Understand that I’m not trying to be funny or humorously connect the fatal shooting incident involving the Talib brothers to the Dave Chappelle skit.
Instead, I’m illustrating how an egotistical attitude can have deadly consequences.
The tragic event involving the Talib brothers and a youth football league coach in Texas is the latest example.
Initially, video surfaced of an argument at a game in Lancaster Community Park in Lancaster, TX that escalated quickly and ended in the shooting death of coach Mike Hickmon.
The shooter was eventually identified as Yaqub Talib, the older brother of former NFL player, Aqib Talib. Two days after the shooting, Yaqub surrendered himself at the Dallas County Jail on Monday and is now facing murder charges.
On Wednesday, a new video surfaced showing another angle of the confrontation.
Witnesses told Rebecca Lopez of WFAA that it was Aqib who actually started the fight.
Coach Heith Mayes witnessed what happened and told Lopez what he saw.
”He ran across the field and ran over on our sideline and got in the ref’s face,” said Mayes.
Witnesses said Aqib was upset about the referees.
“He threw the first punch, and you see Mike [Hickmon] trying to defend himself,” said Mayes.
WFAA states that in the arrest affidavit, police stated the argument was over the score of the game but doesn’t list who started the fight.
But witnesses are making it clear that Aqib was the instigator.
Aqib’s lawyer released a statement confirming that his client was there and is “very distraught and devastated.”
“Aqib Talib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy.”
Those final two words summarize the event on Saturday, but they don’t explain the underlying issue that caused it.
And that issue is the plague of “keeping it real.”
That phrase conveys this notion of having to prove oneself regardless of the situation. It’s akin to saying that no matter the situation, circumstance, or casualties, all bets are off.
Gone are calm, rational thinking, turning the other cheek or being the bigger person.
At that moment, it’s about proving who has the bigger mouth and bigger muscles.
And that’s when it all goes wrong.
The Talib brothers are no strangers to confrontation or those inflammatory three words.
WFAA reports that they have been investigated for multiple shootings, including a 2016 incident where Dallas police think Aqib Talib was shot at a strip club. A year prior, the Talib brothers were investigated after they were involved in a fight before a gun was fired inside of a Dallas club.
While the brothers weren’t the shooters in those incidents, they were present and directly involved in one of them.
On Saturday in Lancaster, they watched children playing a game that both brothers grew up in, Aqib ultimately making it his career.
And once again, both brothers felt the need to “keep it real,” this time over the score of a youth football game.
You would think that Aqib’s celebrity would temper his reactions. He’s a former NFL player, 5x Pro Bowler, Super Bowl winner and part of Amazon’s NFL coverage this upcoming season.
He could easily have recognized his position and let it go.
After all, it was a youth football game where parents and children are supposed to celebrate and cheer for the players. It wasn’t about the adults or their egos.
But unfortunately, that’s what it became.
Based upon a new video and witness statements, the melee ignited because Aqib Talib “kept it real”, made it about his feelings and got involved when there was no reason to.
Both brothers could have walked away angry, but without harm or incident.
The coach wasn’t threatening them with a weapon. Even if he were a bad coach, his performance doesn’t mandate a death sentence.
Instead, the Talib brothers chose confrontation over perspective.
Now an innocent man is gone and lives are forever changed.
All because of three words.
