It’s hard to imagine how so many people could hate a sports writer, but many do.

The irony is it’s because he speaks with an educated mind.

Jason Whitlock is a big time writer with big time, controversial opinions that, depending upon your viewpoint, make you cheer or cringe.

I find myself in cheer mode every time I read one of his columns, even though his parent company typically makes me throw up in my mouth.

I can handle the taste as long as his messages continue to make perfect sense, as they always do.

Whitlock writes for Fox Sports, which is owned by the same people who have effectively found a way to put Jerry Springer and breaking news into a political blender and con viewers into drinking and selling the finished product.

But I don’t care who he is affiliated with. This sports writer has many nuggets of wisdom to share, particularly with/about those who are brainwashed.

Formerly, Whitlock’s viewpoints were shared via ESPN. That relationship soured due to his lack of a political correctness gene. He disagreed with the antics of a cohort, voiced his opinion and was suddenly gone.

But he rebounded with Fox Sports and continues to fire deadly accurate bullets at the ignorance he sees all around us.

Whitlock is an African American who is fiercely proud of his heritage. He consistently writes about the degradation of black communities due to the impact of gangster rap/hip hop “music” and the destruction this genre promotes. He points fingers at “music” icons such as Jay Z and the not-so-dearly departed Tupac Shakur, among many others, as promoters of a drug and thug lifestyle that shames the educated, articulate men of his race.

And he’s utterly offended by the “N” word many so-called artists and athletes toss around these days as though it denotes a sense of pride.

Whitlock’s passion brings whizzing darts of criticism from all races. If a white person reads just one of his columns, depending upon the topic, they may dismiss him as a race baiter or militant. But readers who sample more than one of his ramblings understand his concerns aren’t about race. He’s simply beating a drum for intelligence, common sense and fairness.

He’s been labeled an Uncle Tom by many of his own race who reject his wisdom, which undoubtedly stirs internal conflict and doubt about his passion. Undaunted, this man stands his ground for the greater good. Detractors detest his foresight — and him — for having the guts to speak his mind. The sad thing is Whitlock consistently puts his neck in the guillotine for the very people who wish to tear him down.

And he manages to tie all of his life lessons to sports. But sports seem secondary to Jason Whitlock.

As a huge fan of his work, I’ve read enough articles to realize he’s more about reality than rebounds. He takes the hard road to truth, mostly standing all by himself, over the paved-with-blockers path to easy touchdowns…a path where it would be very easy for a writer with his talent to thrive.

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, our nation is still in the midst of a mostly media-driven race war. Black, White, Asian, or Hispanic, we all look at each other with an untrusting eye. If we weren’t raised not to trust those different from ourselves, our sensationalist media ensures we remain divided. And if we’re not educated on the detriments of ignorance, we freely drink the Kool Aid and act like the idiots they want us to become.

We can speak correctly in public and act like the elephant isn’t in the corner, but we all know better. Haters hate due to laziness and a lack of constructive thought. Weak-minded, stubborn imbeciles detest wisdom, and it is all due to willful ignorance and fear.

This is why a man like Jason Whitlock is a true gem to society — even if some consider him just a sports writer. Without fear, he tells the truths others are afraid to speak about in public.

Check out his work at Foxsports.com and email me with the points he makes that you believe are wrong.

I’m betting my inbox will be empty.

 

Billy Bruce is a freelance writer who lives in Pedro. He can be contacted at hollandkat3@aol.com.