Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / BBT #14 | University Scandals, Celebrity Obsessions, and America's Love of Violence
Transcript
- Thomas: Episode 14 Malcolm: Yo chat, we back man. Before we even get started, man, it just hit a crazy milestone chat. 2000, actually over 2000, we had just reached the over 2000 stream milestone. We started this podcast in January, brother. We are at 2000 streams to some people that may seem like a very small number, but to us, for something that we built up from the ground up, we are deeply, deeply, deeply appreciative of anyone. anywhere who is listening and helping grow that number up day by day, man. So we just wanted to shout that out before we even jumped into any topics today, man. 2000 Streams is major. We're going to keep on going. We definitely want to hit, what are we thinking for a milestone? think 10,000 is a reasonable milestone for the end of the year. All right. Yeah. So we're going to see how we fare, man. 10,000 streams by December. Yeah. How we feeling, Saturday? Thomas: Yeah, Saturday, I'm feeling good. 2,000 sounds like a good number. ⁓ You know, just hope that we can keep putting out content for you all, keep putting out fire episodes. Thank you to all our listeners, viewers, people that interact with us. I don't know, man. It's lot going on. I'm feeling... I don't want to say scandalous. Feeling good. There's a lot of scandals going on, but I'm feeling good. How about you? How you feeling? Malcolm: Yeah, I ⁓ Good man, I'm blessed man. It's a weekend, long week, know, cool Saturday. Girls tell me man, enjoy some invincible time, the boys time, catch up on the shows man. ⁓ Started watching this show called Suits after I finished Better Call Saul, cause I'd just been in like, I just, I don't know man, I'm just messing with the lawyer shows now. had to make a quick, quick transition. But yeah man, I'm feeling good bro. Blessed to be here, blessed to be alive. Thomas: You Malcolm: Blessed to have problems. You know what saying? I can't complain, brother. Thomas: Yeah, what did they say? Another day above ground is ⁓ better than one under. ⁓ So also just quick random thought, man. I've been listening to this, what is it, Casefile podcast. You talk about lawyer shows, it just made me think Casefile. It's like a very popular podcast, like True Crime podcast. They're talking about the Waco ⁓ situation, which they're doing. They just finished their second part out of three parts, where it was like a cult. Malcolm: Huh. Thomas: by this guy, David Koresh, think they were calling it, Davidians. It was like some loose Christian call. I say loose Christian because you have to look into it and like, some of the stuff he was doing, he was a horrible person of 1000%. Like think he was married or had a kid with him, 11 year old, crazy stuff. But I was just, I just made me think of that because a lot of stuff, a lot of people making stuff about Waco taxes and that whole situation right now, a bunch of failures on the government side, failures on both sides, just a whole crazy situation. Malcolm: Wow. Okay. Thomas: Just let me think about that. ⁓ So that's something to look into for people who've never heard of that situation. Look up David Koresh, ⁓ Waco, Texas. But before we go any further, I just want to remind you guys that we are not financial advisors, investment professionals, or career counselors, right? So whatever we talk about on here, it's for informational, educational, and sometimes entertainment purposes only. Do your own research. Talk to licensed professionals. Seek. assistance and guidance and talk to your pastor, talk to the Lord. Sometimes that's all you can do. Don't take it from us. We're just here to kind of bring some light into your day. Malcolm: See, man, that's not the tour bro. have a, it's a plethora, it's a slew of topics today, man. ⁓ Thomas: full plate bro, bass is loaded. ⁓ So first topic man, I hate to say it, I hate to say it, but for my people in the HBCU community, you might've heard about, ⁓ you tried that, bud. Malcolm: ⁓ man! Thomas: ⁓ You might have heard about our alma Malcolm: ⁓ are illustrious, man. And it's like, let me be clear. I absolutely hate, for one, talking about anything negative about HBCUs, not because I'm ignorant or because I just think HBCUs are perfect and have no flaws. That's not the case. I know we are crooked sometimes and we have our own fair share of issues, whether it's across housing, financial aid, you know. student organization, like I'm, we have seen all of it in the end, but I try my best to avoid, especially our alma mater, you know what I'm saying? Like I try to avoid the bad headlines just because of the fact that, you know, like. We already get a lot of negativity as is. We get a lot of bad headlines, bad kind of spotlight, you know what saying, ⁓ without even trying. So anytime I got a chance to highlight us or talk about something good that we actually did, that's usually my focus. But this one right here is, this is unacceptable. Thomas: Yes. What's five, what they say, five million over five million misappropriated funds and scholarships over the past, well, from 2017 to 2025. So basically for people who don't know, our alma mater, North Carolina Agriculture Technical State University, like many other schools, should I add, which I'm going to, I got some stats and information I'll share, did some finagling with the numbers. Malcolm: This is unacceptable. Thomas: for people trying to use scholarship money to help their relatives, people they know, basically help certain people get into school in an unfair way. ⁓ Which for HBCU, five million from 2017 to 2025 is unfortunately a lot of money. ⁓ However, there are other schools doing billions, hundreds of millions. But we're focusing on ANT right now, or to come on to other schools later. Malcolm: ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're going to give you some more rundown of details, man. Got a cool little case for you out here to give you all the context. So anyone that's listened to this that is familiar with ANT, you went to ANT, I'm sure you already heard about the situation. But for people that may be new or kind of a little lost of what we're talking about here, we're going to give you a quick rundown, all right? So an investigation by a North Carolina office of the state auditor found North Carolina AOT State University in improperly distributed millions of dollars in student financial assistance over several years. Like Thomas said, 2017 to 2025, more than 5.1 million improper disbursements between July 2017 and June 2025. The audit found that administrative recovery funds or ARFs, fees that student pay for services like housing, dining, parking, were used to provide financial assistance to Pacific students without proper oversight. So This means that these funds were awarded to students without evidence of merit or need based criteria, i.e. they were given to students over students that actually needed them, that actually needed those need based emergency resource scholarships that actually earned those merit based scholarships for their achievements. They were being given to specific students because they know people. ⁓ They found that, and this low key does look bad on us, but we don't got nothing to do with this. Auditors found that about 65 Thomas: Thanks. Malcolm: 64 % of the funds went to out-of-state students. More than $781,000 was distributed to students with direct ties to university employees, including family members and individuals with professional connections to school officials. A few examples. The daughter of an NCAT Center for Teaching Excellence Advisory Board member received $23,052. The nephew of The former executive director of the Real Estate Foundation received $73,063. The son of a former part-time English instructor received $22,545. The son of a former associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises received $18,707. The daughter of a former assistant vice chancellor for business and finance received $14,888. In one instance, a former vice chancellor for business and finance approved more than $49,000 in aid for an out-of-state student, then unauthorized an additional funding of $36,654 and $12,000 for that student's friends. Yo! Thomas: That's insane. That's crazy, bro. Malcolm: I ain't gonna lie bro. This is so nuts to me because this is like bro, before I even jump into how just corrupt and even trying to, like I said, for one, like I said, I'm not a an executive at my school. I have no idea what goes on in those rooms that our previous chancellor, current chancellor in. I don't know what type of decisions they have or how they do these type of audits. So I can't speak to, obviously there was some level of like there just wasn't like a real magnifying glass on a lot of the cash flow. I think that it also just kind of adding fuel to the fires. The fact that we are so severely underfunded. You would think that like, if I'm like, if we're an underfunded institution, I'm thinking every dollar got to be tracked, right? Like we already are underfunded by billions of dollars. So I'm like, hey, every dollar that goes in and out of this institution, every student account, I know where I'm sure restore staff, but I'm like, hey, bro, we got to keep track of that. We got to keep track of that, bro. Thomas: And people, I think just to clarify for people, we're talking about this. We want them to be held accountable and the people who are doing these things to be weeded out because we are in this situation where money matters so much. The last thing we need to do is give the government an excuse to give us less money. The last thing we need is for the school to hold the students accountable and squeeze every dime out of the students, but then go and throw it away unfairly, right? Malcolm: Thank you. Thomas: if the school is holding us accountable, then it's only right that we hold them accountable as well. So for people saying, ⁓ you're speaking down on the institution, blah, blah. It's not speaking down, it's holding them accountable so we can improve. If you don't hold accountable, that's how you get into bad situations. And personally, yes, I was out of state student. However, I was robbed. Well, allegedly, allegedly, I was robbed because I have... Malcolm: Here it comes. Thomas: I did an audit for my stuff because I remember I was getting scholarship money, you know, and they told me early on, said, hey, you know, anything you don't use can be used for summer classes. I tried to use it for summer classes. They were like, no, no, no, no, no, we'll just give you the class for free. was like the last summer because of COVID, they were giving like free three credits or something like that. So then I'm like, okay, so this money is going to be applied for the next school year. Money was never applied. Money's never applied. do an audit. I'm like, where's the money at? And then there's also, getting robbed. There's also situations, right? where I have scholarship, they're refusing to apply it, so I have to pay out of pocket, right? So then the scholarship gets sent to the school and they don't even reimburse me for any money. So now they're getting two times the payment that they were supposed to get and they kept it, allegedly. I say allegedly because I don't care enough to get in the court for all of this. You know what? You took my money, I'll take that L. I'll take that L, but don't screw them other people over. Malcolm: Nah, it's just so crazy to me, bro, because there are so many kids that are not even gonna say kids, students at that school, that genuinely need every dollar, bro. Like even though HBCUs are affordable and they're institutions that are literally designed to be more affordable and accessible to us and by us, it's time still be tough, bro. People need every dollar they can get. Like I said, like my personally speaking, biggest goal in college was in addition to getting my degree. And walking that stage was to make sure that my parents and had to come out of pocket and pay a dime for my education, bro. So it's just like... HBCUs already get such a bad rep when it comes to like the housing crisis and situation when they see, you know, we're taking in all these students, but we can't even afford for them to, you know, we can't, you know, build out and have the proper housing and places for them to sleep. And then this adds another layer to the already bad rep that we get. We get so much smack because we feel like, you know, a lot of people would just have to stick with being unprepared, you know, not allocating resources in the right places. And this is like a prime example. This is just straight up robbery, bro. It's people that really needed that bread and needed every dollar they could get to keep themselves from taking out student loans or for reaching out to people who are already short on cash trying to fund their education, bro. it's just like, am so, I'm glad, I'm sure some people won't have to take the fall to hit, but I mean, that's just what come with it, Nobody is above, nobody's bigger than the program, bro. Like nobody is, like it's Aggie prior, bro. It's not one person that's above all that. you know, I feel like just knowing someone should not place you above that, that kind of like same ⁓ competition for merit-based and or need-based scholarships. mean, bro, we're the largest APCU, bro. Like this stuff has to go around. ⁓ So yeah, I mean, that's really scary to kind of think about and know that that's like a reality, but I am really glad that- current administration, chancellor, auditors, they kind of found this out ⁓ because ⁓ knows how much more money would have been embezzled or ⁓ dispersed had somebody not checked this out, man. ⁓ Thomas: Man, and they're abusing them kids and families ⁓ that don't have financial literacy, literally abusing them. And I'm sure a lot of places are like this, right? We can only speak for because I only ever attended one university. The financial aid office, I shouldn't have to go 50 levels up just to get somebody to do a simple thing. I've had the people. Malcolm: Yeah. ⁓ ⁓ my God, bro. Thomas: Tell me, yeah, the email was opened a month ago. We never applied the funds. And then you go in person, act annoyed, like they hate you, they hate their job. Like, you're supposed to be here to help me. What, you get a commission off screwing me over? Malcolm: Yeah, bro. I ain't gonna lie. I don't have many positive experiences in the I do know one thing. Nothing was ever applied to my account correctly. I had to go and sort something out. I don't think it was every semester where I just had my money. Hey, you got these scholarships. You're good to go. I'm thinking I got my stuff paid for. Yeah. Aggie account balance. You owe $11,000. I'm like, excuse me. Hello. Like, oh yeah. And we're also about to drop you from all your classes. Yo, brother. Thomas: every semester. Malcolm: And then I'm going in there, showing, I'm like, bro, I literally had to audit every scholarship I got, every single dollar, add it up on an Excel sheet, attach PDF documents to the offers, just for me to get through, get through the semester, bro. So it's like, I am very blessed to be able to have gotten to the end of my, you know, my four years in undergrad without having to come out of pocket. But it's just like, bro, that's just one kind of layer of some of the HBCU, like I can say, all this comes back to us being underfunded, Thomas: every semester. Malcolm: Like that's really all that comes down to we are under we are a land, a land grant, you know saying university where we're a state, a public university bro, we rely on the government and the school system to provide us funding. We don't get that funding. And we have our, our good buddies at UNCG down the street with 10 times better facilities, resources, access. It's no way we are literally 10 minutes, can, I live in Providence, we could walk to UNCG bruh. Thomas: Yeah, that's all it is. Yeah. Malcolm: We were closer to UNC, like come on bro, it's just no way. Thomas: I ain't gonna, A &T did more like in a research field too. Like A &T did more to bring in more money than UNCG. Like this isn't a diss to UNCG at all. It's just like A &T brings in tons of money. But the way that the money comes in, they make it so that it has to be used for very specific things. Malcolm: And we. But you know what else it is, It's, and this is, mean, shoot, we, we are prom exam, even though we just graduated, we still in this bucket too. Bro, we don't give back, bro. We don't give back. Like, and I can't speak for any other HBCU, but I'm like, when you look at a, at a, at a Howard, a speck, bro, they are always like the most highly, bro, people give back at like, bro, Howard, even if they've their fair share of thousand issues, like, like, voila, as we all have. Thomas: donors and to give. hours. Malcolm: Howard got bread, bruh. If you got to join the partnership, you got bread. Our alum, we don't give back, bro. And I'm guilty of this. I'd like to start giving back. I like to start downloading to the Aggies, the all-in Aggies, ⁓ like athletic. I start giving some money to that. But it's like, bro, we get our degree. We walk up out of there. We go get us a comfy job. We go do as Aggies do. And then five years pass, 10 years pass, ooh, I see them fell off a cliff. What they got going on? Why they not getting into Why is that? Like, we are, we are like, bro, when you think about us compared to schools that, that like are, like obviously it's a far reach, but like, bro, you have your schools, like, matter of fact, we can just, we can just, I believe our endowment is like, what, like 300. ⁓ Thomas: give back. Malcolm: ⁓ 300 feature and something like that, but it's like bro like Harvard Harvard's Harvard's Endowment is 50 to 55 billion dog billion like granted they've graduated some pretty but it's like bro like Thomas: I'll score about 20 billion. They steal that money though. A lot of that money comes from thievery. Allegedly. Allegedly. I mean, I'm looking at an article right now. I'm looking at an article from NBC in 2022. 16 Ivy League and elite universities sued for alleged financial aid conspiracy where they basically worked together to fix prices, give money to people who come from donor families or rich families that could actually afford the school and screw people over. Malcolm: I don't ⁓ ⁓ yeah, ⁓ yeah, that that that for sure for sure. No questions asked that that I was I miss miss like understood. ⁓ yeah, for sure. ⁓ But yeah bro like. Yeah, I know she mean like that. Yeah, first bro like we don't get back bro and then we complain and wonder why we don't have the same resources and access like granted. But I mean like I feel like it's not a this isn't like a blame game. This isn't like a always there for us. Therefore, I feel like everybody has to play their part bro along. Gotta give back. ⁓ Thomas: I mean, not that they're literally stealing, but yeah, like they finesse, allegedly. Malcolm: government got to do their job, us the money we owed and actually fund us properly and stop screwing us. Thomas: If we gave back enough, then A &T got too nice, they'd send a National Guard up in there again and shoot it up. Malcolm: Otherwise, I mean... Thomas: Like for people don't know, they sent the National Guard to the school and killed students shooting up the dorms not too long ago. ⁓ So uphill battle. Malcolm: Yeah, man, it always has been. That's literally the root of our university. mean, the Greensboro Four is really a piece of our legacy, bro. And that was an uphill battle on itself. it's like, our whole school is kind of founded on like, finding a way and still being able to do through any adversity and trial and tribulation. But it's just like, bruh, we're we're shooting ourselves in the foot, bro. Like, why are we doing this? Tell your kid, go apply to Skywars. It's just like everybody else, bruh. Thomas: Mm-hmm. If they don't qualify. Malcolm: We all need his money. Third go Marshall Collins fund. Save me. You can apply. We got the same 24 bruh. We got the same 24, dawg. You don't get it, apply to the next one, bro. Thomas: effects. Yeah. Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund. ⁓ Malcolm: You know, UNCF, all these dudes, man. Are kidding me? So many opportunities out there. And I get it, times are tough. Got to get my kid to school, at the expense of another student that needs it just as bad, if not worse, come on now. We seeing this. We seeing vice provost and all these top guys that's making good money. Come on, yo. Thomas: Tell your kid to get better, bro. I mean, it's the same reason why I just learned recently, I don't think any president in history or ⁓ most senators, their kids don't go to public schools. The people that make decisions about the schools, they don't go to public schools. Why is that? Malcolm: How ironic. Of course, they know what they're doing, Thomas: But yeah, man, prayers up. Thank you. Thank you to everything that you guys have done for us. ⁓ be here without the university. I do want to give back some day. We just got to do better. I'm not trying to give back so that somebody stuck up, kid can go to school on my dime and drop out. Malcolm: Yeah, I was about say, I don't want to give back to be disproportionately dispersed and giving up. I want to make sure my money is going to either to our athletics or to a kid that actually needs it or to a facility that actually needs it, right? So like I said, while we do have our fair share of complaints and critiques as alum and as current students, we all do share the same responsibility as Aggies to give back to our school. Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: to pour back into the community that built all of us up. whether you... ⁓ Like I said, whether you love it, hey ANT man, if you walk that stage, ANT done did something for you in your life, So ⁓ it don't gotta be your most favorite four years of your life, but for me, they've set me up and put me on a trajectory that I know not many other schools would have been able to. So ⁓ as alumnus, people who have graduated or attended the school, that's definitely, we share a lot of that kind of... ⁓ Thomas: Thanks. Malcolm: But anyway, like I said, this is definitely on that kind of administration. There's some of those people who are selfish about those funds and just taking away from other students and stuff like that. So, praying this don't happen again. I'm praying that they figure out some way, some how to start trying to get that money back and get it to the people that it's owed to, man. And hopefully this doesn't happen again and kids can not have to worry about getting cheated out of their own merit scholarships and stuff like that. amen. Do better, A &T. Do better, alum. Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: Hey, let's get our act together ⁓ by the 100th G-Ho. Thank you. Thomas: Exactly. Shout out, Gio. ⁓ Speaking of administration, man, ⁓ the DOJ is recommending bringing back firing squad executions, riddling you with bullets to put you in the dirt. ⁓ Malcolm: And ⁓ Yo, this is unreal. Like, all of the stuff that's going on, and you want to bring back a firing squad, dawg? Actually, I don't think it is, no. They want to. They are. They are doing it. They are adopting firing squads as a permitted method of execution. Yeah. Thomas: Not just Squire Squad. if Firing squad, gassing, and ⁓ electrocution. Malcolm: Nah, and the drug lethal injections. ⁓ Thomas: And there's a whole lot of conspiracy on the lethal injections because they, where they get that stuff from, what they're actually injecting you with, the amount of failed injections, they just cook up a bunch of chemicals and drugs and shoot them up in your veins. Malcolm: I just don't understand. ⁓ Wow, I just see President Trump may block the Washington commander stadium deal unless they change their name back to Redskins He has this odd infatuation with worrying about the you know, know, he reminds me of He reminds me of a dude that's getting chewed out by his girlfriend and the girlfriend sends him this this extensive super long paragraph with all these things he's done wrong all The problems he's caused all the trauma he's given her like I'm talking about pages and pages of complaints and he'll be like, bruh, I don't wear a size 10, I wear a size 11. He will pick out the most random, minuscule, not insignificant piece of information to focus on and then he drills down on that. And that's literally how he approaches policy and what's important and what's actually going to help middle class and working class Americans and people in this country. Like, brother, we are paying f- $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9 at the pump and you're talking about bringing back firing squads. Thomas: Bullets not cheap, gas not cheap, killing people, executions are not cheap. ⁓ But, I mean... Malcolm: I just don't understand it, bro. Thomas: Yeah, I don't know. It's just like, I understand. I can't say I understand. So it says basically in a new report, the Justice Department noted the challenges of procuring the drugs needed for lethal injections. So I guess they're saying it's easier to just electrocute and shoot people and gas them than it is to get drugs to kill people. mean, if they don't have a, they can get the drugs on the street. like some random person in Oregon can get their hands on enough fentanyl to kill a donkey. an elephant, I mean, but ⁓ federal government can't get enough ⁓ to, you know, peacefully kill someone. Which, I mean, there's a whole lot of controversy around the death penalty anyway. Like, should there be a death penalty? Like, is it ever okay to kill someone? ⁓ Even if they committed the worst crimes ever. I mean, I personally believe that if someone is such a horrible person, danger to society, they've done all these horrible things, they deserve to rot in prison. Like they deserve to sit there, stare at a wall, be alone 24 hours a day and rot in a cell, assuming they're guilty of all charges and they really are such a bad person and there's no reconciliation there. They deserve to sit and think on everything and think about what their life has become. I feel like death penalty is an easy way out. What you think about Malcolm: Yeah, I feel like that's, you I agree with you. I feel like the death penalty is like, you get to cut your sentence short. I think you should, like, I mean, some people may think it's cruel, but for the lives these people have taken and the lives they have altered, I don't think that death, like, is justice. I think that you dying in your cell after decades is justice. It should be enough time for you. to atone for your sins a thousand times over and then some. I mean, you can bring back a firing squad, what does that bring them? Instant death. Thomas: here. Malcolm: What is that supposed to prove like, yeah the worst of the worst get the death penalty. Thomas: I guess it's cheaper to kill them than it is to house them for the rest of their lives. I don't know what their justification is. I just think of like Jeffrey Dahmer, for example, right? He went to prison, he was killed. He didn't get a death penalty. I can't remember if he was on death row or anything. I know he was killed by another inmate. ⁓ But it's like, if something like that happens. It was meant to happen if you're that bad of a person you got to expect if you commit the crimes he does or he did and you go to prison and then you continue to talk about what you did even if you're trying to rehabilitate if you're if you're in there running your mouth about ⁓ Doing certain things especially and I've never been in prison. I I can't say that I've gone and visited people in prison. I probably should have Unfortunately, I feel bad about that. So sorry folks I didn't go see but I've never been in a prison as far as I know but from like what I can see Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: TV media and other things, certain crimes, you just don't slide in prison. And I feel like those people should face the music if they really did it. And it just doesn't make sense. You still give people the death penalty, but people who are favored in the eyes of others are sitting in comfy cells. Like what's the lady who ⁓ was grizzling Maxwell, the one who was with Epsi doing all that? She's probably, I think they keep moving her around or they try to... Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: look out for her allegedly because I know there's open cases about this. What? Malcolm: Trump has evacuated and the event will not be canceled. And then, yeah, the suitor just got killed in the White House dinner. Trump has evacuated and said the event will not be canceled. Thomas: Suspected shooter. Whoa, just now? Wait, will not be canceled but he's leaving? Malcolm: Hold up bro. This literally just happened. So correspondence dinner 2026. No injuries reported. Wow, I something like, I I'm assuming this is a second assassination attempt? look, yeah, you see what I'm saying? Thomas: It says near the White House. It says correspondence dinner. Let me see. Malcolm: It says... The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the Bankable Hall out of the Washington Hilton as guests. Wow. Out of the way, sir. Someone yelled, others yelled the duck from one corner. A God bless America chant began. Are you kidding me? Is this another setup? I'm very glad no one was injured and no one was killed or hurt for sure. But bro, I just find it so hard to believe that people just started cheering God bless America after y'all almost got shot. Is this not a... Is this a like bro? Thomas: this time. Malcolm: He does this every single time Alexa might come up. Thomas: I'm watching the video, folks ducking under tables. And mind you, this is a room full of, well, America's elite. You can imagine what that looks like. ⁓ And wow. You know, it is, like you said, it's very, very interesting timing. And for people out there. Malcolm: This is staged, bro. You cannot tell me this isn't staged. Thomas: I, you know what's crazy? I still recall the first time, and I think that's something that just came out recently that proved that the ear shot wasn't even a real injury. I'm not a doctor. But like when that happened and that picture came out of him pumping his fist with blood on the side of his head and all that, I knew he won the election. People are gonna eat this up. I do not want anyone to be assassinated by the way. I'm gonna just clear that up. I don't want any assassinations. I don't want anyone getting shot or injured or hurt in any of this stuff. I'm just putting that out there. Malcolm: This is the suitor in the lobby of Thomas: That is not how we should do things. You got a video we could put up? Malcolm: I'm just looking at Twitter, bro. It's a bunch of stuff. I just looked up Secret Service on Twitter. It's going crazy. Yeah, let me see. Thomas: I'm seeing RFK is being escorted. This also just made me think about that guy. I forgot his name, but he passed away during a Trump speech in the White House a few months, like a month or two ago. RFK ran out the room. Dude died right there on camera. Malcolm: All right, I'm sorry. See. Thomas: Yeah, if everyone listening, this is real time finding out, seeing the stuff. Malcolm: no, genuinely, yeah. This is what, ⁓ This is what Black Box Theory is all about, chat. Thomas: Wow. Use the mic. Mike, can you share the screen? It's next to the leave button. It's a share icon. Malcolm: How do I share my screen? We don't have a mic. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, give me one sec, sorry. I'm a little technically challenged. Thomas: Keep in mind, we're our professions, guys. Malcolm: sounds. Thomas: You I'm a mechanic. I work on cars. Malcolm: Cool we looked up White House correspondents on Twitter man Justin the shooter has reportedly been killed in the White House correspondent's dinner. This is the video of Trump ⁓ Being I guess evacuated from the dinner ⁓ as the shots are wrung out during the video Let me see if we can hear that Thomas: What you're showing on the RN, says click to exit full screen. I think when you make it full screen, gotta share that screen. Malcolm: What? ⁓ Okay. How does this? Okay, I just think it doesn't. Thomas: Yeah, zooming in, that's straight. Malcolm: Yeah, bro. you look out scared like bro, look at how like quick they faces turn up. Yeah, like everybody just locked in. What is going on? How is this type of event not secure, bro? Thomas: When white people lock in, you know it's serious. That's a joke. Malcolm: Nah, they- they will have got the full- ⁓ Nah, yo, they really went... This is literally like a Call of Duty campaign spirit, Thomas: Man, smells like team spirit. Malcolm: suspect is who has been killed. Like, after the sauce were fired, the dinner was canceled. Thomas: did Trump say? Or no, ⁓ doesn't have a Twitter account. Malcolm: So he doesn't somebody just died at the lobby trying to come in and shoot shots and he wants to still keep the dinner going. Thomas: his dead body at the door, step over that person. Malcolm: i keep like, bro Thomas: He thinks this is Gotham or something. Malcolm: student area. Thomas: What's that cop walking with his gun up all on his head like that? Malcolm: Well, I'm glad folks are okay, but this my friend, yeah, I'm I'm keeping it going. It's that serious, bro. Thomas: I'm going home after that. Crazy. I'm out. Crazy times, man, crazy times. Malcolm: This is America. Thomas: If it was at an Obama dinner, they would have said it was one of his thug friends coming up in there to shoot up the party. Malcolm: Can't win out here, brother, man. It's all good, It's all good. Thomas: I want to see, I'm curious what this alleged shooter is. I'm just curious to see the situation. I need more details on this. Malcolm: I have a guess on what they would look like. Thomas: American. Because American has a look to it, as we all know. We all know that American, ⁓ you can tell an American by the way that they look. We all know that, right? Sarcasm for the people who don't understand sarcasm. There's no such thing as an American look. Malcolm: Mm-hmm. For sure. Thomas: No such thing. You can throw your boots on. That says you're likely from America, but people wear boots and cowboy hats all over the world. Malcolm: ⁓ man, just another day man. What we got next dog? Thomas: Another day. Yeah, you know, I guess after all that we can go to something a little bit less serious, right? Before talking about playoffs draft. ⁓ There has been a shift in the dating world of superstars for those who might be interested. And I think for us, you know, we're not here to talk about. ⁓ relationships and things like that. I don't think this is that type of programming. But, Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson. What are your thoughts, man? What are your thoughts? Internet on fire. Malcolm: Man, I think this is always one of them things, bro. Like one, it's so many people that are so overly invested in this, bro. Like these people don't know you, they do not care about you, and it's not your relationship. None of us know about what these people have going on behind closed doors. Yes, Megan said he cheated. She said a lot of things about what dudes have done in the past, and they haven't all been true. I'm not sitting here trying to pick a side or decipher or, but I'm like, the amount of time and energy that people spend on celebrity relationships and trying to understand every core detail and what's fabricated and what's not. It's just like, dude, you really, really need a job and a hobby. It's just no way that this is what's top of mind for you. I get it. It's nothing wrong with a little internet discourse, but I'm saying people have like real deal like think pieces over this like, oh, like I'm talking about going on entire rants about men and gender norms and relationship dynamics. You just broke your Amazon shift starts in two hours bro. Like what are you talking about? You have forklifts to drive and you're talking about like I'm saying people I saw people I said I saw people in the comments of clay Thompson of clay, a four time NBA champion Hall of Famer second greatest shooter of all time clay Thompson. It was real life humans in there saying we only knew you because of Megan Thee Stallion. It's people in the comments wishing that he tears his ACL, people in the comments saying that he's sorry. I'm like, y'all are ready to flood a dude because your favorite artist posted a story and y'all just like, do y'all not have brains for yourselves? It's just no way. Like I get it, taking sides and I know that I'm sure that most of the women like when you see a black woman, like black woman, I'm sorry, come out and like make a claim like this. I'm sure it's something that is taken very seriously because it's just like. you know, black women supposed to be kind of like protected and nurtured. I understand all that. But these people do not know you. And we do not need to hear your think pieces and your ⁓ your takes on on what could really be brewing behind. You don't know these people. They don't know you. So please stop trying to interject yourself and like become like this this relationship. Jeannie and like know all because most of the people I see commenting on this are either a not in a successful relationship themselves in a relationship at all for that matter and two who are you like we don't shut up man we don't care i i smell like i'm like bro and only see our people going in a frenzy for this why bro why Thomas: Distractions. ⁓ Malcolm: Go work. do like go outside. Who cares? These people don't know you, bro. Stop. Thomas: Yeah, think regardless of, you know, what's facts, what's not, ⁓ first off, everyone who has harsh judgments, I hope that you yourself have never cheated. I hope that you yourself are getting to it because these are two people getting to it. These are both people at the end of the day. They're still millionaires. ⁓ Malcolm: These are multi-millionaires and we are sitting here talking about, Clay didn't deserve her, ⁓ Meg is lying about this. He's doing this, he's... Thomas: Man, people worried about Clay, people worried about Megan. just, my thing is, yes, okay, on a human level, it does suck. I understand that, right? You don't want to see anybody get cheated on, assuming that's what happened. I'm not going to say, you know, whether it's real or not. I don't know, I'm not in the relationship. I'm not, I don't know these people. Malcolm: None of us are. So no one should have these... Now all of a sudden everyone has this backstage access into Megan Thee Stallion's personal life and Klay Thompson's personal life. Shut up. Thomas: Yeah, and I do understand that once things hit the internet, it becomes everybody business. I understand that. However, it's up to you to, you know, choose what business to mind. I think we should be focused more on ⁓ if you commit a crime, the federal government says that you did it, you're deserving of the death penalty, you might get shot to death. I think that's a little bit more important. ⁓ Malcolm: Yeah, I think that that that I just think there's a lot more that could... That can be, that we can kind of like focus on brother. I mean, we are still in an ongoing nuclear ceasefire atomic stockpile conflict with a foreign country. In terms of coming up like there's a lot of stuff that I think we can put in here. Like I said, this doesn't mean that people aren't entitled to have internet discourse and have their own opinions. I just think there should be a bit. better discernment on what we. put our energy and time into reacting and responding and making think pieces about. Because I've never seen anyone go this crazy for a new book that came out or a new policy that may help low income communities. Just Megan and Clay, I just, we're trolling, bro. Thomas: Yeah, think ⁓ people should be more aware of what's, ⁓ whatever. ⁓ Yeah, just to clarify, bro, I personally don't really care. mean, they get more rich off of this. This stuff about some, like. Malcolm: you So I'm like, bro, all we're doing is making both of them more popular, more relevant, more rich. mean, how does this affect me? Thomas: Shout out Megan, shout out Clay. I think that they're both rock stars in their respective industries. I think that they both, I want them both to succeed. I'm supporting regardless, ⁓ black woman, black man. I want them to do great. I want them to do great. I don't condone. Malcolm: I'm not sure if Clay's a- Thomas: Well, I don't condone cheating. I don't condone ⁓ unfaithfulness. I don't condone gossip. All of these things in the Bible are not, ⁓ you're not supposed to do according to the Bible. The Bible, I read, I'm not saying you gotta follow, this is what I read. ⁓ And at the end of the day, that's kind of what we're doing right here, talking about it. It's just a social media topic. I'm being honest, it's for the clicks, man. It's for the clicks. Malcolm: Yeah, that's all there is to come down to. Sometimes you just gotta leave it as is. mean, someone could chalk up my entire, this entire segment as us giving our own think piece about it, which would be contradictory to everything I just said. So everyone's gonna have their own interpretation, but hey man, free speech is our platform. That's the whole point, right? So, we move. Thomas: Yeah, I hope that they both find happiness in Truthfully, I hope everyone finds happiness. Malcolm: Yeah, everybody deserves it, Thomas: Free will. ⁓ Next, ⁓ NBA playoffs, man. It's a lot going on. Wemby concussion. ⁓ Lakers putting 41-year-old man putting severe beats. Malcolm: Whoo, that's the greatest. That is the greatest, fellas. And ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, not just fellas. LeBron is the couple takeaways. LeBron is the greatest to ever pick up a basketball ever in his life. My boy, Kay Cunningham, ⁓ he should ship everyone on his team to ⁓ Guatemala. ⁓ You got the number one seed and you still have to carry everyone on your back. I just forced shot at beating Sweatboy and team. Knicks and Hawks can really go either way, but one thing is for sure, McCall Bridges. That is up there. People don't want to say it. Well, I ain't going put it up there with the Paul Zora's trade because it didn't create a dynasty, but that McCall-Bridge's trade was really, really stinky. Five first round picks and you put up... He's abysmal, like he is actually, yeah, he's awful, bro. ⁓ I can't lie to you, my man put up, what did he put up last, yeah, he put up zero points last game. Zero points, one rebound to assist, and people traded five for something for you. You're awful. ⁓ Yeah, I'm taking Dante over, bro. I'm sorry, ThunderSons, I mean, it's crazy, bro, because. Thomas: Lenovo boys man, chemistry. you Malcolm: being real Dylan Brooks better than D book. It's just that nobody want to admit it. ⁓ D book really low keeping not him this whole series but Thunder finish sweep anyway. My spurs boys. Man I'm trying to tell you bro Dylan, Dylan and ⁓ Dylan the castle the truth bro. Dylan the castle the truth. Them boys are just dogs and I'm like, hey, they handle the business without when we when he come back. I'm not gonna lie bro, the Wolves are just made for the playoffs bro. The Wolves are built for the playoffs, they are built for the playoffs, built for the playoffs. They just elevate when that time come. I feel like they just all take on the same attitude that's kind of underpinned by Ant and his kind of mentality. I just love the attitude they take when it comes to playoffs. They don't care if you're the three time MVP, they don't care if you are a higher seed than them, they are coming. Fals. They're just trying smack you in mouth, Fals. But yeah, all right, let's redo. The wolves don't care what seed you are, where you're at, where you're ranked. They're just trying to come... Thomas: Good. Yeah, I I want to see I want to see Ant try to dunk on Wemby. I think that would be fire. I could see him like, you know, just full court coast to coast go up on Wemby. I want to see him try it. I want to see him try it. Look like that little boozy dunk attempt we saw the other day. Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Yeah, bruh, that's funny, bruh. That's one of the funniest pictures I've seen in my life, bro. Why is your fade that crispy, like 10 feet in the air? It's just no way. Thomas: Bro, his fade been crispy for the last 30 years. He probably get a haircut at least every two days minimum. Malcolm: It never has any growth. It's always fresh. For sure. It's unreal. mean, when that's your signature, like, you got to cut name it after you, bruh. You got to maintain it, bruh. ain't gonna lie. It's crazy work, man. But, hey, man, NBA's Unsee Brun the Goat. Thomas: Pussy fate. Pussy bar fate. ⁓ Bulls might get AJ or hopefully, if we get number one pick. ⁓ Malcolm: You're not getting any top pick bro. Like you're not getting any top five. Like you're gonna get like pick like nine bro. You're gonna get like eight or not. Thomas: ⁓ we just cleared house, fam. We got rid of all the front office. We got rid of the head coach. Malcolm: ⁓ it's a lottery, bro. That doesn't like you clearing houses not give you get you a higher pick, bro. Thomas: Bro, we haven't had a number one pick since D-Rose, bro. Malcolm: I ain't gonna lie, brother. Some organizations are just not meant to. have draft. Like you and the hornets y'all are not meant to to win in the draft. Like y'all are just... Thomas: The Hornets have been winning in the draft though. They just get like, they got Lamello, they got, what's his name? He calls himself the goat. He's out the league now because he, well, he cooked himself on the Hornets because he had like a mental breakdown or something. Malcolm: I mean bro, they were actually like the... Y'all weren't like... The times they were able to drop, they were literally the worst in the league. Y'all are like what? What's y'all see? I know y'all didn't make it. That's what I'm saying. Y'all are never like that bad to the point where it's like bro, y'all have to. I mean y'all were 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Nets were significantly worse than you. Y'all won 30 games, bro. The Pacers won 19. The Widgets won 17. The Nets won 20. Y'all aren't even the worst in the East, bro. Thomas: We always finish in the middle, like lower middle. We need a tank. The boys... The boys are puns. Respectfully. Malcolm: The jazz was worse than y'all. The Kings were worse than you. The Grizzlies were worse than you. The Mavericks were worse than you. The Pelicans were worse than you. Y'all are not like a... Y'all should get a top pick but y'all are not getting a top. I see y'all getting like eight or nine or ten, bro. I don't see y'all getting the top five pick, bro. Thomas: Whatever, bro, it is what it is. And better news, know, Bronnie has scored playoff points before Zion. ⁓ Was it Jauma Rant? ⁓ He's scoring a playoff. It was Zion and like two other people. Malcolm: I'm Russ Gordon, fast forward. He had a, he had this, remember the series against Curry? Thomas: I don't remember that. Malcolm: You don't know a ball. Thomas: It was Zion, ⁓ two other people. Either way, Brownie scoring playoff points before Zion Williamson is. Malcolm: Just as to his goat case, my goat made a 3D wing at his disposal to do anything on his command. That's the goat to me, and he's flying, and he's balling, and he's swooping, and he's flying meaningful minutes in Thomas: I'm an old head, so I won't name who ⁓ I think is the greatest basketball player of all time is. But I think the real no, the league wouldn't be what it is without ⁓ his contributions. So, and. Malcolm: me though. Yeah, he saved the league. He is the league. Thomas: Yeah, exactly. The NBA wouldn't be global without him. you know, USA basketball wouldn't be what it is without him. ⁓ Six championships would be in different cities without him. Malcolm: Yeah. Yeah. That's not what I'm talking Thomas: Yeah, ⁓ Whole line of shoes that people get murdered for wouldn't exist without them. Malcolm: Yeah, his biggest highlight, somebody on the end of the bench does every night, brother. ⁓ that little, all of this, somebody does it every night, bro. I think I seen Jake Larravia do that the other night. Thomas: Big, okay. Okay. So LeBron does is never before seen moves, like the moves, the bag. Malcolm: I've never seen someone get 50,000 points to stop three in a assist. Thomas: See, see, see, see, we're talking, are we talking about stats? We're talking about end game play. You said, you just said that the moves, someone, you said somebody on the end of the bench does the moves. You see how we're always moving the criteria. We go from talking about moves to accomplishments. Either way, ⁓ NFL draft. I don't really care, but yeah, you talk about this. I personally. Malcolm: Talking about who's the greatest. Never seen nobody break that 50k mark. I ain't gonna lie, bro. I don't care about any of this. This is the first time I've been excited about an NFL draft since we got CD, bro. And that was what, six years ago? We got the best safety in the draft. We have the most generational safety prospect since. I don't know what think Minka, Jamal, freaking Bates. I don't know. I don't know who the last generation, quote unquote generation, but bro we had, we got, I personally think we got the best player in the draft, bro. Like I'm not even trying to jazz or be biased. I think we got the best player in the draft. Giants front office, y'all are forever good with me for being idiots. Y'all just handed us Caleb Downs, bro. I have not been this excited about a draft in a long, long, long time. Jerry, I knew you still had something in you. Thank you. This is the first time you've done good by me. Let's make it count this season. Let's go get some defense. ⁓ you clip it up. I don't care, Thomas: Somebody clip this up. Somebody please clip this up so that ⁓ halfway through the season, you could show him this video. I want him to remember this. Malcolm: Nope, nope, nope, nope, Jerry, Jera, I thank you for all that you've done ⁓ this year and actually going out and building to win this our year. You need a certain level of delusion to be. Thomas: What did you? What did you just do to Jerry? Malcolm: talking about? I gave him thanks. Thomas: That sounded a little anyway. I don't when it comes to the NFL, I really hope a lot of these guys are seeking financial advice. I really hate seeing these young brothers like getting drafted and ⁓ going. OK, that sounds bad. love seeing them getting drafted, but I hate seeing them getting drafted into bad contracts. I hate seeing them getting drafted and not handling things accordingly. It's like when they're getting calls and they're showing up to these events and they're with these execs, these coaches. I want to see these brothers use ⁓ intelligent business dealings. It's a business dealing. You don't go in there and just say, ⁓ sir, I'm ready to hit, so I'll run through a wall. That's not what ⁓ say, You might say that to your teammates. Malcolm: What do you want them to say? Bro, they're football players. What do want them to say, Hey, sir, I'm ready to come in the office tomorrow and get cracking. Bro, they're football players. They're going to say, I'm ready to work. Every football player ever, it gets ready, they say, I'm ready to work, bro. Thomas: I want them to have people in their corner. Yes, you have to bro bro, but you have to But look at the quarterback position. Those dudes usually are a little bit more ⁓ business oriented and that's why they get the bigger bucks. I mean, we're seeing now other positions are starting to get bigger contracts. Malcolm: Bro, they're getting the bigger bucks. They're in most important position in the field, brother. Thomas: Yes, that's true, but I think everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say football players. And this isn't even a race thing. It's just like a lot of times these dudes, it's not like the NBA yet where a lot of them are coming from football player dads and places of privilege and places of like, know, extreme wealth and they're bred into the sport. It's like, NFL is still fairly rough in a sense of like these dudes aren't coming from their dad was an NFL Hall of Famer. So it's like a lot of them are coming from situations where they're not fully aware of like the type of deals they're signing. And yes, it's a lot of money, it's life changing money, but you have to speak in a way where these execs respect you. Don't look at you as just an opportunity. Cause there's a reason that the NFL draws comparisons to plantations, like modern day plant, cause they use you, they get what they can off you and they throw you to the side. That's how any business works. That's not just sports. That's literally any job. If you are no longer serve a purpose, you're tossed out. So it's anything, but it's like you have to have a level, you have to demand respect and command respect the appropriate way. Malcolm: So let me ask you this question. If you're a GM and you're looking at a draft, right? You have the most generational player of your lifetime. In one spot, you have another guy, he's cool, but he speaks really well, good manners, knows how to speak professionally and code switch versus a guy that is a dog on that field and the best player you've ever seen in your life. Which one are you taking with you, Vic? As a GM of a football franchise that's made to win. Which one you pickin'? Thomas: I would take the dog because I know I can point and he'll just go fetch. No thought, no second thought. I point and he does. Malcolm: That's not it, bro. Like I said, a lot of these dudes, bro, they may not be the most professional, but it's like, a lot of them, they focus on ball, bro. They're so focused on trying to feed their family and make it out that other stuff can come after, bro. I ain't gonna lie, bro. If you're somebody who's kind of get stuff out the mud. Bro, they are not worried about trying to sound... Thomas: You can be a dog and still protect your intellectual property. Malcolm: Yeah but like what's more important to these guys though? Like they're working like what's more important to these guys? Like to the point they're they understand that Thomas: The point is money, need to protect your brand. Otherwise these leagues will cook you. Look at, bro, look at Henry Rugg's situation. Malcolm: Bro, you know what saying? These guys are making...Henry Ruggs is one thing bro, but that's just, that's a stupid, that's a stupid decision. That had nothing to do with like his, I mean that was a stupid decision. I these guys do stupid stuff every day in every league. But the thing is, it's not like, it's different now. It's not like how it was when we were growing. Bro, these dudes are making tens of millions of dollars in college, bro. Like this isn't like, they get this NFL money? It's way, it's more, but it's not like this is their first time getting money now, bro. And it's like for them, if my job is to play ball and I'm still getting money, bro, I don't think these dudes are worried about how they sound, bro. I've seen dudes come up there sound. Stupid, but hey, I'm looking at the screen, $50 million guaranteed. I'm sitting in my bed eating corn chips telling him, you got to talk. Who am I, bro? Thomas: I'm not saying that they need to speak properly and all that. I'm just saying you need to defend yourself. So when I say speak well, like when you're talking to people in positions, it's like when you go to your job, right? You're not going to talk to your boss or your boss's boss and be like, sup, sup, man. I'm here. I'm here. Do this. Throw that project my way. It's like you just, you have to know who to talk to, how to talk to people. It's not a matter of like sounding professional. It's just like you have to know. Malcolm: Nah, I agree. Thomas: time and place and carry yourself with some dignity. Malcolm: They do, but bro, realistically, many, how many, like bro, if you're playing like you're a Thomas: Those are life skills. It don't got nothing to do with football. It's like, do you, as a man, like how do you interact with people? Malcolm: How many people have been in these type of situations though where they're talking to somebody that high in a position of power, where they have the social conscious and the social awareness to know like, bro this is like a really, really- Thomas: Every time I went to church, every time you go to church, you speak to an elder in your family. I don't know about you. I know everybody got a different upbringing. I understand that. However, I guess for me, I guess I was privileged where I had people that demanded respect in my family. So you don't come up to them and say, hey, you don't come up to them and say, what's going on? You walk up to them, handshake, or else you finna get, you know what saying? It's gonna be a little costcoous because you didn't greet that person with respect. Malcolm: This thing, but every dude don't got the same upbringing though. I don't think, I think it's unfair to these dudes don't have respect though. They may not have like the right, I don't know, just think, cause I'm like bro, when you watch the draft and you see like the raw emotion on these dudes faces, like them crying, tears about them getting drafted, I don't know bro, I can't say that they don't have like respect for the GM or the coach that's drafting them. I think it's more like bro, like- Thomas: I'm not saying they don't have respect. I love that. I didn't say they don't have respect. Let's not say that. Malcolm: So what's the point here? Cause you said they gotta have, they have to know, when they're talking to execs and stuff, have to have like a, like what's the actual, what's the point, bro? Thomas: The point is that you have to understand whose world you're in and you have to understand you, if you don't play your card, if you overplay your hand, you play yourself out. We've seen it happen plenty. You see how they try to black ball Shadur Sanders before he even stepped foot in the NFL. It's... Malcolm: But was that because Sardura didn't protect his brand or because people just didn't want to see a black quarterback succeed? Thomas: It's the black quarterback thing. However, when you are perceived that way, any little thing you do, even if you celebrate, Shadr could have literally just celebrated a game like any normal player would. They're gonna take that and they're gonna call it arrogance. They're gonna call it this. They're gonna call it that. Malcolm: Okay hold up, hold up, hold up. Prime example. I feel like I understand what you're saying but I think that at a certain point, even on the exact level bro, there are dudes, if you produce, that doesn't matter. Prime example, Marshawn Lynch. Marshawn Lynch is is White America's nightmare. From Oakland, dreads, durag, piercings, tattoo, tough guy, from the hood. He's not a nightmare but he's not like, Thomas: I wouldn't say he's a nightmare. Nightmare would be the opposite of that. Malcolm: But he's not, I'm gonna say he's a nightmare, but he's like. Thomas: that they dream of people like him. love seeing somebody like him. They lick their lips when they see somebody like Malcolm: Bro, like that's what I'm saying. By no means was Marshawn Lynch like a ⁓ PR perfection, but he was a dog on that field. So whether or not he was like, had the most, you know what saying, most eloquent or most like dignified responses. I don't think that, man, I feel like if you're a, he has a good charisma, he has a good personality, he's a good dude. And it's like people that look past that, like actually know that he's a good dude. But I'm like, Thomas: He had public favor, People love them. Charisma. This ain't a good dude. Malcolm: He's a rookie, have that PR, he had to build that up over years in the league and work him. I do understand what you're saying though, you do need to protect your brand because it's dudes that's just like... Antonio Brown is a prime example, just throwing everything away. You be most talented dude ever. Marshawn Lynch is opposite end of that. He preached from day one about protecting your chicken, protecting your brand, protecting this stuff. So it'll go both ways. just feel like a lot of it is just a matter of this type of stuff that was instilled in you when you were younger, you was upbringing and what's... like what type of stuff you've been exposed to. Because some dudes, it's just football, football, football, no life skills, no soft skills, no communication skills. But feel like that is a good point. That's equally important because I mean, you're going to have to have a life after football. You know what saying? Like NFL is going to pay you great money. But we've seen countless times dudes going broke, pawn in their Super Bowl rings and they MVP for some extra cash because Adrian Peterson, I'm pretty sure is going broke. My man pawned everything. He was MVP. You know what saying? So I get it, but. ⁓ that's okay. It depends. Thomas: It's situational, bro. That's what I'm saying. I'm not trying to say that people should change. I know somebody's not going to understand what I'm saying. That's OK. I'm not the best at sharing exactly my thoughts in a way that other people can understand them. all I'm saying is it's situational. Aaron Hernandez was literally beating dudes up at the bar committing crimes in college and went to the NFL. They gave him a pass on earth. School gave him a pass. Everyone gave him a pass. And he ended up committing murders. It depends on your situation, but you gotta be a superstar like Aaron Hernandez was. ⁓ And all I'm saying is for dudes out there, I also want to change the narrative. Like these people, they buy your jerseys, they slap them on, they say they love you, they wouldn't give you a handout in the street, they wouldn't help you on the street. When you're not on that field, you're just another one of a number. And I want these dudes in the league. to try to educate themselves. I'm educating myself all the time, I try to. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I'm by no means there. And who am I to go tell the millionaire what to do? I'm not saying that at all. I just want people to be more cognizant of the situations. And a lot of them are. And understand, upbringings are different. I'm not saying that dudes don't have respect. I'm not saying that they don't know how to interact with people. I'm just saying that you have to understand the optics of things. and the stereotypes that are placed on you, especially as a football player, you just have to understand the views and it sucks, but it's something you constantly have to be aware of. I mean, I don't know, take that for what you want. I support all these dudes. I hope these dudes have great careers. It's gonna be a shame to see the first one that gets thrown out for beating a woman or this first one that has like five kids in three months. The first one, all those things. I hate to see him, I hate to see him, but unfortunately, because dudes just can't control themselves sometimes, stuff happens. And things are overlooked, because you're so good at football, they overlook a lot of stuff and don't get you the help that you actually need, till it's too late. So, it goes multiple ways. Malcolm: Hey man. out the mud man. Thomas: Yeah, Slate dog, so. Malcolm: another one in the books, brother. Thomas: Episode 14, y'all like this up, let us know what you think. If you hate us for something we said, please tell us. I'm eager to hear your hatred. Just throw it on the comments. Boost up the insights. Malcolm: We appreciate y'all as always, man. It's love everywhere at all times. Appreciate everybody that's engaging with us, interacting with us, listening, all that he above. ⁓ Guys, please like and comment below. Nobody likes our posts. It's just our moms and stuff. So we'd really appreciate if y'all would actually like the reels. We get in the streams. We just would like if you guys liked the reels and stuff as well. So it's love, man. We appreciate y'all tuning in as always. We will be back next week. More topics, more content. Thomas: Need some interaction. Subscribe on YouTube. Yep. All right. Appreciate y'all. Peace. Malcolm: more black box theory. Alright, bye guys.