Melo Woes

Just as Carmelo Anthony’s public relations team got him looking like a law abiding citizen, he goes and gets arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence. The community at large was just forgiving the superstar for his previous encounters with the law, and now there is another foul to let slide. What? Having trouble remembering Melo’s last negative publicity? Let me refresh your memory.

Before I get to mud-slingin’, let it be known that I am a huge Carmelo fan, and always will be no matter what he does. With that said, let me remind you of Melo’s 2004 Stop Snitchin’ video, where Carmelo is kickin’ it with his boys on the block and talking about the threats that come to people who serve as police informants. Basically, he got a bad “rap” for looking like a violent thug who would beat up a snitch. He later distanced himself, but it was a sign of things to come. In 2006, Melo felt it necessary to punch fellow NBA player Marty Collins in the face after an altercation during a Nuggets-Knicks game. Apparently, Collins was snitchin’ to the ref’s. Just kidding, but there may be some truth there.

Like to puff the gonja? Well, coming from the mean streets of Baltimore, Melo is no stranger to the green leaf. He was cited in 2004 for marijuana possession at Denver International Airport after security found a little greenery in Melo’s backpack. But, the charge was later dropped after his boy took the heat for it in a signed affidavit. In 2006, another one of Melo’s boys from the hood was pulled over while driving Carmelo’s pimped out Dodge Magnum while in possession of an ounce of marijuana. Melo’s PR team came to the rescue again, recommending that Melo take this opportunity to say that he is no longer associated with his washed up buddies from back in the day.

And then, just earlier this week, Melo got caught driving while a little buzzed, but reports do say that he was coherent and not messed up enough to be places under arrest.

I don’t mean to negate his responsibility as a public figure, like the influence he has on kids and what have you. However, what he has done isn’t too different from what any of us have done in our lifetimes. I have friends who have been cited for possession of marijuana, know people who have gotten into fights at sporting events, know friends who have one too many and gotten behind the wheel, and friends who have say that they don’t like a tattle tale.

I’m not trying to say that what he has done isn’t illegal, or immoral, but I don’t believe that he should be labeled as a bad guy for what he has done. I’m sure that he has many people in his life that couldn’t even make it out of the ghetto, let alone into the NBA. But, he is getting paid millions to do a job which requires that you don’t get into any controversy, and I guess that he has failed in that regard. And he looks bad to kids across most of the country that look at him as a role model.

On the flip side, he still looks like a success symbol to kids in the inner city who are around drugs and violence a lot. Just a thought. I guess you can take a player out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of the player.