Equality in the NBA

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Opened the USA Today Sports section to once more read about discrimination in baseball. Pleeeeeeease!

It seems that only 10% of all MLB players are black. And while I find that curious, I'm not real sure that there's a movement afoot to keep the black ballplayer out of the sport. Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, Sheffield, Sabathia...they aren't exactly oppressed.

What about us poor white folk?

We have just one token white guy on each NBA team. Where's our equality? Why didn't I get my chance to make it in the NBA?

It's simple - talent and desire. There are only a handful of black ice hockey players. Why not scream discrimination there?

Actually, it is a complex problem. Baseball takes organization and a lot of players to play. The equipment is expensive for inner city kids and there isn't a waiting ballpark. There's the inequality, I suppose, but it isn't a discriminatory thing. I seriously doubt that white owners are conspiring to keep the blacks out of the sport.

We have to be beyond that, right?

The thing that bothers me most about it is that I don't often think of it until someone cries discrimination. There isn't always something to blame and an inaccurate accusation of discrimination hurts the cause more than anything else.

Would I care if Jim Rice were black and was on the Yankees back in the 70's? Hell no, the man could flat out hit. As a kid, Reggie was my favorite player. I wore number 44 on all my uniform even though I hit more like Jesse Jackson than Reggie Jackson.

Whatever. I am just going to get behind a movement to get at least 50% of all NBA rosters filled with white folk.

Can you imagine?

LeBron and Kobe would average 100 a game.

Comments

Carrie Lynn Fazzolari said…
I just read an article on a Mississippi school that was ordered by a court - last week - to finally end the segregation of schools. This is 40 years after the bill became a law! Unfortunately, discrimination is still out there, and like you said, it's not happening at the top where the sports clubs are ruling out a race, but it does exist. Unfortunate. Happy that I don't live in Mississippi. (Aside from the discrimination, the word is a pain in the ass to type).
16 April, 2010
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