Re: Racism in the NBA and NFL
I think the NFL policy is a very sound one, it's been around forever, and it makes sense.
The NBA dress code is simple. The players keep talking about how it's a business. How they are business men. Well, if you are a part of the business world, part of that includes looking a certain part in order to satisfy those who are paying your bills. You can't have it both ways. Obviously since the league's predominantly black, it could be perceived as racist, but it affects Jason Williams as much as Jay Williams. The demand that athletes dress professionally with pride is not a new one, it's just the first time that it's really needed to be enforced. And it's not like the NBA dress code is particularly strenuous.
As for the draft, that was 100% a business decision. Too many teams were tying up valuable cap space and roster spots on players they needed to teach how to play. It was costing teams money. The need for the age minimum is on the surface totally bogus (no one whines when 14 year old white girls play tennis for $) but from the league's perspective, it's a decision made to protect their teams. If the new D-League works out, the NBA may very well reverse course when the CBA comes up again. But until then, they just don't want people shelling out cash and roster spots to Darko Milicic.
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