RACISM in Professional SPORTS: Why is Sports in Denial? Should DU Care?

[McCamy Taylor]

Sports likes to pretend that it exists in a kind of Never-never Land in which there is no injustice, no intolerance, no racism, no classism, no religious intolerance. Every athlete is judged on his/her talent. Any one can rise to the top through sheer determination combined with the right genes. It is considered very, very bad form to bring up the subject of race if you are a sports reporter or athlete. They act like a nun who has been asked a question about her sex life.

For example consider this:

"I haven't mentioned race in all this because race is a complete non-issue. It just is. The USA TOday had an article Thursday "Reasons for Bonds' bad image split between steroids and racism" that quoted athletes saying this controversy wouldn't be such a big deal if Barry Bonds was white and Babe Ruth was black.

"'White America doesn't want him to (pass) Babe Ruth and is doing everything they can to stop him," says Leonard Moore, director of African and African-American Studies at Louisiana State University. "America hasn't had a white hope since the retirement of (NBA star) Larry Bird, and once Bonds passes Ruth, there's nothing that will make (Ruth) unique, and they're scared. And I'm scared for Bonds. "I think what he'll go through will be 100 times worse than what Aaron went through" when he surpassed Ruth in 1974. "I pray for him every night."

"What poisoned bilge water."

http://templestark.com/archives/2006/04/what_should_kee.php

Poisoned bilge water? When athletes say it, and when a sports reporter tells America that Bonds has had a recent increase in the ammount of racist mail that he has been getting, it sort of makes you wonder if there at least MIGHT be a racist component to this.

Why do sports enthuasiasts insist that there is no racism in their beloved baseball/football/tennis/whatever? What does this mean for the men and women who live in racist America who inevitably suffer at the hands of racist corporate executives, managers, fans, sponsors? Same goes for sexism, religious intolerance, political intolerance.If anyone said there was no racism in the the military or in the business world, we would immediately suspect that person of being a racist (or at the very least incredibly naive). Is this some kind of magically thinking? If they dont talk about it, is it supposed to go away? That doesnt work. Are they afraid of retribution from higher ups? Do you get passed over for the Hall of Fame or for lucrative contracts if you get "political"?

I suspect there are parallels with Miss America. The feminists pretty much deconstructed the myth of the virgin Miss America, and now the pageant and the title are a joke. Is that what professional sports fears? The irony is that most of the people I know could care less about sports aka "the gambling news" until it intersects with the real news, as in the case of Muhhamad Ali or the racist death threats against Hank Aaron. But then the people I know are interested in real world politics.

[WildEyedLiberal]

1. Bullshit

People don't like Bonds because he's 'roided up and he's an asshole.

[rucky]

9. Mark Maguire admitted he was on 'roids when he broke the record.

nobody's calling for his nuts on a platter.

[WildEyedLiberal]

20. I think his record should be expunged

He also likely won't get into the Hall of Fame because of his admission. I am a Cardinals fan but steroid use is wrong, period. The record needs to be reset to Maris's 61.

[FSogol]

2. Plus everyone loves Hank Aaron who passed Ruth years ago.

Race is merely Bonds excuse.

[wtbymark]

3. with everything else that IS important going on

this is a basement issue, and in the election year 06' with possible impeachment of the president, No this should not be an issue here. fluff

[McCamy Taylor]

7. So DU says RACISM IN SPORTS AIN'T WORTH BOTHERING ABOUT?

Just wondering? There are a whole lot of minority athletes out there and even more minority young people pinning their hopes on careers in athletics.

When I try to bring up the issue of racism in sports, all i get is "Barry Bonds is an Asshole"

Has it occured to no one that a big chunk of the GOP base, the so called NASCAR dad is being manipulated by the sports industry and that if the Democrats could get to them by challenging the lies that sports feeds them, maybe their ideas and votes could be changed?

The feminists thought it was worth going after Miss America. Maybe it is worth going after the myth of the color blind sports industry in the US. For social change. Which is what is needed if we want long term progress in electoral change.

[DrGonzoLives]

4. Uh-huh

Aaron passed Ruth in the early 1970's, when race tensions were much rougher than they are. The man received death threats because he was black.

Bonds receives hate mail becuase he's an arrogant asshole who has been taking steroids for a decade. Bonds is about as connected to the black community as O.J. Simpson.

"But then the people I know are interested in real world politics."

Heaven forbid people should have interests outside of politics. The horror!

[BOSSHOG]

5. The color of Bonds skin is not the issue

Its the content of his character. Are there racists in America? Absolutely? Is bonds a punk whose performance is bad for the game, as was Mcgwires? Damn skippy.

[Neecy]

6. I have no doubt...

That there are lots of racist assholes out there who are making Bonds a subject of their hatreds. Bonds is playing this up big in an attempt to create sympathy for his steroids abuse, and if that's what he feels he needs to do, then...whatever.

As far as I'm concerned, though, you could substitute any swollen-headed steroids abuser with Bonds and feel pissed that long-standing records are being broken by cheaters. I'd feel the exact same disgust if Mark McGwire were still playing and he was about to break the Ruth record. I think Giambi should be thrown out of baseball for life. Race doesn't matter in this, it's the cheating that does.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. Babe Ruth was a dark italian so color had nothing to do with it.

[McCamy Taylor]

10. !!!!!!! You have got to be kidding me. This is a joke, right?

[Catherine Vincent]

11. No I wasn't joking.

Isn't Babe Ruth a dark italian?

[McCamy Taylor]

13. There is no comparison between being Italian and Black in the US

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. Back in the day when Ruth played...

actually there was.

Here's an interesting link to a curriculum on the Italian immigrants experience in America:

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1999/3/99.03.06.x.html

[Catherine Vincent]

17. I know that. I wasn't making a comparison.

But I'm goanna stay out of this thread because I don't know anything about baseball or Bonds and his steroids allegation. Sorry.

[McCamy Taylor]

19. Your point is taken about relative values.

[tallahasseedem]

12. I believe this belongs in the sports forum....

or the give me a fucking break one. Bonds did himself in by being an ass. I understand that you want to harp on this seeming how you have been all over the place about this the last couple of days, but this is completely absurd.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. Except that Congress held hearings on steroids, and now the MSM

is making hay out of it at the same time we are seeing a resurge in right wing attacks on African-americans.

Did none of you witness Pat Buchanan's advice to the GOP on how to win this fall? His first recommendation to the RNC was to remind the conservative base that the Democrats include african-americans. The way he put it on Countdown was that if Dems take over Congress Charlie Rangel would head a Committee. The media hype about Rep. McKinney, the nasty racial slurs on right wing radio--these are all being coordinated as part of a RNC plan to get the conservative base's attention off Dubai and Dubya and on their old boogey man.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. As a San Franciscan and Giants fan...

I have nothing but contempt for Barry Bonds, not because of the color of his skin but because he's a cheater. Same with Giambi, same with McGuire, same with every asshole who shoots up to be better than the men who are trying to play this game honestly.

Bond doesn't deserve to clean the Babe's or Hank's shoes, let alone beat his record. Or any other players record that was gained through hard work and skill instead of dope.

Is there racism in sports? You bet. There always has been -- always will be. Is that the only or even primary reason folks are off Bonds? Sorry, I just don't think so.

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Here is the Bonds, Steroid & Racism thread URL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=850329&mesg_id=850329


Howabout posts re: Bonds not being the victim of any racism get posted over there and posts about the topic of racism in sports get posted over here?

There are a whole lot of people who seem to feel the need to justify that their antipathy towards Bond is not racist, so the other thread is a good spot for that.

[ms liberty]

21. This one isn't about race, it's about Bonds...

Barry Bonds is an asshole, has obviously been on steroids, and has tried to weasel out of any responsibility. He's whiny, and he's more famous than great. He will forever have an asterisk by his name in the record books. A well-deserved asterisk, one that will also appear beside the names of Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, Jose Canseco, and who knows how many others. Of those four names that came to mind when I thought of this scandal, only ONE of them, Mr. Bonds, was an American of African descent. Baseball is a cultural melting pot. I'm not about to say there is no racism in sports, and there are legitimate issues that should concern sports fans, such as the number of African Americans at or near the top of the organizations of these teams, as owners, as managers, as coaches. I could continue with other issues, for instance the problems I see from kids leaving college early for the pros...I could go on, but I won't!

I'm sure there are people who are racist pigs, and are sending hate mail, booing him, et cetera; that kind of behavior is unacceptable to any civilized person. I do not condone it in any way, nor do I condone or agree with any racist beliefs.

As for breaking Babe Ruth's record, well, who cares? It was what, like a hundred years ago or something? Records are made to be broken, and like I said before, baseball today is a melting pot - records are going to be broken by men who could be from one of any number of different nationalities or cultures, and he might be any color in the rainbow.

I love baseball...