PAY STUDENT ATHLETES

The NCAA is weighing $2000 grants to help student athletes with the actual cost of attending college. I like it, but to me, it's still not enough. The athletes playing football and basketball bring so much revenue to top-50 schools, it's straight robbery that they don't share in it. But, schools are balking because its a significant investment since every single student athlete is being included in the proposal. You've seen those commercials they run during Saturday College Football games "I'm a Student Athlete" and it shows a bunch of random olympic sports no one pays attention to trying to convince us that all athletes are created equal. They're not. And if you disagree, please tell me how many Javelin throwing meets you've been to this year.

I understand that there are principles and ideals involved with college education and that you don't want to show students that some sports are valued more than others or some individuals are more important, but it's childish. In four years, when these people go into the real world, it will become very apparent that there is a social hierarchy when the only cross country running this athlete's going to do is down 10 floors to Starbucks and back. If under water basket weaving doesn't bring in TV revenue, well, they probably shouldn't get the $2000 grant.

Colleges are a business. Why is it that colleges want to pretend they aren't business when it comes to student athletes? It's business when they negotiate with faculty, it's business when they bring Chick-Fil-A into the school, and it's business when they ask alumni for cash. But, it's all about the moral high road when explaining why the school should reap the benefits of TV Revenue but the athletes should be happy they get a "priceless" education for free. Look assholes, this is propaganda. Education is NOT priceless. Any parent or kid on loans can tell you there is a VERY tangible price tag to school. And there is a very REAL collection agency that gets on your ass when you can't pay it. Stop fucking around and keep it real. Every one with a US News and World Report magazine knows how much each college costs. How is it that the media gobbles up this Hallmark Card defense about how education is priceless?

I don't even use most of my educations. Yea, my educations, cause I got more than two of them joints. "Boise State president Robert Kustra urged supporters of the plan to look at the support that Division I student athletes receive, and compare it to 'the rest of our students, who are making minimum wage, collecting tips, trying to find their way into their next semester at the university ... Go back and examine the life of a student athlete in intercollegiate sports in America today, and see how privileged they are to be where they are and the opportunities they have.'"

Yo Kustra, I'm going to use my legal education for a hot second and make a few distinctions for you:

1) Your bus-boy student makes money collecting tips for HIMSELF. No one is broadcasting his 8 hour shift at Shoney's refilling ketchup bottles just like no one broadcasted me stealing sweet potato casserole at Boston Market. You get no revenue from people buying Denny's jerseys cause no one fucking wants a Denny's jersey with some kid's name on it from Creative Writing 101.

2) Your student athletes ARE directly making money for your school through ticket, jersey, memoribilia, tv, radio, and ad sales amongst a myriad of other things. They are also indirectly making money for your school by raising attendance because no one fucking heard of Boise State besides Matthew Barney before you cracked the top-25 a few years back.

3) I went back and examined the life of a student athlete at Boise State and I'm pleased to announce that it is an entirely unprivileged position and their are no opportunities. What the fuck are they going to do after they stop playing football? Pick potatoes? If you google the words: "Boise Job Market" the second hit is a link to the discussion "BOISE JOB MARKET DEAD?"

So yea, Kustra, eat a bowl of blue pubes.

Lastly, if none of my appeals to logic strike a nerve. Just watch the video of De'Sean Butler at the top blowing out his knee for his University. He got paid ZERO for that game and saw his future go down the tubes. Don't tell me that he "got an education" dude should have gone to the NBA when he was 19 and got paid.

New Complex Article!

Peep the new article up on Complex. I hit 3 restaurants in DC: Peking Gourmet, Fast Gourmet, and Toki Underground.

Blunted in the Walk-In

I woke up two weeks ago and thought to myself, why don’t the magazines or websites I read have restaurant reviews? And if they did, what would I want them to look like? Would Benzino want a review of No Pork on My Fork for the Source? #SantanaMoment #AlliterationHomie

So, I hit up Noah, Jack, and Ross at Complex. By 3pm today, you'll see our new column in Complex’s City Guide: Blunted in the Walk-In. I’m going to break a lot of the rules. It’s probably not possible to eat in the city anonymously at this point so that’s out the window. I will be quoting dining guests, and I’ll also ask other diners in the restaurant for their opinions. In essence, you'll hear the room.

It has a different purpose than other restaurant reviews. In fact, it’s not really a restaurant review. It’s more a recap of a night out. First, like all writing should, it will seek to entertain. Second, it will inform our generation. If you don’t get the references, that’s your problem. A lot of us grew up reading shit that referenced actors and movements that we have no connection to, so, it’s our turn. Third, it will give you a blueprint to navigate a night out at that particular restaurant. The goal of the column is to show people how best to enjoy a meal in that space. Going out is supposed to be fun. I think a lot of people go out on a quest to do their best impression of professional critics. They pick, diagnose, and at the end forget what they came for. I know what I came for: jokes, money, cash, hos. We have no idea where this exercise ends up. It could last 3 weeks or 3 years, but there’s no agenda and we’re gonna let it ride.

Stream of conscious raps, yes
Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Lil’ Wayne, T.S.
If you thought terror squad, then I’m sorry, God bless.

Andy Ricker Coming to 137 Rivington St

I told yall I was gonna find you some dope shit... A few weeks ago, Andy Ricker came in to eat and kick it at Baohaus on 14th st. I'd never met him before and he turned out to be one of the coolest dude's I've met in a minute. No bullshit, straight shooter, doesn't even like being called a chef. His food is authentic, true to its roots, and honest. There are a lot of shortcuts people can use when making Thai food, but Andy keeps it real and it shows in his food. Despite his best efforts, you probably know Andy for his wings aka Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings named after a Vietnamese guy that worked with him when he was a contractor and then a line cook. Dope story, he keeps it in the family.

Andy had been to 137 before so when I told him we were putting the property on the market, he told me he was looking for a spot that size to do a wing shack. I made him an offer, we shook hands, and within three weeks, all you gonna hear is bitches screamin' 2 Pok. If Faith had twins, she probably have 2 Poks, get it? 2... Poks...



NOTE: Name of restaurant is not 2 Pok, just a nickname/joke

I'm glad we were able to put something with integrity at 137 Rivington. The spot means a lot to us. Numerous customers brought me chronic on the last night sad that they lost their favorite munchies spot. I told you I'd hold you down and I did. We gonna be seeing a lot of blunt wraps and chicken bones on Rivington St soon. Put it in the air yall...

BAOHAUS in the DMV Playlist

Find it HERE on Spotify

It jumps off with a Black Uhuru track Jesse Serwer passed me last year. It has cuts off the new Mayer Hawthorne, Rick Ross, Wale, and my favorite NY singles floating around like Peso by ASAP Rocky and French Montana. Rounded it out with 45 minutes of old school from tribe, de la, gang starr, snoop, and of course there's a dipset block... Play it loud.

Once in a lifetime groove...

Yo! So, there's going to be news about Baohaus Rivington closing. Don't be sad. It's part of the plan... When you see what we have coming at Baohaus 2 next month, you will doodie your pants. It may or may not involve beef noodle soup and soup dumplings, I'm just sayin... Evan and I had to make some choices about where to devote our time because right now it's just the two of us and staff at BH2 running the business. We're looking to build the team but we have so many things on our plate, we have to focus.

If you ask people, it was a really special run at that subterranean spot. Every thing about it was unique from the brick on the right side, the weird steps going down, the music, the food, the style of service... I don't think there was a restaurant that did things quite like we did. For better or worse, I hope people look back on it and say: "That kid brought a whole new hustle to the neighborhood." Red tops, yellow tops, Baohaus blue tops. I don't expect people to always like or support what I'm doing, but you can't say I don't keep it provocative. From the first days with Asa, Kate, Simon (who now owns Macaron Parlour), Ning, Victoria, Joy, and Sarah, it was poppin'. We were a bunch of kids with minimal experience who made it happen and I'm proud of what we did.

This is probably the worst blog post I've ever written, but I just don't know how to encapsulate every thing that's happened there in 20 months. It felt like yesterday was Christmas Eve 2009 and Lia Bulong was waiting outside to be the first customer. Thank you to every one. John Todd, Ryan Kalaith, Lia, Huskyg upstairs, the pregnant chick that threw green tea at me, i fux wit you. There's so many people I can't remember every one's names but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. None of this happens if you guys didn't choose to support a non-traditional business that tried to flip the script on these mother fuckers. No matter where we are we gonna keep it funky for yall, believe that.

Sunday night, after the Redskins game of course... Evan and I will work the last night shift at Baohaus starting at 6pm. We'll be doing beef noodle soup as well, so come by for that. Noodles are good luck. For us, it's the end of an era... Once in a Lifetime Groove.

Homecoming

WHAT UP DMV? What up Southeast Jerome? Why the fuck did you take that sack Rex Grossman? If Rex Grossman comes to the pop-up, I'ma refuse service and tell him to go deep. WHOAAA PAUSE son, no homillz!

aNYway, we bringing Baohaus to the District. Why? Cause Evan and I were going up for the Skins v. Eagles game anyway. Toki Underground was kind enough to loan us the fryer and 6 burner so we gonna get it poppin and sell these baos like gobstoppers. I heard they got the best ramen in DC too so peep that. What else? Oh yea, I'm comin' home...