By Lucius Gantt
I try very hard to stay in my digital lane. I write about economics and, politics but I do have considerable experience in sports reporting.
As a professional journalist, I was assigned by The Atlanta Journal, The Washington Post, The Associated Press in New York and Atlanta, and other major and minor media outlets in America and in print and broadcast companies around the world.
So, if it’s all right with the TGR family, I’d like to share my opinion about the son of “Coach Prime”, Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders.
The Cleveland Browns NFL football team should give Shedeur Sanders a chance to see if he can win games for the lowly Browns.
Let Shedeur compete, give him some meaningful reps with Cleveland’s best offensive players. If Shedeur can’t produce and perform better than the Browns quarterbacks who have all the opportunities to win games but lose far more games than they win.
As you know, America is a capitalist country and the National Football League is doing all it can do to generate revenue for their conservative billionaire owners.
If “money” is the primary motivating factor in America and in the NFL, why can’t the Cleveland Browns give the player the fans prefer and want to see play his deserved opportunity?
Don’t worry about how much money Shedeur made from his (NIL) name, image and likeness, or how Shedeur and the Browns have generated money from Shedeur’s jersey sales, think about how he has contributed to the Cleveland community, how he has visited schools and hospitals, or how he has constantly remained on the field after practice working on improving his game when coaches, staff, and team management refuses to let him play when the world believes he is more of a “winner” than the quarterback loved by the Cleveland coach who has the same agent as the chosen, losing QB.
The football fans in Ohio have been misled. The people thought the Cleveland Browns wanted to win but apparently the team’s current goal is to lose as many games as possible by refusing to treat the players fairly.
I don’t know how well Shedeur will play if he is given a chance, but I have no doubt he is capable of playing as well, or better, than the losing QB the Cleveland Browns love.
Hmmm? Maybe, professional athletes should unite and form a union of Black professional athletes.
Perhaps, they should form new sports leagues where every athlete of all races, creeds and colors can have fair opportunities to play, win, and enjoy a fair workplace.
Suggestions that Shedeur’s status may be related to hate for “Prime Time” have been circulated as a reason why Shedeur hasn’t been utilized but only God can judge Deion, or us.
We all know other quarterbacks who have been victims of NFL dislike and mistreatment. Black quarterback hatred didn’t start with Shedeur and the disrespect of Black quarterbacks won’t stop, ever, as long as MAGA NFL owners don’t care about putting the best QB’s, and others onto the field.
If Black athletes don’t know the money game and the hate game, they will hardly succeed on the playing field if they play or don’t play!
I feel you Shedeur, the coach will try, but only God can judge you.