Our Racist Times
Often in sports we deal with issues that are mirrored in society. Nowadays we Americans like to feel that we are “multicultural” (A James Delany Teaneck High School mid ‘90’s buzz word). We try to avoid the subject of racism in our country, yet it still exists. The sports world is no different, we think we have come a long way but there is still progress to be made. As in society, the racism in the sports world can be very subtle, that is the best way to expand ones racist agenda, subtly.
On Sunday I received a phone call from one of my colleagues (by colleague I mean fat black friend, you know him as the anonymous long winded guy who writes comments on my blog) addressing the published reports about what Jose Canseco is going to reveal in his new tell all book; Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. His contention was that if Canseco had reported that he shoved a needle in Barry Bonds ass, the media outrage would have knocked the Super Bowl off the front page. I sat and I thought about this for a few minutes, and then passed out because I was thinking. When I came to I realized he may be right.
We don’t want Mark McGwire to be a steroid freak. When he was launching his assault on the record books he was referred to as Paul Bunyan, who is a mythical hero. He strategically places a bottle of androstendione in his locker to try and squash the rumors that he had needles hanging out of his ass. What happened, reporters bought it hook line and sinker, oh he just takes Andro, that is how he got so huge, how could we second guess Paul Bunyan, he is our hero. When Bonds was doing it he was referred to as a surly, malcontent who only cared about himself. The second rumors began to circulate about steroid use, his was the first name always mentioned and discussion began on what should happen to his records. Should we put the dreaded astericks next to his name, should he be forced to retire? How could this guy stain the game? Why couldn’t he just take Andro like Big Mac, everybody’s favorite hero? And lets be honest with ourselves, most of the media is controlled by white people. McGwire is up for the Hall of Fame this year, a list that was released 2 weeks ago, and I have not heard one reporter come out and openly say he would refuse to vote for Big Mac. Yet there are plenty of people who feel Bonds should not be a first ballot Hall of Fame player because of the allegations. What is the major difference in these 2 players? Plain and simple one is a white guy in a white country, the other is a black guy in a white country.
Yesterday, during the Super Bowl, Terrell Owens played one of the best games of his career, only a few weeks after surgery that installed screws and a plate to help repair a broken foot. I, along with a host of others, felt that T.O. would be ineffective. But he delivered a very heroic performance for his team. Afterward in front of a sea of reporters Owens openly said that if Brett Favre had done such a thing he would be praised up and down. While I agree with him I can’t help but think this is somewhat along the lines of some subtle racism. Yes Owens can be a jerk and he puts himself out there for ridicule, but whom do we remember for his heroic injury plagued playoff performance in the NFL? Jack Youngblood of the 1980 Rams. Will we be willing to put this performance up there with that? IF not, why not? Again could there be somewhat of a hidden race agenda? Now I am not trying to start something that isn’t there, I just think sometimes these subjects need to be addressed.
OLD SCHOOL RAP LYRIC OF THE WEEK:
My crew's all about loot Fuck lookin cute, I'm strictly Timb boots and army certified suits Puffin L's, laid back, enjoyin the smell In the Bridge gettin down it ain't hard to tell
Name the Artist and Song Title and win a prize.
On Sunday I received a phone call from one of my colleagues (by colleague I mean fat black friend, you know him as the anonymous long winded guy who writes comments on my blog) addressing the published reports about what Jose Canseco is going to reveal in his new tell all book; Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. His contention was that if Canseco had reported that he shoved a needle in Barry Bonds ass, the media outrage would have knocked the Super Bowl off the front page. I sat and I thought about this for a few minutes, and then passed out because I was thinking. When I came to I realized he may be right.
We don’t want Mark McGwire to be a steroid freak. When he was launching his assault on the record books he was referred to as Paul Bunyan, who is a mythical hero. He strategically places a bottle of androstendione in his locker to try and squash the rumors that he had needles hanging out of his ass. What happened, reporters bought it hook line and sinker, oh he just takes Andro, that is how he got so huge, how could we second guess Paul Bunyan, he is our hero. When Bonds was doing it he was referred to as a surly, malcontent who only cared about himself. The second rumors began to circulate about steroid use, his was the first name always mentioned and discussion began on what should happen to his records. Should we put the dreaded astericks next to his name, should he be forced to retire? How could this guy stain the game? Why couldn’t he just take Andro like Big Mac, everybody’s favorite hero? And lets be honest with ourselves, most of the media is controlled by white people. McGwire is up for the Hall of Fame this year, a list that was released 2 weeks ago, and I have not heard one reporter come out and openly say he would refuse to vote for Big Mac. Yet there are plenty of people who feel Bonds should not be a first ballot Hall of Fame player because of the allegations. What is the major difference in these 2 players? Plain and simple one is a white guy in a white country, the other is a black guy in a white country.
Yesterday, during the Super Bowl, Terrell Owens played one of the best games of his career, only a few weeks after surgery that installed screws and a plate to help repair a broken foot. I, along with a host of others, felt that T.O. would be ineffective. But he delivered a very heroic performance for his team. Afterward in front of a sea of reporters Owens openly said that if Brett Favre had done such a thing he would be praised up and down. While I agree with him I can’t help but think this is somewhat along the lines of some subtle racism. Yes Owens can be a jerk and he puts himself out there for ridicule, but whom do we remember for his heroic injury plagued playoff performance in the NFL? Jack Youngblood of the 1980 Rams. Will we be willing to put this performance up there with that? IF not, why not? Again could there be somewhat of a hidden race agenda? Now I am not trying to start something that isn’t there, I just think sometimes these subjects need to be addressed.
OLD SCHOOL RAP LYRIC OF THE WEEK:
My crew's all about loot Fuck lookin cute, I'm strictly Timb boots and army certified suits Puffin L's, laid back, enjoyin the smell In the Bridge gettin down it ain't hard to tell
Name the Artist and Song Title and win a prize.
3 Comments:
imperial wizard~
supposed to be doing paper, instead reading stupid blog~ while i do agree with you, i think it starts at the very top. owners exploit blacks and whites for the sake of getting money, and MONEY truly is the root of all evil. Slavery? Non-existant if money is not involved. The media is the most hypocritical group in America to me. In every facet of their lives, they pretty much try to dig up dirt on whoever they can, but in this case, the answer is much simplier. They want to dig up dirt on black players. It is no doubt that blacks dominate every support except hockey (absent) and golf (Tiger Woods DOES NOT COUNT anyway - Asians need a hero too). Every since we (we meaning powerful white people) integrated sports, we have tried to figure out ways to keep black athletes from achieving or to discredit their achievments. Just think about the stereotype in the 90's and now about how blacks couldn't be quarterbacks on a football team. What we were really saying is: we want to make the star of the team be white, just so that we can feel better about the other 10 guys on the field being black. Or we were saying: Blacks are too stupid to play quaterback. Either statement fits, but I really believe that money creates all the problems in our world today. About TO - I thought you were watching a MOVIE during the SB. Anyway, if Curt Schilling had lost the World Series for the Red Sox, in fans minds, his ankle tendons being stitched to his skin wouldn't have meant a DAMN thing. They would have said he didn't do enough...DITTO T.O. It's the catch-22 of being an injured star.
P.S. Please have your lazy ass in a better mood this week.
Imperial Wizard~
In my response above, i did not mean to make it seem as if the statement about blacks "fits" in terms of being correct. I meant to say that that was really how whites were acting towards black quarterbacks. just to clarify because i dont want to seem like i agreed with it, cuz i didnt.
Since I guess I started this, I should at least say a word.
Before I begin, it's funny to see the last replier quick to not sound like a racist. It makes me giggle to see/hear/read anyone backpedal on anything, even something as simple and sad as racism.
I grew up around too many American Jews and went to school with too many upper crust white Christian kids and work around and report on too many of that last group to call myself a rasist, even though I really wanna be one...
OK, seriously - with the TO thing, it's not that his team didn't win, it's the fact that there were journalists that were calling him selfish for TRYING TO PLAY WITH SCREWS IN HIS LEG and they weren't alone. That's the flip if it's Brett. No one would question Favre's heart about suiting up regardless of physical condition.
The Canseco book is another matter. I get ESPN radio out here in the media capital of the world, Jackson, Mississippi and I'll throw it on as I drive around the skyscrapers and luxury townhouse homes that litter this city. (None of you know if I'm telling the truth or lying cuz none of you have ever been here, thankfully).
I remember a couple of months back when The Magazine dropped the Clarrett interview where he starts naming names. I remember the calls that day and everyone was like "He's out for revenge," "Look at who's saying all this stuff" and how Clarrett couldn't be trusted and everything he said was false and what a bastard this guy was, even though all he wanted to do is play football in the NFL.
Then Andy Geiger comes out and the rest is history, but no one called and few people commented about the fact that Clarett was right. No one said, Maurice, we're sorry. NO ONE AT ALL.
I'm not saying Jose is 100 percent right. As many drugs as he took, he probably couldn't tell you what year he went 40-40 and what year he played for the Chicago White Sox, my only point is I'm not as quick to dismiss what he says as stupidity just to sell books.
And if you look at the numbers, it's really hard to hear McGwire as a first ballot HOF. Just compare to Jim Rice's stats and the only thing Big Mac's got is the only reason why everyone wants to put him in - the home runs.
Quick stat facts - Jim Rice: 78' MVP, six times in top 5 of MVP voting,
McGwire - Rookie of the Year in 87', three times in top 5 of MVP voting, highest was second behind Sosa in 98
Rice - 16 seasons 1451 RBIs, 373 2B, .298 BA
McGwire - 16 seasons 1414 RBIs, 252 2b, .263 BA
I could go on, but only true baseball geeks would be interested, but I'll leave you with McGwire is a modern day Dave Kingman in smaller parks and less pitching.
OK, he's a little better than Kingman, but you get the point.
GEORGE FOSTER OUT.
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