Many young people are led to believe that a successful career in sports will subsequently lead to freedom. Much of that notion emanates from the fact that the high salaries from playing professional sports are a sure path to freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Few people, regardless of race, creed or color, command the multimillion-dollar paychecks that are so often publicized. Of the few that do, even fewer use their resources to benefit themselves, their relatives or their former neighbors.
There are several reasons for this. Most of the players have agents who are White. The advice they receive from these agents is often more beneficial to the agent and his business associates than to the players themselves.
When big purchases or investments are made on the players’ behalf, the result is usually that the purchases and investments are made with companies owned by White people, often associates or friends of the agent.
When the player makes big purchases, such as houses, cars, jewelry or other expensive items, they are made through White companies. However, some do waste their money on family or friends who milk them for all they are worth. There are many other ways in which they waste their earnings.
Few follow the example of the Fitzgeralds, who have set up a foundation to positively affect the health and welfare of people regardless of their ethnic background. This writer has personal knowledge of athletes who waste millions each year of their short, brief careers and end up with little or nothing.
There are many who are frugal and wise with their earnings, and we should support them. But, as this writer has often said, one of the reasons there is no longer the unhappiness and anger among the White money class with these entertainers who make a lot of money is because Big Business knows that they, the big money people, will get it back because of the undying loyalty these entertainers have toward the Big Business interests. If you don’t believe me, ask them where they got their cars or from whom they purchased their homes.
We need to work with these young people who have been taught that the “American way” is to have a lot of “things.” We need to start this process early.
This is a mild shot at the captains of capitalism who have developed a winning strategy on how to keep not just Black people down, but all who would challenge America’s capitalistic way of distributing wealth and privilege.
Yes, when the New York Times sportswriter WILLIAM RHODEN wrote the book Million Dollar Slaves, he was telling nothing but the truth. Stay tuned: We will bring more of this to you.
Kwame McDonald welcomes reader responses to kmcdonald@spokesman-recorder.com or by phone at 651-398-5278.
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