-- By RobertCorp - 11 June 2008
Professional sport is often offered as an example of racial equality in America. Young black men earn great fame and fortune and are adopted as “heroes”, all of which is used as evidence of a lack of racism. In reality, sport is a mechanism that reinforces and maintains white supremacy.
A lack of opportunity in other facets of life results in a great number of black youths dedicating their lives to success in sports. A small number of athletes achieve financial success, but a great percentage of those who pursue sports careers fail.
The claim is not that the sports industry is a conspiracy formed with the hopes of creating a cycle of failure predicated on pipe-dreams about sports careers within poor black communities; rather, the point is that the economic effects that result from the cycle are bad for the communities.
Another statistic worth considering is that only one owner in all of major American sports is black. The ownership issue is more of a reflection of economic realities that are the byproduct of social forces far more powerful and perverse than sports, but the fact must be considered in any consideration of race in American sports.
These facts refute the suggestion that sports are a vehicle for black empowerment. While many blacks have made fortunes in sports, the lack of ownership demonstrates the lack of power held within the very institution that would appear to be the best avenue to equality.
A lack of ownership results in a lack of autonomy. Black athletes work in settings where those of different backgrounds set the norms. The underrepresentation of blacks within coaching, executive, and ownership ranks is also demonstrated in the stands of sporting events; ticket costs largely price out the classes from which many athletes arise.
Blacks have very little potential to rise from employee to employer, a demonstration of the persistence of segregation within the system. The modern athlete is thus a servant, albeit a well paid one. The ability of professional athletes to have a voice in their workplace is weakened by the public outcry that comes with high salaries, making their cause an unsympathetic one.
The subtext of discussion about character is important to consider from a racial perspective. Professional baseball has faced an onslaught of public criticism, and a congressional investigation, over a steroid controversy which may have involved 50% of the league. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/12/sports/baseball/12caminiti.html . Despite the scope of the abuse, the “character” of ballplayers has not been questioned intensely. While homerun totals are looked at skeptically, the scandal has been mostly compartmentalized.
The league that endures the most damage as a result of its “image problem” is the NBA, the sport with the highest percentage of black athletes. The league has a generation of young, likable superstars, yet constantly struggles with the “thug” label. The NBA has embarked upon a successful charity campaign, NBA Cares, and has made a concerted effort to help in the recovery of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (by ensuring the longevity of its NBA franchise and hosting the 2008 All Star Game in the city).
The scorn the NBA faces seems to be a result of tattooed players, a perceived closeness with the rap industry, and an infamous in-game brawl. These issues within the league would seem far less egregious for the overall moral integrity of a sport than the unabashed cheating of up to half of its players, but this has not been the case
It is the league’s right to enforce a dress code to uphold its image; however, the timing of the recourse demonstrates its purpose was to address the league’s “hip hop” image. Such efforts highlight the conformity that is forced upon black athletes through the norms of a class that they mostly do not come from. The empowered class, through such measures, rejects the culture of those athletes that the league depends on; this is alienation.