Nobody Wins in #DoevRose Case

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love basketball and that I am also a die hard Bulls fan.  So, being a Derrick Rose fan comes with the territory.  I was really sad to see the Bulls let him go, but with all the dirty little secrets that came out of this case, I can see why they may have thought unloading Derrick was the best move for the organization.

Nobody wins in DoevRose case

Very special thank you to Julia Marsh from the New York Post for tweeting detailed updates about the case.  Marsh was careful to never voice an opinion but to state facts as they happened, but also recommended lawyers to chime in.

People will walk away from today's verdict declaring that Derrick Rose won.  That's not completely true.  Derrick Rose and his friends were cleared of all charges in the rape case, but did Rose really win?  His name is cleared, well, not exactly.  There will still be the naysayers that say it was his fame that got him off; taking pictures with the jurors after the case was over probably didn't' help either 😐.    While this case wasn't as publicized as the Kobe Bryant case, it was surely more graphic.  We learned things about Rose and his bedroom hobbies that we surely never needed to know.   There goes his privacy.  The time that he had to spend in court took away time from his career and his family.  He missed out on training camp, Pre Season games and team bonding experiences, which are important considering this is his fresh start.   I'm sure the Knicks are happy to have this case behind him and look forward to hearing more about his on the court activities and less about his bedroom activities.  It was also mentioned that he missed his son's 4th birthday, you can't get time back, another loss, but he can take advantage of the time ahead of him and make wise choices that won't compromise his time with him in the future.  Rose and his friends are cleared, but I would hate to see what he paid in lawyer fees, but he was cleared, so I guess it was money well spent.

The Doe of this case, was a female from LA whom was in a past relationship with Rose.  The defendant's lawyer wanted the jury and anyone following this case to see her as a scorned lover; a scorned lover looking for a pay day.  The plaintiff's attorney felt like his client was slut shamed by Rose and his friends as they told graphic details of their joint  interactions.  Looks like Doe lost a lot more than her $21M pay day today.  Her friend, or shall I say ex friend testified against her and painted her as a woman who was a liar and was out to get paid.  This sounds like more than just one bad day.  Doe's character and credibility was brought into question several times throughout this trial.  One juror stated "I felt like she was playing us."  This will set the tone for how people view her, potentially for the rest of her life.  This trial brought out many things about her sexual life that I'm sure she wishes she could have kept secret, it really pollutes the wholesome girl image her attorney described her as.  A psychiatrist diagnosed her as having PTSD and said that she was scarred for life from the traumatic rape encounter.  With today's ruling in favor of Derrick Rose, Doe lost her hopes of becoming $21 million dollars richer, lost friends and gained PTSD.  People will look at her and always wonder if she really told the truth.

I hope that Rose and Doe both walk away from this trial and do some soul-searching.  Both of them lost because they had their images tainted and character questioned.  Rose was cleared of charges, but with what he lost in the process, no one really won today.

LA Clippers, Sponsorship & Money

Racisim is never acceptable and everyone has an opinion on the best way to handle this Donald Sterling, LA Clippers situation.  History has always shown that if you mess with someone’s money you are sure to make them take notice.  This is exactly what is happening with sponsors for the Clippers.  State Farm has decided to put a pause on their relationship with the Clippers until this matter has been resolved.  But they will continue their “Chris/Cliff Paul” campaign.  KIA is following State Farm and suspending their work with the Clippers until further notice.  Other businesses are also taking a stance on this ordeal.    CarMax, Red Bull and Virgin American have decided to end their sponsorship with the LA Clippers. Musical artists such and The Game, Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg are asking fans to boycott the games, this will give a visual display of how people feel, but tickets are already purchased, so the stance might be a bit stifled.  While it might increase awareness of the situation, it doesn’t make a financial statement, but sponsorships do.  The entire NBA is in a tough spot and everyone is looking for some resolve.  This is probably not the welcome gift Commissioner Adam Silver was looking for.  We’ll keep watching, we’re guessing these won’t be the last organizations to pull out. 

Tips on living a healthy life style

1.    Drink Lots of Water

Depending on your level of health you should drink 6-8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day.  Staying hydrated is very important to your kidneys and muscle strength for staying active.

2.   Eat several small meals throughout the day

We all grew up being taught three meals a day is the healthy way, but it turns out having more smaller meals throughout the day helps you to eat better and stay fuller during the day.

3.   Make healthy food choices

People who go on diets are only successful for a short time, but when you take the time to change your whole eating lifestyle, your health will change with you.  That craving for sweets, you can fix it with a fruit.  Work on having more baked food than fried food, and when Spring or Summer finally makes it’s way to your town, you can grill. 

4.   Eat your greens

Green vegetables such as spinach, kale, lettuce and broccoli have great health benefits.  Mix them with pasta or throw them in a smoothie, but eat some; your eyes, hair and bones will thank you!

5.   Find the workout that works for you and schedule at least 3 days of activity 

It’s important to have some activity to keep you moving, but it’s even more important to find something you enjoy. If you don’t like it you will most likely not stick with it, but if you enjoy it you will look forward to the exercise time.  If you like to be Zen and have calm workouts, try Bikram Yoga, but if you like to stay moving and keep you heart pumping, find a zumba class.  There are a variety of options, find something that works best for you.

Sports Black History Honors

 

We’re wrapping up our Black History Month posts with highlighting athletes who have made a difference.

We all know Walter Payton for his legendary time with the Chicago Bears, but did you know that he became the first black team owner in the Indy Car Series?  After his retirement he became co-owner of CART racing team.

Not only was Jackie Robinson the first black to play at any level in the major leagues, but he was also the first black batting champion and the first black enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.  During his baseball career he had many highs, but also many lows as it pertained to racism.  He is widely credited for opening the doors for other blacks to have the opportunity to play major league baseball. 

Violet Palmer made history in 1997 after becoming the first black woman to serve as a referee in the NBA.  Before refereeing in the NBA, she refereed games for the NCAA Women’s games.  In 2009 she refereed her first NBA Finals Game.

Any true basketball fan loves the Jordan era, loves the legacy he left behind before retirement.  Lacy J. Banks was the first black full-time sports reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times and began reporting on the Chicago Bulls in 1980.  He had the esteemed opportunity to cover Michael Jordan’s entire career. 

Women Making Waves, Black History Edition

Ruth Jean Bowen was the first black woman to establish a successful booking agency in New York City called Queen Booking in 1959.  She represented musical greats such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight.  She started her business with just five hundred dollars, and within 10 years Queen Booking became the largest black-owned agency in the world.  A small investment goes a long way!

Miller Brewing Company promoted Patricia Henry to manager making her the first woman to hold the top management post at an American brewery. 

In 2009 Ursula Burns became the first black woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, Xerox.  This landed her on Forbe’s List as the 14^th most powerful woman in the world. She also resides as Chairman for Xerox.

Michelle Obama, fondly known as FLOTUS, became the First Lady of the United States in 2008.  Prior to President Obama being elected, Michelle was a corporate attorney.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Princeton and attended Harvard University for Law School.  While at the White House she has pushed efforts to end childhood obesity and work on healthier eating habits for everyone. 

Black History: Spotlight on the Judicial System

 

This week’s posting is for all my judicial system friends.

In 1992 Carol Mosley Braun became the nation’s first black woman senator.  She served for one term beginning in the 103^rd Congress representing Illinois as their first Black Senator. 

Violette Neatley Anderson, born in 1882, was the first black woman admitted to the Illinois Bar.  In 1922 she became the first woman assistant prosecutor in Chicago.  She was also an influential leader in the Blackhead-Jones Bill, which passed in 1937.

On November 6, 1990, Charles Eldridge Freeman became the first black elected to the Illinois Supreme Court.  He worked his way up from assistant attorney general, to assistant state’s attorney and several other positions before he took on the Supreme Court.

The first black elected to the post of president pro tempore of the Chicago City Council was Ralph Metcalf.  In 1970 he won his protégé, William Dawson’s U.S. Representative seat.  Metcalf was reelected to Congress three times.

“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Valentine's Day from B.M.M.O. Consulting

Thanks for continuing to follow us along this journey.  We want to send Valentine's Day wishes and our love to you.  In case no one told you yet, we love you!  Enjoy this day loving yourself and those who love you.  A little wine or chocolate never hurts either!