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Sports in America: Destroy and Rebuild

Paul Pierce

HipHopIsDead by ONI, 10/1/07

“I just like to rhyme, kick the lyrics skills like Pele” -A Tribe Called Quest

I’m going to take a line out of Nas’ Stillmatic when I say ‘It’s time to Destroy and Rebuild.’ Nas was talking about the hip hop scene in Queens. I’m talking about the corruption of the three major sports in America that came to an elevated climax this summer and yet continues. The issue of steroids in baseball resurfacing was inevitable especially with Bonds chasing the record. But, an NBA ref betting on the very games he officiated? Vick on the brink of going to prison for his involvement in dog fighting? And the Patriots, the good guys of the NFL, caught cheating? You couldn’t make this up.

The integrity of sports in American has been diminished. So, it’s time for a new pastime, folks. That’s right, I’m talking about a sport that involves plenty of physical contact, but just as much finesse as brawn. A beautiful sport that could be considered an art. I’m describing a sport where you need to be just as flexible as you are strong, thus steroids may not necessarily be an advantage. Yup, you guessed it, football. No, not American football, I’m talking about world football. Real football. I think you fools call it soccer.

Don’t roll your damn eyes at me. What do you think Steve Nash does during the summer that allows him to run circles around everyone else come regular season time? What do you think was responsible for Hakeem Olajuwon’s great footwork in the paint. It wasn’t him doing the running man to “Too Legit”, I’ll tell you that. The guy never touched a basketball until his late teenage years for God’s sake. Playing soccer on the streets of Nigeria, most likely with bare feet on concrete gave the future Hall of Famer the edge over Americans who had been shooting hoops their entire lives.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a fantasy football team, just like you. I just don’t think I can ever watch the NFL, NBA, or MLB again with full trust that there’s no cheating or dishonesty going on. Right now, as you read this, scientists are developing performance enhancers that are designed to outsmart the current drug tests. They are making them easier and easier to get into your system yet harder to be detected. No longer is an injection in the butt needed to get steroids into the body. And as soon as drug-test enforcers catch up to the latest technology, a new design has already been developed. Worst of all athletes are willing to do anything including put their health at risk to perform at their highest capability.

The truth is soccer players could very well do the same things that these other athletes are doing. It’s very possible, especially when and if soccer players in the states start actually getting paid more than 20 grand a year. But I advocate soccer because we need a sport with a clean slate. It’s time to Destroy and Rebuild, fellas. We need a new sport in America where the biggest issue is who is the best team, not whether or not to put an asterisk in the record book (and I’m referring to the Patriots’ super bowl wins, also).

The moral of the story: I’m a pretty wishful thinker. Give me some credit, though, I’m making bold statements. Everything that’s been on my mind involving sports during the past few months, I’ve let it all out. My demands are an absolute long shot. Since history repeats itself, Beckham shouldn’t be able to do to soccer in the US what Pele and Adu failed to. The important thing is that you’ve given me a chance to introduce you to this fantastic sport “with more kicks than a baby in her mother’s stomach.”

Did you see how much attention Beckham got in his first game in the states? They laid out a **** red carpet. All those celebrities, you would think you were watching the Grammy’s or something. I personally found it more surprising to see Kevin Garnett jumping up and down in the box seats at a soccer game than to see him in a Celtics jersey. So strides are being taken. Now all that remains are a few more strides, some word of mouth spreading, and the stars aligning and maybe America would possibly agree to try and perhaps consider giving this sport a very small chance.