The NFL’s New York Jets and  New York Giants are in the mist of naming right negotiations for their new 1.3 billion dollar  stadium slated to open in 2010. The rights are expected to bring the teams between 20-30 million dollars per year.   While involving big bucks there normally would be just a behind the scenes ho-hum series of negotiations culminating with a press-release, sports page coverage and maybe a low key obligatory news conference.  The teams can only dream in retrospect that this could have been the scenario

The leading contender for the naming rights was  Allianz.  Allianz is a Germany based Insurance Company. Allianz was founded in 1890.  It is the largest financial service provider in the world.  Allianz already has has it name on Allianz Arena in its home city of Munich.  It was home to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Allianz also has significant historical ties to Nazi Germany. This is nothing new in terms of  Nazi history. Many currently reputable companies based in Europe played either direct or tangential roles in providing materials and services to the Nazis in aid of the war machine.  Allianz falls into a unique group. Their business relationships with the Nazis were not related to advancing the war effort.  Their services directly aided in advancing “The Final Solution”.  The genocide of all Jews in Europe and ultimately the world. According to noted historian Gerald Feldman, Allianz had given money owed to Jewish beneficiaries of their life insurance policies to the Nazi authorities instead. They also insured the construction of concentration camps.  Feldman has written that Allianz sold life insurance policies to Jews with knowledge that Jews were being murdered in mass.  They knew there would be very little if any chance of ever collecting.  Allianz allegedly further collaborated with the Nazis to hide the fraud being committed on the Jews from the outside world portraying what Feldman termed “business as usual”.  As an interesting media side-note the Allianz ties to Nazi Germany was dramatized in a Law and Order Episode entitled ” Blood Money“.

The the thought of driving past or entering “Allianz Stadium”  with the ghosts and memories of 6 million murdered Jews emanating from it created an uproar not only the Jewish community but many local New York and New Jersesy community leaders. Allianz has responded to previous complaints and accusations by stating that it has made restitution to Holocaust victims and has therefore atoned for its sins.  It should not be held further accountable in its business dealings.   There are those that disagree. Elan Steinberg, the former director of the World Jewish Congress said Allianz still owes Jewish beneficiaries some $2 billion dollars.  Steinberg is notable for negotiating the 1998 multi-billion dollar global Holocaust settlement from Swiss and other international banks and business interests holding assets belonging to Holocaust victims.  Interestingly Allianz allegedly held up insurance payments to 9-11 victims, finally paying when confronted with threatened government action.

In the end the Stadium Authority decided that the public relations disaster barreling towards them like a tidal wave and the collateral good will and public relations damage that would ensue was not worth taking the highest bidder.  There were certainly millions to be had from other interested parties with less sordid corporate pasts. The Sports Authority issued a brief statement that negotiations with Allianz for naming rights had terminated.

Was Allianz treated unfairly?  As a descendant of Russian Jews I am acutely aware of the historical, moral and personal connection that Jews feel to the Holocaust and intentional an unintentional  actions that diminish the inhuman magnitude of horror that it represents.  I believe the Stadium authority did the right thing in rejecting the Allianz bid.  The bid should not have been rejected because of what Allianz represents as a company. They represent a  successful  financial services company trying to maximize their exposure and profits.  Good for the Giants and Jets.  Good for Allianz.  Good for the local economy. Sound business sense.  Allianz should not have gotten the bid because of what the name “Allianz” represents as a “historical brand”   Whether they like it or not the Allianz  historical brand presently carries a significant current Holocaust taint to it.  As long as that taint exists to the brand Allianz has a responsibility to  wield their brand with sensitivity and restraint. Companies have a duty to consider the historical taint when doing business with Allianz.   When history and world opinion finally dictates that the Allianz historical brand has been cleansed to the extent to it ho longer carries the ghost of 6 million dead, then and only they can should they expand the marketing of that brand to areas bringing the public conscience into play  as compared to the individual consumer purchase.

There will certainly be a day when the Allianz brand is cleansed and ready to re-enter the business world marketing to the public consumer and the public conciense without guilt or a historical flogging.  Today is not that day.

We are all used to seeing high profile professional athletes work their way down from making touchdowns to making license plates. Michael Vick being the obvious example. It a much rarer occurrence to see it work the other way Especially when the person was a convicted child molester. Appearances however can be deceiving……

Shift scene to small town Georgia. Horny high school teenagers trying to get in each other pants oblivious to any legal ramifications that may exist due to a an age difference of a year or two. It really doesn’t have to be Georgia does it? Half the kids I knew in high school were in the same pants and that was small town Pittsburgh. Bottom line, its going on small town and large city everywhere USA……

Here is the kicker….. In small town Georgia three plus years ago, a minor age differential between a few older teenage boys and slightly younger girls propelled several teenagers into “pedophile hell” finally ending up as convicted felons with sex offender tags following them for life.

So was the story of both Marcus Dixon and Genarlow Wilson.

Marcus Dixon was convicted in May 2003 for the statatory rape and aggravated child molestation of Kristie Brown. Marcus was 17 years old and Kristie was just under 16 at the time they had sex. At the time the Georgia Aggravated Child Molestation statute, a crime designed to punish true pedophiles had no exception for consenting teens so close in age as many other states such as Texas had. It also carried a mandatory 10 year prison term and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon release for prison. What amounts to a life ending set of circumstances.

There was no doubt that there was sex and there was no doubt of the age difference. Open and shut case. Amid public outrage the jury had absolutely no choice but to sentence both Marcus Dixon and Genarlow Wilson to ten years in prison. (the jury did not know of the mandatory sentence when guilt was assessed which is normal in criminal cases)

Public Outrage continued during both Dixons’s and Wilson’s imprisonment. Appeals ensued. The Georgia Supreme Court finally reversed the Dixon conviction ruling 18-year-old Marcus Dixon should have been prosecuted just on the lesser charge of misdemeanor statutory rape rather than aggravated child molestation for having sex with a 15-year-old in February 2003. The ruling let the statutory rape conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of one year and a $1,000 fine, stand. Dixon had long served that portion of his sentence and was released.

Dixon later enrolled in Hampton College on a football scholarship. He had an outstanding collegiate career and while not drafted was signed just the other day to a 3 year multi million dollar free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Marcus Dixon is not the only Georgia teen to be caught up in the Georgia “Pedophile Express”

Genarlow Wilson was also a young Georgia teen and promising athlete who made the mistake of letting his teen hormones jettison him to a promising prison football career with a sex offender tag to boot.

Genarlow videotaped himself having sex with a drunk teen girl slightly younger than himself. The tape proved to be judge jury and executioner. That was all the state needed to once again prosecute and prove aggravated chid molestation. Bing! Bang! Bam! Guilty and Ten Years in the Booty Hilton for the 17 year old with only the wonderful world that waits for Registered Sex Offenders to greet him upon return….

After over three years behind bars, Genarlo’s conviction was also overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court on the grounds that the punishment for teen sex was cruel and unusual as compared to the crime.

It should also be noted that in the interim the Georgia Legislature had reformed the law to bring it into the mainstream and make the conduct both Genarlo and Marcus engaged in a misdemeanors punishable by one year in jail with no sex offender tag.

Genarlo has since gone onto college and we shall see what his future holds for him…..

Let there be no mistake here. Neither of these kids were choirboys. Both were accused of the much more serious charge of felony rape but acquitted on those charges. There were many facts brought out in both cases that could lead reasonable people to disagree on whether these teens were in fact bad kids….. it was not cut and dry.

There were also serious racial overtones to both these cases. Not race cards…. In my opinion legitimate concerns about racial targeting in small town Georgia.

Mr Tibbs would not have approved……

You can read my coverage of the original Genarlo Wilson case here.

ESPN - Steelers cut Wilson after he’s arrested for allegedly punching ex-girlfriend - NFL/http://sports.espn.go.comI

I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have nothing but the highest respect for the Rooney family. I however have to give it the big eye roll and chuckle when the Steelers take virtually two identical incidents, players assaulting their girlfriends and cut the has-been backup player while keeping the star player.

The actions of the Steelers re-affirm that there is a double standard in professional sports when it comes to on-field accountability for off-field conduct…..

The Pittsburgh Steelers released wide receiver Cedrick Wilson on Thursday, hours after he was charged with assaulting his estranged girlfriend at a suburban restaurant. Wilson was once a great wide recever but is on the downside of his career and did not do much for the Steelers last year

Compare that to the situation of Steeler’s star linebacker James Harrison, voted the Steelers’ MVP by his teammates last season who was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief for allegedly hitting his girlfriend on March 8

Harrison unlike Wilson remains with the team in no danger of being released.

With regards to the Harris incident, team chairman Dan Rooney told reporters. “The Steelers do not condone violence of any kind, especially against women.” Rooney went on to state that “they viewed the two siutations differently”

Well let’s see , Situation #1-Boy hits girl…. Situation #2 Boy hits girl…… Yea, I can see how they would view those differently…..

What Rooney does not tell you is that they dont view the situation different because there is any difference in conduct of the players; they view it differently in that releasing one is no big deal while releasing the other would have a major impact on the team.

I guess Harris’s girlfriend must have secretly told Mr. Rooney that it was really rough-sex play and she secretly enjoyed being pummeled by her boyfriend…….

(ESPN) Inspired by the incredible ratings of the first NHL outdoor Winter Classic Hockey game, The National Football League announced today that in light of the number of NFL players currently doing time and having done prison time, there will be an off-season exhibition game played against the newly formed NFL CONVICT ALL STAR TEAM. This team was formed from NFL players currently serving prison time or having already served time and released. Tryouts were recently held at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. While the list of the names of the former players who tried out was kept under tight security, ESPN investigators were able to get a list of those trying out.We have learned that the game will be telecast on pay per view at the price of 49.95 on the NFL Network. An NFL spokesperson speaking on the condition of anonymity stated that they see no reason why this should not become an annual event for many years to come.

When questioned as to why they thought there would be a steady stream of players, the spokesperson stated that given the number of NFL players arrested yearly they should have no problem fielding a team for years to come. It was also pointed out that there were an increasing number of college football arrests that could be beneficial to the new team. It was specifically noted that about half the Penn State Nittany Lion football team was facing jail time for one offense or another… They were keeping a close eye on that situation for recruiting purposes. Here are the confirmed starters so far:

• 1. Michael Vick at quarterback. Vick is serving 23 months at Levenworth Federal Prison as a result of his plea of guilty to numerous charges related to dog fighting. It was felt that Mike’s “vicious, merciless style” is well suited for the team. They had Michael Vick at quarterback for the foreseeable future and that would be enough to field a competitive team. He stated that Vick as the cornerstone for the new team fit the “running” persona of the team perfectly.

• 2. Starting at wide receiver will be former Carolina Panthers wide received Rae Carruth currently doing 18 years for conspiring to kill his girlfriend. You will recall that Ray went on the run and was found hiding in the trunk of a car. A perfect target for the “running’ style of Vick who often can’t hit the broad side of a barn let alone a car trunk…..

• 3. A surprise starter is former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Byron “Bam Morris. A former Doak Walker award winner, Morris served 30 months at Leavenworth Federal Prison for drug trafficking. Morris is currently playing for the Katy Copperheads of the National Indoor Football League. It is rumored however that he feels his career will be better served on the All Con Team. He is currently negotiating with authorities to violate his parole…They expect him in the starting lineup in the near future….

• 4. Also starting at running back will be former Ohio State Standout Maurice Clarett. Clarett is currently serving 7 years for robbery at the Toledo Correctional Institution. It is rumored that Clarett has already negotiated a transfer to an Israeli prison after the season is over. He will complete his sentence their and enter the Israeli Army…..

• 5. On defense, former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Dwayne Goodrich is vying for a starting position. Goodrich is currently serving 7 years for criminally negligent homicide. Goodrich, while on his way home from a strip club, struck and killed two people who were trying to help a stranded motorist pulled off to the side of the highway. It is hoped that his slashing, reckless collision oriented style will help in running down open field running backs . When asked about the new team, Goodrich stated that he hoped the team would be able to land former Buffalo Bills running back and NFL Hall of Famer O.J Simpson….. Simpson is currently awaiting trial in Las Vegas on robbery and kidnapping charges. He went on to state that he did not think anyone could run O.J. down the way he could…..

The balance of the team will be named as more players enter the prison system. We have also learned that Burt Reynolds has been contacted to coach the team. When asked why Burt would be a good coach, Roger Goodell responded that he did an excellent job for that all con team many years ago…. When it was pointed out that Burt did play football at Florida State, he in fact was referring to the movie “The Longest Yard… Goodall acted surprised and stated he could have sworn Reynolds had done time for stealing a car…..