Syracuse Finance

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

The world stopped spinning for just a few minutes last night, as it was announced that LeBron James will now become a member of the Miami Heat. The move didn’t surprise hardly anyone, but everyone seemed to keep hope that perhaps he might choose their city. I am sure James lost sleep over this move, as the humble athlete seems like the kind of guy who remains very loyal to his friends. The problem is that some seem to mistake his kindness for weakness.
In an open letter about the signing, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert calls LeBron James’ move "a shocking act of disloyalty." He even goes further to say that LeBron’s decision to move to Miami was "the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn."
Gilbert, give me a break. Are you a businessman who understands how this all works, or are you a whining three-year old who gets angry because he doesn’t get his own way? The truth is that LeBron had to make a business decision, and you are showing your own immaturity and lack of loyalty by bashing a guy who gave you seven years of his life. He should never have been in your city in the first place, since we all knew that LeBron’s talent has always been meant for a bigger stage. In fact, LeBron gave up at least $100 million dollars in endorsement deals by staying in the city of Cleveland.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins

This week, a woman in Texas cut off the head of her three week old baby and ate part of his brain. What’s even more shocking about this terrible story is that she won’t get any jail time for it.

Otty Sanchez, a 34-year old, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of her child, Scott Wesley Buchholz-Sanchez. Prosecutors accepted the plea deal after learning that the woman thought that the devil made her kill her child.

The baby was found in a bedroom with three of his toes chewed off, his head severed and his brain ripped out. Police are saying that the child’s mother ate the boy’s toes and a piece of the brain before stabbing herself in the chest and throat. In the 911 call made by her sister, Sanchez can be heard in the background screaming, “I didn’t wanna do it! He told me to!"

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by Dr Boyce Watkins – AOL Black Voices

Police said that they do not plan to file charges "at this time" in the shooting that took place at a birthday party being held by NFL star, Michael Vick. What’s most interesting is that officers are saying that they know who the suspect is. They are not filing charges, primarily because the victim refuses to cooperate with police, and witnesses are also reluctant to come forward.
The decision not to press charges was made by the prosecutor’s office, and it could be reversed if the victim chooses to cooperate. The shooting took place around 2 a.m. on June 25, about a block away from Vick’s birthday party.
The victim, according to Vick’s attorney, was Quanis Phillips, a co-defendant in Michael Vick’s dog fighting trial. He was allegedly not invited to attend the party. Vick was not involved in the shooting, according to police.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I wanted to make a quick note on why LeBron James should and probably will end up playing for the Miami Heat.  Now that his homeboys Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade have decided to play together, LeBron has a choice of either joining the club or fighting it.  While Chicago, New York and New Jersey provide viable options for James, the truth is that James probably sees the kind of empire he could build in Miami with two great players who are equally committed to winning. 

Chris Bosh reportedly gave up $30 million to play in Miami, which argues that he is a man of principle.  Wade is also a proven winner, known for going above and beyond when necessary to find a way to win.  These are the guys that LeBron would want to play with, and these are NOT the guys he’d like to play against.

My prediction?  LeBron ends up in Miami and a dynasty begins.

Here are a couple of other possibilities:

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

What’s the deal with Dave Chappelle? According to TMZ, Chapelle was reportingly acting strange on a private jet, so much so that the jet had to make an emergency landing in Pittsburgh. Their source is stating that the flight was headed from New Jersey to Ohio and that Chappelle "freaked out" refusing to put on his seatbelt.

The source also says that Chappelle repeatedly walked into the cockpit, asking the pilot how much longer the flight would be, and even grabbed the pilot’s arms. That is when it was allegedly determined that Chappelle was a safety risk, and the flight was grounded.
TMZ then claims that after landing, Chappelle checked into a hotel. However, sources at the hotel are claiming that Dave told the employees that he wanted to rent a car to go back to Ohio, but that he didn’t remember where he lived.

I’m not sure what the deal is with Dave Chappelle, one of the most talented and privileged comedians in America. He had the world at his feet, with a hit show and a $50 million contract to do what he does best. It does appear, however, that there is something inside Chappelle that simply can’t handle fame.

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Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

Why there should be a black backlash against BET

10:43 AM on 06/28/2010

OPINION – Through the years, the BET Awards have become a staple of unhealthy and counter-productive broken black family fun…

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

Radaronline is reporting that Tiger Woods’ divorce is about to be signed and finalized. The most shocking part of the report is that there are claims that Woods’ wife is set to get $750 million out of the settlement. There is no clear indication of who might get the kids out of the divorce or whether there is a confidentiality agreement, but the possibility that Elin Nordegren may walk away with $750 million is incredibly shocking.

"When they first started negotiating the divorce, it was very acrimonious," the source told RadarOnline.com. "Elin had a lawyer in California who was very, very aggressive."

Here are some quick thoughts about the Tiger Woods divorce:
1) Do prenuptial agreements not work anymore? Didn’t Tiger’s wife sign a prenup, and would it have been a crime for Elin to walk away with a clean $40 million for five years of "hard work?"

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I never bought into the hype that Rick Ross was a fraud. Everyone seemed to feel that because he was found to have been a corrections officer in a previous life, that he somehow violated the oath which says that rappers have to be criminals in order to sell records. I don’t know how true or false the rumors happen to be, but the fact is that I never cared.

However, when I found out that there is reason to believe that the rapper Rick Ross took his name from the notorious drug dealer "Freeway" Ricky Ross, I thought to myself, "This is just stupid. Why can’t the brother just be himself?"

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Suge Knight, Kanye West: Lawsuit, Guns and Money

• It appears that Kanye West and the infamous Marion "Suge" Knight are getting together to work out … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 6:36PM | Comments (0)

How Love and Money Mix and How You Can Do it the Right Way

• I did the interview below on CNN Radio this week about love and money. Most of us know the feeling … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 4:45PM | Comments (1)

Black Single Mothers and Dating: What’s It Really Like?

• In this episode of ‘Dr Boyce Watkins on AOL Black Voices,’ we discuss black single mothers … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 3:54PM | Comments (0)

Should Facebook Be Held Accountable for Murders by Members?

• A man was sent to prison after he did the unthinkable: He pretended to be a teenager, lured a young … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 3:42PM | Comments (1)

Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Discuss the Plight of the Black Male

• Every week, I speak with Rev. Al Sharpton on various issues that affect the African American … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 9:45AM | Comments (6)

Obama’s Fatherhood.gov Commercial: Too Feminine for Black Men?

• On Father’s Day, I wrote about the immense thrill of being a dad. This is one of the reasons I … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 9:30AM | Comments (8)

BP Chooses a Black Man to Head its Claims Process

• "BP is paying all the bills right now," Darryl Willis, the vice president of resources for BP … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 22nd 2010 7:50AM | Comments (1)

Son of Dallas Police Chief Suspected in Killing a Cop

• Investigators are saying that the 27-year-old son of Dallas Police Chief David Brown shot and … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 21st 2010 8:38PM | Comments (2)

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

The rapper Fat Joe was detained by police Sunday night after he and his entourage were accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Madison, Wisconsin. According to TMZ, the woman is 33-years old and claims the assault occurred in a Cadillac Limousine after a concert at the Orpheum Theater.

Fat Joe (a.k.a.Joseph Antonio Cartagena) and his entourage were held for questioning, but he was released and not arrested. The details of the case are still being sorted out in the investigation. Relative to most artists, Fat Joe doesn’t get into very much trouble. The 39-year old married father of two has not, to my knowledge been accused of any sexual assault, so I’d be surprised if he waited this long to get started. He has been arrested in some of the typical rapper non-sense in the past: In 1998, he and the deceased rapper Big Pun were arrested for assaulting a man with a baseball bat and stealing his gold chain. I’m not even going to try to explain that one.

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