Terrell Owens money woes highlights a sad trend in sports

Terrell Owens has returned to Texas to play football.

No, not for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, a team he once suited up for, but for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. Owens made his debut on Feb. 25, scoring touchdowns on all three of his catches.

It's a far cry from the stardom he once reveled in, but its about the only contract the 38-year-old could command after missing the entire 2011-2012 season recovering from a major knee injury. Owens' stands to earn $500,000 for his contributions to the team, more than the NFL's minimum wage. He also gets a 50 percent ownership stake of the Wranglers. The average IFL player makes $225 a game.

Besides co-owning the Allen Wranglers, Terrell Owens will also suit up for the team

When you put that in perspective, half a million bucks is a lot of money to give to a player who will do little more than boost the publicity of the team. But why does one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers need to suit for a team he had never heard of, or for a league so far down the NFL's recruiting depth chart?

Because T.O. is broke! With no income coming in and plenty of mouths to feed, Owens net worth has been drastically reduced. While he says he isn't really broke, Owens has acknowledged that he is in jeopardy of losing everything he earned in his 15 seasons in the NFL; most notably a house he purchased for his mom.

It's the same old cycle. Boy grows up poor, gets an athletic scholarship to college, propels that into a professional career worth millions of dollars, then squanders everything on an expensive lifestyle, supporting his entire neighborhood and bad investment decisions.

Former NBA players Allen Iverson, Latrell Sprewell (who's famous for turning down a three-year, $21 million contract because it wasn't enough to feed his children, effectively ending his career,) Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman are just a few athletes who are heavily in debt despite earning several million dollars.

Some are just guilty of mismanaging their earnings, but there's one other factor many of these athletes have in common: baby mama drama. In an interview he gave to GQ magazine, which you can read in its entirety here, Owens discusses his financial hardship, which is compounded by monthly child support payments of $44,600 he was ordered to pay to four women who bore four children for him. Though he has earned at least $80 million in his career, Owens said unlike many athletes, he never made exorbitant purchases. He said his biggest mistake was being to trusting. Trusting friends with access to his accounts, trusting financial investors to make investment choices in his behalf and engaging in a sexual relationship with each of his baby mamas despite never actually dating them.

It's a similar situation former NBA player Antoine Walker faces. Despite making $110 million in his career, Walker is now heavily in debt. Owing thousands of dollars in back child support payments to the mothers of his two daughters, Walker also blames trusting friends who squandered a chunk of his wealth in bad investments and have disappeared now that his debtors have come calling. Walker, no saint himself, is also indebted to a few Las Vegas casinos for an expensive gambling habit he picked up while rolling with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Retired NBA veteran Antoine Walker reportedly owes millions to several debtors

Then there are the grand daddies of the child making factories: former NFL running back Travis Henry and current New York Jet Antonio Cromatie.

Henry, whose story you can read here, played six years in the league, and fathered nine children with nine women. With his first child conceived while he was in high school, Henry admitted that all but one of his children were unplanned. By the time he got into the NFL, he already had three children, but laughed his way through an NFL symposium educating rookies on the dangers of risky sexual activity. His explanation for fathering so many kids? Trusting the women when they claimed they were on birth control pills. By the time he turned 30, Henry's career was already over, and with no income coming in and plenty going out, it was no surprise when he was arrested for allegedly trafficking cocaine.

Travis Henry, no longer in the NFL, has struggled to provide for his nine children

Cromatie also has nine children he fathered with eight women across six states, one of whom he is currently married to. Cromatie, drafted in 2006, has not been in the league very long, and needed a $500,000 advance when he signed with the Jets to catch up on his child support payments. All nine kids are separated by a five-year gap. Unlike Henry, who claimed to be in long term relationships with most of his baby mamas, Cromatie, whose story you can read about here, engaged in multiple relationships simultaneously.

The N.Y. Jets cornerback fathered nine children within a five-year period

Guys, you can't make these things up.

What goes through these athletes minds when they are hitting the sack with women they barely know, yet trusting these women who say they are on the pill? No regard for the risk of picking up an STD, and certainly no regard for the possibility of bringing in an innocent child into the mix. Both Owens and Cromatie have admitted to not having any kind of relationship with at least one of their kids; apparently not really concerned about how their absences affect these kids and their future.

Which is why I have no sympathy for Owens when he talks about being ignored by friends and the NFL. You made your bed so you must lay on it. Walker, in an Outside The Lines interview, talked about discussing his story so young guys entering the league can be aware of what could happen if they don't manage their money, careers and the people around them properly. But there have been plenty of examples before him. While Walker was partying with Jordan, he could have looked up the stories of athletes like Evander Holyfield, who reportedly has fathered 11 children and blown an estimated $250 million in career earnings.

Owens recently won a petition to have child support payments to four women reduced to reflect his reduced income

At the end of the day, what these guys, and others like them, need to understand is, you can change a financial advisor who risks your money in bad investments. You can develop another career after your playing days (many athletes end up as analysts, others take up coaching or become authors,) but you can never change the mother of your children. And what some of these women have shown is they don't care if they fall to number 10 on the depth chart, they expect to get paid like they are No. 1.

If the billionaire team owners who pay your salaries won't pay the fourth or fifth guy on the depth chart what the franchise player earns, what makes you think you can afford to do just that?

My advice: stop trusting these women to recognize that your money may not always be there for the taking and start making better decisions on the people you choose to establish a lifetime bond or commitment with.

Why soccer isn't popular among blacks in the U.S.

This documentary was my graduate project, the final piece to completing my master's in science at Florida A&M University. It was challenging shooting, interviewing, writing and editing–in a nutshell producing the entire documentary–on my own. But I believe I met my goal,which was to create a thought-provoking documentary that raises awareness and sparks a discussion on the issue.

I'd love to get your thoughts or opinions on the documentary, while keeping in mind that the experiences are localized to the Miami and Tallahassee, Fla., areas. In other words, a lot can still be done to expand the scope of research on a national level.

Thanks to all who supported me through my difficult moments, I finally did it!

Iverson the soccer player?

His NBA career is all but over and his basketball playing days are quickly approaching the end of the tunnel, but former NBA star Allen Iverson may have another shot in a different sport—as a soccer player.

Iverson was a two sport star in basketball and football in high school, but do you really see Iverson as the next soccer sensation? Yeah, me neither. But this is what happens when athletes blow through millions of dollars and become broke way before they near the retirement age.

Though he's denied it, Iverson is reportedly in debt after earning $154 million in salary earnings and at least another $50 million from a lifetime endorsement from Reebok. These may very well be rumors, but considering his inability to cough up a $375,000 debt to a jewelry store, which forced a Georgia judge to freeze his bank account until the debt, now more than $850,000 after interest and legal fees, is paid, it seems Iverson has now joined the continuous stream of major athletes who are broke after earning hundreds of millions. That club includes the likes of Antoine Walker, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Terrell Owens.

Nicknamed The Answer in the NBA, Allen Iverson is still seeking answers to why no NBA team is interested in him

 So to help pay down his bills, the Rochester Lancers of the Major Indoor Soccer League, is offering Iverson a spot on its roster for its last two home games. In exchange, Iverson would earn $20,000 per game with the possibility of earning another $5,000 for each goal he scores.

It's nothing close to what stars of the 11-time NBA all-star's caliber are making in the sport, but the MISL is a far cry from Major League Soccer and even further from the more attention-grabbing and better paying English and Spanish soccer leagues. Still, it's obvious the Lancers are more interested in the potential publicity they would get if he actually suits up. And considering no one's really sure of Iverson's soccer skills, this is more than a generous offer.

It's unlikely Iverson will accept the offer especially since he has received another offer to play in the Puerto Rican basketball league and is more interested in any offer that would draw him closer to an NBA return. But it's hard not to let curiosity seep in, wondering what kind of soccer player he would be. He was once a very speedy athlete and probably has some of that speed left in him at 35. He was also considered one of the NBA's toughest athletes, despite his 6-foot frame. These are two key elements of a good soccer player.

Wondering aside, it's sad to see Iverson go the route of many other athletes with major earning potential. Somehow these athletes never heed the advice to cut down on frivolous spending on women, bling and exotic cars and just save their money. With a divorce underway and no visible substantial income coming in, Iverson is a long way from financial freedom. But if he's lucky he may be able to find a team who will look past his off-court problems and give him another shot to earn some money back.

Third time a charm, fate for Zambia

On their third trip to the African Nations Cup final the Zambian Chipolopolos won their first African title, defeating Cote d'Ivoire 8-7 on sudden death in the penalty shoot out.

This win comes nearly 20 years after the Zambians lost all but two members of the national team in a 1993 plane crash in Libreville, capital of Gabon. The final was played just 10 minutes away from that crash site, obviously a source of motivation for the Zambians based on how well they played.

The chipolopolos celebrate their first Nations Cup win after a dramatic penalty shootout

For a little bit of history lesson, the Chipolopolos were headed to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier in April '93, when the plane crashed, killing 20 players, 12 coaches and staff, as well as the flight's cabin crew. Less than a year later, the newly formed team made it to the final of the '94 Nations Cup before bowing out to Nigeria.

The Zambians were hardly the favorite coming into this year's Cup. They lost a pre-tournament warm-up match to Nigeria 2-0, who failed to qualify. And with the Black Stars of Ghana and the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire expected to meet in the final, very few people predicted the Zambians could pull off an upset. But it's exactly what they did. Zambia took out Ghana in the semifinal, setting up the epic final on Sunday.

Cote d'Ivoire boasts an impressive lineup up made of stars on English Premiership teams— Didier Drogba, Gervinho and the Toure brothers, to name a few. So I expected Zambia to put up a decent fight worthy of justifying their place in the final. I didn't expect the Elephants to be flustered by their lesser known opponents, so much that Drogba, Cote d'Ivoire's best player, missed a penalty late in the second half. By then I was rooting for the underdogs, while hoping for a penalty shootout that would separate the men from the boys.

You can never underestimate the heart of a champion or interfere with destiny. The kind of destiny that helped unheralded American wrestler Rulon Gardner earn an upset win over Russia's Alexander Karelin in the gold medal match at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Karelin, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner, was considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler in history and was riding a 13-year winning streak, which ended with a 1-0 loss to Gardner.

Rulon Gardner's upset win over Alexander Karelin was a shocking moment at the 2000 Olympics

That's the kind of destiny train the Zambians were riding. You could argue that the spirits of the '93 squad were on that field playing alongside their compatriots because the Zambians played like it. With each climatic penalty attempt the Zambians made to tie the Ivoiriens, they silenced their critics. Yet it wasn't until Stophira Sunzu clinched the win on the ninth penalty kick, after Gervinho's missed attempt, that destiny was fulfilled.

I'd say third time wasn't a charm for the Zambians, it was fate.

Suarez deserves more punishment over racist act

The racial saga involving Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Manchester United's Patrice Evra didn't end upon Suarez's return from suspension.

Suarez recently served an eight-game suspension for racially taunting Evra with a word expressed in Spanish. At first Suarez, a Latino Uruguayan national, denied the allegation. But he later said the word he directed at Evra, a black player, wasn't a racially offensive word in his country, so it wasn't intended to be conveyed as a racist statement.

Nevertheless, after an investigation was concluded, the English Football Association suspended Suarez. During his suspension, many Liverpool fans donned shirts in support of Suarez. Two weeks ago, when both teams met in an FA Cup match, one fan was arrested on suspicion of making racist taunts aimed at Evra. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish also vocally supported Suarez, even defying orders to not speak about the issue while investigation was ongoing.

Liverpool's Luis Suarez was accused of racism by Manchester United's Patrice Evra

It's no surprise then that Dalglish continued to sing his forward's praise after Saturday's offensive act. Just before the start of the match, players exchanged the obligatory handshakes symbolizing fair play. But when it came to Suarez's turn to shake his opponents, the Liverpool forward ignored Evra. Not appreciating the diss, Evra grabbed Suarez's arm in a bid to stop him, but was separated by match officials.

It appears that despite the time off, Suarez remains unapologetic and hasn't learned his lesson. Neither has Dalglish. Suarez had the chance to show his previous action was out of character, and to really prove he wasn't a racist player. He knew the cameras would be anticipating the moment he would meet with Evra; perhaps hoping that Suarez might linger a bit longer to embrace the Man U captain or even exchange a few words. Instead, his act of defiance confirmed his immaturity. It proved he had learned nothing from the experience.

Dalglish also missed an opportunity to instil some discipline as a manager.

"People are already speculating on the pre-match ceremony, but from Luis’s point of view we have spoken to him and I know he will shake the hand of Patrice Evra and the other Manchester United players before the game," said Dalglish, in anticipation of the match.

Yet, Dalglish did not publicly chastise Suarez's behavior. In fact, he did the opposite. He continued to back his star player, urging everyone to move past the incident.

How can a major issue such as racial discrimination be ignored? Several European football leagues have struggled with this problem. The Italian league and German Bundesliga have had their share of racial incidents. The English Premiership hasn't been exempt from its own racial discrimination allegations either. Previous English team captain and Chelsea defender John Terry, who's white, was recently stripped of his title amid allegations he directed a racist comment at Queens Park Ranger's Anton Ferdinand, a black English player. English national team manager Fabio Capello resigned in protest of Terry being stripped of his role while the investigation is ongoing.

Anton Ferdinand and John Terry argue over allegations of racist remarks. The investigation is ongoing.

Dalglish could have exercised his authoritative right by pulling Suarez from the match. Yet he chose the cowardly way, like Capello's resignation, to let Suarez play. The Terry-Ferdinand incident is still under investigation, so Capello may get a pass, but Dalglish' poor handling of Suarez' behavior sends the message that he condones the actions.

Several black players in the EPL have voiced their disdain and lack of respect for Suarez. Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson has publicly decried both Suarez' behavior and the team's handling of it, but there needs to be more outcry, backlash and penalty involved. The EPL has already shown it is more of a reactive league than an active one. But now is the time to take control of this situation once and for all, and send the message to players and fans that racial discrimination will be treated with zero tolerance.

The pressure of National Signing Day

In a little more than 24 hours, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will face off for the Super Bowl title. Thousands of high school football players will be watching, envisioning the day they could play on the same stage.

For these young teens, the chances of playing on the biggest stage in football could increase, depending on what college football program they play for. That's what National Signing Day is all about: where the best and brightest are headed.

Many under-privileged kids, especially blacks, have gotten opportunities to go to college through athletic scholarships. In exchange for an education (not everyone earns a free ride,) these guys put their bodies on the line to earn thousands of dollars for the university. In football, the top programs earn millions of dollars for the university. Not bad huh?

That's why the competition to land the most prized recruits has intensified over the years, increasing interest in what I now see as the outrageous National Signing Day with high school seniors signing letters of intent that they may or may not honor. While the intent (pun intended) can be good, such as this story of linebacker Jeremiah Allison signing a letter of intent without the cameras, next to his comatose mother in a hospital bed, the spectacle it has become is troubling.

Check out the video in my previous post about Richard (Ala.) Vigor High defensive lineman Darius Philon struggling through his decision to go to Alabama or Arkansas. Or this video of the nation's top safety prospect Landon Collins choosing Alabama over LSU, to the disappointment of his mom. April Justin said she was unhappy about Alabama coach Nick Saban's recruitment approach, which she felt did not emphasize education. But she also alleged that her son chose Alabama because Saban offered Collins' girlfriend a job in his office. This allegation has not been confirmed.

When Miami Heat star LeBron James announced his decision to "take his talents to South Beach," leaving Cleveland, he caught a lot of flak for it. But as self-centered as it may have appeared, it raised $3 million for a Boys and Girls Club. ESPN aired "The Decision" special and is also responsible for coverage of signing day. No money from advertising or ratings is donated to charity, yet there isn't any backlash about exploiting these kids or the situation for profit.

There's no need for these kids to face this much pressure before they have officially donned their college uniforms.Very few of them eventually graduate, and even fewer will ever suit up for an NFL team. But who cares? At the end of the day, what matters is the promise they are sold by the college recruits, pretending to care about the kids' future while mentally calculating their dollar-earning potential for the university.

And if a national TV camera happens to be there to capture the moment these young'ns sign away their lives, sometimes petrified or heavily burdened, then so be it.

High school senior struggles to commit to a college program

Watching this high school football player struggle through signing his letter of intent is exactly why National Signing Day should no longer be televised.