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Columnist Criticizes Gangsta Rap Used For Sean Taylor Tribute

Horatio

By Horatio
in The Stadium

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Horatio

Horatio

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-sppow025949256dec02,0,3681629.column

To honor Sean Taylor, who was gunned down a year ago in the prime of his football career, his family and the Redskins made an interesting song choice while his highlights played on the video screen before Sunday's game against the Giants. It was "Big Things Poppin" by gangsta rapper T.I., and the lyrics went like this:

"Pullin' out in public, shawty, who you think you fin' to scare? I send 'em missiles that'll have you goin' in your underwear."

And this piece of poetry:

"I tote a pair of 40s on me so you better tone it down, or I suggest you just prepare yourself for when it's goin' down."

Rather than selecting something uplifting and inspirational, the decision to play a song with gunplay was in poor taste. They essentially pumped the stadium full of musical bullets.

Then again, T.I. was one of Taylor's favorite artists. And "Big Things Poppin" unfortunately reflected the senseless manner in which he died and also Taylor's lifestyle before he straightened himself out.

So in a warped and disturbed way, maybe the song fit after all on a day in which Taylor and Plaxico Burress were missing from the field because of guns.

There's one difference between these two that must be stressed, though. The night Taylor was shot inside his home during a botched robbery, he needed protection. The night Burress accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub, he didn't.

It's understandable why some athletes keep guns in their homes, just like thousands of other registered owners who crave peace of mind for themselves and their families. Former Giants cornerback Will Allen was robbed in his home. The Giants confirmed that Steve Smith, now getting ample playing time in the absence of Burress, had a gun pulled on him recently at his house. Knicks center Eddy Curry and his family were bound and gagged in their home at gunpoint. They're allowed to take precautions as they see fit.

But carrying a gun on the street has nothing to do with protection. When athletes are packing, either they're going someplace they shouldn't be anyway, or they're just trying to stay true to the culture and be like T.I. and keep it real. As in real stupid.

If athletes feel the need for protection in public, they should just hire a few security guards and go about their business. That way, they're not a threat to anyone or themselves, in the case of Burress.

This is all about the clubs, you see, and the young athletes drawn there. Notice how you never hear about athletes packing outside a church, or a bookstore, or a museum, or a library. No, certain young athletes need to go somewhere so they can flaunt how rich and famous they are. Flashing gold chains and diamond-crusted Rolexes and thousand-dollar wads in the wrong place will increase anyone's odds of getting knocked upside the head. Sometimes common sense provides better protection than a Glock.

Anyway, it's not about protection, because most athletes are locked inside a VIP area. The choice to tote guns is mostly a cultural one, embraced by a misguided generation influenced by violence and raised poorly by parents. These athletes grew up around guns and therefore are drawn to them. In their world, guns are glamorized and seen as status symbols and proof of manhood.

This sports world ain't old school anymore. The situation reached absurd heights a few years ago when NBA commissioner David Stern begged his players to leave their guns at home. Pete Rozelle never had to do that. Stern said he didn't think it was "necessary to walk the streets packing a gun" and added that "guns actually make them less safe."

Screw that. Burress and others like him in sports would rather follow the gospel of their modern-day Moses, a rapper whose music was heard in the wrong place and the wrong time Sunday.

Guess this is the right time to mention that T.I. pleaded guilty this year to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a felon.

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SoCalSkins

SoCalSkins

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The bigger crticism is playing uninspired ball in probably the last official event inlvolving ST.

The video, music, speeches could have been better, but the 21 in the center of the field was beyond a class move. You can't crticize Snyder very much for how he handled the tragedy. Overlooking everything else the team did, and to focus on the music playlist is BS.

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

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The bigger crticism is playing uninspired ball in probably the last official event inlvolving ST.

The video, music, speeches could have been better, but the 21 in the center of the field was beyond a class move. You can't crticize Snyder very much for how he handled the tragedy. Overlooking everything else the team did, and to focus on the music playlist is BS.

The two are completely unrelated.

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SoCalSkins

SoCalSkins

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The two are completely unrelated.

No they are not. If they were, then the team shouldn't have asked to come out on the field prior to the official unveiling of his name in the Ring of Honor.

They had the number 21 patch on for the last time. I expected a better effort and more inspired play.

How did the Giants play after their owner passed away 2 years ago and they came to FedEx that week?

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

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No they are not. If they were, then the team shouldn't have asked to come out on the field prior to the official unveiling of his name in the Ring of Honor.

They had the number 21 patch on for the last time. I expected a better effort and more inspired play.

How did the Giants play after their owner passed away 2 years ago and they came to FedEx that week?

Gotcha, so if the Redskins had won 24-23 it meant that they had stronger feelings and that remembering Taylor was more important to them.

:rolleyes:

Also, I hate to break it to you but the Giants now are a lot better team than the Redskins were when the Giants played them after the owner died.

But you are pretty good at ignoring logic in the majority of your posts - so please continue.

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skinsfan07

skinsfan07

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Ignorant choice of songs. He deserves better than that crap.

:2cents:

well considering HIS FAMILY chose the song, I'd be willing to say they have a better opinion on what he really liked and that is why they chose the song, so your opinion is worthless in this situation. And TI was one of ST's fav artists so why not play the song?

The song was fine, get over it.

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McD5

McD5

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well considering HIS FAMILY chose the song, I'd be willing to say they have a better opinion on what he really liked and that is why they chose the song, so your opinion is worthless in this situation. And TI was one of ST's fav artists so why not play the song?

The song was fine, get over it.

Bro....the 21 on the middle of the field was fantastic.

If the family picked the song....then by all means, play it.

100% their decision. Then again, they could have probably picked another song by the artist that didn't glorify guns and violence--the very things that killed the best player on the team.

A bit of a stretch, but not that much different than playing Nazi music at a holocaust funeral.....or playing some taliban music at a US soldier's funeral.....or some song that promoted kkk bs at an african american's funeral.

The same thing? No. But probably the wrong song to play? Yes.

Just my opinion, you are certainly entitled to your own......and if that is what the family wanted to play, then it is the right song. That is the bottom line.

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Heisenberg

Heisenberg

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Most of that "waive my gun" talk is fake anyways....

Not in T.I.'s case unfortunately.

I find it funny to actually agree with McD5. I think his analogies were a bit of a stretch but otherwise he is pretty spot on.

The family has a right to pick whatever song they want but someone in the Redskins organization should have at least become aware of the lyrics. That combined with the reputation of T.I. should have resulted in a less controversial song being picked - it just sends the wrong message.

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CRobi21

CRobi21

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I'm not doubting he has guns. Hell, my dad's got 3 pistols in his upper drawer.

But saying all that, "walkin down the street, I'm bout to blast you" is mainly BS.

An artist I do respect is Saigon. In one of his songs, he crtiticized all that kind of talk. He couldn't have been more right. I mean think about it, if these guys are gunning people down all the time, where's all the retalliation?

Like Saigon said, "If you actually did what you said, you woulda BEEN dead, with 3 in your head."

That being said, If Sean's family chose the song, then the song was a perfect choice. If that's a song they could easily relate to Sean, then I have no trouble with it, at all.

And probably had no problem with it to begin with.

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