This week on Summer Sessions Scott, Merk & Bang kick off the pod going over the best TV shows they're currently watching, a review of Drake & PND's latest effort & what exactly Drake needs to do the next 12 months to get his crown back, the guys then rank the top 5 individual years in rap history which leads to a convo over who had the best years in Chicago rap history plus ASAP Rocky is a free man, the NBA All Star game is cooked & with Jigga's name cleared why isn't there enough coverage?
On this weeks episode we give Kendrick Lamar his flowers for his performance at the Super Bowl, our thoughts on the game, the news reporter that died trying to buy coochie, Josh Allens DEI MVP and a ton more.
The Fatu part of the Anoa’i family has become the focus of Mania season. Jey chose his Wrestlemania opponent while tension is building between Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa.
What will the Fatu Family do on the road to WrestleMania?
Charlotte Flair has made up her mind and will face TiffanyStratton. Will Charlotte reign, or will she put over someone at the BigShow? And did we finally find out who jumped Jade Cargill?
Rate,Like, Subscribe,and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
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“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Hold on, that’s not who I am.”
“Well, no, I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say.”
I have spent a lifetime trying to better explain the man that I am. A minor miscommunication with a colleague turns into an afternoon of self-reflection and guilt. A week of pondering the ontology of yourself and years of trying to piece together a presentation of yourself so that the miscommunication doesn’t happen again. For some of you, that sentiment probably resonates. That feeling of being "misunderstood." You know who you are. You have a strong sense of self, a core belief system, and an internal logic that usually guides you well—until it doesn’t. All it takes is one misinterpretation, one moment where someone sees you differently than you see yourself, triggering a crisis of consciousness. As I write this article, I’m feeling the weight and pressure of trying to bridge a gap between who I think I am and who I am purported to be. The questions in my mind are rapidly circling my focus:
Who am I, really?
What do I really want?
Is this who I come off as?
Is this who I’m becoming?
Every human who has the privilege of living life as an adult will ask themselves one of these questions. It’s a journey a lot of people take in high school or college. You experience new feelings and events and take the time to categorize them into a way that resonates with your personhood. For some of us, however, we’ve wrestled with that question constantly. It becomes a source of angst and obsession. Your mind will fixate on it for a period of time that can be long or short. Then, your mind will find something else to obsess over.
For those of us who have experienced this and have wrestled with these questions for years, a good chunk of it all comes back to a four-letter acronym: ADHD.
For my friends and family, this is nothing new. The Joe they know is loud, eccentric, forgetful, random, overwhelming, and easily distractible. Traits that, while I don’t personally resonate with, describe what I deal with. I am one of hundreds of millions of human beings who live with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD. ADHD is categorized into three subtypes: hyperactivity, inattention, or a combination of both. I fall into the inattentive category. A good chunk of people, especially teachers, will have experience with hyperactivity. It’s a student who moves around constantly, one who struggles to sit still in their seat and constantly has a question to give. For myself, the hyperactivity takes place inside my mind. What this means is that my brain doesn’t operate in a linear, easily controlled manner. It locks onto ideas, topics, or people with an almost obsessive intensity, only to let go just as quickly when something new captures my attention. I could spend weeks obsessively researching the causes of World War I and become so focused on it that my homework, grading, and responsibilities take a backseat. It’s never a conscious decision either—it’s just how my mind works. After spending a week on that, I might become a model employee at work and a model student in school. Whatever my mind finds exciting enough will cause the dopamine to rush into my body, and when it does, I’m locked in (hyperfocused). And when the world misunderstands this, it creates friction in me. It creates a weight that can become hard to bear and hard to cope with.
For people who also live with ADHD, we’ll often hear things like, "You overthink too much," or "You take things too personally." And sure, maybe that’s true in a conventional sense. But in reality, our minds process information differently. We don’t just hear words; we dissect them. We don’t just experience emotions; we feel them at full volume. And when we engage, we go all in. If there were a lever to decide how people engage with new ideas and experiences, most people would have several levels. Perhaps the first is “disengagement,” the second is mild interest, the third is interest, and the final is: “go all in!” For a good number of people, you’d do well to avoid this final level until the appropriate moment approaches. You go from the first, second, third, and finally to the fourth when the moment arises. For myself and people who live with ADHD, our lever would only have two levels: either completely uninterested or “give 110% of your full mind, body, and soul.” For the average viewer, this is probably unfathomable, and that is where the misunderstanding begins. When we hyperfocus on a topic, a person, or a project, it can come across as "too much." We don’t mean to overwhelm; we’re just naturally wired to be deeply engaged with the things that capture our interest. That intensity can be mistaken for arrogance, elitism, or even obsession, when really, it’s just how our minds function. And when the center of who you are is mistaken for one of them, it becomes heartbreaking to experience because, in the end, all we wish for is for people to see the person we look at in the mirror daily.
This misunderstanding is particularly frustrating in relationships. Whether they be platonic friendships, dating, or family dynamics—all of them are impacted. I’ve had moments where I felt a deep connection with a colleague, where my enthusiasm was genuine, my energy was real, and my investment was complete—only for the other person to back away randomly. And in those moments, I felt defective. What did I do wrong, or how did I come across?
I asked myself: What am I doing wrong? Why do I keep hearing the same feedback? Why do I care so much when others can so easily let go?
Part of the reason I struggle with being misunderstood is that I don’t regulate interest the way a neurotypical person does. When my attention is caught, I pour it on. If I find something fascinating, I engage deeply. It’s not a strategy; it’s instinctive. But not everyone operates at that same speed, and that can create tension. ADHD isn’t just about attention—it’s about regulation. My brain struggles to regulate interest, focus, and even emotions. When something excites me, I can dive into it for hours, hyperfocused, oblivious to everything else around me. But when something doesn’t grab my attention, even if it’s important, it feels impossible to engage. In my upbringing, I’ve often been labeled as inconsistent or unreliable, but the reality is that I am battling a brain that doesn’t always cooperate with my specific wants and desires. The worst part is the frustration I feel when I try to convey what I mean. How can I explain to someone that I can feel so passionate about one thing while struggling to complete another task that seems simple to everyone else? The hardest part? Knowing that no matter how much effort I put into explaining this, some people still won’t get it.
At the end of the day, I can’t control how others perceive me. I can’t force understanding where there is none, and I can’t reshape my mind into something it was never meant to be. What I can do is embrace the person God created me to be—flaws, quirks, and all. The purpose and plan that is for me will happen whether I attempt to create it or not. My faith has always been my anchor in these moments of doubt. When I wrestle with the weight of being misunderstood, I remember that my worth isn’t determined by human validation but by the grace of God. He made me with intention. The same brain that struggles to regulate is the same brain that sees beauty in complexity, that moves with intensity, that chases knowledge with passion. Let us all, whether we struggle or not, move forward with the truth and belief in the one who made us. And as long as I continue to learn, grow, and lean into who I truly am, I know I am walking the right path. Not a path of perfection, but one of purpose. For anyone else who feels the weight of being misunderstood—whether because of ADHD, neurodivergence, or simply the way your mind works differently—know that you are not alone. Your experiences are real. Your struggles are valid. And your uniqueness is not a flaw; it’s a gift. Peace
Kendrick Lamar's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show has created a lot of Social Media conversation. How does Some Dude feel about the show and the Super Bowl?
Was Pat Mahomes being called the Goat premature? How was Mike's trip to the Royal Rumble and our mental health check.
This week on the first live edition of the Summer Sessions Scott recaps his week in New Orleans for Super Bowl 59 and thoughts on the actual game. Scott, Bang, Pav & Merk give their thoughts on Kendrick's halftime show performance, rumors are swirling of a GNX deluxe dropping on Drake/PND release day, the guys pay their respects to Irv Gotti & their thoughts on 50's response plus Diddy docuseries thoughts & more!
Who should Jey Uso face at WrestleMania? Gunther, Cody Rhodes or someone else? Time is ticking on Jey’s big decision, however, should his choice dictate how has the final match of the weekend?
Speaking of Cody Rhodes, both he and Sami Sayn were taken out by Kevin Owens and Solo Sikoa disrespectfully. Are we tired of these foes fighting? We preview Elimination Chamber, the latest WWE releases and predict Super Bowl LIX on today’s episode of #theFBCPod
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
On this weeks episode of RAOP we talk about the Bikini Bean Gooneral, people trying to strip away Patrick Mahomes blackness, which Fictional characters we would get deported, the stoning of DJ Akademiks and a ton more.
Jey Uso finally got the big one (or at least the prelude to the big one) by winning the 2025 Royal Rumble. Now he heads to WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. Who should Jey face in the Main Event of the biggest stage in Wrestling?
John Cena fell short but strongly commented about his future and what's next. What can we expect at Elimination Chamber? Roman Reigns Seth "Freakin" Rollins and CM Punk's feud reached a fever pitch. Is a Triple threat next?
We recap what may go down as the greatest WWE Royal Rumble of all time in this episode of First Black Champ on Barber's Chair Network.
Scott, Bang, Merk & Pav kick off the pod reminiscing on old video games & how the rules differed back in the day which leads to a conversation about who were the guys favorite random athletes growing up. Scott gives his predictions for what he feels will be Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl set, was Snoop wrong for associating his self with Trump, the Mayor of Dolton is wildin again & more.
Pic by Scott Lewis
It’s January 29th, 2025, and the Chicago Bears have done the unthinkable. Well, let me specify: they have done what was once considered impossible for them. The Bears are a franchise that has been mired in mediocrity for quite some time, with one of their biggest issues being the inability to hire the “right” head coach. But for what feels like the first time ever, the Bears made that right move. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now the head coach of your Chicago Bears. As someone who has covered this team for five years, I’ve had more than my fair share of moments spent shaking my head at moves that seemed baffling, if not outright foolish. Whether it was the drafting of Mitchell Trubisky or the hiring of Marc Trestman, the Bears have repeatedly muddied their storied history with questionable decisions. Yet, here we are in 2025, and the Bears are making the kind of moves that even the harshest critic has to acknowledge—if not applaud.
On January 21st, Ben Johnson was named the 20th head coach of the Chicago Bears (including the Decatur Staleys), in a move that was as obvious as it was necessary. The Bears have firsthand experience with Johnson’s offensive mind. Most fans and critics will remember the efficiency with which the Lions operated: the running back tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for over 2,000 rushing yards, while quarterback Jared Goff threw for well over 4,000 yards. But for me, it’s the “stumble touchdown” that remains ingrained in my memory. Taking advantage of defenders’ natural tendency to react to a falling player, Goff faked a stumble for a wide-open touchdown. It was brilliant to see in person, and it’s plays like that that make you a believer in Ben Johnson. While his youth is a plus, it’s his innovative mind that represents exactly the kind of leadership this franchise needs to break free from its cycle of complacency. Simply put, if you had the chance to hire Johnson, you did it without hesitation. Anything less would have been executive malpractice. Even if it doesn’t work out in the long run, this was a decision rooted in logic and vision—a far cry from some of the hires we’ve seen in recent years.
Adding to the excitement are the other coaching hires. Bringing in J.T. Barrett as the quarterbacks coach was a brilliant move, and one I am going to irrationally praise. Barrett’s success at THE Ohio State (undefeated against TTUN) and his experience with the Lions give him credibility as a mentor for Williams, who will need all the support he can get. While Barrett wasn’t responsible for play-calling duties, he oversaw Jared Goff’s best years in the NFL, and that experience will be invaluable to Caleb. Adding to this already impressive coaching staff is lauded defensive coordinator and former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen. At a time when the Bears are searching for consistency and identity on defense, Allen brings clarity and purpose to a team looking to reclaim its title as the “Monsters of the Midway.” Rounding out the hires is Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator, a former tight ends coach in Denver. This move is a bit trickier to decipher. He’s young (28 years old) and does not have a ton of NFL coaching experience (five years). That said, Ben Johnson has praised his “innovative mind,” and in a league where offensive coordinators are often top choices for head coaching positions, having a young mind to mold and shape is a good thing. All of these hires point in one direction: Ben Johnson intends to win and win now. For once, it feels like the Bears are thinking with clarity and foresight rather than making moves just for the sake of making them.
I’d be remiss, however, if I didn’t address the elephant in the room: Ryan Poles. Here at The Barber’s Chair Network, we’ve had a variety of opinions on him. Some were praiseworthy, while many were critical, with some even calling for his firing. Not long ago, Poles seemed to be on the verge of running out of goodwill. Whether it was his curious choices in coaching staff or his unconventional approach to roster-building—prioritizing skill position players over the offensive line—the criticisms were loud and, often, valid. His decision to build the team backward is something I still struggle to understand, as the Bears have consistently struggled in the trenches. However, these recent moves have given Poles an opportunity to rewrite that narrative. The offensive and defensive lines remain glaring needs, but with the right additions, he could finally provide this team with the foundation it has sorely lacked. This is where the hiring of Ben Johnson should help; Johnson’s offensive philosophy demands a strong line. You can’t have a 2,000-yard rushing attack and a 4,000-yard passer without it. The hope, both mine and that of Bears fans, is that the demands of Johnson’s offense will push Poles to make it a priority. If Poles can address this issue—and if the Bears' new staff can develop their young talent—there is reason to believe this franchise could finally turn the corner.
Covering the Bears hasn’t been easy. The losing seasons, the questionable decisions, the endless cycle of mediocrity…it’s all been exhausting. While I am forever grateful for the opportunity to cover what feels like a first love for me, it’s time for the Bears to put this plan into high gear. The feelings that Bears have now, ones they haven’t felt in a long time, need to be followed by decisive action. The fans deserve more than just hope—they deserve pride. Pride that this organization is finally making the kinds of decisions that make sense. Pride that, even if things don’t work out, they are at least taking the right kinds of risks. Pride that maybe, just maybe, the Bears are finally headed in the right direction. The road ahead is still uncertain and there are still plenty of holes to fill and narratives to change. But for now, you’ve got to give credit where it’s due: the Bears are finally doing things the right way. And for someone, like myself, who has watched this team stumble over itself time and time again, I can’t tell you how good it feels to say that.
On this weeks episode of RAOP we chop it up about Hell freezing over (Pensacola), rappers bending the knee for Trump, the Arizona gooner, the real importance of TikTok and more!
Scott is joined by his I'm Not Gon Hold You co-host J.R. Bang (filling in for Flows) to recap Ben Johnson's introductory press conference.
The Chicago Bears have a new coach, Ben Johnson, the highly sought-after Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator. How will this affect Bang's Bears Fandom and what are his expectations? How does Mike Feel about his Dallas Cowboys and potential Head Coaches?
We also get into a lil bit of Family talk on this weeks episode of Some Dude Pod
Scott & Flows react to the Chicago Bears naming Ben Johnson the next head coach.
Scott, Bang & Pavy discuss Drake's new federal lawsuit against UMG & what exactly does Drake aim to gain from this?
Our cousins Cam'Rom and Jim Jones are beefing again. This time seems a bit different, but why? Bang asks Mike B about the Chicago Bears' potential new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who used to be the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. How should Bang feel?
Whoooaaaaa: LiAngelo Ball becomes the latest signee of Def Jam Records. What do we make of that? Listen in.
Raw on Netflix debuted with some huge numbers worldwide, but did the event live up to expectations? Among the major moments was an appearance by Hulk Hogan to promote his beer. The crowd let him know how they felt but TV pundits believe his support of President-Elect Donald Trump was the reason for boos. Are they right?
#theFBCPod also understands why it might be time to pull the trigger on Jacob Fatu and more.
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
Scott & Flows recap the Bears finally beating Green Bay, the end of the season pressers from Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren & George McCaskey, the Bears beginning their coaching search & who do the guys have on their coaching wishlist?
