It seems that St. Louis doesn’t have any African Americans interested in the NCAA Final Four. All the faces you see on TV speaking of the event are white. All the powers-that-be that are being quoted in the Post-Dispatch are white. The downtown musical entertainment is targeted to whites. The SportsEye’s guess is that the mainstream thinks blacks should be happy that black players dominate the rosters of the Final Four.
The St. Louis American has received photo and press credentials for Super Bowls, the Major League Baseball postseason (including the World Series), the NHL playoffs, the U.S. Senior Open, etc. However, the American does not qualify for a photo credential to the NCAA Final Four. The same folks who are throwing this big party for the NCAA have not done much to promote diversity during the past month.
It’s a shame, because the world is more than basketball games and galas.
The reality is that St. Louis is a racially divided city, and the obvious exclusion of blacks in the decision-making, marketing and media representation of the Final Four will remain a sore spot long after this weekend is over.