There's Your Karma, Ripe As Peaches

Remember those three days in school (if you went to a mostly white school, that is) when you covered slavery in the United States?

If you're having trouble recalling, think back to that one week in US History or Social Studies where the 2 black kids sat in awkward agony as the teacher recounted the details of slavery to them instead of the whole class, and the 30 white kids in the room stared at them with awkward, apologetic expressions. After the bell rang, a couple classmates that were truly overcome with white guilt would track them down in the hall after class and verbally apologize for how "their people" were treated before expressing how awful it makes them feel.

All of this inevitably occurred during Black History Month - the only time it was seemingly acceptable for anything other than Crispus Attucks to arise as a topic of discussion during school. [However, Mr. Attucks certainly popped up again during these 28 days.]

So I guess we should see it as progress that a Elaine Bernstein, a 7th grade social studies teacher from White Plains, NY, recently covered slavery before the calendar mandated. Trouble was, she tried to enliven the discussion (as if the subject needs it) by binding the hands and feet of two black girls with tape and then putting them under a desk... because.. you know.. the students needed to visualize what it was like to be an African captive on a slave ship. The only thing this tragic scene was missing was Ms. Bernstein's Act 2, where a white student comes up and helps act out a scene from Roots.

Sadly, a mother raised hell only to have the teacher and the school authorities completely miss the boat (no pun intended):

"We encourage our teachers to deliver the curriculum in a variety of ways, to go beyond just reading the textbook," said Superintendent Brian Monahan of the North Rockland School District in New York City's northern suburbs. "We don't want to discourage creativity. But this obviously went wrong because the student was upset."

In no other place than the bedroom is bondage creative and even there it's a bit old hat. But turning students into the gimp? Come on. Now you can argue that if she'd tied up white kids, there'd be no problem but the real issue here is that binding children of any color is a BAD IDEA. And being stupid enough to bind black kids during an already touchy discussion ought to result in you being taken to an alley and beaten with reeds. It's not like she didn't have other visualization options. How about measuring off the space slaves had on ships and try to fit the class into it? Is that not hands on enough?

I doubt the school will punish this woman for being a mental defective. So when her class reaches the Holocaust section of the book, I hope the school holds a convocation in the gym where Ms. Bernstein is stuffed in a covered Radio Flyer and wheeled to a gas chamber at faux Auschwitz. Hopefully, she won't get upset.

Posted on 9 December 2008 | Filed under: Braintrusts | Comments (6) | AIM Me

This sad image is what happens when you're only in it for the money.. and when you're too blinded by your 2,500-watt smile and million dollar paydays arrogant to see that you're time has long since passed.

It's easy to say that Oscar de la Hoya should have called it a day after Floyd Mayweather took his boot of justice to him in the final rounds last May, but even with hindsight being what it is, was there ever any doubt?

In rounds 9 - 12, Pretty Boy taxed the gold finish off de la Hoya with 71 connects (vs. 27) and 27 power shots (vs. 23). And what was so disheartening about it all wasn't that Mayweather's slick counterpunching was suddenly too much to handle; it was that Oscar didn't have anything left for a proper response. He had no legs, no power and a connection rate that you'd expect of a tomato can on Friday Night Fights. Still, he managed a respectable split decision that allowed him to leave the ring with his head held high. And with Mayweather's retirement scuttling the possibilities of a rematch, it was the perfect opportunity to walk into that quiet good night.

But no, de la Hoya went looking for trouble because as much as he loves making money, he clearly loves blowing big fights even more. What's worse is this time, he not only blew the fight but also had to sit idly by while his corner threw in the towel. It was a shameful moment for boxing that never should have happened.

Sure, de la Hoya v. Pacquiao seemed like a waste of time what with ODLH sporting 4-inch height and 6-inch reach advantages against an undersized guy with a suspect jaw that jumped 2 weight classes to fight him. But Manny Pacquiao isn't The Contender's Steve Forbes and he isn't a smoking, boozing and slightly insane Ricardo Mayorga either. Manny Pacquaio is a tenacious, ferocious pugilist. And while that wouldn't have mattered against Oscar even three years ago, it certainly does and did in a year when a guy that couldn't even win a boxing reality show easily took him the distance.

Oscar de la Hoya should have been doing the rumba with one of those oversexed broads on Dancing with the Stars. He should have been buying a Grammy for another one of his lame Latin Pop "records." He should have been making a bajillion dollars promoting young, talented fighters through Golden Boy Promotions. He should have been anywhere but the ring and now his legacy will pay dearly for it.

It's pretty sad. But let me take a selfish angle here and tell you what else will suffer - any affection I ever had for Oscar de la Hoya. And no, it's not because he and his old balls went down like a one-eyed bitch. Or because he's been a weak 3 - 3 since his failed rematch with Shane Mosley. It's because now, Manny Pacquiao will fight and beat Ricky Hatton and do you know what that will do? It will pull Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of retirement to counterpunch Pacquaio back to the Philippines and take official ownership of the mythical pound-for-pound title. Don't get me wrong, Pretty Boy is a joy to watch but I've had enough of his "I'm an insufferable, ungrateful, preening douchebag that leaves my house just to wave around hundred dollar bills" to last a lifetime. We get it, Floyd. You're the best. You're the greatest. You're rich. And even more, you hang out with 50 Cent.

Thanks to Oscar de la Hoya, we're about to hear more about it. Times ten.

Great work, Oscar. Ass. 

Posted on 7 December 2008 | Filed under: Boxing | Comments (6) | AIM Me