Race in Society

This article about racial opportunity in sports and in the society is one of the things that I do think about when I watch sports or have discussions with my friends about the United States society or the split in sports between blacks and whites. Even though I wasn't alive during the Martin Luther King era, he was still one of the most influential people that I've watched in a film, read in books, or discussed among peers and family. Without MLK doing the things that he did, along with the others that stood beside him to help get equality in the United States, I don't think that the black and white society will be as accepting as we are now. Even though there are still people, black and white, that doesn't like the other race, I feel that he helped speed the process up and get people to realize that we can live with each other.

According to this article, 36% blacks and 65% whites think that there are equal opportunities in sports. I feel that there aren't as many opportunities for whites as there are blacks in basketball and football. Since the game is changing and evolving, coaches look for the bigger and more athletic players that can do more on the field and court. That doesn't mean that whites aren't going to be good, but coaches are looking for the players that can do more for their team to win. There are plenty of athletes, black and white, that play football, basketball, baseball, and even hockey, but the majority of African-American athletes are interested in playing football and basketball. Both races have the equal opportunities to play the two major sports in America, but I feel that the African-American race has a greater chance of succeeding due to athleticism, not necessarily skill, because skills can be learned with practice unlike athleticism.

A huge factor growing up in my life that influenced me to play basketball was the great Michael Jordan. In my eyes he is the greatest player of all time, regardless of the time that he played in. Even though I was only able to watch him play and dominate the game for a couple years I remember, he helped shaped the game of basketball for players after him, even though he wasn't the first African-American player in the history of the NBA. Jordan is the only African-American owner of a sports franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, which he purchased from another African-American Robert Johnson according to the article. Also according to the article 47% of white sports fans believe blacks have fewer opportunities to be owners and 44% believe blacks have the same opportunities. I personally feel that they have fewer opportunities as well, but I don't think I would want an African-American running a team unless he has business knowledge as well as the knowledge of the sport in detail. Jordan for example, he was a great player when he played, but I don't think he is a good business man. Since Jordan has taken over the Bobcats, they haven't been close to making the postseason and have ranked among the top worse teams in the NBA. There are other teams that are just as bad, but these other teams are competitive and making strides to being better in the future. The Bobcats on the other hand have shown no signs of life in being competitive and getting better in the future.

Another man that played the game of basketball that wasn't mentioned in the article is Allen Iverson. Iverson influence a handful of young, black basketball players