Official Umar Johnson Thread

[deuce king]

Could you imagine walking to work in the morning, and stumbling upon this dude cutting long-form wrestling promos on the sidewalk

The manner in which he shots some of his videos are very funny........but if Naomi’s father did in fact teach her how to play tennis, then I really don’t have a problem or issue with what Umar said about Naomi and her choosing to represent for Japan in the Olympics. If that’s the case Naomi should have represented for her father’s country of Hati.

From what I see anytime someone is mixed with black and whatever else it might be most folks choose to represent the other side and not represent for the black side within them. I have to fully watch the Breakfast Club interview in it’s entirety but this curbside Philly video shoot talking about Naomi Osaka is very direct and well needed as a topic of discussion.

 

[marikomorose]

Naomi Oska is Japanese, nothing Umar said in his rant pertaining to her representing her country made since.

 

[JusaVibe]

Naomi Oska is Japanese, nothing Umar said in his rant pertaining to her representing her country made since.

it made sense. Talked to a few other people who are basically just like her and they agreed with Umar. I can see it from both angles but Umar was spitting this episode. Wish he got more time even though it was an hour. I gotta run it back....

 

[ilike turtles]

I think Dr Umar owes Naomi Osaka a public apology.

do athletes even have a choice of which country they rep in the Olympics?

 

[maq25060]

do athletes even have a choice of which country they rep in the Olympics?

Pretty certain they do. Kyrie wanted to play for the Australian National team prior to being swayed by Coach K.

 

[gry60]

1. Yes they hit professional ceilings but at least get get an opportunity to have a profession. Again I ask, what do you suggest we do with HS Kids that leave 12th grade that can't read on grade level?

2. Managing a team isn't in the works for all tradesmen and I am pretty sure many GOOD mechanics would fail an Algebra 1 exam TODAY if they were to be given one. Again, you are severely underestimating the SKILL of these individuals that didn't make the cut academically.

3. There are levels to being able to reading, counting, adding, and analyzing. Not doing well in school doing automatically mean you have no concept of these skills and/or are unable to perform them in a different (non-academic) setting.

1. I'm not just talking about having a job; I'm talking about having job security. In the trades, seniority tends to matter; having a formal education is a way to sidestep the seniority process. That helps when you have to change jobs. It also helps when economic downturns happen.

2. I'm actually referring to having the ability to communicate effectively; it's just as important to be able to let others know what you're doing. Being able to communicate gives tradespeople an edge professionally. The mechanic example is to illustrate the benefits of adaptability: the mechanic who has the fundamentals to learn about electric circuits and electronics will probably have an edge over the one who is all about turning a wrench when EVs become the main type of vehicle. The latter may be the best mechanic in the world, but when technology changes (and it WILL), his skill is more likely to become obsolete.

3. If those kids are able to grasp those concepts in a non-academic setting, it means that schools are poorly assessing their abilities, and we need to develop programs that better capture the true intellectual level of those kids.

Again, what I'm pushing against is not the notion or value of trades; it's the assumption that it's either trade school or college, and I'm pushing against the idea that college doesn't teach anything of value just because the knowledge acquired doesn't immediately translate into financial gain. It's the same discussion that happens between STEM fields and liberal arts, and the fact that both of these fields are not considered complementary but diametrically opposed is how you end with engineers who reject the sociological idea that buildings, roads, and bridges can be imparted with biases.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Again, what I'm pushing against is not the notion or value of trades; it's the assumption that it's either trade school or college, and I'm pushing against the idea that college doesn't teach anything of value just because the knowledge acquired doesn't immediately translate into financial gain. It's the same discussion that happens between STEM fields and liberal arts, and the fact that both of these fields are not considered complementary but diametrically opposed is how you end with engineers who reject the sociological idea that buildings, roads, and bridges can be imparted with biases.

Thanks for clearing up your point because I was honestly unsure of what angle you were even coming from.

1. Can you give me the options for the population of kids we are discussing other than trades and college? I am legit asking what you are suggesting they do if they haven't had much success in an academic setting. I am legit asking because I have seen hundreds of kids not do either after HS and it didn't end well for them. (Not implying it is a guaranteed death sentence either)

2. I don't believe college doesn't teach anything of value. Did you think I was saying that directly or indirectly? If so, that isn't even a belief I subscribe to.

 

[marikomorose]

it made sense. Talked to a few other people who are basically just like her and they agreed with Umar. I can see it from both angles but Umar was spitting this episode. Wish he got more time even though it was an hour. I gotta run it back....

She had a dual citizen (u.s. & japan) her story runs deeper in Japan, her mother speaks to her in japanese, she was born in japan. Nothing about what Umar said in pertaining to her made since

do athletes even have a choice of which country they rep in the Olympics?

They do, if she wanted to make the most money. She could've choose the u.s. had she wanted to profit the most financially.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

do athletes even have a choice of which country they rep in the Olympics?

They do.

There are ways around regulations but it isn't as simple as, "I want to play for them."

If she wanted to, SHE would have no issue representing Haiti.

 

[str8drop]

The manner in which he shots some of his videos are very funny........but if Naomi’s father did in fact teach her how to play tennis, then I really don’t have a problem or issue with what Umar said about Naomi and her choosing to represent for Japan in the Olympics. If that’s the case Naomi should have represented for her father’s country of Hati.

Her pops is the one who originally decided she would represent Japan as a kid, due to the lack of interest and funding she was receiving over here. She’s represented them since then.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Honestly idk what here playing for Haiti would have done for black people other than another nice viral moment

 

[friscostylez]

Honestly idk what here playing for Haiti would have done for black people other than another nice viral moment

People love symbolic moments man

 

[RustyShackleford]

The manner in which he shots some of his videos are very funny........but if Naomi’s father did in fact teach her how to play tennis, then I really don’t have a problem or issue with what Umar said about Naomi and her choosing to represent for Japan in the Olympics. If that’s the case Naomi should have represented for her father’s country of Hati.

From what I see anytime someone is mixed with black and whatever else it might be most folks choose to represent the other side and not represent for the black side within them. I have to fully watch the Breakfast Club interview in it’s entirety but this curbside Philly video shoot talking about Naomi Osaka is very direct and well needed as a topic of discussion.

From my understanding, with my loose following of tennis, it seems her parents are cool with the decision. The choice was between repping Japan and America when she joined the tour, and she was repping Japan on the WTA tour from the jump. She gave up her US citizenship a while back to keep her Japanese citizenship too. There were rumors her dad had static with US Tennis which is why she didn't play under the US banner. So if her dad is cool with the decision, and she been playing under the Japanese banner when she joined the tour, then I don't think anyone else should really care.

Second, I don't think she even thinks she could if she wanted to anyway. She plays Fed Cup tennis for Japan, which might qualify as an international competition for another country when looking at the Olympic rules. If she wanted to switch countries she would have to wait a few years and that would mean not playing in 2020 (now 2021). It women's tennis too, she gets injured, she could not be the same player she is in 2024, and possibly not even be able to qualify for the Olympics. So many top players come and go in the sport now.

So I just don't see the reason why if her dad is cool with it, if she been repping Japan, and if possible she would have to skip and Olympics, that this is something I or anyone else should give a damn about.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

 

[DCAllAfrican]

"That's even more reason the sista should compete for her COUNTRY............for GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

 

[RustyShackleford]

Seems like the Internation Tennis Federation that runs the Davis and Fed up are the ones that determine Olympic eligibility

Osaka represented Japan for the first time in 2017, that is during the Olympic cycle.

https://www.itftennis.com/media/2618/eligibility-rule.pdf

Might be wrong, but it seems Naomi's options were not Japan or Haiti. Or not even Japan or USA. It seems it was playing for Japan, or not playing at all.

 

[gry60]

These are very good points that are often overlooked by people who know little about the realities of athletes in developing countries.

Own goal? Africa's shambolic sports management

The call for better management of sport is heard across Africa - often as a lament, more regularly as an outburst of barely contained frustration, writes the BBC's Piers Edwards.

www.bbc.com

So it is little wonder that so many athletes fail to reach the top or simply leave the continent altogether - take Nigerian sprinter Francis Obikwelu as an example.

In 2000, he injured himself while representing his nation at the Sydney Olympics.

Francis Obikwelu now proudly competes for Portugal

In the days and months that followed, the sprinter was so angered by the care he received - he had to pay for his own knee surgery amid a sea of administrative apathy - that he switched his national allegiance to Portugal.

Four years later, Obikwelu showed Nigeria what might have been as he became the first 'Portuguese' to ever win an Olympic medal, taking silver in no less an event than the men's 100m.

This is certainly one area that needs to be addressed if Africa is to advance, for those that are leading the way in less prominent sports are often doing so without the assistance of any federation.

A case in point would be Cameroon's Francoise Mbango, one of only two female athletes to have won back-to-back Olympic golds despite giving birth in-between.

The triple jumper achieved her successes in 2004 and 2008 through her own indomitable spirit, training with her sister in Paris because of the negligible assistance from the Cameroonian authorities.

She has since changed her national allegiance to France.

 

[Present]

Back when I was really into Mitchell & Ness throwbacks my (older white male) neighbor would clown me for not being true to a team until I hit him with:

You wear your jerseys for the name on the front, I wear mine for the name on the back.

He still clowned me though

Went right over his head.

Same way I feel about Osaka. I'd support her if her if she was repping Antarctica.

 

[marikomorose]

Ideally, my child will be born in Antarctica.

 

[deuce king]

Her pops is the one who originally decided she would represent Japan as a kid, due to the lack of interest and funding she was receiving over here. She’s represented them since then.

From my understanding, with my loose following of tennis, it seems her parents are cool with the decision. The choice was between repping Japan and America when she joined the tour, and she was repping Japan on the WTA tour from the jump. She gave up her US citizenship a while back to keep her Japanese citizenship too. There were rumors her dad had static with US Tennis which is why she didn't play under the US banner. So if her dad is cool with the decision, and she been playing under the Japanese banner when she joined the tour, then I don't think anyone else should really care.

Second, I don't think she even thinks she could if she wanted to anyway. She plays Fed Cup tennis for Japan, which might qualify as an international competition for another country when looking at the Olympic rules. If she wanted to switch countries she would have to wait a few years and that would mean not playing in 2020 (now 2021). It women's tennis too, she gets injured, she could not be the same player she is in 2024, and possibly not even be able to qualify for the Olympics. So many top players come and go in the sport now.

So I just don't see the reason why if her dad is cool with it, if she been repping Japan, and if possible she would have to skip and Olympics, that this is something I or anyone else should give a damn about.

Thanks to both of you for the clarification and update. That being said part of my original statement was pertaining to not just Naomi but other individuals that are mixed that don’t or choose not to represent for the black side within them. For those people be it Naomi or not my response would be.....Respect Your Roots. Unfortunately we do have mixed people that are shamed or shunned from admitting their black heritage and background.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Ideally, my child will be born in Antarctica.

If you took your child to see the latest Pixar movie, would you buy your child snacks from the South Pole AMC theater?

 

[KHUFU]

I can say this for certain, outside of communist countries that specifically sponsor and fund the facilities for their athletes, not even the US does that great of job taking care of the participants if they do not have cooperate sponsorship like those from Nike/Adidas/Reebok. Track and field athletes from the US need to compete in Europe to make ends meet in the off season, as there is no american federation to help them train or prepare for competition. I am sure that Osaka representing Japan will bring about the focus on the Black population there, and I am all for it. She is conscious, and she has never denied that she is a sister, especially when asked.

 

[marikomorose]

If you took your child to see the latest Pixar movie, would you buy your child snacks from the South Pole AMC theater?

 

[trynafeelmink]

Umar & the BLM leaders when asked about the funds they've received

 

[frankmatthews]

It isn't that simple man, I wish it were but it is nowhere near as simple as, "Teach them how to read."

Every minute of a Lesson is accounted for before the class even starts. Once a child leaves Elementary school, there isn't time to "Help them Learn how to read." There isn't "reading time" outside of squeezing in 5-7 minutes of "Independent Reading Time" at the start of an ENGLISH class as a Warm Up. Other than that, teachers are EXPECTED to follow the Common Core, which "Teaching Kids How to Read" is not part of after Elementary School.

That isn't on the teachers. Teachers are evaluated on the Quality of the Lesson they are conducting. They are evaluated based on how they are essentially sticking to the "Script." There is no time to help kids learn how to read. (During the school day).

On Top of THAT, the number of curricular documents that have to be created, objective calendars, grading, and any other seemingly pointless busy work the school/district gives folks to do, there is simply a limited amount of time available.

Then you have to remember people have to live their personal lives.


So nah man, it isn't as simple as, "It is literally their job" because you are neglecting every other thing than comes along with the job.

All Im hearing is excuses and passing the buck. Its a tragic situation that young black children find themselves in and its as if you're saying, ahh well nothing can be done. I get that it may not be as simple a solution to say just teach them to read but because its not simple we just shouldn't even try to rectify the situation? Most worthwhile endeavors arent simple, that doesnt mean we shouldnt try. What kind of mentality is that? As a black man and a teacher I expect better from you.

You're honing in on a specific grade level teacher and saying well it isnt their fault so dont blame teachers in general. Obviously basic reading isnt taught in HS but thats not the point, teachers at whatever level you want to discuss are failing. Reading as a subject and grade level were simply examples. The same thing happening at lower grade levels with reading is happening in HS level math curriculum as well, for example. Its across the board. Wheres the accountability. Its unacceptable. If you wanna blame the administrations or the politicians Im all for it, like I said Im not trying to place the blame solely on teachers or a specific grade level.

If we can find the time and resources to implement an entirely new trade based curriculum we should be able to improve the existing curriculum and methods for BASIC reading and math skills at the very least. You brining up time constraints and all these other factors that go into teaching but somehow introducing an entirely new curriculum is going to be any easier. At the end of the day, whats going to stop the exact same thing from happening in the trade based curriculum? Its not solving the shortcomings of public education and it certainly isnt going the close the wealth gaps. You're being short sighted in concentrating on current high school students and their abilities as it stands now.