It’s really hard for us to take sports seriously these days, as the dark side seems to make a daily appearance via the media. The NFL and NBA cannot seem to get out of their own way.
As for the NBA, welcome to Stereotyping 101. Yes, they really have a mess in Atlanta with the Hawks. You have an owner who is selling his portion of the team because he turned himself into the league for a racist email he wrote that was for inner-office eyes only. Something is fishy about that, considering he wrote the email two years ago. It sounds like someone had the goods on him, hence the reason for him to get out without further damage, as he had already tried to sell the team once before.
No, I am not all in on the explanation, but it’s one less racist to worry about, as co owner Bruce Levenson will soon be out. That is not the only problem the Hawks have, as their General Manager Danny Ferry had some unflattering remarks in describing then potential free agent Luol Deng. Deng, who is from Africa, was considered “too African” in the eyes of Ferry, as he did not feel he was trustworthy according to a stereotypical description of players from the continent. Once Ferry was busted, he later apologized for his crude remarks. He was internally disciplined and has taken a leave of absence. Why is he still employed? Maybe he has the goods on someone.
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony recently stated that the Hawks will now have a hard time getting free agents to sign with them because of the racial turmoil. Even the most ardent racist would have a tough time defending the actions of Ferry, but then again if you give one of them time they will have a demented reason why Ferry has a point. It’s how they roll.
Mind you, Danny Ferry is not the only one who harbors those feelings. He just got caught saying it. Ferry’s sentiments exist in all sports. The code words are used by front office personnel, coaches, assistant coaches and even media members. Here are some to terms to follow:
White athletes are always “heady.” They have “high” (whatever the sport may be) “IQs.”
Black players are “struggling with the system” or need to be “more committed.”
White players show “moxie” and “toughness.”
Black players “dog it” too much or just play with the “athletic skill set” they have and nothing else.
If you are a Latin ball player, it can be even worse, as your IQ, commitment, ability to learn the language will be questioned, and you’re likely to be called a “show off” or “hot dog.”
There are countless more that are used but they are normally used in comfortable surroundings.
No, Danny Ferry is not the sole problem here. He may not even lose his job, and that should not be a major surprise as there are plenty like him all sports. They will now be more selective in who they talk to and what they now email out.
In the NFL, we have lack of integrity at the top, botched internal investigations, positive drugs test for everything short of bad breath, domestic violence and now parental abuse by one its best players (and a sure-fire pick by any right-thinking fantasy football player), and yet no one has paid the price with their job, as the owners have been hoodwinked by the worst commissioner in the history of sports, Roger Goodell.
That’s saying something, considering commissioners like Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis in baseball went out of his way to make sure black players would have a hard time playing in the majors on his watch. Landis even went out of his way to try to dilute the single-season home run mark set by Roger Maris because it would have overshadowed his friend Babe Ruth.
How about Burt Bell of the NFL? The then commissioner of the NFL buddied up with one of the most devout racists in sports, the onetime owner of the Washington team, George Preston Marshall, to prevent black players from playing in the NFL until the late forties. Yes, these guys make Roger Goodell look like candidates for the next Pope, only practicing Catholics may even call time out on that one.
To waste more time on the woes of the NFL would be fruitless until there is new leadership. While I will not hold my breath, I do hold out hope that fans, organizations and whoever else can see this ship is sinking will rise up and hit the league in a vulnerable spot – their wallet – to garner their attention. It will take a few of the NFL’s corporate sponsors to feel the pressure from their customers to force a change.
It will take a concerted effort, but no company wants to be cast in unfavorable light because of the company they keep. The challenge will be that the NFL is so powerful and at times intimidating that they can put a protest down as if they were storm troopers of the Republic Guard of Sadam Hussein in his heyday. But this will be the only way things can be changed unless there is another scandal awaiting that hits the commissioner closer to home or he is caught in a lie, whereas the owners would have no choice but to shop around for credibility’s sake.
These leagues make billions of dollars a year off of fans who support their sport, and they really could care less what you and I think. It’s your move now. Do you want to be heard, or are you just prepared to shake your head and move on to the next game?
