FieldThrower
Guru
I think it is. The reason being not sheer numbers and participation percentage compared to total population, but the fact that certain positions are discouraged to certain races, if not forbidden outright. It is the caste sport, and this site is aptly named. It is more of a black/non-black system, but there are some exceptions.
- Quarterbacks, in spite of constant pressure to change it, tend to be white or non-black. This is really a matter of owners choosing between political expediency, and the reality of on-field performance. They can get by where the difference is marginal or even in favor of blacks.
- Kickers and punters are almost always white, and many are from other countries where soccer is popular. Not many give a hoot about this position (cue Adam Sandler's song), so it is likely to be a safe position, due to its lack of "sexiness". Make no mistake, if blacks wanted it, it would probably be another in a long line of position casualties for prospective white players seeking a football career. The position and function, not to mention players themselves, almost seem like they belong in another sport. I often think the only reason they keep them in is to justify the game being called "foot-ball".
- Feature Running backs, outside receivers and Cornerbacks are almost all black. What few white receivers exist in the NFL are slot and tight ends. A few good college RBs get put on the training table to become a more mobile 7th or lineman, otherwise known as "fullback".
- Offensive line is fairly white (with a few Asian, Latino and Polynesian anomalies), but as is often pointed out here, the black sumo movement is strong, especially with the success of the Dallas Cowboy lines of the 90s.
- Pretty much all defensive positions have gone black. Outside linebacker, inside backer, safety and defensive end are the 4 types of position still open to whites, but you have to be really good to get a spot on a team, let alone start. Defensive tackle and some linebacker spots will sometimes have Polynesian players. The only DBs I can think of of that ethnicity is Troy Polamalu and Aaron Francisco (even he looks a little mixed to me - and his surname is definitely Spanish).
Sure in baseball you have a few stereotyped races like the Caribbean shortstop or 2nd baseman, the white farmboy catcher, the fast black centerfielder, the big Afro-Caribbean power hitter, or the big husky white first baseman (preferably with a mustashe) (basically all these position stereotypes are cast into the Major League movies), but I can think of no position in baseball where someone of any participating race hasn't been allowed to play when they were good enough.
Same goes for basketball, boxing, MMA, and practically every other sport where blacks participate in large numbers. Sure basketball is pretty bad as far as a disproportionate amount of blacks, but I think part of this is the popularity of "street ball" in inner cities, and the tendency of the west African race's members to be tall and somewhat slender. But the thing about basketball is, every position on the court has a few instances of white players. No positions are off-limits, though whites may be relegated to certain "roles" sometimes.
Everything short of Olympic-level sprinting is pretty inclusive compared to football. Blacks clearly dominate sprinting events, and few here will argue otherwise. It's just a matter of slight genetic differences that make them a few fractions of a second better at pure sprints. I have no problem with that, though I do wonder what times whites are capable of if their potential was fully tapped into. Most resources in serious sprint countries go into training top black sprinters, while most top white sprinters are in smaller countries like Poland, Ireland, former Soviet countries and so on.
The idea that football is all about sprinting, however, is ludicrous. There has never been a top sprinter to successfully carry over to football. Besides, I think what really hurts football is the mentality of some coaches. In spite of what they may say, they want violent street thugs as gladiators on the "Sunday at the Coliseum", just like Romans wanted slaves and convicts in their gladiator "events". I honestly think that coaches like Jerry Glanville, Jimmy Johnson, and Al Davis, if given two otherwise completely identical players of equal talent - one from the street who has served time, and the other an honor student in high school who chose football over another profession out of the love of the game - these thug lovers would choose player number 1 every time.
Plus the media loves these guys that act like "badasses" on and off the football field. It's not just a black/white thing. Being a BYU fan, I know how differently the media treated brash and rebellious Jim McMahon over the other "Boy Scout" BYU quarterbacks. The mass media is by and large an entertainment business. They will take the easy road to ratings and magazine sales over promoting a clean cut model citizen. That's just "boring".
Edited by: FieldThrower
- Quarterbacks, in spite of constant pressure to change it, tend to be white or non-black. This is really a matter of owners choosing between political expediency, and the reality of on-field performance. They can get by where the difference is marginal or even in favor of blacks.
- Kickers and punters are almost always white, and many are from other countries where soccer is popular. Not many give a hoot about this position (cue Adam Sandler's song), so it is likely to be a safe position, due to its lack of "sexiness". Make no mistake, if blacks wanted it, it would probably be another in a long line of position casualties for prospective white players seeking a football career. The position and function, not to mention players themselves, almost seem like they belong in another sport. I often think the only reason they keep them in is to justify the game being called "foot-ball".
- Feature Running backs, outside receivers and Cornerbacks are almost all black. What few white receivers exist in the NFL are slot and tight ends. A few good college RBs get put on the training table to become a more mobile 7th or lineman, otherwise known as "fullback".
- Offensive line is fairly white (with a few Asian, Latino and Polynesian anomalies), but as is often pointed out here, the black sumo movement is strong, especially with the success of the Dallas Cowboy lines of the 90s.
- Pretty much all defensive positions have gone black. Outside linebacker, inside backer, safety and defensive end are the 4 types of position still open to whites, but you have to be really good to get a spot on a team, let alone start. Defensive tackle and some linebacker spots will sometimes have Polynesian players. The only DBs I can think of of that ethnicity is Troy Polamalu and Aaron Francisco (even he looks a little mixed to me - and his surname is definitely Spanish).
Sure in baseball you have a few stereotyped races like the Caribbean shortstop or 2nd baseman, the white farmboy catcher, the fast black centerfielder, the big Afro-Caribbean power hitter, or the big husky white first baseman (preferably with a mustashe) (basically all these position stereotypes are cast into the Major League movies), but I can think of no position in baseball where someone of any participating race hasn't been allowed to play when they were good enough.
Same goes for basketball, boxing, MMA, and practically every other sport where blacks participate in large numbers. Sure basketball is pretty bad as far as a disproportionate amount of blacks, but I think part of this is the popularity of "street ball" in inner cities, and the tendency of the west African race's members to be tall and somewhat slender. But the thing about basketball is, every position on the court has a few instances of white players. No positions are off-limits, though whites may be relegated to certain "roles" sometimes.
Everything short of Olympic-level sprinting is pretty inclusive compared to football. Blacks clearly dominate sprinting events, and few here will argue otherwise. It's just a matter of slight genetic differences that make them a few fractions of a second better at pure sprints. I have no problem with that, though I do wonder what times whites are capable of if their potential was fully tapped into. Most resources in serious sprint countries go into training top black sprinters, while most top white sprinters are in smaller countries like Poland, Ireland, former Soviet countries and so on.
The idea that football is all about sprinting, however, is ludicrous. There has never been a top sprinter to successfully carry over to football. Besides, I think what really hurts football is the mentality of some coaches. In spite of what they may say, they want violent street thugs as gladiators on the "Sunday at the Coliseum", just like Romans wanted slaves and convicts in their gladiator "events". I honestly think that coaches like Jerry Glanville, Jimmy Johnson, and Al Davis, if given two otherwise completely identical players of equal talent - one from the street who has served time, and the other an honor student in high school who chose football over another profession out of the love of the game - these thug lovers would choose player number 1 every time.
Plus the media loves these guys that act like "badasses" on and off the football field. It's not just a black/white thing. Being a BYU fan, I know how differently the media treated brash and rebellious Jim McMahon over the other "Boy Scout" BYU quarterbacks. The mass media is by and large an entertainment business. They will take the easy road to ratings and magazine sales over promoting a clean cut model citizen. That's just "boring".
Edited by: FieldThrower
