Racism in the NBA and NFL

[SammyKid11]

The more and more I look at this thing, the more I believe that both leagues have instituted racist policies that negatively portray and affect black players.

Point #1: NFL Draft Requirements.
For the NFL you have to be TWO FULL YEARS out of high school in order to be eligible for the draft. Now, I know the NFL claims this is due to the physical nature of the game, that younger bodies aren't matured enough to make the leap to the NFL, etc. But give me a break...Mike Williams wasn't ready to play NFL ball after his freshman year at USC? Horse crap. Yeah, it's a rarity that a kid's ready to play NFL ball at 19 or 20 years old, but when he IS ready, he ought to be given the opportunity to at least have his abilities judged via competition by NFL GM's. These people are adults, and they ought to have a right to work up to their ability-level just like every other adult.

Case #2: NBA Draft Requirements.
As we all know, the NBA has just banned HS-to-pro drafting. This is in SPITE of the fact that a surprisingly high number of guys that went from HS to the NBA have done very well. HS draftees have a higher percentage of guys still in the NBA after 5 years than do college/overseas draftees, they have a lower percentage of guys with off-court legal issues than do college/overseas draftees, and they represent many of the game's most electrifying stars, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tracy McGrady. These guys weren't READY to play in the NBA after they were done with HS? Come ON. Right to work being denied (and it's almost always with black athletes...let's face it, very few white people have the innate basketball ability at age 18 to play in the NBA).

To the above two points, consider this. Michelle Wie just turned professional at age 16. No one seems to have a problem with all the money she's going to be making, or whether she'll be able to handle all the power that comes with that money. Same thing with soccer, tennis, ice skating, hockey and baseball (where the majority of great prospects DO come straight from HS to the minors, signing fat bonuses along the way). The only two major sports that seem to have a problem with young guys being professionals and earning lots of money are the two major sports that are dominated by black athletes. I believe this is reflective of white society-at-large. It simply isn't as threatening to society to see an asian teenage girl making 50k/week at golf, or a good ole corn-fed white boy getting a 500k signing bonus to play in the Cubs farm system, or watch Jennifer Capriati win tennis tourneys at 15 (though she messed herself up pretty good). But it IS threatening to most of the powers-that-be in this country for an 18-year old black kid from the Bronx to jump straight outta high school and make more money in one year than most of us will see over the next 30. For whatever reason, we feel much more comfortable forcing these gifted black athletes into the indentured servitude of the NCAA, where they can work for free for a few years making rich white people even richer...all the while being required to act like a college student whether they're qualified for that or not, and all the while being denied most opportunities at having a job (due to the time constraints of college + athletics AND NCAA rules making it difficult for college athletes to obtain decent-paying jobs for fear that it might be someone, gasp, rewarding them for what they do on the field/court).

It's truly sickening when you really think about it...racism and ageism char-grilled and served on a "you have no rights" bun and topped with Massa's Special Sauce.

And today, I wake up and see that the NBA will be instituting a dress code, punishable by fines and suspension. They even specify what ISN'T acceptable...do-rags, throwback jerseys, big chain necklaces, etc. Hmm...does it sound like they're targeting Fred Hoiberg...or does it sound like they're targeting Allen Iverson? They're basically saying, "hey ni***rs, you either dress like white people or we're gonna take you out back and string you up."

Yeah, the NBA's gonna claim they're trying to "clean up" their image...projecting a more business-oriented, corporate look. But why is that necessarily a good thing? Why is it that corporate, white America has a monopoly on how to dress? Why is it that do-rags and throwback jerseys and gold chains aren't acceptable but button-down shirts with stuffy collars and useless things you tie around your neck and gold things you put in the cuffs of your shirt ARE acceptable? It's because the former are fashion trends started by black people, and the latter are fashion trends started by white people.

The more I think about it, the more disgusting it all seems. Comments, thoughts?

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
(and it's almost always with black athletes...let's face it, very few white people have the innate basketball ability at age 18 to play in the NBA)

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Racist

[Asufiji2004]

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(and it's almost always with black athletes...let's face it, very few white people have the innate basketball ability at age 18 to play in the NBA)

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Racist

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Maybe, but prove him wrong. To the OP everything you said with the exception of the above is complete B.S.

[SammyKid11]

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(and it's almost always with black athletes...let's face it, very few white people have the innate basketball ability at age 18 to play in the NBA)

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Realist

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FYP. Name for me a white athlete these rules have affected. Even if you can, I promise you I can name you ten black athletes for every one white athlete you can name, and a hundred more white athletes in other, white-dominated sports who were not hampered by such rules. Bottom-line, PRETENDING that these rules are aimed at whites and blacks equally is what's racist.

[SammyKid11]

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(and it's almost always with black athletes...let's face it, very few white people have the innate basketball ability at age 18 to play in the NBA)

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Racist

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Maybe, but prove him wrong. To the OP everything you said with the exception of the above is complete B.S.

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Then follow your own advice. YOU prove me wrong instead of just calling it B.S.

[Asufiji2004]

The NHL's requirement is 19 or 21 if they have played at least 1 year of hockey in North America at age 18, 19, or 20. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this effects mostly white guys.

[SammyKid11]

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The NHL's requirement is 19 or 21 if they have played at least 1 year of hockey in North America at age 18, 19, or 20. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this effects mostly white guys.

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This is your thorough rebuttal proving that "everything" I said in my original post was B.S.? Fine, I shouldn't have included hockey because I don't know f-all about it. Respond to the arguments I'm making, though, or quit blanketly calling them BS.

[SammyKid11]

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The NHL's requirement is 19 or 21 if they have played at least 1 year of hockey in North America at age 18, 19, or 20. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this effects mostly white guys.

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HA...okay, before I even grant that...cite a source. Google NHL age requirement and there's an article from Syracuse University that cites CBS on the NHL's age requirement being 18 or graduated from high school.

[Josh W]

I'll address the NBA somewhat.

See, the NBA is entering a bit of a dichotomy. Smaller and smaller arenas with more and more luxury suites is making it so predominantly wealthy (which, in this nation means white) people are the ones attending the games.

Since white people are the ones 'supporting' the NBA, Stern knows that he needs to make the league marketable to white people, to large corporations who buy the luxury suites, etc.

There was an interesting debate on TNT last year during halftime of a game. I don't recall who was participating in the discussion, but somebody made the point that the league doesn't need more white people per se, just more people that the white masses can relate to. This may mean fewer Jason Williams, and more Ray Allens, or it may mean more "clean cut white guys".

But if the NBA's image is "an 18-year old black kid from the Bronx" flashing bling, then the ticket buyers won't relate.

In the last couple of years the NBA has been on some thin ice, financially. If the NHL hadn't gone on strike last year, it would have been interesting to see how the casual sports fan would have looked at the NBA, especially after the early season "Players vs. Fans" brawl in Detroit.

Stern knows he needs to market the league to his bread and butter, the rich white guys. He knows that he needs to change (or, as some put it, clean up) the image in order to do that.

And by doing this, Stern is making sure that the players will still be able to afford their bling for decades to come. Stern is the one guy looking at the bigger picture.

Now, if you wanted to claim that many casual sports fans are racist, well, you **might** have something.

Josh

As for the NFL your example gave the one position that might be able to survive in the NFL. Every other position would get their ass kicked, which is why the rule is in place.