Still Free

Yeah, Mr. Smiley. Made it through the entire Trump presidency without being enslaved. Imagine that.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Dear Money Mayweather

I saw that you dropped 50 large in a strip club in Miami. I'm not one to tell a man who has far far far more money than I do what he can and cannot do with his earnings. And I can certainly appreciate a man who appreciates the female of the species. I don't engage in strip clubs but I'm not gonna tell any other man or woman where they can and cannot spend their time. However I'd like to take the time out to suggest a few things that you can do with your hard earned money. I paid to see you fight. I haven't paid to see any boxing match until then. I'll not review the fight but I saw the preview videos that featured your history. I saw how you came up in Grand Rapids Michigan. The drug dealing your dad did. The heroin addiction your mom faced. But you faced these, and no doubt other challenges and went to the top. I'm certain you know that not everyone from Grand Rapids or other poor neighborhoods will see such success. You know that only a very few get to play on the professional level of any sport. The odds are long and the slots few. And here we come to the point of this letter.

Now that you have retired from your profession, no doubt you are thinking about your legacy. Yes you have the belts, the cars, the houses and the money. But you're not even at your half life. I don't see you as a man who would be content to sit back and collect dust as people move on to newer and fresher people. How do you avoid this? Become the man who spends his money on institutions rather than the biggest booty in Miami.

The Mayweather Athletic University

This is institution building idea number one. Since you are known as an athlete par-excellence, it would make a lot of sense for you to build a school in Grand Rapids (I was actually thinking Detroit but location is not the biggest deal). Here you would train athletes in a variety of sports. Imagine the next title holder having come through The Mayweather Athletic University? The next Football hall of famer. The next baseball star. The brand spanking new African-American Tour De France team. You see where I'm going with this? You recruit the best in the various fields to teach at your school. Think of the employment opportunities from the lowest to the highest positions. And I'm not talking about some non-profit bullshit either. That's our, black folks, problem. You understand this. I KNOW you understand this.

That's not all. I know you love your cars. I love my cars. I cannot spend anything near what you do on them, but I do what I do. Now instead of [just] spending money on your super cars,how about

The Mayweather School Of Automotive Engineering

Again, located in Grand Rapids (or Detroit), your school could train the next generation of automotive engineers. It could train for all levels. Those who simply want to repair cars would have programs for them. Those who wish to learn to build and fabricate would have programs for them. Those that want to make the next computer interfaces or even create the next electric vehicle could do that there.

Now I have no idea how much these things cost to do. However YOU have The Money Team so I'm certain you could get it done.So this is my proposal. Again, I'm not judging a man for wanting to show his appreciation for Miami's bootifullest. Nor do I wish to knock a man for appreciating fine cars and such. But I'd also like to see Mayweather in the news flaunting his institutions rather than just his assets (depreciating and otherwise). -The Ghost