European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday february 23, 1993 sports the stars and stripes b Page 31outspoken Hodges stays outside by Michael Wilbon the Washington Post Salt Lake City Craig Hodges came Here to All Star weekend with no team. He a the three time defending Champion of the three Point shootout a former member of the two time defending Champion Chicago bulls. But he a pretty close to a non person to Aba teams at present. He a healthy in shape never was a Guy to touch drugs or alcohol. Always has been a Good teammate. Hodges is one of the Best three Point shooters in Aba history but nobody wants him not even the Dallas commentary Mavericks who have the worst team since Naismith Hung peach baskets. He Calls they say no thanks. So All around there stalk. Why Isnit Craig Hodges in the league is it because he a a Muslim is it because he a been so bold As to Challenge Michael Jordan a level of consciousness because he wore african garb when the bulls visited the White House because he says what he believes about social issues Damn the consequences or teammates Hurt feelings the decision makers Call Back and Tell him they be got salary Cap problems or too Many guaranteed contracts or can to make a move until after the All Star break. But you hear other things on the Street. You hear Hodges Isnit in the league because he a Black and vocal and persistent and makes the Middle aged White men who run basketball teams uncomfortable. They Are suggestions he can to escape. The Aba was planning not to invite Hodges seamless to defend his three Point title until reminded that a russian player named Rimas Kurtinaitis Wasny to on any Aba roster when the league imported him to participate in the same Competition a few years Back. Hodges a Man to whom silence is Poison thinks Long and hard when the question is raised. Asked two dozen times in one hour Hodges refused to subscribe to any talk of a conspiracy or to the notion he is essentially a political prisoner though circumstantial evidence could suggest he is. A there were reporters who came out to my House this week to interview me a he said Friday afternoon a and they said a you know the reason you re not in the league people feel you re a and i ask them a will you write that will you go on camera and say who told you that a there a no Way in the world in a going to say that. Until somebody publicly Steps up and says a Craig Hodges is a racist or somebody you done to want on your team a 1 can to say that a the Case. A i watch games on to and i know teams need what 1 can do. Yeah it bothers me when i see teams not shooting Well and i can to get a Job. Its Eye opening. If in a not in the league because i went to the White House in my african garments if that a the criterion for playing then i be playing. But let me say this in be played for a two time Champion. In a not bitter in a blessed. If i done to play another minute unemployed Craig a lodges wins 3-Point shooting title at last season s All Star game. Of Ball there Are More important things that make my life and this is what sets Hodges apart from his reluctant Peers. With Black players making previously unthinkable sums of Money there a increasing pressure upon the richest among them to give generously of their time and Money and be accessible. Jim Brown the Cleveland Brown Hall of Famer has called Black athletes the biggest disgrace in african american communities and has named names. Super bowl and they say a they done task me i just play Hodges winces. A you watch the interviews in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict a Hodges said a and our athletes Are asked what do you think a and they Sav 1 done to know enough to How can you not know enough How can your lever of awareness be that Rock Bottom there a too much but not from Hodges. Early in his career at Milwaukee he asked teammates to come and listen to Louis Farrakhan talk about self determination and co nomic empowerment in Black communities but he was the Only one who showed. He was traded 12 Days later he said laughing at the Mcmoy. This has been his personal struggle. Hodges is a Radical among athletes who go from their meetings to their training tables to their mansions to their sedans to their agents offices completely insulated from any real world issues. Among Force to negotiate something a Hodges shares some of Browne a disgust. The Cash Register rings louder and the silence is deafening. A Selling out a Hodges said. These Arentt the irresponsible ravings of some madman these Are facts. The shoe and athletic companies and corporate sponsors done to want their names associated with controversies or troublemakers. Lawrence Taylor said he never talked about racial awareness because nobody Ever asked him football players Are interviewed about Miami burning during the Little less fairy talc Hodges has always been much More accepted non threatening such is the schism Between athletes and the rest of the world particularly in Black America. We re talking about a Man who has walked into some of the most dangerous hopeless projects in America a Robert Taylor Homes Cabrini Green he nor Homer Homes a places where people will shoot you dead for making Eye Contact and sat Down with books and read to kids. Being about the same age and from the same streets As Hodges in be known of him and then known him for a while. And i Nave never heard him not once say anything against Whites or asians or anybody for that matter. As he said Friday a Marc you a racist because you love a segment of the population that everybody else says a to hell with a i want to raise the awareness and the consciousness among the people who its difficult. Nothing can dear out a locker room faster than talk about politics. Hodges moves past the Box scores teammates move out the door. A be Cool a they Tell Hodges exiting. He winces again. A if id have been Cool and done the symbolic Jive. Do you realize the amount of Money in be lost after two championship seasons spending the of season going to the projects instead of those ism lunches for $8,000, $9,000 a pop i done to deserve a Pat on the Back Tor that its what we All should he doing unless we re just slaves to capitalism and materialism. A i go to talk at schools and teachers have no control Over kids in a classroom but they see me a professional athlete and shut up and pay attention. This is the up and just feed Cabrini Green help South Central . I wish 1 had the Money to bankroll it and just shut up. But i Don t. Players want just enough to keep it Cool. If in a not playing because in in one of the few Brothers out there saying this stuff then maybe in Mon the right to exec baseball to emulate the Aba by Suzanne bowing Princeton . A professional baseball could take some lessons from the Aba the president of Abc sports says. The National league and the Ameri can league should do what the Aba has done the past decade to get out of their slump Dick Ebersol said in a lecture at Princeton University. A in the world of sports. The Aba is the hottest property a he said. A but just a Little Over 10 years ago the Aba was All but Given up for the Aba was in a dire Straits a players using drugs games on late night to bankrupt teams. In addition advertisers were worried about supporting a league where More than half of the players were Black Ebersole said. A and today the Aba is the Leader in american Industry in its drug policy a Ebersol said. A so How. Did they turn it around they did it by changing your perception the fans perception. By making the fan believe that somebody actually cared about the game something Worth putting your love and attention and your Faith into and they accomplished this change in perception by changing the business around it.�?�. By making the players partners a Mutual Trust was built Between athletes and owners Ebersol said. The players initiated the drug policy and today the Aba is a Leader in sports with its policy he said. In the past five years among boys 12 to 19, the Aba gained 31 percent of the Market and the nil gained 15 percent he said. But baseball lost 25 percent. A nobody believes anyone in baseball cares about the fan a Ebersol. Said wednesday noting that lbs lost $600 million on baseball last season. A a players Only care about Money Money Michael Jordan the Chicago bulls superstar has Given to interviews at his ome because fans want to see How he lives he said. Baseball players done to realize that they also must sell Ebersol has other suggestions such As inter league play. More importantly he said games should Start earlier so kids can see them
