Decline of the American Black Athlete in Sports

Written by Gary Whittaker


It has been almost 60 years since Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, and now blacks dominate Major League Baseball. Even so, blacks were kept out ofrepparttar more “intellectual” positions or sports. Inrepparttar 133164 NFL, Quarterback was a tough position to crack. Willie Thrower is on record asrepparttar 133165 first black to start an NFL game, but it was one time only. It took 15 years before history repeated itself inrepparttar 133166 AFL, and Warren Moon to pathrepparttar 133167 way for McNabb, McNair and Vick who are built inrepparttar 133168 same mold.

Inrepparttar 133169 NBA, Blacks began to take overrepparttar 133170 league at aroundrepparttar 133171 same time ratings and attendance figures dropped. While it was very politically correct to credit Johnson along with Larry Bird forrepparttar 133172 league’s revival, Magic would have been just another line inrepparttar 133173 long list of talented black ball player had he not had a white rival. Whenrepparttar 133174 Olympics openedrepparttar 133175 door for professional athletes in 1992,repparttar 133176 US sent over THE DREAM TEAM. On that team you had 11 ofrepparttar 133177 best NBA players (only Mullin and Stockton where white), and 1 college throw in. That team, andrepparttar 133178 next 2 won gold easily. The US became so cocky, that it thought it could send of a rooster of any black kid, and win gold just as easily. Maybe white men can’t jump, but they can damn sure reach gold with their shooting, sorepparttar 133179 Americans had to settle for Bronze. And they were lucky to get away with anything. They took such a beating that they will have to redo their entire image. If there is one thing I can guarantee, it is that they will not be calledrepparttar 133180 Dream Team forrepparttar 133181 2008 Olympics and that they will go back to having a few white players.

The 90’s continued to be great forrepparttar 133182 black athletes as Tiger Woods emerged to becomerepparttar 133183 most dominant golfer ofrepparttar 133184 modern age. Considering that atrepparttar 133185 time Tiger had emerged as a professional, many black Americans were still not even allowed to play atrepparttar 133186 courses he was wining on. From 1997 to 2002 (okay, 98 was an off year), people were not asking if he was going to break all of Hogan’s and Nicklaus’ records, but when, or what could stop him. According torepparttar 133187 movie, “Undercover Brother”, white women arerepparttar 133188 black man’s kryptonite. That appears to be what happened to Tiger since his career tanked after he married his Swedish bombshell girlfriend. If Tiger cannot recover his old form, he may in fact be remembered as more of an Arthur Ashe, as a great player who broke a barrier, rather than broke records.

TOP T.E.N Myths Surrounding the Montreal Expos

Written by Gary Whittaker


10 - Thatrepparttar Expos lost its fan base after allrepparttar 133163 English left inrepparttar 133164 early 80’s.

The Olympic Stadium continued to average over 18 thousand visitors per game until 1997. While they were not leaders in attendance by any stretch, it was still a solid base that a strong committed ownership can have grown from.

9 – Thatrepparttar 133165 Atlanta Braves are onrepparttar 133166 verge of their 13th CONSECUTIVE division title.

While this claim may be technically true, it has about as much merit as McGuire’s or Bonds’ juiced up home run records.

8 – Small market teams likerepparttar 133167 Expos cannot compete.

Consistency. That is what having $$$ at your disposal every year will give you. Consistency. Assuming, of course, your team is not run by Monkeys (see: New York Rangers), a big budget will get you talked about as a contender every year. But every year, “Cinderella” or small-market teams make a run for it. Every year, one or more ofrepparttar 133168 “David’s” take on and betrepparttar 133169 “Goliaths”. Every few years, Montreal’s well-renown scouting and minor league development systems are able to churn out teams that are usually only a couple of pieces away from a playoff run.

7 – The people of Montreal no longer care about baseball.

No one, who has ever been torepparttar 133170 Olympic stadium and heard 10 thousand people sound like 30 thousand strong can ever make that statement. Most of us continue to followrepparttar 133171 exploits of Vladimir Guerrero or Orlando Cabrera on their new teams. Orrepparttar 133172 Canadians that are makingrepparttar 133173 major leagues in ever increasing numbers. To go torepparttar 133174 stadium and give our money to MLB would be like victims paying to keep their rapist in jail. It simply isn’t right.

6 – The city of Montreal should not be important to MLB.

This isrepparttar 133175 city where Jackie Robinson played before being called up intorepparttar 133176 major leagues. This isrepparttar 133177 city and team that Pete Rose played for when he collected his 4000th hit (there were over 48 thousand that day). This wasrepparttar 133178 first expansion city outside ofrepparttar 133179 United States. This isrepparttar 133180 team whose pitcher wasrepparttar 133181 11th in baseball history to record a perfect game. It can even be said thatrepparttar 133182 success ofrepparttar 133183 Expos pavedrepparttar 133184 way for a 2nd Canadian franchise to be established. The Blue Jays went on to becomerepparttar 133185 dominant franchise between 1989 and 1993. No matter what, Montreal will be remembered for its contribution to baseball.

5 – The Expos needed a new stadium downtown.

While there is no question that a stadium, inrepparttar 133186 heart ofrepparttar 133187 downtown area, would have improved attendance, it is naďve to believe that it would have been anything more than a band-aid solution. The Expos needed a stable and committed ownership group, not a better stadium. If there is one thing about Montreal, their fan suffers no fools. Players would have to have been re-signed. Quality free agents would have to be brought in. Bottom line,repparttar 133188 Expos would have needed to remain a contender to have survived. All one had to do was to readrepparttar 133189 papers, and checkrepparttar 133190 first few weeks of attendance with Mr. Loria boughtrepparttar 133191 Expos.

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