Squires: If 'silence is violence,' corporate media should stand trial every time black men like Mike Hickmon are killed
During the summer of 2020, it was common to hear from liberals seeking to guilt white people into supporting Black Lives Matter that “silence is violence” and “silence is complicity.”
Their belief was simple: The deaths of black men should matter to white people who have the privilege and resources to change America for the better. Corporate media and big business got the memo. So did the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL. All made some reference to BLM on their courts, fields, or uniforms.
The Washington Nationals postponed a game with the Philadelphia Phillies on August 27, 2020, to “call attention to racial and social injustice” in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting. The team made no mention of the mass shooting a few weeks prior, when more than 20 black people were shot at a black party 12 minutes from the stadium.
This perverse dynamic is why the fatal shooting of coach Michael Hickmon in Lancaster, Texas, is not getting the type of attention you would expect from ESPN, Fox Sports, or the rest of corporate sports media.
According to reports, coach Hickmon was shot at a youth football game by Yaqub Talib, brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, after a fight at the end of the game. Yaqub Talib turned himself in to police on August 15 after they issued a warrant for his arrest on murder charges. Witnesses allege Aqib Talib participated in the fight that precipitated the shooting.
Murder is the ultimate act of evil, regardless of the ethnic makeup of the victim or perpetrator. But if silence is violence, then the only group more violent toward black men than their peers are the black elites whose righteous indignation flares up like seasonal allergies when the loss of black life is a sign of ongoing racial strife.
It is unfair to demand that every black celebrity respond publicly to every homicide with a black victim. That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t ask why sports networks that covered the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict would completely ignore a fatal shooting at a youth football game that involved a former NFL player. I have not heard from Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe, or Snoop Dogg — who has been a very public supporter of youth football. The highest-profile ESPN personality who has addressed this incident is Kendrick Perkins, an NBA analyst.
The reason for this violent silence is simple. Black death is profitable to corporate media only if the person holding the gun is white. This incident would likely generate a lot more attention if a white player with a bad reputation had been involved.
When white men engage in acts of violence, their actions are attributed to their privilege, rage, and racism. When black men do the same, society is blamed for putting them in an environment that forced them into criminal behavior. Perhaps the people who have become so accustomed to blaming poverty for crime have a hard time understanding how the brother of a millionaire could end up shooting someone at a football game for kids.
Coach Hickmon’s son was on the field at the time of the shooting. Not only is this a traumatic incident for him personally, but it is also a terrible lesson for all of the boys in the game. Black boys are exposed to death way too often in this country, from the suburbs of Dallas to public housing units in Washington, D.C. They hear the gunshots at night, and many have lost friends to senseless acts of violence. They hear it in their music and see it in the videos they watch. They are saturated in death, and many turn to sports as a way to escape the harsh realities in their neighborhoods.
Activists want all the public attention on black victims when they are shot by white police officers, but not when the triggerman looks like his target. These same “racial justice” advocates turn into White Lives Matter spokesmen whenever people try to bring attention to the shootings that happen on a daily basis in black neighborhoods across the country.
The racial disparity in homicide victimization is so large that the rates for whites and blacks can’t be shown on the same graph. This is why homicide is both the leading cause of death for young black men and the second leading cause of black male incarceration. Too many young black men have been taught to sow in seconds and reap in years. Prison is what awaits a man who has low impulse control, a dangerous weapon, and a lack of respect for human life.
The kids on that field learned a series of bad lessons that day. They witnessed the death of their coach at the hands of a man with access to millions. They saw adults who couldn’t control their emotions turn a football field into a crime scene. They saw a former NFL player use his name and resources to escalate conflict instead of trying to calm things down on the field. This isn’t the type of example they need on their journey toward manhood. In the aftermath, they will also receive a sober reminder: Black lives do matter – but only when white people take them.
Witness: Aqib Talib sparked fight at KIDS' football game that led to death of coach
A fight broke out during a youth football game in southern Dallas County over the weekend that ended with coach Mike Hickmon being shot to death, allegedly by former NFL defensive back Aqib Talib’s brother, Yaqub.
Yaqub turned himself in on Monday after a murder warrant was issued for his arrest and is now charged with murder. Aqib is not currently facing charges.
But now, witnesses who were on the field during the fatal shooting are speaking out, and what they're saying doesn't look good for Aqib.
\u201cFirst I'm hearing that it was Aqib Talib that started the fight\u201d— Eric Lauzin (@Eric Lauzin) 1660860929
Mark West coached alongside Hickmon and was there when the shocking events unfolded. West joined BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on a recent episode of "Fearless" to explain why he believes the whole terrible tragedy could have been avoided, but there was one person whose actions sparked the brawl that led to shots being fired: former NFL star Aqib Talib.
Watch the video clip below or find full episodes of "Fearless with Jason Whitlock" here. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.
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Whitlock: ‘Murder Was the Case’ Aqib Talib’s gangsta identity gave him
Twenty-five years ago, when I entered local talk radio in Kansas City, I gave myself a nickname: Big Sexy.
It was a double entendre. As a talk show, it represented that I had a “big mouth” and spewed “sexy opinions.” Off air, it represented my narcissism, hedonism, and delusion. It was an embrace and celebration of my enormous size and sexual lust.
The nickname exemplified my toxic level of self-idolatry. I built an identity based on my sin. A seemingly fun and harmless nickname normalized and justified my gluttony and a social life that led me away from marriage and family.
The identities we promote matter.
I bring this up as it relates to Aqib Talib, the former NFL star intricately involved in a Pee Wee football brawl that led to the shooting death of Mike Hickmon. Talib’s brother, Yaqub Talib, has been arrested for the shooting. Video evidence and eyewitness accounts suggest Aqib Talib sparked the brawl. No rational person can feign surprise that Aqib Talib was involved in a deadly confrontation.
Aqib Talib spent the better part of two decades projecting an identity and image of himself as a football-playing thug. He wanted everyone he came in contact with to know he was “about that life.”
“About that life” is urban slang for having an ostentatious lifestyle involving drugs, guns, violence. It’s an image commercial rappers embrace and emote. Tupac Shakur tatted “thuglife” across his stomach. Snoop Dogg celebrates his membership in the Crips. So did Nipsey Hussle. Gunmen murdered Shakur and Hussle. Snoop faced murder charges.
Rappers attract the same negative, violent energy their music promotes. The identities they embrace shorten their life expectancies.
That’s why football's and basketball’s adoption of rap as their musical soundtracks is dangerous and problematic. That’s why black culture being so heavily defined by hip-hop music is dangerous and problematic.
The very identity we have embraced is killing us.
In 2007, Aqib Talib starred on one of the greatest Kansas football teams of all time. Under the direction of Mark Mangino, the Jayhawks compiled a 12-1 record and beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. I covered those Jayhawks as a sports columnist for the Kansas City Star.
Talib was the best player on that team. He also had a reputation as the worst person on that team. Even as a collegian, Talib wanted everyone to know he was about that life.
His reputational choice is not uncommon among black football and basketball players. They adorn themselves in prison tattoos, sag their pants, braid their hair, drape themselves in gold chains, and dabble in freestyle rap.
Too many black jocks want to be black rappers. It’s no secret. Back in July, NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater made a social media post complaining about his peers posing as “gangstas,” writing:
“Tired of seeing football players portray this tough guy image or pretend he’s a gangsta. You went to school, attended those classes and some even got their college degree. You might have 1.5% of professional football players that’s on that but the remaining 98.5% are only ‘football tough.’
“So don’t wait till you inherit this legal money from the league to decide you want to be tougher (and) portray a street image cause it’s kids that’s looking up to everything we do. Plus it’s someone sitting in a cell or posted in the hood who might’ve been just as hood as you that would advise you otherwise.”
To be clear, Talib courted the gangsta image long before he became an NFL millionaire. What’s troublesome is his unwillingness to discard that image. What’s really troublesome is that there is little cultural pressure for him to adopt a more positive reputation and image.
Popular culture celebrates the bad guy. From Tony Soprano to Jay Z, the American zeitgeist rewards the unrepentant criminal.
Aqib Talib was involved in a series of unflattering on- and off-field situations that tarnished his reputation.
In 2008, he engaged in a brawl at the NFL rookie symposium. In 2009, he was arrested after an altercation with a taxi driver. In 2011, Aqib and his mother were suspected of firing a gun at his sister’s boyfriend. In 2016, Talib attacked Tennessee Titans receiver Harry Douglas on the sideline. After the game, Talib told reporters that he would “beat Douglas’ ass” the next time he saw him at their agent’s office. In 2017, Aqib and Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree had an ugly on-field skirmish. Aqib snatched a gold chain from Crabtree’s neck.
Despite that, somehow Fox Sports and the NFL were comfortable handing Talib a broadcasting job. His shady background legitimized and enhanced his credentials. He was a coveted broadcaster. Amazon plans (or planned) to make him part of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football broadcast.
The culture is reinforcing the message that bad is good.
The identity you adopt locks you into a set of expectations you must meet.
Yesterday, I talked extensively with a group of coaches who worked alongside Mike Hickmon, the man Yaqub Talib allegedly shot and killed. The coaches, to a man, all said Aqib Talib could easily have de-escalated a tense situation.
The reality is Talib’s reputation made that impossible. His identity dictates that he run toward trouble, not away from it. He’s always been about that life, the lifestyle unafraid to turn violent over a simple verbal disagreement.
It’s a lifestyle that interprets disrespect as worthy of the death penalty.
The sports world’s partnership with hip-hop culture undermines men like Aqib Talib from evolving past the self-destructive identities they adopt as kids. The NFL and NBA reinforce the “about that life” mentality that will likely cost Yaqub Talib his freedom and Aqib Talib his financial fortune.
American culture is so toxic at the moment that it won’t surprise me if the NFL, Fox Sports, and Amazon play Snoop Dogg’s "Murder Was the Case" as intro music for Talib.Whitlock: Football coaches assert Aqib Talib sparked deadly Pee Wee football tragedy in Texas. Talib lawyer: 'Inaccurate.'
Three eyewitnesses claim that five-time NFL Pro Bowler Aqib Talib instigated the Pee Wee football brawl that led to the on-field shooting death of coach Mike Hickmon in Texas.
Early Saturday evening, near the conclusion of a 9-and-under football scrimmage in Lancaster, Hickmon scuffled with opposing coaches representing the North Dallas United Bobcats, a team organized and financed by Talib and his older brother Yaqub Talib. During the melee, witnesses say Hickmon struck Aqib Talib with a yard marker.
The fracas ended when a man wearing a black hoodie fired five shots at Hickmon, killing the 43-year-old assistant coach. Lancaster police identified Yaqub Talib as the shooter. Yaqub turned himself in to law enforcement Monday afternoon.
Coaches for the Dragon Elite Academy, the team Hickmon served as an assistant coach, blame Aqib Talib for sparking the tragedy.
“Aqib incited the whole uproar,” Dragon Elite coach Kerry Lewis said during a phone interview Monday night. “The game would’ve never been stopped had Aqib not come over to our sideline to yell at the refs.”
Dragon Elite defensive coordinator Marty Barnett added: “Aqib started this. He was the first person to throw a punch. Out of all of the people, he was the one person who could have de-escalated the situation. He was the one person we all would’ve listened to. He could’ve stopped it all.”
Aqib Talib’s attorney, Frank Perez, strongly disputed the accusation that his client sparked the brawl.
“That story is inaccurate,” Perez said Tuesday afternoon. “You need to talk with all of the witnesses, not just the opposing coaches. I will be more than happy to make a statement at the end of the week, when we’ve conducted a full investigation.”
On Monday, TMZ reported that Talib’s lawyer acknowledged Aqib’s presence at the skirmish: “Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. … He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy.”
Here’s how Lewis, Barnett, and a third assistant, Heith Mayes, described the events that led to the fatal shooting.
With approximately six minutes left in the scrimmage, the referees flagged a North Dallas United defensive player for a late hit, giving Dragon Elite a first down. One play later, Dragon Elite scored a go-ahead touchdown.
“Aqib got irate at that point,” Heith Mayes said.
According to Barnett, Lewis, and Mayes, Aqib walked across the football field to confront a referee. Lewis said Aqib threatened the ref. “I oughta sock your bitch ass now,” the assistants remember Aqib barking.
“That’s what was so weird. All of the tension was between them and the refs,” Barnett said. “There was no problem between the coaches. We all know each other. Kerry Lewis and Yaqub have coached together. I followed Aqib’s whole career, starting at Kansas. The other thing is that it was their event. They were the hosts. They hired and paid the refs. The refs weren’t cheating for us.”
According to Barnett, Lewis, and Mayes, the refs called the game with six minutes to play because the North Dallas coaches persisted with verbal threats and profanity. Dragon Elite coaches gathered their players at midfield for the postgame handshake line. Hickmon’s son is the quarterback for the Dragons. His son’s personal football was near the goal line, where it had been placed in anticipation of a 2-point conversion try. Hickmon, who was working the yard marker, went to retrieve his son’s football.
According to Mayes, as Hickmon attempted to pick up the football, a man working the first-down chains kicked the football into an area where the North Dallas coaches were gathered. Hickmon walked to the area with the yard marker in tow. The North Dallas coaches and Hickmon exchanged harsh words. As Hickmon bent over to pick up the ball, according to Mayes, Aqib Talib swung at Hickmon. Hickmon retaliated, striking Talib with the yard marker.
Isolated and surrounded by angry opposing coaches, Hickmon retreated. Video footage shows Hickmon fending off a half-dozen people, including a woman who appears to be Aqib’s wife, with the yard marker. The mob knocked him to the ground. He dropped the pole. As he climbed to his feet, with nothing in his hand, a gunman unloaded five shots.
“There’s no justification for having a weapon at a kids' football game,” Lewis said. “It’s 90 degrees outside and you’re wearing a black hoodie. None of it makes sense. Our babies were all there. Yaqub’s kids were there. Mike’s kids. Football fields are supposed to be a safe haven for these kids. This is where they go to get away from the street life. They come here to feel safe. It’s not like that any more.”
Aqib Talib was no stranger to trouble during his decorated 12-year NFL career.
In 2008, he engaged in a brawl at the NFL rookie symposium. In 2009, he was arrested after an altercation with a taxi driver. In 2011, Aqib and his mother were suspected of firing a gun at his sister’s boyfriend. In 2016, Talib attacked Tennessee Titans receiver Harry Douglas on the sideline. After the game, Talib told reporters that he would “beat Douglas’ ass” the next time he saw him at their agent’s office. In 2017, Aqib and Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree had an ugly on-field skirmish. Aqib snatched a gold chain from Crabtree’s neck.
In 2014, Dallas police mistakenly announced that they arrested Aqib for public intoxication and throwing bottles inside a nightclub. Police had to retract the announcement when they realized they’d arrested his brother, Yaqub.
One final note: Mike Hickmon’s sister, Jennifer Hickmon, was murdered in July 2020. Yesterday, I reported she had been murdered in July 2021.
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