Like many of us who call Kansas City home, we have had justifiable worry and anxiety about our beloved KC Chiefs. Last night, they put some of our anxieties to rest (at for this week). With a win of 26-7 over the Miami Dolphins and Tyreek Hill in subzero weather
, we can breathe a bit easily. However, I awakened this morning with the MLK decal and 'Be Love' on each player's helmet on my mind. As a person of color in America, no matter how 'spiritually evolved' I may, I have my suspicions around any institutionalized power. The NFL has loads of it.
Unless you've been living under an aversion to popular culture as it relates to sports over the past several years, Colin Kaepernick, Roger Goodall and the NFL mean little to you. Colin took a knee to represent his affinity and support for Black Lives Matter and most things of social justice (or lack thereof). This act infuriated the powers that be. He was ostracized. His story tracks to those old movies that the villain threatens 'You'll never work in this town again!" The NFL did exactly that---in order to keep their most white fan base, it was untenable to have such a defiant and unapologetically Black to take a knee.
It is said that you know a compromise has worked when both parties grouse about the fact of their continued dissatisfaction and they tepidly express that hackneyed phrase 'let's agree to disagree'. Or please don't allow 'perfection to be the enemy of the good' or so our Former President Obama and as the political appeasers used to and continue to say. I realize that these statements are usually trotted out as some some pragmatic justification of compromise as they seduce to sleep with the enemy. I'm all for 'we're in this together, but when you refuse to acknowledge our history and certain facts, then it demands an unapologetic push back (or taking a knee publicly.The NFL trotted out pithy sayings to be placed in the endzones or on players' helmets---the latest iteration on Wild Card Weekend (the start of the NFL's playoff season) was the MLK decal (in black and white) with 'Be Love' or 'Stop Hate' on the their helmets. Personally and energetically speaking I wouldn't have chosen the 'Stop Hate' ever---our subconscious and intentional energies connect to the feelings and how they're labeled. 'Be Love' creates love. 'Stop Hate' moves hate. Unless you have a consciousness of using a form jitsu jitsu, Stop hate will focus you on the separateness brought on by an ego who wants to prove its superiority (yeah, right).
While incremental movement is to be recognized and cautiously applauded. the breaking of the helmet on the head of Patrick Mahomes, felt symbolic regarding these tepid efforts of the NFL to please its mostly white fan base at the expense of Black Lives Matter. Patrick and Colin are both of mixed race. As such, Colin still is an outcast while Mahomes plays the role of the 'Magical Negro'. Colin saw a higher ideal and he put his sacrificed his career. Similar to Cassius Clay turned Muhammad Ali (who took a 'conscientious objector' role for the Vietnam War), Colin lost millions of dollars for a cause. I realize to compare these two athletes in terms of their skill set may cause some of the sports enthusiasts to cease reading. If you do, realize that you're missing the energetic intent. As we move forward into the Aquarius Age, transparent energetic intent vis-a-vis institutionalized power and authority is all. As far as I am concerned the NFL missed an excellent opportunity to instruct our larger American (and by extension the world) a lesson in institutionalized power and the normalization of oppression. Okay, that's a historical analysis.
It's 2024. It felt good to see the MLK decal and 'Be Love' on the helmet of each player last night. It was as if each player (and those who made it happen) had lengthened their angel wings. Did imagine players on rival teams helping each other off of the nearly frozen ground? Did not Travis Kelce say three words about Tyreek Hill returning to KC? Yep, the most prosperous man (on the outside) Mr. Kelce said KC has 'Nothing But Love' for Mr. Hill. Did I not see the spouses of Mahomes and HIll along with the soon-to-be wife of Kelce? It was a feminizing of the NFL. The softer side of the media, right? Okay, these musings may be a bit naive and innocent. In my defense, where and how does 'be love' begin? In our open hearts or an over active mind? Sigh. I await your answer...
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