An athlete is an athlete

      Last night LSU clinched their FIRST Women's NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP against Iowa.  As wondrous as that accomplishment is, it is overshadowed by misogyny and racism.  Angel Reese has been a FORCE all season, culminating in breaking many school records and unanimously earning first-team All-American, first-team All-SEC, and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.  

     Unfortunately, her vigor, passion, and competitiveness have made her the target of numerous negative critiques.  

     Why? She is Black and a woman.  This is a prime example of blackness within the US and its realm of entertainment and sports.  Melanin is perceived to give a "competitive edge", while gender prevents the ability to display the same passion as any other athlete.  Couple that with the hypocrisy of Black people NOT being allowed [by society] to exist under the same rules and freedoms as our white counterparts.  

     Hence Reese is deemed "classless" but NOT Caitlyn Clark after BOTH utilized John Cena's (iconic) "you can't see me" hand gesture.  

     Some fans took to social media overnight to proclaim Clark as "possibly too arrogant at times" for utilizing the gesture FIRST. 😏 Yet, the Most Outstanding Player [Reese] was called names and heavily criticized.  😏 In addition, the ENTIRE LSU Women's team has been labeled as ghetto for standing in their blackness while being EXCEPTIONAL.  A variant of online comment sections has turned into excuse machines as a measure of explaining away Iowa's loss to LSU.  Keep in mind that the FINAL score was 102-85. 💅 Yet, the new narrative is that the refs stole the game from Clark and Iowa.

     Clark sympathizers have been waging war on the comment sections of Reese..because why not remind a Black woman of her place in society? 😏

     Before you attempt to tell me that I am reaching... other than race...what is truly the issue with trash-talking during sporting events? Players from ALL sports as well as their fans engage in it.  The practice hypes up teams.  Coaches teach their players how to "get into the head of their opponents" while not allowing that to happen to them.  Moreover, it is a part of the sporting world.  So why is it a problem for Black athletes that happen to be women to simply engage in ALL of the aspects of the sport/s that they love?