I watched a piece on ESPN the other day about out of wedlock children in the sports world. For most, the topic has been discussed to death. The Sports Illustrated cover story 10 years ago that featured Shawn Kemp was a hot topic for what seemed like months. Fast forward to now and yet again it’s back. I know I’ve been hard on my ladies but it honestly comes from a place of love! So having said that, I’m going to address these athletes.
Why is it that the explanation is always “she trapped me”. How is that possible? You aren’t 2, you know exactly where babies come from. yeah yeah I know you got caught up in the moment. Blame it on the Goose, Blame it on Patron, Blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol… Stop it! I honestly think sometimes it’s a power trip. A bit of “me too”. “Oh you got 2 babies’ mamas, I got 4!” Just like they compete on the field or court, outside of the locker rooms the competition lives on with cars, jewelry, video games and women. Sounds silly right? I agree! But it seems like these athletes just need SOMEONE to blame for their stupidity. For as much as these guys talk about people after them because of their status, why not take the steps to protect yourself. Half of these dudes don’t even know how these women feel about pregnancy & kids. Won’t ask because they use going raw as a carrot to make these chicks feel special, dangling the long term future benefits and lifestyle enhancements in their face to get more of what they want. Or (here’s that power thing again) they think they can force the woman to have an abortion by the threat of being cut off! Yeah that works if she just wants to be with YOU but, if all she wants is to have you, SHE WILL. Regardless if you want her to or not.
None of these guys are being forced into these situations. Its time to stop placing fault at the females feet. Man up, You have more control over pregnancy than you do in a lot of other areas of your professional life. After all, bringing home a newborn and shelling out $$ is the better end of that stick! And should you choose not to wrap up, PAY YOUR DAMN CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS! Those kids didn’t ask for that situation, why take it out on them cause you were too stupid to protect your #1 investment, yourself. Its easier to do that than it was to make it to the L, you managed to work that out right!
Jill MunroeJill Munroe is a Los Angeles-based host, producer, and writer. You can find her work on sites such as FoxSports.com, EURweb.com, and MSN.com. Munroe is a current member of the African-American Film Critics Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. Munroe has also been a frequent guest on ESPN radio and Yahoo Sports. In 2015, Munroe released her first book, "PostGame Pass: access into "the life" JillMunroe.com