Gary Sheffield knows why African-Americans are disappearing from MLB

I do not understand how end zone celebrations make football unwatchable. I truly don't.

 

I agree with this take. There's an element of truth in what Gary says but some of his thoughts were worded insensitively, which isn't surprising. That's Gary.

 

Goal is sick of the celebrations after EVERY play not just touchdown celebrations. To a point he is correct, guy runs for 5 yards on 2nd&8 and the linebacker is acting like he's the shit. Does it make it unwatchable, no, but I find it annoying to no end as well.

 

And Sheffield's statement is also completely untrue. The reason there're so many Latin American players now is simple--the kids in places like the DR, PR & Venezuela are, on average, playing the game better than American kids these days. To suggest its for other reasons like Sheffield's bogus excuse is fairly insulting to the Latin American community and its players that have busted their ass getting to the majors through talent and hard work.

And the fact that foreign players might have less contract leverage in the early stages of their career is nothing but a bullshit red herring argument because it has absolutely nothing to do with how good they are. It might be an unfortunate situation for them, but it certainly is not the CAUSE of so many Latin players reaching the majors.

If it were the case, you'd be able to point to specific examples of american minor leaguers who were clearly more deserving than Latin major leaguers but not being allowed in for discriminatory reasons. But you and I both know those players aren't out there. Baseball has the most objective merit-based system for advancement of any team sport, because its so stat driven and performance has a more reliable degree of objective measurability. The kids who advance up the chain are the ones with the best numbers on the field, and you can't fudge those numbers because a kid's easier to control. If more deserving minor league African American players were getting screwed from advancement in favor of inferior Latin players, their numbers would provide the evidence showing it. But that evidence doesn't exist.

 

That is another tap dance -- and it is so disingenious that I'd accuse you of lying except I sadly think somewhere deep down you believe what you wrote.

I mean, geez, there was a lot of truth in some of what John Rocker said as well -- ride that 7 train and you are likely to find gays, blacks, unwed mothers etc. which is what he said in not so polite terms -- but the fact that he was so insensitive about it caused a national outrage by just about every group that sits to the left of, Oh, I don't know Newt Gingrich.

Yet here we are trying to decipher what Sheffield really meant because, well, he's black and therefore it is different.

It is that double standard -- people from certain groups are afforded the benefit of the doubt when they make idiotic and insensitive comments while people from other groups aren't -- that causes your side of the discussion to lose credibility and not just in the eyes of people with whom you generally agree.

 

Anybody know if the number of Hispanic fans of MLB has gone up with their growth on major league rosters?

 

The over-the-top reaction to Rocker was far more troubling to me than the shrug-of-the-shoulders reaction that Sheffield is receiving. Both mens' comments deserved a shrug of the shoulders. As writers, media people, we should celebrate people expressing their opinions rather than call for a public hanging whenever we hear something with which we don't happen to agree.

 

Exactly what black organization protested John Rockers remarks to

National outrage is dictated by how much attention the media decides to give an issue. And usually, non-blacks decide who garners that attention.

 

As was the over the top reaction to Imus comments. The thing is that Sheff was not trying to be funny.

I think Al Sharpton should picket the Tigers.

 

You are right, we are wrong, it never happened, it was a media creation.....

GAY AND MINORITY GROUPS CALL FOR ROCKER'S FIRING

ATLANTA (AP) -- Nothing less than John Rocker's immediate firing will satisfy the gay and minority activists who stood outside Turner Field on Thursday to send a message to the Atlanta Braves.

Trading or suspending him will not be enough punishment for the relief pitcher, whose incendiary comments about minorities and homosexuals have enraged millions, the activists said. They want him out of baseball for good.

"There may be some room for redemption, but not as an Atlanta Brave," said Michael Langford, president of the United Youth-Adult Conference. "We encourage him to enter his resignation right now and go into an early retirement."

The civic groups and a member of the Atlanta City Council delivered a letter Thursday to Braves owner Ted Turner and general manager John Schuerholz. It asked for Rocker's immediate firing and for a meeting with Braves officials.

 

More media lies and inventing of outrages on behalf of blacks who really didn't want the attention......

In an Associated Press article, R.L. White Jr., president of the NAACP's Atlanta branch, was quoted as saying, "Not only are we outraged at the statements attributed to Rocker, but insult is added to injury by the fact that the Braves organization has allowed this situation to fester for so long without taking swift and decisive action."

White also added, "It has been nearly two months since Rocker made his feelings known, and yet the powers that be within the Braves organization have continued their wall of silence," White said. "It is our feeling that the Braves' nonaction is solely because of money and greed, since John Rocker is their No. 1 closer."

 

OK, somebody needs to really explain to me how John Rocker relates to Gary Sheffield.

If I'm not mistaken, Rocker spoke of various groups in a disgusting, vile manner, as if their very presence recoiled him. He spoke of them as if they were trash.

Sheffield, if I'm reading this correctly, is giving his opinion about why he believes the presence of black ballplayers has diminished. I didn't read any venom, really. If anything, I think he owes Latinos an apology because he generalized that they were all docile. There was truth in what he said, just not the complete truth. I do believe that Latinos -- like Asians -- are stereotyped as docile because of the language barrier. Latinos players also are characterized as not as smart because of the language thing, but that's a rant for another day.

Anyway, sometimes, we get so caught up in the game of if-a-white-guy-said-it, we tend to not pay attention to what's actually being said. Give you an example: When Fisher DeBerry said that Air Force was losing because they couldn't recruit black players, more white people were upset by his comments than black people. I didn't have a problem with it because, well, he was right.

So, it's one thing to go Tim Hardaway or John Rocker, but I wouldn't put that in the same category as this.