This Buck Don't Break
Buck breaking refers to a brutal practice during the era of American slavery where enslavers would sexually assault, publicly humiliate, or otherwise violently abuse enslaved Black men to assert dominance, break their spirits, and discourage resistance among the broader enslaved population.
The goal was to emasculate Black men psychologically and socially, reinforcing white supremacy and patriarchal control.
This came to mind this past Thursday…and all Friday…and Saturday. And yes, I’m talking football.
Quick recent history lesson for those who don’t follow sports. Shedeur Sanders is a football player. He is a very accomplished and decorated athlete, earning awards as the top quarterback in college and has been a proven winner since he was a kid. Speaking of kids, he is also the son of Deion Sanders…one of the top athletes to ever play professional sports in the United States.
That is not hyperbole.
His nickname is Prime Time because he was always a show. Both in substance and flash.
He was so good, he has the record as the only person to score a touchdown in the NFL and have a homerun in major league baseball in the same week.
But back to his son. Shedeur is no scrub either. And he by all accounts is a good guy. Very respectful, never in trouble, good grades. Basically, he did what we are asked to do even though others aren’t—He did EVERYTHING RIGHT.
Prior to the NFL Draft, it wasn’t a question on if he would be drafted. It was how high? The thought was he could go anywhere from number 1 to number 5. Worst case scenario was #21 to a team that desperately needs his position, quarterback.
Well, Thursday (the day the first 32 picks happen) came and went. It was a shock to see not only all the teams pass on him but even the team that made the most sense and really could use his services.
He was obviously upset, but instead of pouting, he had a brief and very professional interview where he thanked people for coming and acknowledged the tough day but said all the right things and put faith in the next day.
The next day came and went. 64 more guys drafted…still not him.
Some people were perplexed…a lot of us weren’t.
This is Who They Are
This is the league that shut out Colin Kaepernick for calling out racism and police brutality.
In Shedeur they saw a potential problem. Not just him either, they saw his father.
Oh did I mention his dad is now a successful college football coach?
Whispers were shared online about some teams wondering if his dad would be overly involved or “cry racism” if there were issues.
Word?
But What About The Mannings?
It was very interesting to see this narrative play out in real time. Because we have been here before, but it happened a little differently.
Eli Manning in the 2004 draft was a quarterback and son of a former NFL great, Archie. His brother was also an NFL quarterback named Peyton…pronounced paintin apparently.
But back to the 2004 draft. Eli did NOT want to go to the Chargers and he and his dad let the team and executives know that. Eventually it was all worked out and he was drafted by the team and immediately traded.
Never heard a peep about him and his dad being an issue.
Weird right?
The Lies They Tell to Justify
Then more stories came out. There were many ANONYMOUS leaks about how he was so ‘entitled’ and ‘arrogant’ and ‘unprofessional.’ They said other words too. Said crap like he was too confident for what he was and that be had an ‘entourage.’
We know what they wanted to say. And if you listen closely enough you hear the dog whistle too.
And with each passing pick, it was louder and louder. This was Colin Kaepernick level collusion by the owners.
Follow the Money
This was not just about Shedeur but also what he represents and the fear of where the NFL will be if we allow people to be successful on their terms. Especially the once controllable Black ones.
The NFL is a multibillion dollar entity that is the epitome of the socialist values those often conservative team owners claim to hate.
Each of the 32 NFL teams splits all the money evenly at the end of the year. The team in Green Bay (population 100,000) gets the same amount of money from the pool of cash as …New York City or LA. This money comes from all types of revenue spots— ads, tickets, tv deals, etc.
They don’t want to cut into that. With the current state of college athletics, college kids can make money on their own image and celebrity. They don’t NEED the NFL as much anymore.
And the NFL is mostly Black men. Same with college football. They don’t like seeing them getting all of this power, all of this control. All of this money.
Do they hate Shedeur? Yeah, kinda. But they hate what he represents even more. He doesn’t NEED money. He doesn’t need THEM. And now other players can be like him too.
What the NFL saw was a chance to cut a successful young Black man down a few pegs and warn the others not to get too big for their britches. AKA Buck Breaking.
Some bros wanted to get in on the fun too…getting his private number to call him and act like he was being drafted. So funny guys.
It was later revealed that one of them doing the call was the son of an NFL coach…
Learned behavior.
Pool Party
On the third day he was finally drafted. By a team that passed on him in previous rounds and MUCH MUCH lower than he should have been. But the point was made. Don’t act too big for the NFL young man.
But what did Shedeur do?
He did a dance with his brother— who also signed to play with Tampa Bay in the NFL a few hours later AND
Then he went and jumped in his pool. Celebrating like he was the first round pick he was supposed to be in the first place.
That buck did not break.
Go be great Shedeur.