(Oops, I meant this to be on the state of the caste system thread, but I'll leave it anyway)
Whenever I'm watching am NFL game with a group of people I take every opportunity to point out the uphill battle many white players have had to the NfL Nelson being a walk-on at Kansas, Welker being cut by San Diego, Danny Woodhead having to make it as a free agent, etc. I was going on one time during a super bowl and a person in the room who lives in a 95 or better percent white areas in the foothills (yes they still exist, for now) who seldom sees a black or Mexican let alone deal with them, turned and looked at me and said "ARE YOU A RACIST?" Seems she had noticed I talked only about the white players. I looked right back at her and said "Isn't everybody?" Well, it wasn't a crushing blow to the caste system, but I just do what I can from my little soapbox.
Watching the Miami Dolphins "Hard Knocks" training camp series on HBO is a good look into the inner workings of the system. Chris Hogan, nicknamed 7-11 because he's always open, makes a fine catch and run. One of the coaching staff watching from up in the booth says "This guy is going to be a cult hero" in a dismissive tone of voice. It didn't sound good for Hogan, who was subsequetly cut, put on the practice squad, then cut from that. It just showed me that the fix was in (much as it was against Danny Woodhead with the Jets).
The workings of the caste system are complex, but one part of the equation is that a player, with the exception of superstar types, needs sponsers and advocates in the coaching staff to make it to the roster and then to the field. It's just much safer in the current climate to advocate for a black player, plus it no doubt makes the often white coach feel good about himself, to show that he is fair and just and nonracist. Plus I suspect in the back of his mind the coach believes the white player will be much more able than the black player to find something outside football. When the coach cuts a player they usually tell the player something like "Let me know if there's anything I can do" when in actuality the situation is more like "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
Generalizing here, but it's just a little bit safer for society when a white is put in that situation rather than a black. Although having an NFL job is no guarantee for some thug types that they will cease from criminality, as has been well documented on this site.
I had thought progress was being made, but the two steps forward in the last couple years might become two steps back this year, although a lot of football is left to be playerd. We'll see.