By Maredeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist
As I pen this column, your Sacramento Kings are finishing up a preseason with hopes that finally that this is the year that they will make the playoffs and end their embarrassing playoff drought.
Also, the ashes are still smoldering in the sordid mess that the Boston Celtics head coach (now suspended) created when he had a relationship with a female employee that got him suspended for a year. Also, the fallout over Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa injury has produced another casualty when the team fired their team doctor who cleared him for play after he had a concussion in the previous game.
However, what has me so disgusted is the current situation here in Northern California where two high schools recently have suspended the football season for their team for hateful, racial taunts during games against teams with African Americans players.
First, the Amador County Unified School District suspended the balance of the varsity Amador High School football season for racial taunts that were deemed “highly inappropriate group chat.” It was reported that about 15 players were involved in a group chat with the saying “kill the Blacks.” When they were exposed, their excuse was that the saying was for a jersey not about Black people. If anyone believes that excuse, I have a waterfront property in Death Valley that I want to sell you.
Then just recently, the River City High School varsity football team was suspended for a slave auction that was posted on social media.
I remember over 20 years ago when Sacramento’s Grant High School had a heated but respected rivalry against Nevada Union, a high school located in Grass Valley.
There was nothing but respect and sportsmanship from a local high school located in a disadvantaged area of Sacramento and a 100% White school located in the foothills.
It is my firm belief that ever since President Trump (45) lost the election and after the riots on January 6, a new wave of hate and intolerance has infected a large portion of people in this country. No. 45 and his followers are still proclaiming that the election was stolen and 45 blames the urban communities with large minority populations in cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Atlanta for his loss.
Then you have the very popular anti-American Tucker Carlson on Fox News every night with his lies, fueling the hate then this is a recipe for rebellion growing in homes that support 45. A lot of parents are spewing this hate for African Americans in their homes and these impressionable kids are taking up the cause of their parents.
I applaud school officials for taking this much-needed step to show these football players that racism will not be tolerated in a public setting.
If some of these kids lose a scholarship opportunity because of their racist behavior, hopefully they will repent of their ways and treat ALL people with respect regardless of their race as they enter adulthood.