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Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six | Forum
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Nov 29 '16, 05:47AM
In November, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on giving. LeBron James Cavaliers Swingman Jersey .The September leaves had just begun to transition from chlorophyll-filled green to translucent yellow. I was sitting in my Brooklyn apartment in 2014 chatting with my dad, a die-hard Ravens fan.The conversation took an awkward turn to the topic of running back Ray Rice, who had been caught on video dragging his unconscious then-fiancé Janay Palmer out of a Las Vegas hotel elevator.The NFL had done a poor job of handling the domestic abuse from the jump, but once the video was made public for the world to see, the league decided to part ways with Rice.This felt wrong to my father.It was the first time Id yelled at him for what I considered victim blaming. He did not condone the act, but the language he used certainly would make any feminists head spin.In that moment I thought: If seemingly kind and good and smart men like my father didnt understand domestic abuse or misogyny, we were at a loss of ever reaching the men who arent good.Almost two years after the Rice incident, former NFL star Darren Sharper was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping half a dozen women. No bold statements from the NFL. No condemnation from his colleagues. It was just quiet.He was even nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only to receive not a single vote from the selection committee.Still.I was done with the NFL.NFL players wives and girlfriends were suffering at the hands of its men. Physical and sexual assault was handled abysmally by the league, with no sign of an organization that was moving toward actually caring about women.Then along came Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy.Levy stands at 6-foot-1. His smooth, latte-colored face is adorned by a thick beard that looks like it holds the keys to black boy magic. By all measures, he is a unicorn in an industry that has a lot of reckoning to do with how it supports and rewards violent men.Only 29 years young, he is wise. He has done the work to unlearn misogyny and become aware of its perils. This is a man who uses the term hyper-masculinity in interviews. For a football player, this makes you wonder if the Mayans prediction of the world ending is lurking around the corner.Levy has charged his fellow athletes with the task of speaking up on the dehumanization of women. His Man Up piece for The Players Tribune in April makes it clear what consent is and what its not. He thinks the NFL should do more about domestic violence awareness.In one of his most remarkable acts of human decency, Levy is donating money to have 11,000 rape kits that were found in a warehouse, abandoned by prosecutors, tested.His stance is clear: Dismissing a description of sexual assault as locker-room talk is a mistake.Wherever the NFL found this man, the league is lucky to have him.Im not in the business of handing out fresh-baked cookies to men for being decent human beings. But acknowledgement is due. Few professional athletes have this level of understanding about misogyny, so this feels magical. It feels like a win for all the work we black feminists have been doing.To preserve my sanity, Ive given up the idea of educating men who dont get it. More than changing minds, as wed hope educating men would do, it brings harassment.Ive been called everything from a Negro bed wench to a b---- for calling men out on their sexism. Discussing rape culture, consent and violence against women has been mostly futile.Remember, I yelled at my own dad over sexism. Levy restored a tiny piece of optimism in me about men -- athletes too -- being able to unlearn the toxicity of patriarchy. His commitment to issues that are typically cast to the side for women to fix alone is a reminder that the work we do is not in vain.Ill remind myself of Levys awakening when I grow weary and think, Whats the point? Because slow change is still change.Being a black feminist deeply committed to the black community and womens rights has been discouraging. Enraging. Even hopeless. Like I said, sometimes I think men will never get it.Levy is proof that they can, though. And while my willingness to teach men is reserved only for the men I care about, I now have a little more faith that they will in turn teach other men. Levy gave me hope that all who wander are not lost. And being lost doesnt mean one has to stay there.Bené Viera is a Brooklyn-based journalist who writes about culture, race and gender. Her work has appeared in GQ, Vulture, ESSENCE, Cosmopolitan, VIBE, Glamour and ELLE. When shes not writing shes stanning for Nas. Follow her on Twitter at @beneviera. Dwyane Wade Bulls Swingman Jersey . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Paul George USA Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday.http:///...vin-Williams-Jersey/ . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early.Rangers boss Mark Warburton has refuted reports that he and striker Martyn Waghorn have fallen out. Warburton concedes Waghorn has become frustrated over his lack of playing time at Ibrox but has assured the former Leicester man that his time will come.Waghorn has been on the bench for Rangers last four games and has not scored a goal in the Scottish Premiership since the opening day of the season, his only goals since coming when he notched a hat-trick against Queen of the South in the Betfred Cup on September 20. That has led to speculation Waghorn was looking for a move back to England but Warburton has praised the 26-year-old for knuckling down in training and backed him to succeed once he forces his way back into the side. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports to watch Man Utd v Arsenal on Saturday and get the first six months half price I read a report that we had a big fallout, which was quite interesting, Warburton said ahead of Rangers return to domestic action against Dundee at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.Waggy knocked on the door and said: Have we fallen out gaffer? I said: Not as far as Im aware, Waggy. Far from it.He started five gammes in a row. Paul Millsap Hawks Jersey. He wants to play football, of course he does. When he is starting there are other guys that are frustrated. The decision (assistant manager) David (Weir) and I made was to increase the squad size from 21 to 23 because last year we literally ran out of bodies by the cup final. Waghorn has spent much of his time on Rangers bench since scoring a hat-trick against Queen of the South So we had to add numbers, which we did. That means if everyone is fit and well you are going to have one or two frustrated players. The answer? Work harder, just work harder. The hard work will be recognised and we will pick you. But there is no doubt about Waggys attitude. He is a first-class professional.He is frustrated but he shows it by working harder. When his time comes, which it will do shortly, then Im sure he will be in shape to take it.Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price! Also See: Rangers video Rangers fixtures Rangers stats Get a ￡10 free bet! Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
