|
|
|
Advantages of Martial Arts for Kids
Martial arts are still considered a rather controversial subject, and the unfortunate misconception that they can promote violence is still present. However, just a little research will show any parent that martial arts promote the exact opposite of...
Great For Beginners - The Inflatable Sit-On-Top Kayak
For beginners, inflatable kayaks are usually the place to start
learning. Sit-on-top models have introduced many people to this
growing sport.
Inflatable kayaks are a great way to go for leisure and
recreational purposes. Inflatable...
Land Casinos Vs. Online Casinos
Since the emergence of a few online casinos in 1996, the growth and popularity of the online gambling industry has skyrocketed at a phenomenal rate. There are currently thousands of online casinos generating an estimated annual revenue of over...
Ness Notes (Jan 3)
The bowl season is just about over, with only tonight's Orange
Bowl (Fla St/Penn St) and Wednesday's Rose Bowl (not sure who's
playing in that one?) remaining.
Through the first 10 bowls, favorites won each game but were
just 5-5 ATS....
That's a home run!
Its a Hit!
Baseball is a favorite game of the Americans. No wonder it is the national sport of the United States of America. No one can say with much certainty when this game originated but according to some accounts it is said to have begun...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Decline of the American Black Athlete in Sports
It has been almost 60 years since Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, and now blacks dominate Major League Baseball. Even so, blacks were kept out of the more “intellectual” positions or sports. In the NFL, Quarterback was a tough position to crack. Willie Thrower is on record as the first black to start an NFL game, but it was one time only. It took 15 years before history repeated itself in the AFL, and Warren Moon to path the way for McNabb, McNair and Vick who are built in the same mold.
In the NBA, Blacks began to take over the league at around the same time ratings and attendance figures dropped. While it was very politically correct to credit Johnson along with Larry Bird for the league’s revival, Magic would have been just another line in the long list of talented black ball player had he not had a white rival. When the Olympics opened the door for professional athletes in 1992, the US sent over THE DREAM TEAM. On that team you had 11 of the best NBA players (only Mullin and Stockton where white), and 1 college throw in. That team, and the next 2 won gold easily. The US became so cocky, that it thought it could send of a rooster of any black kid, and win gold just as easily. Maybe white men can’t jump, but they can damn sure reach gold with their shooting, so the Americans had to settle for Bronze. And they were lucky to get away with anything. They took such a beating that they will have to redo their entire image. If there is one thing I can guarantee, it is that they will not be called the Dream Team for the 2008 Olympics and that they will go back to having a few white players.
The 90’s continued to be great for the black athletes as Tiger Woods emerged to become the most dominant golfer of the modern age. Considering that at the time Tiger had emerged as a professional, many black Americans were still not even allowed to play at the courses he was wining on. From 1997 to 2002 (okay, 98 was an off year), people were not asking if he was going to break all of Hogan’s and Nicklaus’ records, but when, or what could stop him. According
to the movie, “Undercover Brother”, white women are the black man’s kryptonite. That appears to be what happened to Tiger since his career tanked after he married his Swedish bombshell girlfriend. If Tiger cannot recover his old form, he may in fact be remembered as more of an Arthur Ashe, as a great player who broke a barrier, rather than broke records.
Obviously, we cannot mention Ashe without getting into Tennis and the Williams sisters. Venus was the first to spring forward and start winning on the WTA tour. She even bested her sister when they first played against each other. However, after dominated in the pairs together, Serena came into her own, beat her sister and took the number 1 ranking. Both Serena Williams and Tiger Woods at one point won four majors in a row in their respective sports, but neither are recognized as they did not happen in a calendar year. While both Venus and Serena have faced injuries (Venus more so), it is more their concentration to other business ventures that may be accounting for their poor showing over the last 2 years.
In baseball, the black American is in shorter and shorter demand. They are temper mental, arrogant, and self-centered (Hello Barry Bonds, Milton Bradley). In football, they cannot seem to guide their team to a championship. Black people today seem to be attracted to the BLING BLING, to SHOWTIME and HIGHLIGHT REELS. They make cell-phone calls after touchdowns, fight with their teammates in the dugouts, or fans in their seats. They would rather push through two defenders than hit their teammate for an open shot. There may be no “I” in team, but there is apparently no $ in unselfish. Magic Johnson played all 5 positions. Michael Jordan passed to Steve Kerr to win a championship. Warren Moon played in the CFL!! This is not a Bill Cosby cheap shot, this is a warning. Get your game together, or face getting played out by people that put the team ahead of points.
About the Author
Gary Whittaker is the editor of T.E.N Magazine, a webzine with balls! Check out more at http://www.tenwebzine.com
|
|
|
|
|
|