Racism in sports

[tornado]

it's in the news constantly and with the recent Clippers' owner statements - now some element of racism seems to work its way into every single topic in sports....

My personal feeling is that racism is actually rare and where it exists - once exposed (as in the Sterling case) it gets policed quite nicely without more rules and rants from activists...
Example - Sterling himself - with just one little audiotaped diatribe will lose his team, his respect, and millions....

Anyway - I think further rules and mandates to police racism are not necessary - there's enough in place already.
BUT - there are some interesting gray areas....
UC-Santa Barbara are the "Gauchos" and their fans holler "Ole', Ole'" and toss tortillas onto the basketball court....
Isn't that a little bit like this - LINK - or this - LINK

[BUspartan]

it's in the news constantly and with the recent Clippers' owner statements - now some element of racism seems to work its way into every single topic in sports....

My personal feeling is that racism is actually rare and where it exists - once exposed (as in the Sterling case) it gets policed quite nicely without more rules and rants from activists...
Example - Sterling himself - with just one little audiotaped diatribe will lose his team, his respect, and millions....

Anyway - I think further rules and mandates to police racism are not necessary - there's enough in place already.
BUT - there are some interesting gray areas....
UC-Santa Barbara are the "Gauchos" and their fans holler "Ole', Ole'" and toss tortillas onto the basketball court....
Isn't that a little bit like this - LINK - or this - LINK

If you're strictly talking about American sports, then yeah, i agree. It's rare. There's always going to be outliers, such as the Baltimore fan, who ironically lives in one of the most "urban" areas in the country. The examples with students i think are just ignorance. They don't mean harm by chanting "ole ole", or anything along those lines.

But when you go overseas and talk about professional soccer, then there's a definite issue. I seem to hear something about a banana or something similar almost monthly, whether it's Italy, Spain, or Russia, and it's good the athletes don't retaliate, as, A) it could incite a riot (which they don't need more of) and B) i think the fan would get seriously hurt by these world class athletes. Do you really want to throw down with Didier Drogba? Don't think so.

[tornado]

spartie - people are sooooo sensitive to words and symbolism...sometimes I think they just live to find an oportunity to take off and rant about perceived injustices because they have few accomplishments of their own to be proud of.

That's why the banana is instantly viewed as offensive...and Howard Cosell's inadvertent (and widely agreed had no intent of being racist) comments about "little monkey" created such a firestorm...
...as did completely harmless words that have NO connection to race like these examples.... LINK ... LINK ...

Interestingly though, similar words like gypped, Indian giver, & cotton picking, kraut, etc...have gotten a pass. Wonder why?

[TNel]

I can remember a night back in the mid '50s, as we were coming out of the locker room for warm-ups, a fan for the opposing team threw a big old dead fish onto center court of our home gym. It was Friday night and my team was Spalding Institute. We actually thought it was kinda funny.

[peterwade75]

I think I can offer a unique perspective on this. My father is black, My mother is white, but most people can not tell this just by looking at me. So I have experienced quite a bit of prejudicial and racial ignorance my entire life because people act who they really are around me without thinking anything of it. For instance, at work I've heard multiple times "they all look alike to me". Or banana, fried chicken and watermelon jokes. Even a few months ago a joke comparing Oprah to a silver back gorilla.

It is funny that in my experience, it has usually been white people who say racism isn't that bad and then they turn around and make jokes or say "I'm not racist but I'd never let my kid marry one of them. "

Trust me, racism is alive and kicking, and it doesn't go just for one race either.

[tornado]

Trust me, racism is alive and kicking, and it doesn't go just for one race either.

I know but...and I have more than a passing interest in this issue for reasons that are as clear as your reasons....
..where racism was once overt, bold, and right in the very face of the people it hurt most - now it is relegated to far scarcer, behind the scenes or "secret" jokes or comments - that you'd have to admit are little more damaging than "short" jokes, "fat" jokes, "nerd" jokes, jokes about someone's religious behavior or faith, etc....

Three of our children are Black, we go everywhere with them, almost every place I go there's 99% white people - and I can say resolutely that I have never seen, heard, nor even suspected even once that someone who saw them made a racist comment, or even had a racist feeling towards them. Who knows, maybe someone cracked a joke that I did not hear but what amounts to racism in my eyes would have to be more than that - someone openly spouting racism or treating us differently - instead - for the most part people go way out of their way to treat us nicely - almost the diametric opposite of racism.

Certainly this would not have been the case in the 1950's USA or in even the 1970's southern part of the USA - to me it is extremely strong proof that racism is nowhere hear what it was a couple decades ago - maybe not even 1%...but not to say there aren't still pockets of and examples of severe racial hatred...
but you sure don't get that idea listening to the race-jockeys like Sharpton and Jesse who rant that it is no better now than it was 100 years ago .. and who go even one step further and try to paint anyone (like me) who dares think it is better as ignorant and part of the problem.
Nope, Jesse, there are far, far more serious parts of the problem, but the race-jockeys keep pointing out phony reasons.

[Da Coach]

I think I can offer a unique perspective on this. My father is black, My mother is white, but most people can not tell this just by looking at me. So I have experienced quite a bit of prejudicial and racial ignorance my entire life because people act who they really are around me without thinking anything of it. For instance, at work I've heard multiple times "they all look alike to me". Or banana, fried chicken and watermelon jokes. Even a few months ago a joke comparing Oprah to a silver back gorilla.

It is funny that in my experience, it has usually been white people who say racism isn't that bad and then they turn around and make jokes or say "I'm not racist but I'd never let my kid marry one of them. "

Trust me, racism is alive and kicking, and it doesn't go just for one race either.

That is a fascinating perspective peterwade, and it would be interesting to hear more of your experiences. I grew up in a suburb that was 100% white, and went all the way through high school without ever knowing anyone other than white kids. So as a result, I was rarely ever personally exposed to racial issues, until I got to college and in the workplace, though I was certainly aware of them since it was the 1960's.

Your story reminded me of one of the most interesting books I read when I was in high school and one that is still quite relevant today- "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Like_Me

It is somewhat the opposite of your experience. It is about a white journalist who darkens his skin and travels through the segregated south and passes as a black man. He wrote a journal about his experiences with racism, which came from both whites and other blacks.
It was also been made into a film that did not have quite the impact of the book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Like_Me_(film)

[peterwade75]

I think another thing to consider is whether or not racism is less because people have changed or because people are afraid of the consequences. I think many times it is the latter.

I can remember one time in the late 80's where we were in a dairy queen and they would not serve us. Every one in the restaurant ignored us like we were not there, would not acknowledge we existed. Just keep looking to the next person behind our family saying "can we help you? "

I don't think this would happen today, but I'm not sure it is because everyone has changed, more that consequences are greater.

So how this relates to sports? Obviously it still exists and unfortunately goes both ways. A lot of guys wanted go guard me cause I was "the white guy". Michael Jordan recently admits he used to hate white people. Not sure if it'll ever go away, but it is less open.

[tornado]

...Not sure if it'll ever go away, but it is less open.

agree but I'd go a step further - that we sure don't need more politicians and activists to get involved, impose mire rules, and law, and affirmative action programs....enough is enough - let the "free market" and "market of public opinion" settle the score

[peterwade75]

I agree tornado. I could rant for days against al and jesse. They are more of the problem than solution.

[Canton BU fan]

White men can't jump. Is that a racist statement? It would be if in reverse.

[tornado]

It has been well known and documented that college recruiters when talking by phone and discussing high schoolers' stats - especially running backs - will ask "is he Black or white"?

If they hear the answer they don't want to hear - they stop recuiting the kid.