I will begin this post by opening a discussion on the link between sports and racism. I just finished watching ESPN’s top ten plays and noted that almost all of the plays were from Black players. This might be because of the incredible match up between Lebron James and Dwayne Wade that occurred last night, but what is significant is that it came of no surprise to my roommate and I to see Blacks dominating sports. In an era of “White Man Can’t Jump” and of my personal accounts of hearing that Blacks have an “extra calf muscle” it is no wonder that we think this way. In my opinion, professional sports perpetuate racism and this sometimes even comes from the players themselves.
For example, Barry Bonds made a comment that all hall of fame players from a pre-Jackie Robinson era, in other words all white players prior to 1947, should be stripped of their honors because they were not forced to play against Blacks. I understand that Bonds may be a poor example because many people already find him intolerable, but this is still his view and it is one that certainly perpetuates racism. By making this comment he is directly implying that Black players are simply better than White players. And this qualification of “better” does not come from hours of practice or steroid use in Bonds’ case. Instead, it comes from an inherent talent associated with being Black. Whether this is true or false is not important. What is important is that this comment perpetuates the idea that Blacks have an inherent athletic talent and this discredits any hard work that is actually put in by these players.
Another example comes from Bryant Gumble, a Black commentator who regularly appears on HBO. When speaking about the Winter Olympic athletes from Turin he stated, "Try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention." This remark conveys the idea that with a lack of Black athletes at the games the level of competition has gone down. In other words, Black athletes are better than White athletes. Again, whether or not this is true is irrelevant because many will take it as truth and it will be further supported by the success of Blacks in professional sports.
It is an unfortunate double-edged sword. Blacks have success on the court or on the football field and become remarkable role models for youths looking for a way out of poverty or problems. But with this success comes the notion that it is easier for Black athletes to succeed because of inherent physical capabilities. This discredits their success and perpetuates racist ideals that made it hard for them to succeed in the first place. This thought is constantly nagging me because, in all honesty, I still am not sure of the truth. I believe that we are all on equal ground and that I have the potential to run, jump, or throw as far as a Black person equivalent to me. I believe that Blacks dominate the NBA because it is ingrained in inner-city culture as “a way out.” But am I right? I have searched but have found no credible evidence to support either claim and still wonder if some of the racist sports philosophy is based on some truth.
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First off, I do think there is an incredible social force that draws athletes to various sports. Skiing and golf, for instance, tend to be more of the country club type of sport. They need more money to partake in which is inherently in the hands of white people. Swimming is another instance of social forces affecting the population of a sport. It is not that a black athlete can’t compete in these sports, but I think that it is easier for them, and of higher value socially, to succeed as footballers or basketball stars.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I also think that in those sports black athletes do have a physical advantage. Not all the time and not in all cases. I think these are best displayed in the Olympics. Certain sports are just better suited to certain races, though it isnt enough of a spread to completely exclude other races. Therefore I dont think it perpetuates racism or discredit their success. In fact I think it perpetuates competition, and pride amongst races which can be healthy. Like Usain Bolt is not only the fastest black man, he is the fastest man. The fact that he was black discredits nothing because he had to beat the rest of his teammates as well as his white competition.
I agree that race plays and interesting role in sports, and that sports can play an equally interesting role in race and racism. I can definitely see where you're coming from, but may I suggest that professional sports don't perpetuate racism so much as racial stereotypes. I don't think that this is always the case (there is a guy who comes to where I work who doesn't like the Memphis Tigers because there are too many place people on the team), but for the most part, I can't really think of racism stemming from sports. Sports, after all, is just entertainment, just like music. I think that music perpetuates racial stereotypes much more than sports. With music it is not so much a question of innate racial advantage (which I don't really see existing), but of racial inclination. Also, maybe black people are better at certain sports that would have "best plays" sections on TV. I mean, maybe their list would have been shittier if they put plays by white people on there simply so they could have white people. It would simply be lying to have a "best plays" list which favored one play over another because of race and not because of the merits of the play. I must admit though, that in the end I'm left as clueless as you are. Are there certain sectors of culture and society in which there is a black privilege?
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