Author: The Next Tally Team

  • Jaden…C’ya-The Bulls

    Jaden…C’ya-The Bulls

    The Worst Headline any player could ever have: “Waived due to Conduct Detrimental to the Team”

    So I begin my second life as a media consultant for young athletes, teaching them how to position themselves and carry themselves in public, so as not to torpedo their careers with comments deemed insensitive, incendiary and quite frankly “foul”.

    I’m not saying the Bulls (now “former”) guard Jaden Ivey is foul, but his recent comments presented in a way that society deems as foul. I never really got to see Jaden in action. As it were, he was sidelined anyway, due to a knee injury, having played only four games with the Bulls. He was a pick-up from the Pistons. But I always try to teach young athletes, how you perform and what you do “off the court” is as important as what you do “on the court”. The minute this announcement came out, guys were calling me and saying, “Larry, this kid Ivey is the POSTER BOY for what you’re trying to do in collegiate, NIL and pro sports–teaching media crisis aversion to these players. He’s the perfect client!

    Well no he’s not! I’m not trying to be a “spin doctor”–and that’s probably what it’s going to take to get this kid’s career back on track– if that’s what he wants. I’ve been trying to reach out to these career athletes to provide PROACTIVE training, to keep them out of trouble. As a Christian (first) and a journalist (second), can you imagine the things I’ve witnessed with these eyes, yet had to go on television and radio to explain to millions of consumers, without bias or insensitivity? And those who know me also know that I have a frickin’ attitude about EVERYTHING. But I also know who I am, what I do for a living and how I need to conduct myself in a way that communicates my thoughts, without disrepecting others. This is part of what Jaden Ivey allegedly wrote (or said) on his social pages. which lead to instant backlash. My understanding is that the team felt like he was lashing out at the Bulls, because of their support for Pride Month.

    “The world proclaims LGBTQ right? They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA does too…they say, “Come and join us for Pride Month to celebrate “unrighteousness”.

    Dude! In this social climate we live in, words like “unrighteous” are more of a moral judgment against people (and Teams) who support LGBTQ, and not just their ideas. The way you framed your words made you sound like you were against the group, and not just expressing how you felt personally about it. It opened the door for criticism and..frankly…dismissal. Because the Bulls (nor any team in the NBA) is trying to deal with all that right now. It’s a distraction in the business of putting butts in expensive seats, selling out arenas, selling your merch and paying you and subsequently your agent a huge paycheck. Those jobs don’t come easy. You know what it took for you get here!

    Your words left no room for coexistence. That was a train wreck bruh, just waiting to happen.

    If it matters to you, I think what you “meant” to say was this:

    “I understand and respect what Pride Month represents to many people. My personal beliefs are a bit different and rooted in my faith, and so I see things differently—but I also believe in respecting others and treating everyone fairly.”

    Period. End of Story. I can guarantee you would have become the biggest hero in that locker room. Because guess what kid? You’re not the only Christian (I assume these comments came from your belief in the doctrine) who feel like this! It’s the packaging. We all come with amazing gifts of the spirit. Our charge is to make people better and to bridge understanding while using those gifts. But that had to be the ugliest gift wrap I’ve ever seen young king. Jaden, I don’t think anybody on the planet has a mouth bigger than mine, and a bigger opinion. And if an old school cat like me can navigate the storms of controversy and tolerance (and let me stress ESPECIALLY) in these times… surely a young cat like you who probably had a salary that could have lasted you a lifetime could have been more careful.

    And so, I’m giving you the Flop of the Week young buck, because this didn’t have to happen. I can’t say it enough. You need to be Next…if you’re able to find a basketball home once this blows over..”if” it blows over.

    -Next Tally

  • Wemby Wow!

    Wemby Wow!

    So I meet this kid in New York at the Javits, for a weekend of Fanatics. He probably doesn’t remember me– Hell to him, I was an ant down on the floor. This young cat stands all of 12′ 2000″ tall. (I’ve never seen anyone like him in my life, and I used to cover big Shawn Bradley when he played for the Dallas Mavericks back in the day)….when I had a little sportscast on KCBI 90.9 Dallas/ /Ft.Worth.

    Wemby arrived on this planet about 2 years ago, and immediately endeared himself to the local folks down in San Antonio, where the Spurs were eager to welcome this French phenom they had heard so much about. And Pop (Then head coach Gregg Popovich) knew right then and there, that he had a DIAMOND. He was soft-spoken (almost like the enigma of Tim Duncan, of Spurs fame). The kid didn’t say much. He was good but not “stand-out” good at the time. But did I mention, “Pop” knew he had a DIAMOND. Didn’t take long for him to catch on. And so far in this 25-26 NBA season, he’s proving it.

    Well fast forward to now.

    The soft-spoken, non-shit-talking enigma has stepped out. After dealing with some injuries (and not to mention “Pop” leaving the bench and moving up to the front office), Wemby has started to spread his wings. But I point him out in this blog, not because he made a media gaffe, but because he’s already showing the proper way to address the media and fans who challenge him. You know how players (particularly those who are singled out as the heir to the MVP crown) with words of humility–“Oh I appreciate it, I’m thankful that people believe in my game, but I’m just a basketball player and my goal is just to help my team win”. HAAAAAAAHHHH!!

    I watched this kid in a news conference (on TV) the other morning, as he sat there and laid out three reasons– made his argument for why HE should be this years NBA MVP. He’s now 22 years old. But you’d think he had the cadence and cred of a 40 year old. He was masterful in making his case. And I think he should be singled out, for the way it’s supposed to be done.

    First off, he made it clear right after the game–“My goal is to make sure that there’s no debate anymore at the end of the season”. Well damn.

    And then he rattled off his game and three keys to his MVP campaign:

    1. He says defense is half the game, yet it doesn’t get much attention in the MVP race. He told the reporters, in his own way, “You’re looking at the guy who plays the best “D” in the league right now.

    You don’t want anybody sneaking up the middle and THIS guy is standing there. You’ll get your face knocked off (or turned backwards).

    2. For the first time I can remember, NO ONE has ever claimed to have dominance over the reigning champ Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He reminded everyone, The Spurs have beaten the Thunder 4 out of their last five meet-ups.

    Well?

    3. And then he goes “Don’t measure my offense on scoring alone, I do other stuff”.

    In the Words of the Late-Great Stuart Scott- BOOYAH!

    And he laid it out in a non-boisterous voice. He wasn’t cocky or “in-your-face” nor disrespectful. But I think somebody’s in this kids ear, and teaching him (Next Tally style) how to address the media and seize the moment. I don’t think any reporter walked away from that post-game conference thinking this guy was an a–hole. I think all players should take a lesson from him. All too often, players get cocky (and reporters do too). But at the end of the day, “cocky” ends up on the sports cast and on blogs and on streams which are played millions of times. That, or loud-mouth Steven A has something to say about it. And if it sticks around long enough, guess what? And heaven forbid a bad-ass has a horrible season. Oooh the karma.

    So thank you Wemby for setting the example of confidence and assuredness of one’s talent, but being cordial and an effective communicator in making your case. You will go far young man– far beyond even the basketball court. There’s a couple of folks who could use a lesson from a young cat like you, with last names like …well, THEY know who they are.

    There is only one “Wemby” folks. And you’d recognize him a mile away (in the dark). Not because of his height, but because the damn guy “Glows in the dark”. I saw him. They turned down the lights in the arena for the pre-game introductions. (He didn’t think I saw him)…but he GLOWED.

    Freakin’ basketball extraterrestrial. I never met an MVP from mars.

    L

  • BAM! Damn! 83

    BAM! Damn! 83

    I know you saw it. And if you didn’t you certainly heard about it–the 83-point night had by the Miami Heat’s “Grown Man of the Night”, Bam Adebayo. 83!!! What the hell? And the NBA is asking the same question, but for a different reason. And that’s why I’m feeling a certain way and handing the league this weeks Plop Award.

    You know back in the day, (when one of our buddies would kill everybody on the dirt court, or up at Hankins Park (Orlando) playing baseball or pick-up football, somebody would shout, “Dang, what the heck is “he” on?–suggesting there’s no way guys like Steve Griffin or Ron Moody or Jerome Walker (you know, the fellas) could run, jump, swing or catapult like that, without “something” in their system. And back then, hell we really didn’t “have anything” to put in our system, except Kool-aid. None of us were boy scouts, but we all knew it was just raw energy, and every now and then somebody would show out. That was then. And this is now.

    So Bam has a career night! He and his boys beat Washington like they stole the lawnmower off the back porch. And for his part, Bam pulled off 83 points for the night. Or course, 43 of’em were at the gift counter. He hit 22 tre’s and the rest was clean-up. And the Heat walked out of that joint with a 150-129 win over the Wizards. But then, a funny thing happened on the way to the locker room (or maybe it was the day after, I’m not sure). But sources confirm that the league handed Bam a reward for his superhero night: a plastic cup. (Old school, don’t get excited–it wasn’t the kind of clear plastic cup with a little gin in it). It was for a urine sample. Now please note that I wasn’t there, and I use the plastic cup analogy only as a reference, because typically that’s how one is tested for drugs. But however they did it, sources say the league wanted to make sure that what they saw– what EVERYBODY saw out there on that court, was real.

    I’m not a basketball player. But I felt awkward about it because it’s almost saying there’s no way you could play this good without some kind of stimulant in your system. We don’t trust you. You on some other shit. I wouldn’t be surprised if when they turned the lights off for the introductions, somebody said “Bam glowing in the dark!”. My research tells me the Yanks’ Aaron Judge wasn’t given the cup after popping 62 balls out of the ballpark in ’22. Kobe hit 81 (20 years ago) and he was never subjected to the cup (not immediately following the game, at least). Bron is 62 years old and still out there killin’ it! And far as we know, he hasn’t been subjected to a drug test immediately following a break-out game either. Nor has Tom Brady after playing lights out –game after game after game. In all fairness, those brothers have NEVER failed a drug test, which I imagine doesn’t automatically excuse them from a random test every now and then. But the request for Bam “to go see a man about a horse” seemed almost immediate. While he was celebrating his big night (he even took his WNBA Superstar girlfriend, A’ja Wilson into the post-game interviews) his post-game pee sample request was being readied. Meantime he was getting love from all over the league via text or social media– Jalen, Bron, DWade…they all gave him props. And there was Bam, in the midst of it all, enjoying the spotlight. But he didn’t complain (It was almost as if he’d gone through Next Tally training). And the Players association (as of this writing) hasn’t said anything either.

    Maybe it’s just me. But if I’d just performed my ass off and had the greatest game of my life, I don’t know that I wouldn’t voice my displeasure (in a nice professional way) to someone jumping to the conclusion that I had to be “juiced up” with something to reach those heights. I can remember back in 2022 or 2023 when Dame Lillard, who was playing for Portland at the time, hit something like 70 points in a game against Houston. He got called in for a pee test. But the league said it was “random”, and that the timing just happened to be on the night Dame sank the 70-piece. He didn’t appreciate it.

    The NBA rules for random testing says they’re usually conducted during team activities, including games. It says the younger cats (the rookies) sometimes get tested with more frequency, but players can be tested up to 4 times during the season and 2 or 3 more times in the off-season. It’s interesting too that they don’t really test for marijuana anymore; just the heavy stuff (PEDs, stimulants etc.). And of course, like with anything, if there’s reason to suspect that a player is “on something”, then they’ll have a cup waiting (before, after and I’ve even “during” a game sometimes).

    Bam didn’t look like he was driven by anything, except a strong desire to get the heck up outta Kaseya Center and head to Brickell or Wynwood or somewhere to chow down– it had been a long day. Was this another “coincidental timing” thing? Or is it totally impossible to think that a kid like this could pull off an 83-point game against the Wizards, who are 16-48 on the season, without being jacked up on something. Hell, I could have scored at least “fitty” on the Wizards (just don’t hold me to it). Miami is 37-29. Bam just had one of those nights. I say let him celebrate, and let him keep his pee to himself. Sideshot–He’s gonna need it..if the Knicks get their stuff together. He’s gonna pee all over himself. The whole league is.

    Again, “Just don’t hold me to that”.

    Unk

  • The Game of Sleep

    The Game of Sleep

    At a time when we hear about some athletes who go on to become brain surgeons, mechanical engineers and business moguls, the old school reference to a “Big Dumb Jock” just doesn’t resonate much these days. Many of these young cats are studying Poly-Sci, Medicine, Aeronautics, Law and many other professional degree programs. And they somehow manage to do it, while playing full time roundball, football or other D-1 sports in college. But how? When do they sleep? Better yet, DO they sleep at all?

    With “no-pass/no-play” rules at an all-time high at the high school and college level, one wonders how do these student athletes keep up? How do you play a full season of basketball (…let’s say, at a school like Duke or Tennesse or SMU), and still be able to make the necessary GPA to stay in school and graduate. I used to think maybe they were exempt from classes, during their playing season. Or on the darker side, I figured they had a little (or big) curve system for collegiate athletes, where they didn’t have to do as much in class–not during the season because they simply didn’t have time. You know once upon a time, schools like UNC , Minnesota, The University of Georgia and Florida State University (among others) were subject to fines, athletes were ruled ineligible , wins were vacated and any number of other penalties (back in the late 1990’s-early 2000’s) for alleged improprieties involving athletes. As news media, we covered claims of tutors allegedly completing coursework for football players, counselors heavily editing papers for basketball players so they’d make the grade and even a so-called “Paper Classes” Scandal at Chapel Hill–which required next to no school work or lectures, just a single sheet of paper to pass a class and stay on the team.

    Fortunately those days are over. The stakes are too high. The academic “death penalty” is real. But you still must wonder, how are these athletes cutting it in class, with such rigorous game schedules? The rules say, college athletes must attend class (like everybody else) regardless of their game schedules. Some often rely on special policies which allow them to travel with the team, (and get excused absences as a result). But when they get back, guess what? They STILL have to make up those classes, and keep their GPA’s up in order to play. And that begs the question again, what about sleep?

    It came to my mind this past weekend, when UCLA Coach Mike Cronin started his post-game press conference, bashing the starting time of his teams game against the Cornhuskers. As it were, The Bruins won the game–they beat the pants off Nebraska in their NCAA Tournament game. But Cronin complained that the games are starting too late– citing the 8pm (West Coast) start, which meant (body clock-wise), Nebraska’s kids actually started at 10pm. Cronin’s beef: These damn kids still have to get up in the morning, regardless of a Sunday game, and go to class–and be expected to do well!

    He cited lucrative TV deals which sometimes dictate the starting “Prime time” tip-off of a game. But when and where do you draw the line in advocating for these young athletes? I have to admit, I’m with Cronin, albeit a bit odd that he’s advocating for the opposing team they just beat. And while there are tutors and academic counselors around to make sure these young athletes perform well in class, it doesn’t make up for energy level. I do understand that many athletes are given priority registration so they can pick classes that fit their training and the team’s roster moves and their home and away games. And some might argue it’s what they signed up for. And in this NIL world we live in, many young athletes are expected to “fall in line” even more. But an extra dollar or two in your pocket doesn’t make you superman or superwoman!

    NCAA Rules require student athletes to achieve somewhere between 40-45% of their degree program by the end of their junior year in college. Calendar priority or not, it still seems like it’d be a losing proposition to play in a Tournament game on a Sunday night starting at 8…and make it to class refreshed (for a mid-term) by 8am. I’ve heard of D-1 schools back in the 70’s where athletes didn’t really have to go to class at all. It was just “understood” by the professors that they “had to pass those athletic stars”–and to do it for the school. One professor reportedly sued a school, saying her job as a “tutor” turned out to be a job whereby she was charged with convincing other professors to pass students whether they did the work or not. Call me naive, but I would be hard-pressed to believe that anyone at any school would be doing anything like this in our day and time. Plus, I hear at most schools, professors are required to provide status reports on all student athletes on the regular.

    But it doesn’t stop you from wondering, “If they are at least making it to class, are they really studying and keeping up, or is there some educational perk to being a star athlete?” Wink-wink. There’s a guy I knew back in school who was the best of the best at football. He was a running back. But I’d often ask myself, “I know damn well this cat can’t be honor roll, when all I see him do is practice, hang out in the gym and sleep”. But then, after graduation (he didn’t go to the pro’s), Dude owns a successful real estate development company.

    “Something” went right. And maybe its the same body clock which is in play today, with these kids playing in a full blown tournament on a Sunday night, and sitting in class the next morning at full attention. Maybe its the adrenaline rush of knowing “If I don’t make an A on this paper, I could get kicked off the team for academic suspension”.

    Or hell, maybe I’m just old and can’t figure out how they do it. I’m going to sleep. I’ve got a newscast to get to in the morning.

    Unk

  • I stand with KC Concepcion!!!

    I stand with KC Concepcion!!!

    Wouldn’t you know that it’d be a group of idiots on social media who would make the list of this weeks “bonehead, mean, cruel and a–hole moves in sports! I won’t even give them the benefit of a name (albeit most of them nameless and faceless anyway, hiding behind social media).

    But this weeks Sports Flop award goes to those trolls who made fun of Texas A&M Wide Receiver MR. KC CONCEPCION! I cap his name because he responded like a real G ought to respond. It’s the thing we teach at Next Tally to young men and women athletes, who face the unexpected.

    KC has a speech impediment. He stutters. But you can fully understand his message. If you’d only stop laughing and bullying and heckling; and listen. He can’t help it. But that didn’t stop the ignorant trolls who heckled him online as he spoke to reporters at the NFL combine this past weekend. It was some of the nastiest commentary I think I’ve ever read. It takes a strong person to withstand this kind of bullying. And our guy KC stood tall. What in the absolute hell have we come to?

    Here’s a kid who is arguably one of the best young recruits to take the field in this potential new class of 2026. He was ALL SEC in 2025! This dude is the real deal! He just wants to realize a dream that so many young football players have: To play in the freakin’ NFL. In fact, he’s expected to go as a late round 1st pick! I don’t know him personally. I only read about him in my draft notes and as an avid fan of football. And I have some Texas A&M ties, so I keep up with the team.

    Folks, there are more than 80-million Americans who have speech impediments. And men outpace women 4-1. Young males outpace girls 2-1. There is treatment and many therapies, but no absolute cure. It doesn’t make a person any smarter (or like these trolls “dumber”) than anyone else. And while there are some references to neurological factors, folks who stutter are not necessarily emotionally or physically challenged. There are giants among us who stuttered and went on to become some of the greatest achievers of our time. The late-great actor James Earl Jones comes to mind. So did the great NBA legend and Sports Announcer Bill Walton. And then there’s my friend and legendary NBA player Kenyon Martin from Dallas, who later went on to become and advocate for Americans who live with speech impediments.

    And there was KC…having his day in the lights, talking with the sports media and holding his own very well. I salute this young man. I personally salute him as an individual who was put in remedial classes because of my inability to put a full sentence together. I hated when my parents put me back in a reading class (with younger kids) so I could catch up. I felt dumb. Now I REALLY feel dumb, because they had my best interests at heart. They knew what they were doing. I didn’t stutter, but I had a problem speaking, reading and composing sentences. Who knew? Edward R. Murrow, AP, NYABJ, Emmy–(for the kid with the speech impediment).

    And like a true gentleman, KC took to his X account and posted this response to the trolls:

    Taken from Texas A&M player KC Concepcion’s “X”account after the NFL Combine to address bullies.

    Folks, I don’t know where this young man is going to fall in the draft. It’s such a tough competition, who knows if he’ll make the cut at all. Stranger things have happened. But it sure as hell won’t be because of his speech. I’ve seen his work on the field. He speaks with his play. And he’s a bigger sportsman than any of our media idiot award-winners (and you know who you are) who heckled him. I would advise you to go online, and immediately go to STUTTERINGHELP.ORG to get more information about this disorder which affects so many Americans. And then find out what you can do to understand and then help spread awareness about speech impediments. And then the biggest ask: Starting with you, do all you can to mitigate the mocking which occurs daily to those who suffer from it.

    And to you KC– Kick ass and take names son! And I’m offering Next Tally’s Media Crisis Aversion consultation to you pro bono! You deserve it! Have your parents or coaches reach out to me and we’ll make arrangements.

    Unk

  • Love you Momma, but…..

    Love you Momma, but…..

    I have to be very careful as I write this blog. I don’t want to offend any of our beloved Mother’s, who have raised us, nourished us, supported us and even replenished us when our wells have run empty. There is no other love like a mom. And I’ve known this love for many years, as the youngest of my siblings– You didn’t mess with “Momma’s baby”. Did I get my way most of the time? Yes. But I did I also get my butt whipped much of the time? Yes. Because I thought I could get away with anything! But at the end of the day, I was still “Momma’s baby”.

    I prefaced all that, so that you understand (Momma) that I truly appreciate the love you have for your sons and daughters. But as a good steward, charged with protecting my clients’ best interest by keeping his foot out of his mouth (and his ass out of the court of public of opinion), Mom I’m going to need a bit of understanding.

    I have come upon a few potential clients (for Next Tally) who have shared with me that their mothers, yes their mothers are not too keen on me teaching their sons and daughters how to speak to the news and sports media. There’s this feeling that media counselors only serve to strip the personality and voice out of the athlete. But speaking before cameras and microphones takes quite a bit of discipline and care, knowing that one false slip of the tongue can cause quite a bit of backlash from the team, the front office and even the league which represents the player.

    Media advisors and counselors aren’t like PR firms, who come in after a player or celeb has gotten into a bit of trouble and need a “spin doctor” to make things good again. A good media advisor is proactive–preventing you from committing a public guffaw beforehand, so there’s nothing to spin. I could only smile the other day, when a sweet, innocent and loving mom looked at me (as I talked with her son about getting media training) and uttered these words: “I appreciate what you’re offering and it’s good to know that people like you exist. However, I know my son better than anybody else. I’ve taught him well. So he knows how to conduct himself and speak to people in the media without embarrassing himself or us (his family). Momma went on to say that her son has been in the spotlight for years, as a kid in grade school, high school and on up through college. “And he’s done pretty good so far, so he doesn’t need anybody telling him what to do now”.

    Ooops. Bad call Momma. But it wasn’t over yet. I was subjected to the “Ever since my boy caught wind that he would be going to the NFL, we’ve been hounded by people trying different ways to get his money”. Ouch. I won’t go beyond what else Momma had to say, and I won’t name names because eventually I think we’ll be working together. And it is not my goal to embarrass anyone publicly.

    However (and there’s always a however), I grew up in the housing projects of Orlando Florida. So the “bug” in me came out a little bit, but in a nice professional way. I said to Momma, “I’m not out to get your sons money. I am trying to help your son “keep” his money in his pocket”. She asked, “How is that”? I stated, “Because Mom if that boy even makes it into the league (this was pre-combine), if he runs off at the mouth and says the wrong things, he’ll cut a gaping hole in his own pocket– Benched by the Coach, suspended from the Team, Fined by the League and eventually become trade bait. I also mentioned that he’d most likely lose all of his potential endorsements as apparel companies distance themselves from bad actors , faster than little brother Quincy Wilson at a track meet. And did I mention the agent won’t get a dime either, because if the kid isn’t working and has no team….

    Anyway. While it’s true that parents have their sons/daughters best interests at heart and know them better than anyone else, a media advisor knows THE MEDIA better than anyone else. As a current newsman (I still anchor the news in New York City) I can’t begin to tell you how much it hurts me to see a young aspiring athlete get this far, only to see it all come crumbling down because of an inability to navigate media exposure.

    Mom, the lights are brighter now, than when Junior was playing football in high school and even in college. Guess why? Because there are young up-and-coming sports journalists, trying to make a name for themselves as well. As a reporter for NBC, CBS and other companies over the years, I knew how to push buttons to get that great sound bite for a story. I knew the answer to the question even before I asked it. Not trying to be mean, but it was my job to come back to the station with sensational news soundbites for their tune-in value. And if some young (or old) reporter can push your son into a razor-sharp soundbite that’ll light up the 6 o’clock sportscast, it’s “check-mate”. That’s why I started Next Tally. And no, this isn’t a job interview. It’s an appeal to Mom’s, Dad’s, Agents, Coaches etc. to let an expert who knows the craft teach your young athlete how to manage it well.

    I saw an NFL scouting coach at the recent combine, huddling all the aspiring young corners together, and giving them sage advice on how to act on the field, as well as “off the field”. I really admired the way he pulled them aside (like a father) and gave them conventional wisdom– telling them, “There are many young men who wish they were in your shoes, and lucky enough to make it to the NFL”. Don’t screw it up by doing something stupid or saying something stupid “after the game. Your every move is being watched”. You should have seen the eyes of those boys!

    Coach Prime did a lot of that during his first few seasons in Colorado and of course down in Jackson. Those are college boys. But when you get to the league, and now you’ve become a 250-pound linebacker, with several million dollars in your pocket, who is anyone to tell you how to conduct yourself?

    Fans will. The team will. The league will. So Mom, I love you…but…..

    Let a proven and professional outsider in his circle. Hell, it doesn’t have to be me. That, or I can start sharing some of my experiences as a courthouse reporter, and the sad faces sitting in the hallway (Momma’s and Daddy’s) as a judge sent a dozen young men (star football players) off to prison because no one could tell them anything. And they too were from good homes. You might remember them–I covered the story. It was September of 1989. Or if you need a refresher, my friend made a movie out of their experience. It’s called Carter High. In fact, my godson (Actor Lynn Andrews) played the part of Keith Griffin, one of the offenders who would engage in a staring contest with me during court. It was interesting to run into him on the set of the movie several years later. Everything’s cool now of course.

    Anyway, Love you Momma! Don’t mean any harm. But I want the best for your baby boy (and girl) too.

    Unk

  • “You’re Not Helping”!!

    “You’re Not Helping”!!

    I’ve got a bone to pick. Being in the business of educating young men and women athletes, entertainers or just people in the business community–on how not to kill their careers by saying and doing crazy stuff, I’ve got some beef with the people who enable them.

    If I’m (Next Tally) teaching them to steer clear of certain words, people, places and things which could be detrimental to their careers, I’m wondering is it possible for me to get any help? From you. I’m seeing too many instances where a player is out enjoying themselves (albeit with their friends and family), and things take a turn when someone tries to get too cozy with the celeb or player or “role model”. A fight ensues.

    Meantime “friends and family” let it progress. In some cases, friends and family are there fanning the flames! It’s the reason that I insist on including “family time” (via zoom or some other means if we are not together in person) with the individuals I counsel. The media is no joke. But the media also isn’t the enemy. We can only report what’s there!

    It’s the enablers who make it okay for a player or celeb to act out as they please, without intervention. Case in point: I’ve seen sports types out in public, engaging in a raucous scrum with overzealous (sometimes drunk) fans. I think that is the time when a member of the players “posse” grabs him/her up, and gets them out of the building as soon as possible, no matter what. None of this, “hell naw, I have a right to enjoy myself, I’m staying and I’ll fight every MF in here if I need to…I’m so-and-so and I can do what I want. Yeah, including sit your ass in jail if the stuff hits the fan and the cops are called. Explain THAT in the morning to your team.

    Even in my capacity as a broadcaster and TV/Radio personality, anyone who is out with me (even if its a fine dining establishment or a jazz listening room) know that if ANYTHING jumps off or doesn’t sound right, they MUST alert me and get me out of the building. Not that I’m involved in the craziness. But I can’t have something to occur in an establishment, and my name pops up in the news the next day. Whether I’m involved or not, it can instantly become a stain on my name. And that is a lesson I’m trying to teach our younger up-and-coming celebs and sports figures. But YOU’RE NOT HELPING!

    These players do not have a private life. They signed up for that when they walked across the stage and accepted the team cap during draft night. Your only privacy is in your space at home. You don’t get to yell and scream and curse fans who get too close or even if they go overboard in trying to just touch you. You signed up to be touched. Not abused. But adoring fans want to be close and take pictures. Anything less is seen as ungrateful, considering these are people who pay for your merch and spend their last dollars to come to your games. There is a graceful way to say no.

    Back to family and friends–Don’t take a picture of the player out doing “compromising things” and putting it on your social media. YOU’RE NOT HELPING.

    The team, the league, fans (and endorsement/ad agencies) have social media too. And it doesn’t matter if its your private YouTube or OnlyFans (keeping it real) channel or even the players private social media pages. Again, anything outside your domain is no longer private. And also family, YOU can’t engage in anything seen as socially controversial either, lest it not come back to haunt your famous family member. There was a near media catastrophe when it was widely reported that Carl Williams, the father of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, uttered words which didn’t go over too well with not only the Bears organization, but with the NFL in general. YOU’RE NOT HELPING!

    The older Williams was quoted as allegedly saying something to the effect, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die”. I thought “I” would die. And here this kid is, trying to get a job with the Bears (and any other team who would look at him). More reports surfaced saying the Williams family allegedly considered legal options to keep the Bears from picking him in the draft. Williams was the first pick of the 2024 NFL draft, so the (then) woeful Bears got first crack at him). Private thoughts should be kept right where they are: private. As it were, Caleb Williams went on to have a pretty decent year with the Bears. But I remember sitting there watching this kid deflect all kinds of questions about his father’s comments; “Do you feel the same way about Chicago?” Do you think you’ll have a good shot in the NFL playing for the (then) worst team in the league? Do you think this is the best place to be from a player development standpoint?

    The media had a field day. So all I’m saying to family members…is that I/we need your help! One false move or one bad comment, and your hero, who has been planning all their lives for this moment, is sitting on the bench, or looked upon by fans and everyone else as less than a team player.

    But alas! That’s why Next Tally does it what it does. We try to keep you and your family from saying stupid things and doing stupid things (I keeps it real) “tonight”… so you won’t have to explain it to your coach, the team, the league and your endorsement affiliates tomorrow.

    Anything else..and YOU’RE NOT HELPING!

    NEXT!!! Unk

  • Block out the noise!!

    Block out the noise!!

    Don’t you just hate it? You’re up there at the job, trying to keep your cool. But the haters and naysayers and gossipers just keep on coming–like roaches. There’s a message printed on a Brick in Proverbs 26:20. Babies, “Put on your headphones..block out the noise”. Not the headphones like the ones I wear, doing the news on 1010WINS. I’m talking about the headphones in that scripture. Put in another way, Ignoring gossip (mean talk, boisterous shade-throwers) starves the attention it needs to spread–if you simply block it out. As they say, “Without wood, a fire goes out”. Hello? And don’t EVER resort to arguing on the job. If you’re standing there arguing with a nutcase, folks walking by won’t be able to tell who’s who! “Nuff” said, Unk.

  • Let Him Lead!

    Let Him Lead!

    Who would have thought in a million years, that a bushy-headed wide-eyed kid from the housing projects in Orlando, Florida would be talking to millions (giving the news) and “cranking out Bricks”? Wow. Just wow! Family, I didn’t always follow Christ. But when I did, I saw a huge difference in my life. So now I ask God “daily” to order my steps (It’s on a Brick in Psalms 119:133). Some of the roads I’ve traveled on this journey makes even me question, “How in the heck did I make it out of there alive”? But when I got back on the road…Are you all feeling this? I will remind you (from previous posts and testimonies) I came to New York will ill-intentions about my life. But God obviously had other plans. I’ve got a book coming out which will explain it all. SMH….Just Wow. Wow God, WOW! Unk.

  • Go For it! Phil.4:13

    Go For it! Phil.4:13

    You know, I walk through this big giant, scary mecca everyday. And I am always taken by the young people I see, and the looks on their faces– so innocent and pure. And depth of their eyes tell the story of a hunger for acceptance, “stardom” and a yearning desire for that “big break”. They come from everywhere. And they are so wide-eyed, searching for purpose. Gosh, was I this way, when I first moved here, 18 years ago? I remember all I had was a pair of Stephon Marbury $8 sneakers, two shirts and a couple pair of jeans. I wasn’t a teen, but I was a vagabond who had lost my way. But then, “God”. Lord, I wish I could take each and every one of these young people and give them a boost; a start in…”whatever”. I do my share of help and support, but I wish I could guide them all. There’s a scripture which says it all though: I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. To them, (and everybody else) I say, You can…and You will…but only “in Christ”. Believe in yourself, but in Christ. Unk