Michael Tillery.com

Conversation With Ed Gordon

December 18th, 2006
By Michael Tillery

Emmy award winning journalist Ed Gordon is best known for headline making interviews over a span of twenty years. He’s reported for NBC’s “Nightline” and the “Today Show”, CBS’s “60 Minutes II” and National Public Radio where he hosted “News and Notes with Ed Gordon”. He’s done two stints at BET where he hosted BET Tonight, anchored BET News and “Conversation with Ed Gordon”. His current show is “Our World with Black Enterprise,” which looks at various issues affecting African Americans. He’s interviewed Nelson Mandela, President Clinton, President H.W. Bush, Oprah Winfrey, O.J. Simpson and numerous other luminaries. With the recent passing of Ed Bradley and Gerald Boyd the light is shining on the prominent Black journalist. Armed with a charismatic intellect and ambitious passion, Gordon is poised to lead us all into a new realm of African American journalism.
The Detroit native recently sat down and spoke to us about the world of sports and the Black athlete.

Michael Tillery: What has happened to the social consciousness of the Black athlete?

Gordon: I think we have to look at it individually. Even when we look back at the “heyday” of the Black athlete’s social consciousness—Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the like—there were only a few athletes out there on the front line. I think that there are some athletes that try to stand up and try to utilize their celebrity and wealth for good. I would ask this same question to Black America across the board. I think we hold athletes accountable for more than we hold each other for.

Michael Tillery: There is a growing sentiment that today’s Black athletes would rather be seen not heard for fear of financial retribution. What are your thoughts?

Gordon: I think there is some truth to that. When you are talking about the money that these guys are making—endorsement deals that are worth millions—it is difficult to be truthful to assume that most of them are going to put that at risk. We’d like to believe that all of us have the moral attributes to put our life and well being on the line. In reality, most people won’t do that. Even during the Civil Rights Movement, most people sat at home. So we are going to find hopefully those brave few that stand up and speak out. Charles Barkley is one of the first names that come to mind. Charles didn’t wait like others for their careers to end. He was a voice from the beginning. The new athlete is part of the surrounding that we know today. That is the kind of disconnect and disassociation that many people—Black, White or otherwise— feel with society and social movement today. I do think that when you are given the kinds of dollars, celebrity, opportunity and the influence that these people have I would hope they would understand the social responsibility for people that they should have.

Michael Tillery: Have you had the opportunity to read William C. Rhoden’s book, Forty Million Dollar Slaves?

Gordon: Yes, Bill raises some legitimate questions. The historical context that he puts it in is interesting. We’ve had him on the program not long ago and the question of whether or not we can hold athletes accountable is an interesting one. They are still private citizens. They still can do whatever the milkman chooses to do. The milkman might be at the latest rally to save the schools as well as to help save our Black men. If the everyday person can do it, so should everyone else. Do you have a responsibility because you can get a one hundred million dollar check? Are you going to speak out? Some would say yes and some would say no.
There’s no right or wrong answer. Again, we can only hope that they would do the right thing. It is my opinion that the right thing—for all of us—is to quite frankly speak out when we see injustice. The reality is that these men could be—if they band together—really ridiculously powerful. When you look at the kind of money the NFL alone makes, it is staggering. If Black players were to say—let’s talk about the lack of the Black coach issue for a minute. Just say (hypothetically) 50 key Black players decided to band together and say to ownership, we make a lot of money for you. We see the inequity in the hiring of minority head coaches in the NFL. We’re going to sit out one Sunday unless we see this issue really addressed. One would have to believe that when you look at the kinds of dollars that the NFL has made off the backs of these men that these kinds of issues would be addressed much more quickly.
I’ve not seen that happen. Do we expect more from these men when we see our school systems and our neighborhoods falling down when none of us (the public) really demand from our local politicians, or demand that our neighbors pay more taxes? I think again, we’re all part of this. I’m not sure that any of us are doing the job we need to do.

Michael Tillery: Yes, we do hold athletes and celebrities to a higher standard and hopefully, through conscious conversations like this, Blacks will start to do what is necessary in every community across America.

Gordon: Yes, the old adage is true. To whom much is given, much is expected. These young men have to realize the power they wield. I refuse to divorce them from the rest of society. We all need to be held accountable—particularly in the Black community. We are at such a dangerous crossroad particularly for Black men. For me, that’s the most disappointing aspect is that I don’t see more Black male athletes standing up because many of them are a product of the same tough environment that we talk about all the time. There are a lot of men that are falling by the wayside when they don’t get out of their abysmal living conditions. Even the ones with athletic ability and superior intellect fall victim to gangs, the drug trade and any other detrimental criminal element. Many of them know people who I’ve alluded to that live in that existence. Some have the where with all. I think it is great that Carmelo Anthony is refurbishing the rec center in west Baltimore. LeBron James is doing a whole lot through his foundation and charitable donations. There are guys that are getting it. Let’s not assume that none of them get it. I think if we all hold true that we are our brother’s keeper, all of us will move forward and do what we can.

Michael Tillery: Do you see athletes as role models for today’s children?

Gordon: Sure, absolutely! It would be foolish to assume that athletes aren’t role models.
I think I took—when Barkley said he was not a role model—at the crux of what he said, “I’m not the best role model that you can have.” I think people that you deal with on an every day basis—people you can touch and know and who will influence your life far more than someone you see for a couple of hours on Sunday. Even someone whose poster is hanging up in your room will influence you. I think back to my childhood. Some of my early influences were athletes. You want to emulate them and be like them on the football field or the basketball court. Today, with the advent of twenty-four hour news, internet and the growth of celebrity in this country, the kids want to be like these people on and off the field. The new athlete is truly transcending of sport. They’ve become celebrities just in the sense of celebrity. We see them at parties, riding around and in videos. Shows take you in their houses and show what the bling bling life is about. Many don’t understand that you are a still role model.

Michael Tillery: The NBA has instituted a policy around appearance and conduct that on the surface seems targeted at Black players. Do you buy into that theory?

Gordon: Here’s what I buy into. Wherever you work, there are certain guidelines that you have to adhere to. Whether it is corporate America, where you can’t wear jeans, or places where women have to wear stockings, it is still a business. I do think at times that David Stern goes a little far in his edicts to these men, but when you get paid the crazy amounts of money, that’s the tradeoff. You can’t assume that you can do as you please on your job. None of us can just do what we want to. The majority of the NBA is Black, so yes it’s aimed at Black players. Would the same be done in the NHL if the situation were to be reversed? I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. The ownership in the NBA is White. The commissioner is White.
There’s probably going to be some social disconnect there. Until athletes start running the game, they are going to have to play by the NBA’s rules.

Michael Tillery: I think we have been spoiled by players like Julius Erving and Michael Jordan. They for the most part had a stellar on and off the court presence. I think the dress code and the code for conduct on the floor is going to help our youth and give them a self awareness when they are public. Hopefully, that’s how they’ll look at it.

Gordon: One would hope so. It’s just a different generation. When Dr. J, Magic came up and others the entrée was to get them into corporate America. Even with the great endorsements they were making then, they didn’t see all of the popularity and money that is being made now. With the kind of money that Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James or Dwyane Wade makes on the court, there certainly comes a certain amount of freedom. You are not as tied in to having to play the corporate game at all. Even before some of these players step onto the court, they are set for life in many instances. The smart ones do learn the game and play it and therefore they have more power, longevity, etc. But when you talk about giving a kid—a kid, players sign their first big contracts before they are 25—big money, it’s a lot of pressure and there are going to be mistakes made. The question is do you learn from these mistakes before it’s too late. Take someone like Maurice Clarett for instance. Here’s a kid that if he just held on—even if he didn’t make it to the NFL—he would have been financially able. When you are a true sports hero at a Big Ten school like Ohio State, you can be set for life. Boosters hire you. You get first crack at car dealerships often. You really are the king of the town if you stay there. Here’s a kid that had no guidance. No one was really able to convince him to hold on. This started obviously before he enrolled at Ohio State. We have to get our youth to understand that with all the good that comes with their celebrity, there comes a responsibility. That’s not always on the kid. Often, we don’t really give these kids the opportunity to succeed outside of their respective sport. We need to teach them what to do and align them with people that will show them the correct way of conducting themselves business wise. When kids are beginning to hear in junior high school that he is the best thing since sliced bread, what are you really expecting of this kid? No one is telling them no.

Michael Tillery: The Super Dome is open for business, but certain parts of New Orleans are still dilapidated. What are your thoughts on the priorities of the city?

Gordon: That’s a hard one because there is certain money that is generated. There’s a certain spirit that is given that keeps people around when the football team is playing well like the Saints. I don’t know if you can put a price tag on that. Remember when watching Monday Night Football when the Saints beat Atlanta? You only saw the pageantry around the superdome and french quarters and were under the impression that all was well. There needs to be a parallel track to make sure that with the spirit of the game returning there needs to be the same priority to the spirit of the people in New Orleans. Drew Brees hitting Reggie Bush out the backfield, handing off to Duce McCallister and throwing to Joe Horn and Marques Colston seems to be paying dividends, but you have got to make sure the Ninth Ward is receiving some of those benefits. A great deal of that city is really mired in the sludge that Katrina left in its wake. Again, it’s a question of our priorities as a society. I look at all these corporate welfare handouts that are keeping teams in their respective cities. There are new stadiums being built in cities that will have in the surrounding areas educational systems that are darn near bankrupt. These owners are very convincing that the money raised from these sports franchises and stadiums will trickle down and keep the city happy. You just shouldn’t do it to the detriment of a school system falling apart. The same applies with New Orleans and their handling of Katrina’s aftermath.

Michael Tillery: As a Detroit native, what are your impressions on the climate in your native city?

Gordon: Well it’s been a difficult year for those of us who are Detroit natives. The Redwings had the best record and fell apart in the playoffs. The Pistons do the same thing. The Tigers are a different story because they advanced to the World Series against a team they should have beaten. Now they did lose 119 games three years ago, so there is cause for optimism. You can’t be really disappointed, but you can be hurt because they really came close. They squandered a great opportunity in a sport were it’s very difficult to repeat. You never know if they are going to be able to keep it together and consistently win. I just wish they didn’t play the World Series in October, because it was pretty damn cold!

Michael Tillery: Play GM for a minute. With Big Ben Wallace leaving the Pistons, what impact will that have on your team?

Gordon: Love Big Ben. Love his intensity, his rebounding and the intangibles that he brings every night, but I don’t know if I would have paid 50 million to get him. Detroit was exposed last year. Teams found him and exploited his offensive weakness. It will take the season to see how his loss will affect us. I’m more concerned whether Rasheed Wallace will get down on the blocks and play in the paint instead of watching him fire up countless threes. I’m not sure if that really didn’t kill the Pistons last year in the playoffs. We became a perimeter team and really needed some scoring down low. What hurts me more is watching Dwyane Wade play knowing he could have been a Piston. We picked Darko instead of Wade, Anthony, or Bosh. That’s the hardest part for me to swallow, watching that young talent when they could have been lacing them up in Detroit.

Ed Gordon, thanks for the soul flow.