36 • October 14, 2021 - October 20, 2021
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Sports
Redone and re-opened, Rucker Park carries on its legacy
By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
ry is “more than about basketball.” The grey skies that lingered above Upper ManThis past Saturday at Rucker hattan early Saturday afterPark, located at 155th Street noon were brightened by and Eighth Avenue in Harlem, the shine of Rucker legends an official celebration of its Julius “Dr. J” Irving, Nate renovation and reopening was “Tiny” Archibald, Joe Hamheld. The iconic courts had mond and Pee Wee Kirkbecome worn over the many land. Also in attendance decades of use, unleveled and were family members and sunken in some areas. friends of the illustrious HolSince August, work crews combe Rucker, after whom from the Department of the park is named, and Greg Parks and Recreation, as Marius, the late founder of well as private contractors, the Entertainers Basketball restored and reconstructClassic. The court at Rucker ed the park and courts at a Park bears Marius’ name. cost with funding from the Other prominent figures National Basketball Playcommemorating the day ers’ Association at a cost of were Michelle Roberts, ex$520,000. New bleachers, ecutive director of the NBA a state-of-the-art outdoor Players’ Association since scoreboard and fiberglass NBA back- member of the New York City Basket- their basketball legacy.” 2014, who was instrumental in spearboards with break-away rims now ball Hall of Fame and one of the orgaGus Wells, the chief executive of heading the occasion, rap artist Fat Joe, highlight the venue. nizers of the event. “They’re both known the Entertainers Basketball Classic, and basketball luminaries Rod Strick“This is a great day for Rucker Park throughout the world for their many which is held at Rucker Park during land, Freddie Crawford, Tom Hoover, and Harlem,” said Bob McCullough, a contributions. This will further extend the summer, said the park’s histo- Carl Green and Smush Parker. (Bill Moore photo)
Rucker Park ribbin cutting
The Jon Gruden scandal underscores society’s diverging prism By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
(Wikipedia photo)
only four years into a 10-year, $100 million contract with the team before inevitably being The United States is fired by owner Mark Davis. in a period of dramatGruden stepped down less ic cultural change that than an hour after a New York has seen homophoTimes report exposed emails bia and misogyny take the Sandusky, Ohio native its place, and arguhad purportedly sent, many ably surpass racism to erstwhile Washington Footagainst Black men and ball Team president Bruce women, as deleteriAllen dating back to 2011, ous acts of bias that using explicit racist, antigay subverts one’s career and misogynistic language. opportunities, social The scandal came to light standing and legacy. last Friday when the Wall All are reprehensiStreet Journal reported that ble. But while racist during the 2011 National tropes and connotaFootball League player locktions voiced or written out, Gruden, who at that time by high profile public was working as a broadcaster figures ascribed to for ESPN after being go as AMlet NEWS Black folks are still the head coach of the Tampa met with widespread Bay Buccaneers 10/07/21 in January indignation and stern of 2009, emailed Allen rantOn Monday night, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon rebuke, such incidents ing about NFL Players AssoGruden resigned after a New York Times report revealed he are often survivable. ciation President DeMaurice had made racist, anti-gay and misogynistic comments in Obligatory censures Smith. emails spanning 10 years are issued while sev“Dumboriss [sic] Smith has en-and eight-figure the lips the size of michellin salaries and powerful positions are re- taking place among Black people. What [sic] tires,” wrote Gruden. On AMMonday, NEWS tained. Not so much when it is homo- if Gruden’s words were solely of a racist Smith, who is a Black man, tweeted: 10/14/21 phobic and misogynistic slurs. nature. Would he still be the head coach “The email from Jon Gruden—and some Jon Gruden is the latest catalyst of of the Las Vegas Raiders today? On of the reaction to it—confirms that the the “what if?” hypothetical discussions Monday night, the 58-year-old resigned fight against racism, racist tropes and
intolerance is not over. This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less.” Gruden put forth penance to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, in part stating, “I don’t think he’s dumb…I don’t have a racial bone in my body.” Other leaked emails, which were discovered as part of the NFL’s investigation into the toxic workplace culture of the Washington Football Team that began in July 2020 and led to the league fining the franchise $10 million this past July, revealed Gruden referring to commissioner Roger Goodell as a “fa***t” and “p***y,” chiding the NFL’s public embracing of players engaging in racial justice demonstrations and critical of the league hiring female referees. Gruden deserves the extensive backlash and ostracizing to which he is being 01414 subjected. Frustratingly, we will never AM NE know on 10/07/ 0 with certainty if 7the pressure 74470 22784 him would have had the same intensity absent his homophobic and misogynistic vitriol.
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