A few weeks back I wrote a piece about Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett and his own rendition of the “Black Olympics.” My main criticism of Bennett was that he seemed to lack a basic understanding that staging watermelon and fried chicken eating contests between him and his brother -- Seahawks rookie Michael Bennett -- was the ultimate slap in the face to a lot of people that fought for centuries so that black folks didn’t have to be portrayed in such a manner.

However, after going back and forth about it with some friends, I ultimately realized that as much as I was taken aback by the racial component of the video, I was just as irked by its complete lack of creativity and the fact that it just wasn’t funny … at all.

Fast forward to this afternoon, when I see the video posted above of Cavaliers guard Delonte “Dough-nuts” West and another dude’s apparent 18-minute wait for about $47 worth of food from KFC. While they wait outside in the car, at about the 0:49 mark, West decides to break out into an impromptu freestyle over Twista’s “Fire” about: his cousin working there, getting a hookup every year, grilled chicken, parfaits (strawberry and chocolate), apple pies, macaroni and cheese, raspberry iced tea, hot sauce in his bag (extra…extra!), some chick he met named Shaunae that tried to get him to take her to a spot with valet parking, cheeseburgers, Chipotle, barbecue sauce, Original Recipe, doing the brew (whatever that is), biscuits and mashed potatoes.

After taking it all in and wiping the tears from my eyes, I asked myself if it was fair to criticize Bennett for what he did yet laugh at West and his self-proclaimed interpretation of a Sonic-esque commercial for KFC.

After thinking about it, for a few seconds, I quickly came to the conclusion that:

1. He didn’t emulate one single stereotype.

2. It was creative.

3. It was funny.

Sure, he used some choice language and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him (foolishly) fined by the team. However, this is ultimately just a random moment -- not a pre-meditated production -- from a dude who isn’t doing anything (visibly) illegal and gave the world the great gift of comedy. At the end of the day, I think my folks over at FiyaStarter would agree that when it comes to good ignorance, this is the cream of the crop.

Choice “verse”:

Some days I do Chipotle’s
She said, “Chipotle?”
Yup, baby girl Chipotle
Said Chipotle’s
Said Chipotle’s
Get burrito, beans, rice, Chipotle
Get some napkins
Lil hot sauce
Sit down eat
Chipotles like a bawse!

In the first installment of B.O.D.C.A. (Barack Obama Didn’t Change Anything), we at TSI have chosen Cowboys tight end Martellus  Bennett and his interpretation of the “Black Olympics” as the target of our assertion that besides bringing class, intelligence, dignity and common sense to the White House, the election of President Barack Obama has done little to prevent the same self-destructive behaviors that have plagued black folks in America prior to his inauguration.

Bennett, a second-year tight end out of Texas A&M, has a known affinity for fried chicken, but it was a video (see above) of him and his brother, Seahawks rookie Michael Bennett, participating in a three-tiered race that included eating fried chicken and watermelon and drinking Kool-Aid that compelled me to pen a slap not only for Bennett’s apparent obliviousness to perpetuating racial stereotypes, but also a warning to athletes and those that surround them of the pitfalls of feeding the ever-burgeoning social media beast.

The stereotype that black people are born with an inclination to like fried chicken, watermelon and Kool-Aid has been around for a long time (see above), and was recently brought back to the forefront with the election of President Obama and the resultant photoshops of the president exercising his apparent birthright to enjoy the aforementioned foods.

While these images can be easily dismissed as pure and utter ignorance, what can’t be so easily dismissed is the embracing of these stereotypes by someone like Bennett. Regardless of whether or not you believe it was Bennett’s intent to offend through the device of superficial humor, the result is still the same. Two grown ass black men, both of whom attended college, eating fried chicken and watermelon -- in a manner that would make Malcolm X do somersaults in his grave -- all while beaming with pride in the name of entertaining their audience.

As recently as five years ago, Bennett wouldn’t have an audience and would just be another prospect with a high ceiling. However, thanks to platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc…we live in a world where everyone is a star and the number of friends and/or followers one enjoys is a validation of their importance in this new media sphere. Professional athletes are among the biggest stars in social media, as evidenced by Shaquille O’Neal’s 1,632,250 followers -- and counting -- on Twitter.

As a result, this new media explosion has fostered the kind of trite “humor” employed by Bennett and the “Black Olympics” is a perfect example of athletes trying to satiate the cravings of their fans to know any and everything about their favorite stars.

However, you don’t have to make a complete fool of yourself and make light of America’s sordid past to attract attention for your media ventures, regardless if you feel that your public is awaiting and nothing but the most coonish of acts will satisfy their hunger.