April 7, 2025 • 34 mins
In this episode, Cari shines a light on Senator Cory Booker’s powerful, history-making speech, not just for what he said but also for what it means in the bigger fight for civil rights and justice. It’s a reminder that the work isn’t done.
And with the Women’s Final Four on the horizon, of course, Cari had to talk about where women’s basketball is right now: the growth, the challenges, and the energy that’s building. These athletes are doing more than showing up — they’re showing out.
This one’s about purpose. About standing up, speaking out, and showing love to the people — especially the women who’ve been putting in the work.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Speaks to the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne of God and
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions, Decisions,
MANDYB and Weezy. Okay, we got the R and B
Money podcast with taking Jay Valentine. We got the Women
of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts, we got.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Good Mom's Bad Choices.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Carrie Champion will be there with her next sports podcast,
and the Trap Nerds podcast with more to be announced.
And of course it's bigger than podcasts. We're bringing the
Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses, plus the food
truck court to keep you fed while you visit us.
All right, listen, you don't want to miss this. Tap
in and grab your tickets now at Black Effect dot
Com Flash Podcast Festival.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all. So what's happening
in women's basketball right now now is what we've been trying.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
To get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Cayman Clark broke the all time single game assist record.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
This is crazy for rookies to be doing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, fam, how's everybody doing?
(01:44):
So if you're watching and listening, you can see it's
just me and studio by myself. And the reason why
that is is because I've decided to do a couple
of podcasts where I give you updates, I talk to
you about what's going on, and to me, that is
important and I always talk about this that Naked Sports
is the intersection of sports, culture and politics. I am very,
(02:05):
very proud of that, but I do, if I'm being honest,
even though I work for CNN, I shy away from
talking solely about politics for a couple of reasons, and
I'm just gonna be really candid with you. I really
don't know how to describe what is happening in this atmosphere.
And I also feel like the quote unquote leaders in
today's world feel the same way. They feel like they
(02:27):
can't talk about what's happening because we don't know what's happening.
It's never happened before in our lifetime. And I have
friends who have been on the podcast who have said
things like our ancestors have laid a blueprint. True, but
there's a very different a very different vibe. There may
be a blueprint for how to proceed and deal with
(02:49):
what we're dealing with. Here's the issue. Our ancestors were
fighting for literally fighting for their lives. They were fighting
for laws, they were fighting to have basic civil rights
that we have enjoyed for some time now. And so
we are a generation of people who are comfortable, and
(03:11):
I'm talking about all of us. I'm talking about the
last my mom included, perhaps last fifty sixty years, seventy years.
We are a generation of people who have enjoyed certain
civil liberties, and especially starting with I'm not even talking
about baby boomers.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I'll start with gen X. The luxury we have, luxury,
we make money.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Black excellence is the equivalent of individual riches. Nineteen Keys
was talking about that, and look, I don't know much
about nineteen Keys, and I don't know. I can't talk
about white people like them or dislike them. But what
I can say is that I was scrolling on the
socials and he said something that I thought was really interesting.
He said, black excellence has replaced Black power, and we
(03:58):
need more Black power than we need black excellence.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I think we can do both. I think it's a yes. Dan.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
His whole thought was that black excellence stands for individual riches.
When we go to work, we think we are excellent,
so we should be paid for our excellence. Black power
is enriching our community and our culture and solidifying who
we are in this world, in this America, and empowering everyone,
not just an individual, and reminding our community that we
(04:29):
have the power. And I thought that was really really powerful.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Mamie reached out to me after I reposted some from
nineteen Keys the other day saying black excellence is the
scam to replace black power?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Said, what's wrong black excellence?
Speaker 5 (04:42):
I guess to something That might be a controversial statement
because we've been so deeply indoctrinated into the idea of
black exceptionalism that we think one athlete, one actor, one president,
one rapper represents meaningful progress for Black people as a whole.
But the studies show that black media and wealth will
reach zero by the year twenty fifty three of the
car trail continue. Millions of us live in prison, slave camps,
(05:02):
making limbs for Starbucks cups for like fifty cents a day.
The hood is as up as seven being but we
got more millionnaires than ever before.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
That's scamp.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I think that's also the reason why we don't unify
or strike and weaponize our labor in any of the
industries that we dominate NBA, the NFL, and music industry,
because so rarely is one of us more than one
step removed from poverty that nobody's willing to risk it.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
We know we're being exploited by streaming.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
We make up all the labor and none of the
ownership of sports teams.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I'm just thinking out loud. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
For excellence as a people or as individuals, but we
cannot make the mistake of confusing one of us getting
out the hood with the progress of the group. We
also have to look at the success of individuals that's
achieved to the detriment of the masss we be celebrating
just because it got some money.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It don't matter who'd have had to die.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
I can run around making a bag off the prison
industrial complex?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Are we cheering at it on?
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I'm not saying either or is wrong or right. I'm
saying yes, both can coexist. But this week, Senator Corey Booker,
and I know you all have heard about this, and
I've had people ask me why was he talking for
so long?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Why was he on the floor for so long?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
What was the point of him, you know, talking for
twenty five hours? And I believe it was five minutes.
I want to make sure I don't get that wrong.
Twenty five hours plus five. Well, here's the significance. Corey
Booker thought, well, what can I do? There's so much
happening every single day. This current administration is writing executive orders,
(06:35):
signing executive orders rather changing the way that we live
in this world in real time, and they're doing it
intentionally rapidly. They want us to be overwhelmed by everything
that is happening. So we don't know where to fight,
we don't know where to go. And by the way
it's working, I think, I think there are so many
things happening, new laws that are quote unquote in place.
(06:58):
We're watching plane clothed ice officers walk up to students
on campus and arrest them and take them away like
it's a movie.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Looks like a movie.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Most recently, ice officers detained a dad out of Maryland
who was an American citizen, sent him to Venezuela, and
now he can't come back because he's in Venezuela in
a prison, and they're not going to extradite him back.
They have a totally different legal system. Can you imagine
walking down the street, a plane closed officer walks up
(07:33):
to you and says, come with us. We're taking you,
we're detaining you're you're being deported because you are, in
this particular case, a member of some Venezuelan gang and
you're a threat to society. Because that's what they said.
That sounds feasible, but it just wasn't true. And what
concerns me is that we're all just going on about
our day dude, just live in our lives and nothing's happening.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Nothing's happening, nothing's happening.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So Corey Booker has been able to document all of
these instances as an elected official, and so he created this,
this binder, this folder where he was able to tell
the stories of his constituents, tell the stories of people
who were who have been treated unfairly, whether it be
(08:18):
illegally detained and or deported, whether it be you lost
your job as a federal employee, whether it be you
were certain rights were taken away from you because you
were black or brown. Now they're talking about getting rid
of the Smithsonian, the African American Smithsonian.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Are you kidding?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
The African American Museum at the Smithsonian, Like, can you imagine?
And he just for twenty five hours talked about why
this country is in a state of an emergency, and
he talked about different instances that happened to the people
of America, citizens like you and I take a listen.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business
of the United States Senate for as long as I
am physically able. This would be a crisis for elder care.
This would be a crisis for Disability services. What it
is when a nation isn't taking care of its elders,
It's a crisis of our national character. Why are so
(09:20):
many women dying in childbirth and in the postpartum period
in America? Shameful? And now I just found out that
the Community Violence Intervention money that you allowed me to
fight so hard to get into that bill is being
clawed back by Donald Trump. They're writing me letters with
(09:42):
words like fear and terror. They're talking about staying up
at night and not being able to sleep because they
don't have a president that comforts them. I mean, it's
almost like you can't make this up.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Side note, not only did Cory Booker set a record
for the longest Senate speech in history on Monday and
Tuesday by holding up the chambers floor for more than
twenty five hours, he also didn't take a bathroom break.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
How you gonna do that? And do you know bathroom break?
How do you physically prepare for that? That has nothing
to do with what we're talking about.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
But I'm like, yo, but someone did ask and he
was just like, I'm a former athlete, you know, he
played football, He's a Rhodes scholar.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
He went to Stanford.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
He put all of his his skill sets in place
for this particular speech. Now, the reason why he did
it for twenty five hours plus was because he wanted
to break a record. This is something that has been
done before on the Senate floor when people want to
protest one individual elected official wants to protest what they
feel isn't right. The last time that this was done,
(10:42):
and let's just be very clear because it is so
bizarre how this world works, was former Senator strom Thurman
out of South Carolina. His record was twenty four hours
and eighteen minutes. He was protesting Jim Crow. We wanted
to keep it separate but somewhat equal. He was a racist,
(11:05):
and he stood on the Senate floor for twenty four
hours in eighteen minutes to explain why we as black
and brown people are not entitled to the same civil
liberties of white people. We as black and brown people
did not matter because our humanitarian rights were not the same.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
So listen to what I'm telling you.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
The last time that it was done, it was because
a senator who I believe is racist decided to say
we don't matter. So Corey Booker was very intentional about
making sure we understood where we were today versus where
we were when strom Thurman was in office. We're going
back and we know it. Take a listen.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
A few things.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
One is I was very aware of Strong Herman's record
since I've gotten to the Senate. I always felt it
was a strange shadow hang over this institution, to the
longest speech, all the issues that come up, all the
noble causes that people have done, or the things that
to village I stop. I just found it strange that
he had the record, And as a guy who's grew
(12:12):
up with legends of the civil rights with myself, my parents,
and other of their friends, it just would seemed wrong
to me. Always seemed wrong. I had this hope that
Chris Murphy would do it, actually, so I definitely didn't
know my mind. But as Chris and I joked, I'm
nine years older than when he and I did it
for fifteen hours, and my back was sore and my
legs were hurting. So I just didn't know if I could.
(12:32):
So I didn't want to set that expectations. Missions really
to elevate the voices of Americans, to tell some of
their really painful stories or emotional stories, and to let
go and like God do the rest.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
A lot of you may be thinking who is Strong
Thurman and why in the world his speech was so significant?
Just side note, he was an opponent of civil rights
legislation in the fifties and sixties. Strong Thurman completed the
second longest speech at twenty four hours in eighteen minutes.
As I said to you before, but it was in
opposition of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen fifty seven.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
Not enough truth to heal me go first, sign people
go first, tarns favoration and admigods into theater, into our
spring girls at home.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Can you imagine someone talking for twenty four hours about
why we don't need civil rights legislation? You can, because
that is where we are today. That is what is happening.
But it's being called DEI. It is being layered in
the let's make America great again, and it's also being said,
these are the buzzwords. This person is Unamerican. But then
(13:39):
I look and I think, and I need you guys
to think about this seriously. I need people to be outraged, concerned,
and or aware. An unelected official by the name of
Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire by the name of Elon
Musk has all of our data in our privacy. Information, data,
(14:01):
as you know in today's age, is invaluable. It tells
everyone everything they need to know about who you are
as a human being, how you spend your money, where
you live, what you do, how you move your interests,
your likes, your dislikes. That's why you get so much
spam mail. They pay so much money to get people's information.
(14:22):
And Elon Musk has all of our information. And in
the process as he does this doge thing where he
is getting rid of thousands upon thousands of government workers, first,
he's also collecting our American information. This man is not
from America, but yet they're allowing him to do whatever
(14:45):
he wants because the Credit Administration needs him and his money.
And I think that we are in very scary times.
You know how private we are as a folk. I
don't want nobody know my business. All of our stuff
is just out there, our tax information. He has access
to so much privileged information, and it is in the
hands of someone who does not care about us as Americans.
(15:08):
And while he is literally firing and getting rid of
thousands and thousands of government employees, he continues, he's a
perfect example of someone who continues to become a billionaire
off of this country. Do you know how many federal
government contracts he has with NASA?
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Do you have some new reporting about Elon Musk and
his White House role?
Speaker 9 (15:28):
What do we know?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah, Kate.
Speaker 10 (15:30):
Over the last several days, we've heard from President Trump
in the Old Office on Monday saying that Elon Musk
would be going back to the private sector in the
near future. Where we're just hearing from a senior White
House official that the President did tell his cabinet back
during a meeting on March twenty fourth, that Elon Musk,
(15:50):
who heads up DOZE and of course has become a
key figure in this administration, that he would be going back.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
To the private sector.
Speaker 10 (15:56):
And the White House official tells me that this would
be at the end of is one hundred and thirty
days as a special government employee. Of course, that would
be in late March.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
With all of the different outliers that he's able to
bring to this country in terms of all of his
new information. Because he is a genius, because see all
of his new tricks and trades and robots, because he
is a genius these contracts are being given to him.
He has billions of dollars worth of federal government contracts
while getting rid of federal government employees. I don't know
why that's not odd to anybody, but just me. Side note. So,
(16:29):
now Corey Booker heard the cries of his constituents. Go
out here and say something. And while people are like,
talking doesn't do anything for twenty five hours, it does
do something. He stood on the Senate floor and called
(16:49):
a thing a thing. He stood on the Senate floor
and said, this isn't right. And we are seeing every
day how every time someone speaks out, they become a target.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
And he was like, I'm all set.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
If I got to be a target, fine, if you
want to come after me, fine, if I'm gonna get
sued because now they're suing you if you say something
that they don't like, fine, That to me was brave.
And then at the very end of the speech he
says something that was so powerful. He said, it's not
about right or left at the moment, it's about right
(17:23):
or wrong. It's not about right or left. It's not
about whether or not you're a Republican or a Democrat.
It's about right or wrong. It's so simple, and he
kept referring and invoking John Lewis, May he rest in peace.
Let's get into some good trouble. I implore all of
us to get into some good trouble, whatever that looks
like for you. I ain't saying lose your job. I'm
not saying go out there and fight everybody. But I'm saying,
(17:44):
let's get into some good trouble. Let's remember why we
are here. They can't take everybody out if we all
decide to fight. They can't take everybody out if we
all decide to speak up. But let's be smart. My girl,
Brittany Pacnett Cunningham said it this way. This is not
the time to crash out. Let's not go crazy, but
(18:05):
let's be smart about it. Let's find our power, put
it together and use it. There's no world where I
think we'll have one individual leader. We just won't as
a culture, as a community, because we all believe differently.
But if we start to look back at what was
the Civil rights movement, there were several leaders, Fred Hampton,
(18:26):
Medgar Evers, Martin, Luther King, Junior, Malcolm X, and they
all found their tribe. Do you know what I mean
by that like they all had the people who followed
them and agreed with them and did their part. There
won't be just one, there will be several. You can
see several and they all look different, and you find
your tribe and you get with their tribe. If it's
(18:47):
someone that you follow on social media, who is showing you, hey.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I like this idea.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm seeing a lot of pastor step up right now.
I don't know about you, but the Black Church is
coming through. I've seen a lot of different pastor step up.
Maybe it's your pastor telling you to do something. I've
seen a lot of different people from different backgrounds move
forward and say this is what I want to do.
It doesn't have to be one person, it doesn't have
to be all together. But what we are realizing is
that something must be done. And what Corey Booker did
(19:13):
to me was more American than I would ever imagine.
It was brave, and I think he's going to pay
a heavy price. But that's okay because it's time to disrupt.
It's time to get into some good trouble. We're going
to take a quick break. I'm gonna be back in
just a few minutes. I am heading to Tampa for
the weekend for the final four, the women's final four,
(19:34):
not the men's and when I come back, we will
talk about what that means, why I'm going, and what
it means for you, because I know we've got some
sports fans.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
This is sports podcast.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Naked Sports continues in just a few moments. Hey, everybody,
welcome back to Naked Sports. Carry Champion here. So I
told you all I was going to go to Tampa
for the Final four, and this is women's final four.
(20:04):
So I want to let you know who's all there.
South Carolina versus Texas, that's the game on Friday. And
UCLA versus Ukon that is the game, the second game
on that Friday, Friday, April fourth. Here's the deal. You
follow me, you know I went to UCLA. I am
arguably the most annoying fangirl for UCLA. I get on
(20:24):
social media, I laugh, I talk trash when we lose.
I'm a sore loser. I'm not a good loser in
any capacity. I'm not the person that's like, okay, you
know what, thank you is just an honor. No, I'm annoying,
I'm mad, I'm cussing, y'all out, I don't want to
hear about it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
We lost, I'm bummed. We win. I'm happy, So.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Shout out to UCLA head coach is Corey Close. She
won Natesmith Coach of the Year. Man did she need that?
And man did she deserve that. I'm so very happy
for her. Lauren Betts clearly one of the best players
in college basketball are center six. I want to say,
she's six y six, big girl, but amazingly and one
(21:06):
of these amazing players where she won Defensive Player of
the Year Nate Smith a Defensive Player of the Year,
and that's a huge award for her. I am congratulating
you on I'm saying this and I'm talking to you
right now before I head out to Tampa. I want
to say UCLA is going to win. I believe in
my heart they are going to win. But I also
know that's an emotional pick. I am an emotional person,
and that is an emotional pick. I or my wife
(21:28):
beat her today because I needed to get gully because
I'm tired of people talking trash about my school. Okay,
I'm tired of y'all talking trast about UCLA. There is
something about UCLA that makes people feel like they not
hood enough, They're not gangster enough, they ain't got it,
you know that.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Ugh, Okay, that's fine.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I concur in some areas, but the disrespect that my
school is getting is getting all my damn nerves. It
really is, y'all, not even y'all overlooking my school. And
I love me some Don Staley. Y'all know I love Don.
Y'all know I loved Stale. I root for her, but
I can't root for her, not this weekend. I can't
root for her unless UCLA gets knocked off. Let's set
(22:09):
up some parameters here. UCLA is playing Yukon. We all
know that Yukon has that superstar in the name of
Page Beckers. This is her last year, She's going to
the w She is a phenomenal player. Paige Beckers and
I got to talk about her for five minutes. Is
this force? But not only is she a force on
(22:31):
a court. Off the court, she talks about her love
for the Lord. We all know that her step mom
is black. We all know that her stepbrothers are black.
We all know that she has been raised in a
family where she understands what it means to be a
black woman in America. Even though she is white, we
all know that she has been an advocate for black women.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
When she first won her her.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
SB Award Outstanding College Player, the first thing that she
got up there and said, I want to give some
props to the black women who made this game what
it is today.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
What take a listen.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
As a white woman who leads a black led sport
and celebrated here, I want to show a light on
black women. They don't get the media.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Coverage that they deserve.
Speaker 9 (23:13):
They've given so much to this sport and the community
and society as a whole, and their value is undeniable.
And the WNBA last season the postseason awards, eighty percent
of the winners were black, but they got half the
amount of coverage as a white athletes. So I think
it's time for change.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Pagebeckers is a superstar, and not only is she a superstar,
she's made for this moment. She understands what it means
to be the face of a program. She also understands
what it means to have white privilege. She also understands
what it means to make sure she lifts up everyone
(23:49):
around her who doesn't look like her, because oftentimes Black women,
especially in sports, especially in the WNBA, are ignored, are vilified,
as we have seen talked about on this podcast at nauseum.
So I love Page Beckers, and I think there are
something special happening with Yukon right now. I don't care
for her coach, but that's a side note. But there's
(24:11):
something special happening with Yukon. They haven't been here, and
by here, I mean the Final Four in sometime now,
and they have a story, they have something to prove,
they have a goal. They're playing with different intentions now.
My hope is that they've looked past UCLA and they're
(24:32):
looking at Don Stay because the South Carolina game Cocks
are the current champions, and so perhaps they are more
focused on Don and South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
And then as a.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Process, UCLA wins because we are focused on Yukon, eyes
on the prize. I am hesitanting in what I'm about
to say, but I think we don't have an upset.
I think that I think UCLA is gonna win going
into this this game, promise you, even though we're number one,
we're not favored.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I think they're going to win.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
I think they're going to surprise you and don't be
ride my, you know what, asking me for tickets when
it's all said and done speaking of women's college basketball,
how much your tickets now? I'm going right now looking
at them. When I talk to you, it's the day
before and it says if you want to be in
row F, section two two nine. That don't seem like
a good section to me. But whatever, I don't know.
(25:24):
Seven hundred and eighty one dollars. I look at it
two ways. I think they should be more expensive. Maybe
I'm wrong. I think they should be more expensive, But
I can tell you I don't remember a time where
somebody who's paying eight hundred dollars to watch women's Final four.
I can't remember a time. I'll go back and do
the math and let you know, but I don't remember
a time. I think that speaks to where we are
(25:45):
with college sports. And I know, I know men are like, yeah,
the game is cool and it's fine, and it's this,
and it is that. I know some of you are uninterested.
But the resurgence because there was a point in our
history when the WNBA began. People loved women's basketball. When
the WNBA began in nineteen ninety seven, promised you. The
(26:06):
games were sold out, the women weren't making any money,
but it was really really popular. It was this new thing.
You get to see superstars like Lisa Leslie dunk. No
one ever saw a woman dunk before on a professional level.
Don Staley played in the league. I can go down
a list of superstars, Cynthia Cooper, all of these women
really truly or the pioneers. Nineteen ninety seven wasn't that
(26:27):
long ago. Somebody y'all listened was born in nineteen ninety seven,
and that may seem like forever ago to you, but
it really wasn't that long ago. And what I can
recall was a time in which people were excited about
women's basketball, but it didn't sustain, and the interest fail
and the interest foul and the interest fail. And then
we had these two girls have this crazy, amazing rivalry,
and Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese and they changed the game.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Take a listen.
Speaker 11 (26:51):
I don't think Angel should be criticized at all, you know,
no matter which way it goes, you know, she should
never be criticized for what she did. I think everybody
knew there was gonna be a little trash shot in
the entire tournament. It's not just me an angel. So,
like I said, I'm a big fan of hers.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
And so now we find ourselves some four years past
that moment, and people are very interested in women's basketball
and it is here to stay. Women's sports are here
to stay. And I hope, and this is my true hope.
I hope we live in a world one day where
(27:27):
the women of color get treated like the men of
color in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
I hope that.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
We live in a world one day where these multi
million dollar endorsement deals aren't just reserved for the select few.
I wish Amaya Moore had a multi million dollar endorsement
deal when she was in the league. I wish Lisa
Leslie had the say when she started in nineteen ninety seven.
(27:52):
I wish women right now who were playing at the
highest of levels could say, yeah, I have an endorsement
deal worth file five million dollars for five years, which
is twenty million dollars like a Kitlin Clark got from Nike.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
I wish there was.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
This onslaught of interest in the women who helped build
this game, who aren't mainstream, if you will, who don't
look like Kitlin Clark, who don't look like Pagebeckers. Women's
sports has come a long way, but you have to
start acknowledging the women who helped pave the way, and
you have to start acknowledging the players who have been
doing it from day one. It hasn't happened yet, but
(28:34):
I'm here to support, and I'm asking you to support.
So this weekend, I'm watching the Final Four.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
I hope you do.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I hope that you continue to support the women of
this league and other sports that have women in it.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
It's just insane.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
It's just insane that we have to find a way
to have people pay these women. For the twenty twenty
four to twenty five NBA season, that's current the league
minimum salary for a player with zero years of experience
Sato and Espano one hundred and fifty seven and fifty
three dollars, and it increases based on years of service.
(29:12):
While the women their rookie season seventy thousand and I
already know what you're about to say. Oh, they don't
make any money, so why should we give them more money?
The women's game doesn't make any money. Yeah, Okay, that's
just not true. Give it the attention, and as you
can see, it will make the money. We got to
start from scratch though, because we've been invested in this much,
(29:34):
zero much. No one's been investing in women's sports, So
that's why it's that way. It's not right, but we're
getting there. So at the end of the day, here's
the point. I am hoping that when you listen to
this podcast you feel two things. The first thing is activated,
activated to want to do something for your community. You
(29:58):
don't have to give a twenty five hour five in
his speech like Corey Booker did, but activated. I talk
about this every single week. If you decide to boycott, boycott,
If you don't want to go to Target, have at it.
If you don't want to shop at Amazon, have at it.
Side note Amazon has us in a chokehold, in a
full choke hold, because I can't give up Amazon just yet,
(30:20):
because I would be a hypocrite. Because if I want
some purple sneakers with a bunny on the side, they
can get that to me tomorrow, So you can't get
that anywhere else, right, I understand one at a time,
one at a time, one at a time. If it's
Target for you, if it's only shopping at black businesses.
If it's helping other businesses that are people of color,
(30:41):
so be it. That could be your way to contribute.
I don't know what else to tell you, but I
want you to be activated. I want you to be aware.
We are walking around like nothing is happening, and I
am worried for us. And I'm not just talking about
black folks. I mean as a society, we're walking around
like nothing is happening.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
We're walking around like.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
A plain, closed ice officer couldn't walk up to you
today and literally say come with me, and I'll tell
you another thing about that. Since I'm here, they're gonna
find the right one with the right time, and it
ain't gonna go well. And I'm not promoting that, and
I'm not wishing that on anyone. But imagine someone walking
(31:22):
up to one of your boys that you know that
carries and they like, come with me, sir, and he
just has all some khakis in a T shirt and
is not aware of what's happening. And anybody can get
a fake ass badge, you don't know if it's a
real badge that's gonna go real left, real quick. Somebody's
gonna have the time, and we will see you, mark
(31:43):
my words, how this unconstitutional process will play out on
the streets in front of us everyday Americans, or maybe
on the subway stop since I'm here in New York,
or or maybe at someone's college where one of these
these radicalized kids feels away. It's not gonna be pretty.
(32:06):
And so I'm asking you to feel like you can
say or do something. Call your local congressman, Google it,
you can find it.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
It's there.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Do whatever it takes. But get activated, get aware, because
they are coming for us, and we are still worried
about what we're gonna wear tomorrow, what trips we're gonna take,
who's fighting on social media, who's in the middle of
an argument, who said this on Real Housewives? Who said
this on that show? I pay attention. I mean, we
(32:35):
don't have the luxury not to pay attention. So that's
the first thing I want you to do. Be activated.
The second thing, and I'm talking to myself while I'm
talking to y'all, because I was watching Real Housewives, shout
out to my best friend Bosima, who's on the show.
I'm planning trips. I'm trying to go to Portugal, I'm
not trying to look I'm doing the same thing. I'm
saying this to y'all because I am saying it to me.
(32:57):
And then the next thing I need y'all to do
is support women's sports.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
You really do. It'll make this world a better place.
It just will.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
And it's good and the quality is there and it's
always been good.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
And if in.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Fact, we start to support women's sports, you start to
support the women you work with, You start to support
your mother, your sister, your girlfriend, all of the women
in your life will start to matter in a different
way if they don't already. And I'm talking to myself
for that way as well. So with that being said,
I'm gonna wrap this edition of Naked Sports. We will
be back next week. Remember this, go UCLA. We need
(33:32):
to win. If we don't win, do not at me,
do not talk to me. I'm going to request privacy
for me and my family until further notice. Okay, I
mean that now make me sick, but I love y'all
back next week. Naked Sports written and executive produced by
me Carry Champion, produced by Jockuvis Thomas, Sound designed and
(33:53):
mastered by Dwayne Crawford. Naked Sports is a part of
the Black Effect podcast network.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
In iHeartMedia m
Speaks to the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne of God and
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions, Decisions,
MANDYB and Weezy. Okay, we got the R and B
Money podcast with taking Jay Valentine. We got the Women
of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts, we got.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Good Mom's Bad Choices.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Carrie Champion will be there with her next sports podcast,
and the Trap Nerds podcast with more to be announced.
And of course it's bigger than podcasts. We're bringing the
Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses, plus the food
truck court to keep you fed while you visit us.
All right, listen, you don't want to miss this. Tap
in and grab your tickets now at Black Effect dot
Com Flash Podcast Festival.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at
the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal
the common threads that bind them all. So what's happening
in women's basketball right now now is what we've been trying.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
To get to for almost thirty years.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
From the stadiums where athletes break barriers and set records.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Cayman Clark broke the all time single game assist record.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
This is crazy for rookies to be doing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms
and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit
down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at
the core of it all, how we see one issue
shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports.
I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, fam, how's everybody doing?
(01:44):
So if you're watching and listening, you can see it's
just me and studio by myself. And the reason why
that is is because I've decided to do a couple
of podcasts where I give you updates, I talk to
you about what's going on, and to me, that is
important and I always talk about this that Naked Sports
is the intersection of sports, culture and politics. I am very,
(02:05):
very proud of that, but I do, if I'm being honest,
even though I work for CNN, I shy away from
talking solely about politics for a couple of reasons, and
I'm just gonna be really candid with you. I really
don't know how to describe what is happening in this atmosphere.
And I also feel like the quote unquote leaders in
today's world feel the same way. They feel like they
(02:27):
can't talk about what's happening because we don't know what's happening.
It's never happened before in our lifetime. And I have
friends who have been on the podcast who have said
things like our ancestors have laid a blueprint. True, but
there's a very different a very different vibe. There may
be a blueprint for how to proceed and deal with
(02:49):
what we're dealing with. Here's the issue. Our ancestors were
fighting for literally fighting for their lives. They were fighting
for laws, they were fighting to have basic civil rights
that we have enjoyed for some time now. And so
we are a generation of people who are comfortable, and
(03:11):
I'm talking about all of us. I'm talking about the
last my mom included, perhaps last fifty sixty years, seventy years.
We are a generation of people who have enjoyed certain
civil liberties, and especially starting with I'm not even talking
about baby boomers.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
I'll start with gen X. The luxury we have, luxury,
we make money.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Black excellence is the equivalent of individual riches. Nineteen Keys
was talking about that, and look, I don't know much
about nineteen Keys, and I don't know. I can't talk
about white people like them or dislike them. But what
I can say is that I was scrolling on the
socials and he said something that I thought was really interesting.
He said, black excellence has replaced Black power, and we
(03:58):
need more Black power than we need black excellence.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I think we can do both. I think it's a yes. Dan.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
His whole thought was that black excellence stands for individual riches.
When we go to work, we think we are excellent,
so we should be paid for our excellence. Black power
is enriching our community and our culture and solidifying who
we are in this world, in this America, and empowering everyone,
not just an individual, and reminding our community that we
(04:29):
have the power. And I thought that was really really powerful.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Mamie reached out to me after I reposted some from
nineteen Keys the other day saying black excellence is the
scam to replace black power?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Said, what's wrong black excellence?
Speaker 5 (04:42):
I guess to something That might be a controversial statement
because we've been so deeply indoctrinated into the idea of
black exceptionalism that we think one athlete, one actor, one president,
one rapper represents meaningful progress for Black people as a whole.
But the studies show that black media and wealth will
reach zero by the year twenty fifty three of the
car trail continue. Millions of us live in prison, slave camps,
(05:02):
making limbs for Starbucks cups for like fifty cents a day.
The hood is as up as seven being but we
got more millionnaires than ever before.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
That's scamp.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I think that's also the reason why we don't unify
or strike and weaponize our labor in any of the
industries that we dominate NBA, the NFL, and music industry,
because so rarely is one of us more than one
step removed from poverty that nobody's willing to risk it.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
We know we're being exploited by streaming.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
We make up all the labor and none of the
ownership of sports teams.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I'm just thinking out loud. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
For excellence as a people or as individuals, but we
cannot make the mistake of confusing one of us getting
out the hood with the progress of the group. We
also have to look at the success of individuals that's
achieved to the detriment of the masss we be celebrating
just because it got some money.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It don't matter who'd have had to die.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
I can run around making a bag off the prison
industrial complex?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Are we cheering at it on?
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I'm not saying either or is wrong or right. I'm
saying yes, both can coexist. But this week, Senator Corey Booker,
and I know you all have heard about this, and
I've had people ask me why was he talking for
so long?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Why was he on the floor for so long?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
What was the point of him, you know, talking for
twenty five hours? And I believe it was five minutes.
I want to make sure I don't get that wrong.
Twenty five hours plus five. Well, here's the significance. Corey
Booker thought, well, what can I do? There's so much
happening every single day. This current administration is writing executive orders,
(06:35):
signing executive orders rather changing the way that we live
in this world in real time, and they're doing it
intentionally rapidly. They want us to be overwhelmed by everything
that is happening. So we don't know where to fight,
we don't know where to go. And by the way
it's working, I think, I think there are so many
things happening, new laws that are quote unquote in place.
(06:58):
We're watching plane clothed ice officers walk up to students
on campus and arrest them and take them away like
it's a movie.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Looks like a movie.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Most recently, ice officers detained a dad out of Maryland
who was an American citizen, sent him to Venezuela, and
now he can't come back because he's in Venezuela in
a prison, and they're not going to extradite him back.
They have a totally different legal system. Can you imagine
walking down the street, a plane closed officer walks up
(07:33):
to you and says, come with us. We're taking you,
we're detaining you're you're being deported because you are, in
this particular case, a member of some Venezuelan gang and
you're a threat to society. Because that's what they said.
That sounds feasible, but it just wasn't true. And what
concerns me is that we're all just going on about
our day dude, just live in our lives and nothing's happening.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Nothing's happening, nothing's happening.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So Corey Booker has been able to document all of
these instances as an elected official, and so he created this,
this binder, this folder where he was able to tell
the stories of his constituents, tell the stories of people
who were who have been treated unfairly, whether it be
(08:18):
illegally detained and or deported, whether it be you lost
your job as a federal employee, whether it be you
were certain rights were taken away from you because you
were black or brown. Now they're talking about getting rid
of the Smithsonian, the African American Smithsonian.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Are you kidding?
Speaker 4 (08:37):
The African American Museum at the Smithsonian, Like, can you imagine?
And he just for twenty five hours talked about why
this country is in a state of an emergency, and
he talked about different instances that happened to the people
of America, citizens like you and I take a listen.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business
of the United States Senate for as long as I
am physically able. This would be a crisis for elder care.
This would be a crisis for Disability services. What it
is when a nation isn't taking care of its elders,
It's a crisis of our national character. Why are so
(09:20):
many women dying in childbirth and in the postpartum period
in America? Shameful? And now I just found out that
the Community Violence Intervention money that you allowed me to
fight so hard to get into that bill is being
clawed back by Donald Trump. They're writing me letters with
(09:42):
words like fear and terror. They're talking about staying up
at night and not being able to sleep because they
don't have a president that comforts them. I mean, it's
almost like you can't make this up.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Side note, not only did Cory Booker set a record
for the longest Senate speech in history on Monday and
Tuesday by holding up the chambers floor for more than
twenty five hours, he also didn't take a bathroom break.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
How you gonna do that? And do you know bathroom break?
How do you physically prepare for that? That has nothing
to do with what we're talking about.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
But I'm like, yo, but someone did ask and he
was just like, I'm a former athlete, you know, he
played football, He's a Rhodes scholar.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
He went to Stanford.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
He put all of his his skill sets in place
for this particular speech. Now, the reason why he did
it for twenty five hours plus was because he wanted
to break a record. This is something that has been
done before on the Senate floor when people want to
protest one individual elected official wants to protest what they
feel isn't right. The last time that this was done,
(10:42):
and let's just be very clear because it is so
bizarre how this world works, was former Senator strom Thurman
out of South Carolina. His record was twenty four hours
and eighteen minutes. He was protesting Jim Crow. We wanted
to keep it separate but somewhat equal. He was a racist,
(11:05):
and he stood on the Senate floor for twenty four
hours in eighteen minutes to explain why we as black
and brown people are not entitled to the same civil
liberties of white people. We as black and brown people
did not matter because our humanitarian rights were not the same.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
So listen to what I'm telling you.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
The last time that it was done, it was because
a senator who I believe is racist decided to say
we don't matter. So Corey Booker was very intentional about
making sure we understood where we were today versus where
we were when strom Thurman was in office. We're going
back and we know it. Take a listen.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
A few things.
Speaker 7 (11:51):
One is I was very aware of Strong Herman's record
since I've gotten to the Senate. I always felt it
was a strange shadow hang over this institution, to the
longest speech, all the issues that come up, all the
noble causes that people have done, or the things that
to village I stop. I just found it strange that
he had the record, And as a guy who's grew
(12:12):
up with legends of the civil rights with myself, my parents,
and other of their friends, it just would seemed wrong
to me. Always seemed wrong. I had this hope that
Chris Murphy would do it, actually, so I definitely didn't
know my mind. But as Chris and I joked, I'm
nine years older than when he and I did it
for fifteen hours, and my back was sore and my
legs were hurting. So I just didn't know if I could.
(12:32):
So I didn't want to set that expectations. Missions really
to elevate the voices of Americans, to tell some of
their really painful stories or emotional stories, and to let
go and like God do the rest.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
A lot of you may be thinking who is Strong
Thurman and why in the world his speech was so significant?
Just side note, he was an opponent of civil rights
legislation in the fifties and sixties. Strong Thurman completed the
second longest speech at twenty four hours in eighteen minutes.
As I said to you before, but it was in
opposition of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen fifty seven.
Speaker 8 (13:02):
Not enough truth to heal me go first, sign people
go first, tarns favoration and admigods into theater, into our
spring girls at home.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Can you imagine someone talking for twenty four hours about
why we don't need civil rights legislation? You can, because
that is where we are today. That is what is happening.
But it's being called DEI. It is being layered in
the let's make America great again, and it's also being said,
these are the buzzwords. This person is Unamerican. But then
(13:39):
I look and I think, and I need you guys
to think about this seriously. I need people to be outraged, concerned,
and or aware. An unelected official by the name of
Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire by the name of Elon
Musk has all of our data in our privacy. Information, data,
(14:01):
as you know in today's age, is invaluable. It tells
everyone everything they need to know about who you are
as a human being, how you spend your money, where
you live, what you do, how you move your interests,
your likes, your dislikes. That's why you get so much
spam mail. They pay so much money to get people's information.
(14:22):
And Elon Musk has all of our information. And in
the process as he does this doge thing where he
is getting rid of thousands upon thousands of government workers, first,
he's also collecting our American information. This man is not
from America, but yet they're allowing him to do whatever
(14:45):
he wants because the Credit Administration needs him and his money.
And I think that we are in very scary times.
You know how private we are as a folk. I
don't want nobody know my business. All of our stuff
is just out there, our tax information. He has access
to so much privileged information, and it is in the
hands of someone who does not care about us as Americans.
(15:08):
And while he is literally firing and getting rid of
thousands and thousands of government employees, he continues, he's a
perfect example of someone who continues to become a billionaire
off of this country. Do you know how many federal
government contracts he has with NASA?
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Do you have some new reporting about Elon Musk and
his White House role?
Speaker 9 (15:28):
What do we know?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah, Kate.
Speaker 10 (15:30):
Over the last several days, we've heard from President Trump
in the Old Office on Monday saying that Elon Musk
would be going back to the private sector in the
near future. Where we're just hearing from a senior White
House official that the President did tell his cabinet back
during a meeting on March twenty fourth, that Elon Musk,
(15:50):
who heads up DOZE and of course has become a
key figure in this administration, that he would be going back.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
To the private sector.
Speaker 10 (15:56):
And the White House official tells me that this would
be at the end of is one hundred and thirty
days as a special government employee. Of course, that would
be in late March.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
With all of the different outliers that he's able to
bring to this country in terms of all of his
new information. Because he is a genius, because see all
of his new tricks and trades and robots, because he
is a genius these contracts are being given to him.
He has billions of dollars worth of federal government contracts
while getting rid of federal government employees. I don't know
why that's not odd to anybody, but just me. Side note. So,
(16:29):
now Corey Booker heard the cries of his constituents. Go
out here and say something. And while people are like,
talking doesn't do anything for twenty five hours, it does
do something. He stood on the Senate floor and called
(16:49):
a thing a thing. He stood on the Senate floor
and said, this isn't right. And we are seeing every
day how every time someone speaks out, they become a target.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
And he was like, I'm all set.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
If I got to be a target, fine, if you
want to come after me, fine, if I'm gonna get
sued because now they're suing you if you say something
that they don't like, fine, That to me was brave.
And then at the very end of the speech he
says something that was so powerful. He said, it's not
about right or left at the moment, it's about right
(17:23):
or wrong. It's not about right or left. It's not
about whether or not you're a Republican or a Democrat.
It's about right or wrong. It's so simple, and he
kept referring and invoking John Lewis, May he rest in peace.
Let's get into some good trouble. I implore all of
us to get into some good trouble, whatever that looks
like for you. I ain't saying lose your job. I'm
not saying go out there and fight everybody. But I'm saying,
(17:44):
let's get into some good trouble. Let's remember why we
are here. They can't take everybody out if we all
decide to fight. They can't take everybody out if we
all decide to speak up. But let's be smart. My girl,
Brittany Pacnett Cunningham said it this way. This is not
the time to crash out. Let's not go crazy, but
(18:05):
let's be smart about it. Let's find our power, put
it together and use it. There's no world where I
think we'll have one individual leader. We just won't as
a culture, as a community, because we all believe differently.
But if we start to look back at what was
the Civil rights movement, there were several leaders, Fred Hampton,
(18:26):
Medgar Evers, Martin, Luther King, Junior, Malcolm X, and they
all found their tribe. Do you know what I mean
by that like they all had the people who followed
them and agreed with them and did their part. There
won't be just one, there will be several. You can
see several and they all look different, and you find
your tribe and you get with their tribe. If it's
(18:47):
someone that you follow on social media, who is showing you, hey.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I like this idea.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm seeing a lot of pastor step up right now.
I don't know about you, but the Black Church is
coming through. I've seen a lot of different pastor step up.
Maybe it's your pastor telling you to do something. I've
seen a lot of different people from different backgrounds move
forward and say this is what I want to do.
It doesn't have to be one person, it doesn't have
to be all together. But what we are realizing is
that something must be done. And what Corey Booker did
(19:13):
to me was more American than I would ever imagine.
It was brave, and I think he's going to pay
a heavy price. But that's okay because it's time to disrupt.
It's time to get into some good trouble. We're going
to take a quick break. I'm gonna be back in
just a few minutes. I am heading to Tampa for
the weekend for the final four, the women's final four,
(19:34):
not the men's and when I come back, we will
talk about what that means, why I'm going, and what
it means for you, because I know we've got some
sports fans.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
This is sports podcast.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Naked Sports continues in just a few moments. Hey, everybody,
welcome back to Naked Sports. Carry Champion here. So I
told you all I was going to go to Tampa
for the Final four, and this is women's final four.
(20:04):
So I want to let you know who's all there.
South Carolina versus Texas, that's the game on Friday. And
UCLA versus Ukon that is the game, the second game
on that Friday, Friday, April fourth. Here's the deal. You
follow me, you know I went to UCLA. I am
arguably the most annoying fangirl for UCLA. I get on
(20:24):
social media, I laugh, I talk trash when we lose.
I'm a sore loser. I'm not a good loser in
any capacity. I'm not the person that's like, okay, you
know what, thank you is just an honor. No, I'm annoying,
I'm mad, I'm cussing, y'all out, I don't want to
hear about it.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
We lost, I'm bummed. We win. I'm happy, So.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Shout out to UCLA head coach is Corey Close. She
won Natesmith Coach of the Year. Man did she need that?
And man did she deserve that. I'm so very happy
for her. Lauren Betts clearly one of the best players
in college basketball are center six. I want to say,
she's six y six, big girl, but amazingly and one
(21:06):
of these amazing players where she won Defensive Player of
the Year Nate Smith a Defensive Player of the Year,
and that's a huge award for her. I am congratulating
you on I'm saying this and I'm talking to you
right now before I head out to Tampa. I want
to say UCLA is going to win. I believe in
my heart they are going to win. But I also
know that's an emotional pick. I am an emotional person,
and that is an emotional pick. I or my wife
(21:28):
beat her today because I needed to get gully because
I'm tired of people talking trash about my school. Okay,
I'm tired of y'all talking trast about UCLA. There is
something about UCLA that makes people feel like they not
hood enough, They're not gangster enough, they ain't got it,
you know that.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Ugh, Okay, that's fine.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I concur in some areas, but the disrespect that my
school is getting is getting all my damn nerves. It
really is, y'all, not even y'all overlooking my school. And
I love me some Don Staley. Y'all know I love Don.
Y'all know I loved Stale. I root for her, but
I can't root for her, not this weekend. I can't
root for her unless UCLA gets knocked off. Let's set
(22:09):
up some parameters here. UCLA is playing Yukon. We all
know that Yukon has that superstar in the name of
Page Beckers. This is her last year, She's going to
the w She is a phenomenal player. Paige Beckers and
I got to talk about her for five minutes. Is
this force? But not only is she a force on
(22:31):
a court. Off the court, she talks about her love
for the Lord. We all know that her step mom
is black. We all know that her stepbrothers are black.
We all know that she has been raised in a
family where she understands what it means to be a
black woman in America. Even though she is white, we
all know that she has been an advocate for black women.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
When she first won her her.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
SB Award Outstanding College Player, the first thing that she
got up there and said, I want to give some
props to the black women who made this game what
it is today.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
What take a listen.
Speaker 9 (23:03):
As a white woman who leads a black led sport
and celebrated here, I want to show a light on
black women. They don't get the media.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Coverage that they deserve.
Speaker 9 (23:13):
They've given so much to this sport and the community
and society as a whole, and their value is undeniable.
And the WNBA last season the postseason awards, eighty percent
of the winners were black, but they got half the
amount of coverage as a white athletes. So I think
it's time for change.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Pagebeckers is a superstar, and not only is she a superstar,
she's made for this moment. She understands what it means
to be the face of a program. She also understands
what it means to have white privilege. She also understands
what it means to make sure she lifts up everyone
(23:49):
around her who doesn't look like her, because oftentimes Black women,
especially in sports, especially in the WNBA, are ignored, are vilified,
as we have seen talked about on this podcast at nauseum.
So I love Page Beckers, and I think there are
something special happening with Yukon right now. I don't care
for her coach, but that's a side note. But there's
(24:11):
something special happening with Yukon. They haven't been here, and
by here, I mean the Final Four in sometime now,
and they have a story, they have something to prove,
they have a goal. They're playing with different intentions now.
My hope is that they've looked past UCLA and they're
(24:32):
looking at Don Stay because the South Carolina game Cocks
are the current champions, and so perhaps they are more
focused on Don and South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
And then as a.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Process, UCLA wins because we are focused on Yukon, eyes
on the prize. I am hesitanting in what I'm about
to say, but I think we don't have an upset.
I think that I think UCLA is gonna win going
into this this game, promise you, even though we're number one,
we're not favored.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I think they're going to win.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
I think they're going to surprise you and don't be
ride my, you know what, asking me for tickets when
it's all said and done speaking of women's college basketball,
how much your tickets now? I'm going right now looking
at them. When I talk to you, it's the day
before and it says if you want to be in
row F, section two two nine. That don't seem like
a good section to me. But whatever, I don't know.
(25:24):
Seven hundred and eighty one dollars. I look at it
two ways. I think they should be more expensive. Maybe
I'm wrong. I think they should be more expensive, But
I can tell you I don't remember a time where
somebody who's paying eight hundred dollars to watch women's Final four.
I can't remember a time. I'll go back and do
the math and let you know, but I don't remember
a time. I think that speaks to where we are
(25:45):
with college sports. And I know, I know men are like, yeah,
the game is cool and it's fine, and it's this,
and it is that. I know some of you are uninterested.
But the resurgence because there was a point in our
history when the WNBA began. People loved women's basketball. When
the WNBA began in nineteen ninety seven, promised you. The
(26:06):
games were sold out, the women weren't making any money,
but it was really really popular. It was this new thing.
You get to see superstars like Lisa Leslie dunk. No
one ever saw a woman dunk before on a professional level.
Don Staley played in the league. I can go down
a list of superstars, Cynthia Cooper, all of these women
really truly or the pioneers. Nineteen ninety seven wasn't that
(26:27):
long ago. Somebody y'all listened was born in nineteen ninety seven,
and that may seem like forever ago to you, but
it really wasn't that long ago. And what I can
recall was a time in which people were excited about
women's basketball, but it didn't sustain, and the interest fail
and the interest foul and the interest fail. And then
we had these two girls have this crazy, amazing rivalry,
and Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese and they changed the game.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Take a listen.
Speaker 11 (26:51):
I don't think Angel should be criticized at all, you know,
no matter which way it goes, you know, she should
never be criticized for what she did. I think everybody
knew there was gonna be a little trash shot in
the entire tournament. It's not just me an angel. So,
like I said, I'm a big fan of hers.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
And so now we find ourselves some four years past
that moment, and people are very interested in women's basketball
and it is here to stay. Women's sports are here
to stay. And I hope, and this is my true hope.
I hope we live in a world one day where
(27:27):
the women of color get treated like the men of
color in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
I hope that.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
We live in a world one day where these multi
million dollar endorsement deals aren't just reserved for the select few.
I wish Amaya Moore had a multi million dollar endorsement
deal when she was in the league. I wish Lisa
Leslie had the say when she started in nineteen ninety seven.
(27:52):
I wish women right now who were playing at the
highest of levels could say, yeah, I have an endorsement
deal worth file five million dollars for five years, which
is twenty million dollars like a Kitlin Clark got from Nike.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
I wish there was.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
This onslaught of interest in the women who helped build
this game, who aren't mainstream, if you will, who don't
look like Kitlin Clark, who don't look like Pagebeckers. Women's
sports has come a long way, but you have to
start acknowledging the women who helped pave the way, and
you have to start acknowledging the players who have been
doing it from day one. It hasn't happened yet, but
(28:34):
I'm here to support, and I'm asking you to support.
So this weekend, I'm watching the Final Four.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
I hope you do.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I hope that you continue to support the women of
this league and other sports that have women in it.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
It's just insane.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
It's just insane that we have to find a way
to have people pay these women. For the twenty twenty
four to twenty five NBA season, that's current the league
minimum salary for a player with zero years of experience
Sato and Espano one hundred and fifty seven and fifty
three dollars, and it increases based on years of service.
(29:12):
While the women their rookie season seventy thousand and I
already know what you're about to say. Oh, they don't
make any money, so why should we give them more money?
The women's game doesn't make any money. Yeah, Okay, that's
just not true. Give it the attention, and as you
can see, it will make the money. We got to
start from scratch though, because we've been invested in this much,
(29:34):
zero much. No one's been investing in women's sports, So
that's why it's that way. It's not right, but we're
getting there. So at the end of the day, here's
the point. I am hoping that when you listen to
this podcast you feel two things. The first thing is activated,
activated to want to do something for your community. You
(29:58):
don't have to give a twenty five hour five in
his speech like Corey Booker did, but activated. I talk
about this every single week. If you decide to boycott, boycott,
If you don't want to go to Target, have at it.
If you don't want to shop at Amazon, have at it.
Side note Amazon has us in a chokehold, in a
full choke hold, because I can't give up Amazon just yet,
(30:20):
because I would be a hypocrite. Because if I want
some purple sneakers with a bunny on the side, they
can get that to me tomorrow, So you can't get
that anywhere else, right, I understand one at a time,
one at a time, one at a time. If it's
Target for you, if it's only shopping at black businesses.
If it's helping other businesses that are people of color,
(30:41):
so be it. That could be your way to contribute.
I don't know what else to tell you, but I
want you to be activated. I want you to be aware.
We are walking around like nothing is happening, and I
am worried for us. And I'm not just talking about
black folks. I mean as a society, we're walking around
like nothing is happening.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
We're walking around like.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
A plain, closed ice officer couldn't walk up to you
today and literally say come with me, and I'll tell
you another thing about that. Since I'm here, they're gonna
find the right one with the right time, and it
ain't gonna go well. And I'm not promoting that, and
I'm not wishing that on anyone. But imagine someone walking
(31:22):
up to one of your boys that you know that
carries and they like, come with me, sir, and he
just has all some khakis in a T shirt and
is not aware of what's happening. And anybody can get
a fake ass badge, you don't know if it's a
real badge that's gonna go real left, real quick. Somebody's
gonna have the time, and we will see you, mark
(31:43):
my words, how this unconstitutional process will play out on
the streets in front of us everyday Americans, or maybe
on the subway stop since I'm here in New York,
or or maybe at someone's college where one of these
these radicalized kids feels away. It's not gonna be pretty.
(32:06):
And so I'm asking you to feel like you can
say or do something. Call your local congressman, Google it,
you can find it.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
It's there.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Do whatever it takes. But get activated, get aware, because
they are coming for us, and we are still worried
about what we're gonna wear tomorrow, what trips we're gonna take,
who's fighting on social media, who's in the middle of
an argument, who said this on Real Housewives? Who said
this on that show? I pay attention. I mean, we
(32:35):
don't have the luxury not to pay attention. So that's
the first thing I want you to do. Be activated.
The second thing, and I'm talking to myself while I'm
talking to y'all, because I was watching Real Housewives, shout
out to my best friend Bosima, who's on the show.
I'm planning trips. I'm trying to go to Portugal, I'm
not trying to look I'm doing the same thing. I'm
saying this to y'all because I am saying it to me.
(32:57):
And then the next thing I need y'all to do
is support women's sports.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
You really do. It'll make this world a better place.
It just will.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
And it's good and the quality is there and it's
always been good.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
And if in.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
Fact, we start to support women's sports, you start to
support the women you work with, You start to support
your mother, your sister, your girlfriend, all of the women
in your life will start to matter in a different
way if they don't already. And I'm talking to myself
for that way as well. So with that being said,
I'm gonna wrap this edition of Naked Sports. We will
be back next week. Remember this, go UCLA. We need
(33:32):
to win. If we don't win, do not at me,
do not talk to me. I'm going to request privacy
for me and my family until further notice. Okay, I
mean that now make me sick, but I love y'all
back next week. Naked Sports written and executive produced by
me Carry Champion, produced by Jockuvis Thomas, Sound designed and
(33:53):
mastered by Dwayne Crawford. Naked Sports is a part of
the Black Effect podcast network.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
In iHeartMedia m
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