Racism ... Still a big issue?

OK, I'm having this back and forth with a guy on a local sportswriters blog. I'm white. The other guy, I'm fairly certain, is black.

Every time a local athlete or coach gets left off an all-star team or isn't named coach of the year or isn't picked as a 5th judge on Idol ... could be anything -- he insists it was racially motivated.

I hammer back, gently but firmly. So far the discussion has stayed civil.

The latest involved the quality of basketball refereeing in our predominantly white region (but in a league with as many large city schools as suburban ones). I've suggested it needs improvement. He agreed but based his comments on the fact that the local "good ole boys" network of refs (his word) is always trying to stifle the "playground" style (again, his word) of the city teams (code alert!).

I've always felt sports is light years ahead of society at large, when it comes to being color blind.

Have any of you had similar experiences -- with people on either side of the color spectrum? Are we white guys naive, or is this guy paranoid beyond repair?

 

There's a lot of tension lingering under the surface on all sides of the cultural/gender spectrum. It's not just color.

 

Still a big issue, period. Now what's the sentiment about sexism?

 

See my post directly above yours.

 

Lemme rephrase that. What's more prominent, racism or sexism?

 

I don't think it's racism is really a problem these days. It only seems like it because all white people are so intolerant.

 

A problem is a problem is a problem.

There's no need to quantify whether racism or sexism is worse. What about ageism? What about discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation? What about discriminating on the basis of national origin? Disability? What about education level?

 

It sounds like it might be William Rhoden you are conversing with.

 

I'm sure the racism issue is worse some places than others, but at my last shop certain basketball teams (typically 90 percent black players) knew when they traveled to certain schools (typically 99.9 percent white players) they'd get jobbed by the refs (almost always three white guys). I saw it plenty of times in person. So, yeah, it's still an issue, even in sports.

 

Always has been an issue and will continue to be for the forseeable future.

 

Three guys not allowing "playground style" isn't racism. It's enforcing the rules as written at least when it comes to traveling, hanging on the rim, etc.

If inner-city refs (of any color) allow players to "hoop it up" or whatever, then the fault is theirs for not enforcing the rules.

 

What makes you fairly certain he's black?