sport historian said:
Do the members think the DWFs really would prefer white athletes?
Noticed nobody answered this. I think there is a solid minority (maybe a 1/3) of DWFs who love successful white guys on their teams more than successful black guys. It's not uncommon in NBA arenas, for instance, for a white player to get the most cheers. However, there is a feeling among most DWFs that a white player could be replaced by a more athletically gifted black player. I don't know how many times I heard people say Blair White from MSU couldn't be the #1 receiver because of his lack of raw talent (which he proved wrong by testing out as the quickest WR at the combine)or how many people said Mike Furrey from the Lions needed to be replaced despite nearly leading the NFL in catches and obviously being a top athlete considering he's one of the few NFL players who has had success on offense and defense (safety). When I told one of my friends recently that MSU got a top big man recruit his first question was "Is he black or white?" When I said black he responded "yes!" Thus I had to remind him that Paul Davis and Goron Suton have been, by far, the best big men for his team (Davis even avg. about 19 ppg and 9 rpg and lead his team to a Final 4), whereas most of the top recruited black big men have turned into role players. That came from a guy who I've even been able to convince that whites are not athletically inferior to blacks, yet that is still his first instinct through years of indoctrination. I bet many Philly Eagle fans said that Kevin Curtis needed to be replaced as the #1 even as he was having a 1200+ receiving season with his 4.3 speed.
I think the only way, in football, that a white WR or DB will be embraced is if he is so undeniably good, like a Dallas Clark or John Lynch. If he is just a normal player, who doesn't have eye popping plays, he will draw all kinds of heat from most DWFs.
I think basketball is slightly different, but it is not as caste as football in terms of position. DWFs in basketball, I believe, accept good white players on their team easier than a football fan will accept a white RB, WR or DB.
All that being said, I think most DWFs would accept a mostly white team in basketball, such as Wisconsin, Duke or the 80s Celtics. If an NFL team had a white RB, top white WR, white QB, white coach, white DB, for example, I think their would be a lot of guilt rooting for them. In basketball, they would only feel guilty if there were no black players.