To Some, First American to Win NYC Marathon Since 1982 Is Not American Enough

[BurtWorm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/sports/03runner.html?_r=1&hp



As soon as Mebrahtom Keflezighi, better known as Meb, won the New York City Marathon on Sunday, an uncommon sports dispute erupted online, fraught with racial and nationalistic components: Should Keflezighi’s triumph count as an American victory?

But, some said, because he was born in Eritrea, he is not really an American runner.

The debate reveals what some academics say are common assumptions and stereotypes about race and sports and athletic achievement in the United States. Its dimensions, they add, go beyond the particulars of Keflezighi and bear on undercurrents of nationalism and racism that are not often voiced.

“Race is still extremely important when you think about athletics,” said David Wiggins, a professor at George Mason University who studies African-Americans and sports. “There is this notion about innate physiological gifts that certain races presumably possess. Quite frankly, I think it feeds into deep-seated stereotypes. The more blatant forms of racial discrimination and illegal forms have been eliminated, but more subtle forms of discrimination still exist.”

There are few cases parallel to Keflezighi’s in American sports. Some are noteworthy because of how little discussion, by comparison, they generated over the athlete’s nationality. For example, the Hall of Fame basketball player Patrick Ewing (Jamaica) and the gold medal gymnast Nastia Liukin (Russia) were born abroad, but when they represented the United States in competition, they seemingly did not encounter the same skepticism that Keflezighi has.

Richard Lapchick, the director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, said the argument about Keflezighi “tells us there are people that still have racial red flags go up when certain things happen.”

...

[trotsky]

1. "But, some said, because he was born in Eritrea, he is not really an American runner."

Those "some" are Grade A idiots.

[Javaman]

2. People are stupid.

so I guess my Italian relatives that were born in Italy, became American Citizens and help brick a good portion of the buildings in NYC, means those same buildings were built not be real Americans but by some foreigners.

people are stupid.

Mebrahtom Keflezighi is an American. Period.

[angstlessk]

3. I rec'd this because I think it is important, the one's I unrec are ones

that are just spin and promote division...this I think is a thoughtful piece that would make one think about racism, ie the Patric Ewing analogy, one does not even ask when they are white.

[elleng]

4. As Ewing was at Georgetown Univ,

'Having immigrated to the United States at age 12, he is an American citizen and a product of American distance running programs at the youth, college and professional levels.'

[BurtWorm]

5. That should end the discussion right there for anyone with more than a pea for a brain.

:patriot:

[elleng]

6. Of course,

but most G'twn fans at the time didn't even THINK about where he was born, prolly because of his anglo name.

[ellie]

7. He's great!

I watched him the marathon on the Olympics several years ago. He ran for the U.S. GO Meb!

[Celebration]

8. Let me guess

Hmmmm. Same subset of people as the BIRTHERS?

[Contrary1]

9. That headline needs some editing...

To Some, First American to Win NYC Marathon Since 1982 Is Not American White Enough

There, that's more like it.