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I have had considerable dialogue with dozens of readers who have weighed in on the Derrick Rose controversy, commenting on my Sun-Times column and my blog, positive and negative. It has all been very educational and compelling. Whether the issue will be resolved, one way or the other, remains to be seen.
But one reader was particularly eloquent, incisive and opinionated in his view of the matter. I am printing his response, not because I happen to agree with him, but because I think he provides a viewpoint from a black perspective that blacks don't want to deal with and is rarely if ever communicated, one that whites don't understand.
In our online discussions, I asked him why the perception is that the black community has done a very poor job of addressing the issues relating to preparing high school athletes for college and the recruiting process associated with it. His response was riveting.
"Simply put, we are not capable of doing it. For the longest time, I thought it to be a matter of choosing but I am not convinced that we, collectively speaking, do not have the necessary skills to prepare our children for this process and, subsequently, life.
"I can provide you with a myriad of reasons why this is true, such as no family structure, lack of education, poverty and fatherless children, just to name a few. And while all of these reasons will suffice and are all inter-related, I want to be specific with an observation of mine that I think will paint a clearer picture. In my estimation, there is no generatlon gap, socially speaking, in the black community.
"If you look at any thriving community, there is an obvious social distinction (generation gap) from one generation to the next. By that I mean that there is a clear-cut difference with an older generation in terms of social training, experience, work ethic, education and basic know-how.
"This dynamic serves the younger generation by providing them with real guidance and direction in the form real individuals want to emulate, learn from and consult with as they figure out who they are and what they should be doing with themselves. In effect, someone to report to. I am a strong believer that we all need someone to report to. In our community, this relationship doesn't exist from one generation to the next (at least not for the reasons that it should).
"I remember a time when you could tell a generational difference by appearance alone. You can't do that anymore in our community. Today, 40-year-olds and 20-year-olds dress alike. Linguistically, they sound alike. They listen to the same music. They share common interests and, unfortunately, their overall views and perspectives about what is important in this world are way too familiar.
"Therefore, it is pretty easy to see how this thing has gotten so out of control and I fear it will get worse. Our children are surrounded by people who simply are not either socially developed and/or knowledgeable enough to provide them with any real guidance toward getting prepared (socially and academically) to navigate themselves into and through a collegiate environment.
"Couple this with the fact that the Luther Bedfords and the Horace Howards are, for the most part, gone from the high school coaching landscape. These men were educators by trade who had successfully navigated the process from beginning to end. Men like that made honest efforts to prepare the next generation for our mental, social and academic climb into the real world based upon their knowledge and experiences.
"These men have been replaced with coaches the Chicago Public Schools employ as security guards in order for them to be eligible to coach due to the fact that they have no real educational pedigree. Add to the mix street agents who work either for AAU club teams and/or the gym shoe companies and it is easy to see how these young minds become so thoroughly corrupted. And when I saw street agents, know that my emphasis is on the word street. This ever-growing group of men is representative of people who have absolutely no business around children, let along advising them on what they should be doing with their lives.
"Let me conclude by saying that the major reason why we have done such a poor job of preparing our children for life (because that's all that we are talking about here) is simply that we aren't qualified to do it. It is a sad commentary to have to face the conclusion that we have become the improper influences on our children that our parents tried to protect us form. And, honestly, I am not convinced that we will recover from our current state.
"These children are so coddled so early that by the time they become teens they are totally corrupted and have absolutely no concept of what being responsible is. So telling Derrick Rose to take responsibility for his actions is like telling a homeless person to just get a house. It's not happening. These young men should be held to account for their actions. However, they have absolutely no concept of what accountability is."
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Taylor I totally agree with you. As a high school coach who isn't employed in CPS its amazing how the Al Scott, Bob Hambric, Terry Lewis, Sonny Cox, Luther Bedfords and Don Piittman are gone from CPS and never was replace. These guy wasn't just coaches they were teacher, deans, and counslor. They taught young black kids how to become a man. This is something that is lost at CPS.
I was totally upset when i heard their only 3 black coaches in CPS that hold a teaching degree ( loren jackson, Wolf Nelson, and Vince Carter). Why is Calvin Davis and Cyrus McGinns allowing this? If you want real changes in the basketball world of CPS these two people should be replace for allowing this to happen.. They forgot the importance of student in student/athlete.
Also Taylor do you honest believe Calvin, Cyrus and Rob Smith didn't have any idea what was going on at Simeon with Derrick Rose? Its funny how people forget about Bob Hambric.. I was asking myself the other day why would Bob Hambric walk away from the opportunity to coach Derrick Rose? What coach in his right mind would not want to take on that challenge and coach a future NBA STAR.. Hambric understood Reggie Rose, Derrick Rose and Tim Flowers was in control at Simeon not the coach or teacher..
Please Comment Taylor
There goes Taylor Bell again knocking blacks again. Who are you to comment on the black community. You are a borderline racist. How about painting a positive picture once and for all. Its sports, and despite what you say.. these kids are going to college. The more black men we send to college the better. How about I critic the white community. ANd provide insight as to why these acts occur from Lawndale to Engelwood. Because of the systimatic oppresion people such as yourself have provided to the Black Community since the beginning of civilization. Its even now so rampant in Chicago.
You are terribly out of touch also. You remember a day when basketball shorts were no longer than under wear and chuck taylors were not only a shoe of choice..but the only shoe to choose. My good sir its a different day. Are you deliberating or what? It sure doesnt come across that way. You appear to bey a staunch critic of children. Which in essence is a bully.
IT APPEARS THE SITUATION WITH D.ROSE WAS JUST THAT A
SITUATION, NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG, TO START
CALLING COACHES OUT ON WHAT DEGREES THEY HAVE IS WRONG!
THEY HAVE ASCEP TESTING, SOME OF YOU NEED TO CHECK INTO
THIS TESTING, IT IS ON THE MONEY, JUST LIKE THERE IS A
REFEREE SHORTAGE, THERE IS ALSO A COACHING SHORTAGE, YOU
CAN MAKE MORE MONEY TEACHING DRIVER EDUCATION THAN COACHING
PEOPLE HAVE FAMILIES TO FEED, DON'T PUT DOWN SOMEONE FOR
WANTING TO COACH, IF YOU FEEL THE JOB ISN'T GETTING DONE
YOU SHOULD COACH (CHRIS), THE MEN YOU NAMED WERE GREAT
MEN, BUT THEY MIGHT NOT COACH TODAY'S PLAYER FOR THE MONEY
THE CPS IS PAYING OUT, THOSE MEN COACHED FOR THE LOVE OF
THE GAME, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE GREAT AT WHAT THEY DID!
NOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL YOU MUST RUN YOUR PROGRAM THE ENTIRE
YEAR!
BACK WHEN THESE MEN COACHED, AAU BALL WASN'T ON THE MAP
AS WELL!
THE CPS IS PUSHING HARD FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS, AS YOU SEE
CALUMET HIGH SCHOOL IS A CHARTER SCHOOL!
THE COMMENT ABOUT BOB HAMBRIC NOT WANTING TO COACH D. ROSE
IS UNTRUE, THE MAN RETIRED FROM COACHING, REMEMBER THIS
IS THE MAN WHO COACHED BEN WILSON, WHO IS REALLY THE FIRST
D. ROSE AND THEN NICK ANDERSON, YOU MAKE IT OUT THAT THE
ROSE FAMILY CHASED BOB HAMBRIC FROM THE COACHING RANKS,
NO ONE COULD CHASE BOB HAMBRIC FROM DOING ANYTHING!
BOB HAMBRIC HAD RULES, AND ONE RULE WAS, NO FRESHMAN ON
THE VARSITY, HE DIDN'T BREAK THAT RULE FOR D.ROSE OR ANY
OTHER PLAYER!
FINALLY THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE TO COACH D.
ROSE, D.ROSE WOULD HAVE LEARNED FROM AN OLD SCHOOL COACH
AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE, A
LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR THE PLAYER!
FINALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE PROOF THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG
AT SIMEON, DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THIS
WAS ALL A FISHING EXPEDITION!
TO CONCLUDE, I'M GLAD YOU KNOW SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE
CPS, BUT THE MEN YOU NAMED WOULD CORRECT YOU, BECAUSE
YOU MISSED A WHOLE BUNCH OF NAMES, LIKE LEE UMBLES,
G.K. SMITH, LARRY HAWKINS, DAN DAVIS, BEN WHITE, JUST
TO NAME A FEW, BECAUSE I COULDN'T NAME THEM ALL AS WELL!
CARL BONNER, BOBBY BONNER, MOOSE BONNER, I SAY THANK YOU
TO ALL OF THEM AND THE ONE'S I DIDN'T NAME, YOU KNOW WHO
YOU ARE!
D. ROSE IS JUST ONE GREAT PLAYER FROM THE CPS, GOD BLESS
THEM ALL!
THE NEXT TIME THERE IS A SHOOTING AND YOU SAY YOU AREN'T
FOR GUN CONTROL- SHAME ON YOU!
THE CITY OF CHICAGO ISN'T A PLACE WHERE YOU GO HUNTING!
It has been very interesting reading from the last two blogs written by Mr. Bell and the responses. Where can blame be placed, everywhere! Parents and the educational system are the two obvious choices. We can add AAU, non-teaching coaches and probably others. So, we can place blame.
What can we as a society do to correct the situation? The solution won't come here, on this blog, but it should be obvious to blacks, whites and hispanics, that a problem exits and something needs to be done.
A congressman from Tennessee wants the NBA to abolish the 19 age limit. How noble of him. What's that 5 maybe 6 players a year? How about the thousands of students each dropping out, failing to graduate and giving up.
The shame it that it took a reported cheating on a SAT test for people to even have a discussion.
IT'S A SHAME THAT SOMEONE TRIED TO DEFAME SOMEONE'S
CHARACTER, AND THERE IS NO PROOF!
TWO PEOPLE SHOT OUTSIDE DUSABLE HIGH SCHOOL, WAY TO MANY
GUNS ON THE STREETS OF CHICAGO!
WHERE WAS THAT CONGRESSMAN FROM TENNESSEE WHEN THEY CHANGED THE RULE THAT YOU COULDN'T GO PRO RIGHT AFTER HIGH
SCHOOL, I'LL TELL YOU WHERE HE WAS, HE WAS EITHER NOT IN
OFFICE OR HE DIDN'T CARE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THE KEY WORD
IS THE STATE HE REPRESENTS, AND SINCE THE SCHOOL THAT EVERY
ONE HAS INDICTED IS IN HIS STATE, HE DECIDED TO ADD HIS
TWO CENTS WORTH TO THE COMMENTARY!
HE IS LIKE THE GUY WHO CLOSES THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE
HORSES HAVE LEFT THE BARN!
HE HAS NO POWER OVER THE NBA!
HE IS JUST DOING THE CYA FOR HIS STATE!
WHEN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK LIKE ONE ANOTHER, THEN WE WILL
HAVE HOPE, IF YOU NOTICE MOST OF THE SHOOTINGS ARE IN THE
ROUGHEST PART OF TOWN!
YOU THINK WINNETKA OR BURR RIDGE WOULD PUT UP WITH CRIME
LIKE THE INNER CITY OF CHICAGO!
IF CHICAGO DOESN'T GET A HANDLE ON THE SHOOTINGS OF
YOUNGSTERS, KISS THE OLYMPICS GOOD-BYE!
Back to the undegreed black coaches that are allowed to hold coaching positions and many times full time positions at those schools...how is this possible?? How can a Rob Smith, for example mentor and counsel a young student athlete on what it takes to be a good student and what it takes to get a college degree, when he doesn't have one himself! The BIGGEST HYPOCRISY is Mr. Cyrus McGinnis holding a sports administration position, and he has NO DEGREE himself...thats why the CPL is so screwed up...unqualified people running and making decisions and giving jobs to their friends and family, who in turn are not qualified themselves. They should ALL BE FIRED starting from the top.... on down. Cyrus McGinnis, Calvin Davis, to Rob Smith, to Nick Irvin....
I as a black man will say some of the things in the article are true but it goes deeper than that. A lot of kids in the CPS are ill equipped to go to college because of lack of funding for computers, books,etc. They don't have the equipment or materials that the suburban schools have. The difference? Most suburban schools are mostly white kids while the CPS is mostly black. The system was set up this way so black kids can fail. So people feel they have to cheat too get a CPS kid to college on an athletic scholarship. I don't like cheating but can't blame these kids for using any way they can to get out of a bad situation. DRose is from Englewood. Not a great place to grow up as most people know. White kids in the suburbs don't have the same problem. Now I had my daughter graduate from a CPS school(Lane Tech) in 2008 so I can type this opinion. So making this DRose story should not have been on the front page of the Sun Times. If it was a white kid it would be burried in the back pages of the newpaper. I call it the WMP(White Man Pass) and it happens a lot. Another thing is too many AAU Coaches are coaching high school basketball now in CPS so you bring more corruption to an already terrible situation. So the two comma kids don't have the same issues so white people have no understanding of the issues faced in the inner city of Chicago.
I DON'T KNOW WHY MORE CREDIT IS GIVEN TO THE COACHES, AND
IF THEY COACH AAU BALL AS WELL, GIVE THEM MORE CREDIT,
AT LEAST THEY ARE ON THE FRONTLINES, THEY ARE SPENDING
ALOT OF TIME WITH YOUNGSTERS, TO CONDEMN SOMEONE BECAUSE
THEY DON'T HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND THEY COACH IS WRONG,
I KEEP TELLING YOU GUYS ABOUT ASCEP TESTING, NOBODY IS
BREAKING THE RULES, WE SHOULD BE MORE INCLUSIVE, NOT
EXCLUSIVE, JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION!
ALSO STOP COMPARING THE SUBURBS TO THE CITY SCHOOLS, THERE
IS NO COMPARISON, THAT'S WHY WHEN A YOUNG MAN MAKES IT,
IT SHOULD BE APPLAUDED, NOT LAMBASTED!
ALL OF YOU GUYS WHO WANT TO COACH, BUT ARE USING EXCUSES
NOT TO, IT IS TIME TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE!
THE GUY BLOGGING AS ARNIE DUNCAN THAT WAS A HOOT!
IT AMAZES ME THAT SOME MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKS KNOW
THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T KNOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO HAS A
DEGREE, AND WHO DOESN'T?
DO YOU KNOW THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION?
STOP DROPPING NAMES OF PEOPLE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF
TRYING TO DISCREDIT SOMEONE!
YOU DIDN'T HIRE THEM, SO COMMON SENSE SAYS YOU CAN'T FIRE
THEM!
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT COACHES ARE COUNSELING THEIR PLAYERS?
TO CALL OUT THE COACH FROM SIMEON IS UNWARRANTED, THE MAN
HAS TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND IN THE CPS THAT IS A GREAT
FEAT, MOST OF HIS PLAYERS GO TO COLLEGE, WHAT IS YOUR
BEEF, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE SOMETHING PERSONAL AGAINST
THIS SUCCESSFUL COACH!
I SAY GET A NEW AGENDA, BECAUSE THE MEN YOU CALLED OUT
ARE CONTINUING WITH THEIR POSITIONS AND ARE ON THE FRONT
LINES EVERYDAY, WORKING WITH YOUNG MEN, THAT IS A GOOD
THING, IF YOU HAVE A PERSONAL PROBLEM WITH THESE MEN,
GO VISIT AND VOICE YOUR CONCERNS, BUT DON'T CALL THEM OUT
IN THE PRESS AND ON BLOGS!
JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION!
The state of Indiana has an interesting take on coaches and degrees. Several years ago they adopted the "Damon Bailey waiver". I believe this pertains only to head coaches. A head coacch can be given up to five years to acquire a teaching certificate. They can be the head for the five years but without a certificate after the fifth year the gig is up, without the certificate.
Coaching is far more than knowing the x's and o's. Teachers have more courses pertaining to childhood development and psychology than many people realize.
Finally, AAU basketball is here to stay. But if you want to really develop a program that teaches basketball and is good for the players, go to Indiana and sit down and talk with some of their AAU coaches, The general consesus is that they are some of the best AAU teams in the country, and not just winning, which they do.
I didn't want to respond but I actually am amazed at the ignorance of many who commented here about the administration and the coaches in CPS. First of all you cannot work in sports administration without a degree. Shame on you for criticizing Calvin Davis the K-12 CPS student athlete who has been a principal, a teacher, a coach, an official, and a sports coordinator prior to becoming director of sports. He holds a Masters Degree and a Type 75 State Certificate in Administration and Supervision. He also holds two teaching certificates and 28 years in the CPS system. he has seen it all, and knows more about CPS Sports than most could imagine. The man has a lot to deal with, and does it well. The shortage of teacher-coaches is due to a number of developments in the system over the years. Mainly the elimination of high school P.E. at the 11th and 12th grade levels after the waiver of jr. and sr. gym class in 1999. Another factor is that Driver Education pays P.E. teachers a great deal more than coaching over the course of the school year. Did you know that Davis runs the citywide driver ed program too? Hiring of coaches has been beyond the control of the sports administration as principals have the autonomy to hire coaches, but Calvin Davis has implemented a plan within the system's new policy to make sure that coaches are trained and hiring is controlled by his department in the future. Only coaches from the approved/trained list can be hired after this year. Were you aware of this new policy. Shame on you guys for not reading about the new CPS coaching policies passed this year, and shame on you for criticizing Calvin. He's the best in the business after rising from Douglas and Dunbar in inner city old - Bronzeville to where he is now. There needs to be more like him. There is a plan to address coaches training and character among coaches and student-athletes. CPS Sports has great possibilities. Four state basketball championships in a row and 7 in the last 3 years as well as numerous student-athletes taking advantage of scholarship opportunities at universities around the nation says that something is going well. There are those within the program who continually strive to improve the CPL, the largest interscholastic sports conference in the state and arguably the country. Admin has a lot mor eto deal with than they did in the old days.
It's a different time and every aspect of society around sports is different.
Well, done Billy!
True, Calvin Davis is qualified, but he is also the man tha tolerates and promotes bad coaching behavior such as illegal recruiting. Afterall, he is the person who 'dealt' with Whitney Young coach Tyrone Slaughter after he got caught cheating in trying to recruit Crandall Head. That six game suspension really did the trick. Last year, Slaughter and his band of goons were seen in gyms during non-WY games trying to steal players from other teams. Good job Mr. Davis!
However, the comment about not being qualified was directed towards Cyrus McGinnuss, the director of basketball operations who is famous for calling 8th graders up and telling them they shouldn't be going to Catholic schools with white coaches.
I wonder what Calvin Davis and Cyrus will do when the stink hits the fan on Nick Irvin and his illegal recruiting of everyone on his AAU team.
That's right... nothing of any consequence. Davis and McGuinness have no concept of Rules, morals or ethics.
SO THERE IS A THING CALLED LEGAL RECRUITING?
PHIL K. YOU ARE ALWAYS SPEWING VENOM ON THE CPS, STOP GOING TO CPS GAMES, YOU ARE ALWAYS THROWING THEM UNDER THE BUS!
IT'S OKAY FOR OTHER CONFERENCES TO RECRUIT, BUT NOT THE CPS, GIVE ME A BREAK!
YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!
I REMEMBER SEEING LONNIE WILLIAMS COACHING AT KING HIGH SCHOOL WITH 14 PLAYERS AND WINNING, MT. CARMEL HAS OVER 100 GUYS, DO YOU THINK MR. CARMEL AND ST.RITA COULD SURVIVE WITHOUT GREAT SPORTS PROGRAMS, THINK ABOUT THAT, AND YOU WANT WHITNEY YOUNG AND OTHER CPS SCHOOLS NOT TO RECRUIT, DELASALLE RECRUITS IN THE SUBURBS, MARIAN CATHOLIC AND MT. CARMEL RECRUIT IN THE STATE OF INDIANA,
PHIL K, THE PLAYING FIELD WILL NEVER BE LEVEL ANYWAY,
STOP THROWING THE CPS UNDER THE BUS, AND CALVIN DAVIS AS WELL, THE CPS IS DOING A GREAT JOB, POLICING THEIR COACHES WHEN THEY FIND OUT THEY DO SOMETHING WRONG!
THAT LAST SENTENCE YOU WROTE WAS AS WRONG AS THE WITCH HUNT CURRENTLY GOING ON WITH D. ROSE!
WHAT DOES AAU BASKETBALL HAVE TO DO WITH THE CPS?
Phil K: You don't have clue. I bet you don't have a degree yourself because you just don't get it. M. Irvin doesn't work for CPS. Additionally, if you saw a coach in violation, you should've reported it. Over the years Davis has consistently addressed coaches misconduct when he knew about it. I'm sure you know nothing of the new coaches policies instituted at CPS recently to address poor behavior, nor the Character Counts initiative? Come on Phil K., Go get yourself a degree so your comprehensive skills will improve your opinions. Most people don't like sour grapes.
Billy,
speaking of reading comprehension, I never said MAC Irvin, I said Nick - the man who coaches Morgan Park and already has two FIRE players transerring (or who already transferred) to Morgan Park and is currently trying to convince several other HIGH SCHOOL players to transfer to CPS.
And yes, Calvin Davis has been notified and is doing nothing to stop Irvin.
Phil Smith Jr,
Any non-boundary school has the right to recruit kids in 8th grade or below. However, it is illegal for any school, public or private, to recruit current high school players. Once again, if you read my post again, I specified that. AAU has alot to do with CPS when CPS hires AAU coaches for the sole purpose of them STEALING their AAU players away from other high schools (especially since, in some cases, those players are at a better educational schools than Morgan Park).
The Irvins could care less about the kids they have or the CPS, just themselves and the prestige and money they can attain by using the kids they have. Blackshear and Greer are only the beginning of the "Irvin Fire transfers".
You say I am on a Witchhunt, I say Im trying to flush the crap out of our schools.