional involvement on and off the field, Dunn was awarded with the 2009 Bart Starr Award.


Warrick Dunn has always been an inspiration for me. From dealing with his loss, to watching his breathtaking play at FSU, to being a guy who stood 5'9" and 185 most of his career, which is just about my height and weight -- to developing programs to help the less fortunate (things that I am going to follow suit and do as well). He is a beacon of light in a league (NFL) and atmosphere (professional sports) that gets far too much publicity for the wrongs its players commits, rather than focusing on players like Warrick Dunn.


DISCUSS>>>

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 3, 2010

Black History Month: Person Of The Day - February 3, 2010
M.D. Wright
2.3.10


***EDITOR'S NOTE: Continuing Black History Month Series


Today's Person of the Day:
SYLVIA WOODS -- Owner of Sylvia's Restaurant


Ms. Sylvia is a Harlem staple, and many people know about her restaurant, the food and maybe the newer location that opened in Atlanta in the late 1990s. 


Biography borrowed from Wikipedia:


Woods then bought her own restaurant in 1962; the restaurant could seat up to 35 people. During the early 1990’s the business expanded and now seats up to 450 people and also has a catering business. Organized and started by her son Van in 1992, Sylvia came out with her own line of soul food products that are sold nationally. Woods products include many of her special sauces, vegetables, spices, syrup, and cornbread and pancake mixes. Woods has 2 famous cook books one is called Sylvia’s Soul Food Cookbook which was published in 1992, and Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook which was published in 1999 both by William Morrow and Company. Woods opened her second restaurant on Central Ave in Atlanta, Georgia in 1997.
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Personally, I grew up on soul food cooked by women Ms. Sylvia's age. And as I got older, I ate quite a bit of cocina criolla (native Puerto Rican cuisine -- the "soul food" of the Puerto Rican community if you will), so while I support any entrepreneur, especially one who can cut it in Harlem for almost 50 years, I don't go crazy for soul food anymore. But I will say this, the example she set as a Black woman, running her own restaurant HER OWN WAY and maintaining it for this many years is worthy of respect and adulation. Throughout the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, Sylvia's prospered, and became a destination for both Harlemites and out of town visitors. 


While there are tons of other venues to eat such cuisine in Harlem nowadays (Amy Ruth's, Manna's, Spoonbread Too, Londel's Charles' Southern Style -- to  name a few), Sylvia's set the tone. And Ms. Sylvia is an excellent example for anyone to follow, whether it is a young Black woman who wants to own a restaurant, or anyone who could stand to learn a lesson in perseverance and sticktuitiveness. 


DISCUSS>>>

Black History Month: Person Of The Day

Black History Month: Person Of The Day
M.D. Wright
2.2.10


***EDITOR'S NOTE: Continuing Black History Month Series. At my discretion, there may be days where I write about several people in the same day. Obviously, there will be days when I cannot write at all, as priorities dictate. Enjoy!


Person Of The Day:
TOUSSAINT L'OVERTURE.


From a biography borrowed online: 


Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture was likely born on November 1, 1743, though this date has been disputed. He was born into slavery on a plantation under the ownership of Count de Breda. Toussaint’s father, an African named Gaou-Guinou and probably a member of the Arrada tribe, had been deported from his native country and brought to the island of Haiti to labor as a slave on the lucrative sugar plantations of the white men. Toussaint was the oldest the eight children—five of which were boys and three of which were girls. However, in his formative years, Toussaint was allowed by the plantation overseer the rare privilege of learning to read and write. He soon began reading everything available to him. Authors of these books included Plutarch, Epictetus, Caesar, Saxe, and, especially influential in Toussaint’s life, Abbé Raynal. In addition, Toussaint was raised in the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, the official religion of the island. 


Throughout the rest of his life, his faith played an important roll in shaping both his actions and his personality. Toussaint possessed an innate skill for leadership, and this talent combined with his calm, but persistent, nature to create one of the greatest leaders of all time. Compared to most other slaves in the region, Toussaint was well off, serving as a coachman and house servant instead of toiling in the fields. Yet, good conditions or poor, he was still a slave, another man’s property.


These social upheavals were again followed by a short time of peace, in which Toussaint undertook the writing and establishment of the country’s constitution. This constitution ensured liberty and equality for all peoples regardless of race or color. It also named Toussaint as governor of the country for life and provided him the right to choose his successor. However, this did not settle well with the now jealous French commander Napoleon. Enraged, in January of 1802 Napoleon sent an army of approximately 20,000 men under the command of general Leclerc against Toussaint, but did so under a pretext of peace. Toussaint, however, saw through these deceptions and gathered an army from among the Haitians. War ensued, and the death toll climbed high. But in the French camp this was more often due to the deadly smallpox disease which many of the soldiers contracted. Yet, eventually, Toussaint’s forces were utterly exhausted and on May 5, 1802 he accepted a peace treaty with Leclerc which ensured Haiti’s independence and allowed Toussaint to retire to his estates in peace, provided that the fighting ceased. But treachery was afoot. Leclerc, under Napoleons orders, later invited Toussaint to a meeting where, despite Leclerc’s promise of safe conduct, the general had him captured, bound hand and foot, and put aboard a waiting ship. Toussaint was then transported to France and thrown into the dungeon of Fort de Joux in the Jura Mountains. And on April 7, 1803, Toussaint L’Ouverture died of apoplexy, pneumonia, and starvation.
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Well, well, well, what do we have here? Napoleon coming off like a typical imperialist from his era. A coward who lied, cheated and stole to get his way -- killing people in the process. Toussaint goes in good faith to resolve conflict once and for all and Bonaparte double-crosses him. Sounds like that was the European Way when they ventured into "The New World".


Toussaint L'Overture seemed mythical to me when I read about him extensively in elementary and middle school. I did a report on him in high school and wrote another on Haiti as a freshman at Long Island University (many) years ago. When these guys felt strongly about the way they were being (mis)treated, they didn't sit around and whine and complain about it. They ACTED on it. This man fought for his people in Haiti, and being Black brothers and sisters, they're my people also -- as well as learning of his African roots and went back and forth to France in the name of freedom and independence for Haiti.


While Bonaparte and his people double-crossed Toussaint and had him imprisoned, where he died, Haiti did experience independence from France on January 1, 1804, just mere months after Toussaint died in the French prison of pneumonia. He would have been proud to see independence finally come to fruition in his country.


Side Note: I love how people try to make it seem as if Bonaparte just gave Haiti and Louisiana away because they weren't "worth fighting for" any longer. No. His boys were getting the rat piss beat out of them in Haiti and they got out of there while the getting was good. The only way they took Toussaint down was by deception. Who can respect that?


DISCUSS>>>