Hilary Clinton once said, “What we have to do… is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.” Oprah Winfrey gave it to us like this, “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” Then Audre Lorde shut the buildin’ down when she spit, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
Well playas…Cam Newton didn’t just start celebratin’ in the end zone once he became a superstar quarterback in the National Football League. This phenomenon known as end zone celebrations and trash talkin’ is more cultural than people want to admit and that’s why mainstream America has a problem with him. It’s a right of passage for ball playas in the African-American community, middle class or poor. When kids first learn how to play ball, they’re taught by the older kids that the game is played between the ears. See everyone in the hood has talent, speed, agility and quickness. So the playin’ field many times is level. How can a boy get an advantage? By gettin’ inside of the other cats head.
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! If you want to compete in the hood you have to be able to hold your own. If you’re not strong mentally you won’t be able to compete let alone win anything. So kids in that environment learn to be tough early on or they won‘t make it. A boy can’t afford to get labeled as the kid that can’t take the trash talk because he’ll get targeted everyday. Duns will intentionally go after him just to break him down mentally. Those are the rules playboy. And Cam is playin’ by them. The more he plays by those rules the more fun he has.
It’s more than just a game it’s about who is tougher between the ears. Those that are the toughest mentally usually become the better players. Those that aren’t, well…they typically quit before they get out of middle school. That’s just the way it is pimpin’. It’s cultural and there’s nothin’ anybody can do about it. Cam Newton isn’t goin’ to stop bein’ black and playin’ the way he loves to play because some that grew up in the suburbs or rural America don’t like it or don’t understand it. This is the way most if not all of the cats that look like him were taught to play the game. Sure, there are some exceptions to that rule but for the most part most of the brothers in the league learned to play the same way. Attitude and swag is what gets a boy over the top.
Boyz would always ask themselves how can they get an edge on a cat that has the same amount of talent that they have? There’s no secret formula or magic potion, just rattle him until he breaks.
And let’s be honest, the game is a lot more fun to play when everyone understands the rules of engagement. The weak individuals were eliminated in middle school so that the real trash talkers make it to high school. Then the celebrations and talk gets even louder and even more harsh. By the time guys make it to college it’s at a fever pitch. Why do you think that the Miami Hurricanes were so successful in the 1980’s thru 2001?
Yeah, they were obviously better than other teams but they also got into their heads and wore them down. It’s much easier to beat duns that were internalizin’ the trash talk, waitin’ on the dancin’ and takin’ it personal. It’s called “gamesmanship”. I can beat you as long as I’ve got you doubtin’ yourself and many times that means tryin’ to embarrass you in the process. Therefore, Cam is like, “Let me go head and Dab on these boyz while 20 million people are watchin’ this foolishness.”
That’s what duns like Michael Irving and Deion Sanders were able to do to boyz. Think about it bruh, their nicknames were “The Playmaker” and “Prime Time!” That was strictly for show playa!! Remember when Billy “White Shoes” Johnson would do the crazy legs in the end zone and people would go crazy? That made the game fun to play and to watch. It’s entertainment bruh!!! These ole playa hatin’ media-types and these out of touch fans are killin’ me actin’ like this cat is doin’ something wrong by clownin’ these boyz after he scores. Why are people tryin’ to take the attitude out of the game? That’s what makes the GAME the GAME!
I hear these media-types so many times demonizin’ Cam Newton by sayin that he’s disrespectin’ the other team. That’s EXACTLY what he’s tryin’ to do. Point blank! He’s tryin’ to get into their heads so that he can win the game. However, the only people that make comments like that are people that didn’t grow up in that culture.
The only guys on the field that get offended by Cam Dabbin’ the end zone are the weak minded individuals and he’s done his job if they’re upset by it. Well…70% of the guys on the field grew up understandin’ what the rules are and the few brothers that didn’t grow up in the hood were taught them by their relatives. So if a sucka is mad then he better check himself because it’s gonna be a long day.
Let’s keep it as simple as possible bruh. If boyz don’t wanna see Cam dance or celebrate they’ve got to keep him out of the end zone. And I hope he dances for 4 quarters in Super Bowl 50! Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Spit: verb – to say
2) Duns: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its REAL talk!