Image Problem?

Alabama sports attorney Donald Maurice Jackson self-published a book last year called "Fourth Down and Twenty-Five Years to Go: The African American Athlete and the Justice System." According to Barnes & Noble, he "attacks the high incidence of criminality and irresponsible conduct among African American athletes as well as the root causes of their inappropriate behavior." I hadn't heard about the book before, but a column from today's Alabama Press Register caught my eye:

Jackson says a lot of the current problems derive from the media and advertisements for commercial products which dictate to young people that "it's acceptable or even preferable to have street credibility and if you don't have some kind of affiliation with unsavory types then you (should) at least comport yourself to make people believe that you do."

Jackson points toward various schools, such as Miami — which is now cleaning up its image — and Southern Cal as being part of the problem.

"For example, I love rap music," Jackson said, "but USC has Snoop Dogg walking around the sidelines and when you connect your program to that element, you are inviting this."

Snoop worries me a lot less than others, but I'd be curious to know if anybody reading this has also read Jackson's book ... and what you thought about it.

UPDATE: Conquest Chronicles made an interesting point about this. Considering who's been roaming the USC sidelines, the school doesn't have a single point in the Fulmer Cup -- the internet's finest measure of misbehavin' programs.

 

[h/t Da Wiz]

Comments

[USC False National Champs]

Gee, USC?....image problem? That does not sound like the team I know who gets busted for assault, rape, gun possesion, and drugs. Trust me everyone knows that USC is just a bunch of gang bangers with speed and your coach is about as intimidating as a substitute teacher in a South Central Public High School. Its just unfortunate that the country is so desensitized by it.

Look we all know that USC buys there athletes and has nothing to do with education. I did not read that book, but those comments that the author has made is fitting. USC image is a joke, but being in LA and recruiting a bunch of ignorant thugs is worthy of a Snoop Dogg visit.

[pk-in-the-mesa]

well at least we
got the rings
next we are
going to all
the prisons
and pick-up
the real muscle