From Gold, To Shackles, Back To Gold by 40 DIESEL

1968

Editor’s note: 40 Diesel is my man like fifty grand so I will allow him to say anything he wants to on this site. He can even exhalt in the triumphs of athletes who are no where near as courageous as the two pictured above. Leave it to 40 however to redefine patriotism through the liberation of one’s paycheck. Read on DP Dot Commenters…

As if you didn’t know already, the Olympics are underway in all of its glory and all of its gall. The Olympics used to be a place of international competition and the overall goodwill of humanity through sport, but in the modern era its been come the global pulpit where grievances and pride are aired and displayed. Much ado has been made about China’s role in the situation in Darfur, and many of the “Official Corporate Sponsors” i.e. Coke and the like are catching grief under guilt by association. Honestly unless someone gets the balls to do something in line with TOMMIE SMITH and JOHN CARLOS in the ’68 Mexico City Games, then its just more liberal hustler propaganda (ala the Obama tee), because we need so save Baltimore as well as Darfur – IF NOT FIRST. Its gonna take a more profound act than bitching or some random rubber bracelet.

One of the common targets of corporate sponsorship/irresponsibility by the arm chair granola set is one of my beloved brands – The Nike Corporation of Beaverton, Oregon. Nike is always catching beef from the New Balance liberal hustler set for their labor practices and their sneaker prices. However there is no denying Nike’s influence on the global athletic community, and isn’t that what the Olympics is about anyway? Nike’s global positioning is no accident and the global icon and pitchman that is probably most responsible for this is His Airness MICHAEL JEFFREY JORDAN. MJ is no stranger to the Olympics, having won two gold medals, first in the ’84 LA Games, and the other with the team of universe beaters aka “The Dream Team” in the ’92 Barcelona games.

Lets be real for a second – DAVID STERN gave Jordan the job, but Nike made Jordan the global icon, to which Stern’s NBA is still reaping the benefits from. To this day Nike is still a corporate king maker of athletes, and their list of endorsers will shake the foundation of what ever sport they outfit for these dudes for. Having lost out on the NBA/NFL outfitting contracts a few years back, Nike had been itching to get their Swoosh on American professional athlete’s uniforms. Well they got their wish as Olympic outfitters most important USA Basketball which was renamed “The Redeem Team” for the ’08 Beijing Games.

So of course in true Nike fashion they’ve gone all in for this. They’ve debuted the HYPERDUNK, Nikes newest sneaker technology since they debuted the SHOX in the 2000 Sydney Games (“Hey Fred Weis, tell me how my sack tastes” – Vince Carter). Also, whats Nike with out some jaw-dropping. awe-inspiring, game-changing commercial that makes you understand why they’re running this shit literally and figuratively? I give you 40’s “Exhibit A”:

Come on man. Thats that shit right there. I’m sending that advertising a firm a Kwanzaa card this December. Plus what I love about this year’s men’s hoops squad is the bigger picture they represent. Don’t let the media MICHAEL PHELPS you to death, his quest for individual success is great and all, and as America’s premiere white Olympic athlete he’s gonna get alot of deserved coverage. However the global community is getting tired of America’s individualistic posturing, and with the proverb of “It takes a village to raise a child”, its gonna take a team to raise this nation. That team is the US Men’s Basketball team.

At the opening game against the Chinese National Squad, KOBE BRYANT was mobbed while G-G-G-G DUBYA was merely golf clapped out of diplomatic politeness. LEBRON, ‘MELO, WADE and the rest of the team are rock stars in the Olympic Village, all while maintaining a level of humility focused on the goal of THE GOLD. Most of (white) America would love to paint these guys as cocky, brash spoiled NBA brats, which just isn’t the case. The guys who were on the team who are carrying the shame of the ’04, third place finish are motivated (LeBRONZE JAMES), and all these men have said that this experience is bigger and more important than any NBA title they’ve ever competed for or won. They have elevated themselves over the simplistic critiques of being a team of primadonnas to a cohesive unit with a singular goal. Who says that brothers can’t get along?

I don’t know how the rest of the world sees this team, but it does my heart proud to see the descendants of chattel slaves, evolve in to a solid BILLION DOLLARS of black wealth out there defending the pride of this country. These are the disciples of Jordan. They understand the game and the blueprint he’s laid out for them to follow and improve upon. Represent for your responsibilities, and handle your business. America may chide these young men for not having a college degree between them, but they damn sure know history and economics. They understand that they have a job to do as ambassadors, but also know they are global icons and thats gonna cost anyone who wants a piece of that. If you want us to represent this country which has been egregiously thankless to us, then we’re gonna redefine our American and get our slice if the pie even if gotta bake it ourselves. Thats why Kobe & Co got Stern a little nervous when they all more than admitted they’d be foolish not to take a $50M European deal…

And I completely understand that mentality. Whether its Crispus Attucks in Boston, or Joe Louis vs. Max Schmelling, America will rally behind its Negroes when their causes are the same, just for them to return to “their spot” in line when the aim is achieved. Think I’m lying, read any NBA beat writer come January. All that good will they had for these guys after they get the gold will all be vanquished, and they’ll be back to “million dollar thug crybabies”. If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a million times. So get that gold medal fellas, and get all the gold that goes along with it. And if that leads you to foreign shores, NBA hoopsters than do what you got to. But for now rock the Stars & Stripes with pride and what ever swagger you have to – this is your country fellas. I for one am proud.

BTW – thanks to NaS for the title of this drop. “You Can’t Stop Us Now” has become that anthem… “From pyramids, to cotton fields, to Wrigley Field.”

NaS featuring EBAN THOMAS – ‘You Can’t Stop us Now’

P.S.: Dallas the challenge is for you to get that ‘LO lifestyle Olympic Ceremony blazer. Considering I scooped the ROOTS USA Jacket form the ’04 Athens Games, its gotta be out there to be had!!!!

13 Responses to “From Gold, To Shackles, Back To Gold by 40 DIESEL”

  1. Enigmatik says:

    gotDAMNIT 40…this post was dope.

    I apply my co-signature and will pass it along to more brothas and sistas who need to learning in their life.

    chu’ch an’ all dat.

  2. Enigmatik says:

    *this learning*…slap me lol

  3. Amadeo says:

    Damn…I’d love to see a Black Athelete say, “Fuck ya’ll I’m going to Europe.”

    The Euro is worth more then the dollar right now anyway.

  4. wax says:

    isnt 50 million euro’s 100 million dollars or some shizzle?

  5. 40 says:

    Amadeo… Jazz musicians have done it… and as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is gonna tell you in his upcoming documentary “On the Shoulders of Giants” basketball is just an extension of the expression of Jazz.

    I think as we become less African and more American (beat down of Angola not included), the American power structure is going to have to understand they cant take all of us jigs for granted like the Democratic party. Sure there’s alot of black folk still broke (hell there’s alot of broke white folk also), but I think our generation has been fortunate enough to see alot of self made black fortunes which will hopefully turn into black wealth. Some of us have gotten there faster than others, some will have a slower uphill climb.

    Hell I might never live next door to any of these dudes, but thats not to say my grandkids and their grandkids won’t be school chums or neighbors someday…

  6. nerditry says:

    @Amadeo : Makes sense, but reality is worse. You may hear some foul shit once or twice as a black athlete in NBA arenas, but Europe, that’s like a trip back in time. Thierry Henry, one of the finest soccer players in the world endures chants of monkey in the “progressive” countries because racists love sports, too.

    @40 : I’m with you on this, but don’t get it twisted because each athlete has made their own decision about loyalty in light of large paydays. Don’t give a fuck if the speech is about their own civil rights, the Chinese track record on human rights/environment/supression, someone just needs to step up and say it.

    So far…all I hear are thundersticks and crickets.

  7. 40 says:

    Nerditry –

    I dig what you’re saying and in know what am I absolving China from their atrocities. However I do take exception how the “global community”, especially Americans choose to rile against China in 2008, when no one dares or cares to turn a mirror on American activities that have gone on unprotested against since the start of the modern Olympics in 1898.

  8. Vee says:

    40, co-sign all the way.
    I find it odd that there are a large number of horror stories going on in the U.S. that recieve the coverage that they warrant, yet the media would like everyone to be concerned about Darfur or any number international crisis of the moment. The U.S. has a long history of establishing and protecting their global interest while her urban cities rot of decaying flesh. And we all know that there are a number countries that the U.S. will not lift a finger to aid.

    I think it will be cool if a major NBA leaves for the international scene. Many musicians tour and prosper outside the United States and get major love. Public Enemy continues to tour heavily on the international scene. I once read the Lords of the Underground are still doing their scene in Europe.

  9. the_dallas says:

    First off, ain’t no top tier jig athlete going overseas no matter how fucked the fuck up the dollar gets. Them fools is too busy buying their eighth automobile. The most bitchmade players union is the Associations.

    Think about it, at the height of the NBA’s popularity the league locked out the players and made it seem like the players were on strike. The union ratified the bullshit contract because none of the players had any cash to live off. Sheeeeeit, jigs had ten cars though.

    The Association’s players union lost bigtime. Fools could have had the world instead Stern keeps his ho’s barefoot and pregnant.

  10. LM says:

    Dallas,

    That day’s not far off at all. Don’t know that it’ll be a all-out trend but my prediction is that one of this year’s U.S. Olympic team or someone else on that level will make the leap before London 2012.

  11. 40 says:

    Interesting still…

    I love how they’re downplaying the Spanish National Team about their team photograph. Meanwhile Jason Kidd called it correctly that if any of these cats did this they’d be under all sorts of international grief, and cutting checks to stern. So I guess when the World Cup comes to South Africa in 2010, the Spanish team is well within their right to pose with spears and bones in their nose…

    Gotta love it…

  12. elevatorstuck 2

    From Gold, To Shackles, Back To Gold by 40 DIESEL

Leave a Reply for Enigmatik