Fair Play in the NBA: A Modest Proposal
As surprising as it may be to those who are not themselves fans of the National Basketball Association, Anglo-Americans are vastly outnumbered by other ethnicities. In fact, African-Americans hold a majority of positions, command higher average salaries, and receive more attention for their accomplishments in the media. Although there are a number of Anglo-Americans employed by the NBA, few ever manage to obtain equality in the field. For example, the position of team owner, frequently held by Anglo-Americans, carries with it a much lower salary and far less prestige than would be expected. Even though the owner is technically responsible in one way or another for almost every aspect of team performance, he often receives less compensation for his hard work than many African-Americans who hold such positions as center and point guard. Clearly, this skewed system of rewards is the result of long standing prejudices against Anglo-Americans.
There is an astonishing lack of positive Anglo-American role models in the NBA. An overwhelming majority of celebrity basketball players are African-Americans. Such names as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnston, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Scotty Pippin, and Charles Barkley evoke visions of success and greatness in the minds of many young people, but can Anglo-American youngsters really be expected to identify with these African-American cultural icons? Similarly, almost all contemporary movies about basketball center around African-American rather than Anglo-American characters. Shockingly, many basketball themed movies which feature Anglo-Americans portray them in a negative light, perpetuating a derogatory stereotype of Anglo-American basketball players, and further reducing the likelihood of their success. Some films even have titles which mock the challenges faced by Anglo-Americans in the basketball industry; a popular film from the early nineteen nineties was titled White Men Can't Jump.
It seems certain that Anglo-American males are victims of the unfair and discriminatory practices of the National Basketball Association. Further, society has by now created such obstacles to the success of Anglo-American basketball players that some sort of inte...
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...individual. Such patently racist talk ignores the difficulties which have been imposed on Anglo-Americans in the past. It also carries the implication that African-American basketball players are inherently superior to their Anglo-American counterparts. This type of subtle racism is precisely the thing which perpetuates inequality and discrimination in all forms.
Affirmative action has become a major issue in contemporary America. Those on one side propose a strict hierarchy based on merit and ability, and their opponents stress that existing inequalities and prejudices must first be overcome through intervention on the behalf of the perceived underdog. A stance on affirmative action has become an important part of any political party's platform, and even those less politically minded may find themselves wondering how best to promote fair play and opportunity. Thinking of the issue in terms of an organization such as the National Basketball Association may provide some clarity, and I strongly urge all people to carefully consider whether or not more regulation is needed. The answer may help an individual to determine what really constitutes fair play.
“We are more visible, but not more valuable”. This famous quote was said by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most famous black basketball players, symbolized what many black athletes were pursuing when they first got into sports. In today’s world not only are black athletes a part of our sports venue, they are dominating the landscape of some sports such as the NBA which consists of a whopping 80% black athletes. Black athletes continue to revitalize sports in America as some athletes became the face of their sports such as Muhammad Ali in boxing, Jackie Robinson in baseball and Michael Jordan in basketball. Sports came as a form of entertainment for many Americans, but for black athletes it came as a pathway to express who they were and what they believed in. The more they became involved in sports, the more media they were able to attract which enabled them to talk about topics other than sports such as racism, their religions and equality through the civil rights movement. These views and statements made in their interviews and press conferences were the ones that became publicized and more popular amongst the typical white men in America and it played a huge role in changing the way blacks were viewed in American society.
Basketball is a sport that is capable of changing one’s life. This is evident in the story, ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’ created by Sherman Alexie. The story is told through the eyes of Arnold Spirit Jr., an Indian attending Reardan, a white high school while living on the Spokane Indian reserve. Both sides do not take such a choice lightly, but this all changes when Arnold makes the Reardan varsity basketball team. With basketball, Arnold is no longer shunned for his choices. Basketball is a sport he can play freely, without the constant fear of consequences. Basketball is important to Arnold because it shows him the power of expectation, allows him to build healthy relationships and shows him the impact of support.
In this essay I will argue that the ultimate failure of Pompey in his struggle with Julius Caesar was due to Pompey’s lack of risk-taking and his inability to predict Caesar’s strategies. I will then contrast this to Caesar’s riskier strategies which would eventually lead to his triumph over Pompey. I shall cover the major battles, Ilerda, Dyrrhacchium and Pharsalus in order to assess how and why Pompey eventually lost against Caesar.
Women have progressed from house wives to business women over the past hundred years. In 1948, 28.6% of the people in the work force were women. In 2015, this percentage has increased to 46.8% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Progression is visible and very possible, but it seems that our chances for equal pay are very improbable. From a person perspective, I had the opportunity to focus on basketball, let my efforts and love for the sport pay for college, and continue on playing in the WNBA. With in-depth research, I quickly reconsidered. Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi made a maximum salary of $107,800 one season after winning the championship. The NBA team, Phoenix Suns, picked up Dionte Christmas who only played for 198 minutes during the whole season and he obtained the minimum payment of $490,800 just for being a bench warmer (Berri, 2015). It is bad enough that he made $300,000 more than Taurasi, but it is more inconceivable that an NBA starter will receive $14.7 million a
When he was explaining to James why he wanted to kill him, he explains how he is “American, good educated, high class, white, just like him). He is extremely rude to the homeless man, as he asks James “Why haven’t you delivered the filthy swine to me yet?”He uses this to justify his violence and murder of the homeless man, and eventually with his other victims as well. This is an example of conflict theory, as well as he does not view his violence as a crime, and justifies his actions by using his wealth and class status. Since he has power, crime is defined by him and is used to make the poor poorer and the rich richer. He is using the Purge night to advance his political interests, which seems to be eliminating everyone he views as lesser than
“A Feckless Quest for the Basketball Gene” is an article regarding the often argued subjects of sports, race, and genetics. It refers to the book “Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We’re Afraid to Talk About It” and how it is a crude approach to the subjects. With the article, we learn that race has nothing to do with our talents and mere observation of differences is not considered a genetic argument. We are drawing conclusions from a mass of poorly controlled data, giving poor evidence and end results. The article also discusses the relationship between patterns of human genetic variations and groups of people.
BP#1 The war between caesar and pompey started when caesar was a young boy.this war didn’t seem like any the rest.The war was a time of some enemies trying to gain peace,others not so much.Caesar’s uncle marius was the center of all of this. When marius died caesar had to rise up and take control of the situation. While caesar was out traveling he met a beautiful women named cleopatra.She wanted caesar to help her take power from her younger brother pompey so he did,when pompey heard the news he retreated to egypt.Pompey thought he was safe with the
Historical and sociological research has shown, through much evidence collection and analysis of primary documents that the American sporting industry can give an accurate reflection, to a certain extent, of racial struggles and discrimination into the larger context of American society. To understand this stance, a deep look into aspects of sport beyond simply playing the game must be a primary focus. Since the integration of baseball, followed shortly after by American football, why are the numbers of African American owners, coaches and managers so very low? What accounts for the absence of African American candidates from seeking front office and managerial roles? Is a conscious decision made by established members of each organization or is this matter a deeper reflection on society? Why does a certain image and persona exist amongst many African American athletes? Sports historians often take a look at sports and make a comparison to society. Beginning in the early 1980’s, historians began looking at the integration of baseball and how it preceded the civil rights movement. The common conclusion was that integration in baseball and other sports was indeed a reflection on American society. As African Americans began to play in sports, a short time later, Jim Crow laws and segregation formally came to an end in the south. Does racism and discrimination end with the elimination of Jim Crow and the onset of the civil rights movement and other instances of race awareness and equality? According to many modern sports historians and sociologists, they do not. This paper will focus on the writings of selected historians and sociologists who examine th...
The NBA is a professional basketball league and has been very popular in the United States since its creation. The sport is enjoyed by all races although most of the players are of African American race. During recent events, L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught making racist remarks in an audio recording. He was frustrated that his girlfriend was hanging with other African Americans, even the great NBA legend Magic Johnson. He wanted her not to bring African Americans to his games and not to broadcast it on Instagram.
Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination.
We often take for granted the earth’s natural resources that are so vital to our existence and our survival. We don’t fetch our own water; we don’t preserve our own heat; we don’t conduct our own electricity. All these resources delivered to our own homes just as quietly and easily as going outside getting air. But as quietly as they come, they can be just as quietly consumed without knowing how much. Every single day how we live affects the earth’s ecological system. Therefore, it is very important to keep track of how much of resource we consume. Ecological footprint is a helpful way for us to know how much our lifestyle is affecting the earth’s ecological system – a methodology used to measure the level of our consumption of natural resource and the affect such consumption has on the planet. Our lifestyle – how often and how much we drive; how often and how much we purchase new products; how much or less we recycle – can directly affect and put pressure on the planet. Personal ecological footprint helps individual to put in perspective how much their lifestyle directly affects th...
While one person may want someone with outstanding ball handling skills, the opposing team may be in need of someone with an above average shooting percentage. Dalton’s arguments lead the reader to question the nation’s race problem, whether or not merit will equal out to success, and reflection on social position with certain achievements.
The committee of censorship should review over this story and remove the racist ideologies from the book. If the committee is able to amend the construct of prejudice against people of color, the book would be tolerable to young students. Without the prejudiced remarks and negative influences of colored people implied throughout the dialogue, this book would be fit to a wider audience. The author’s unwelcome portrayal of colored people is a disgrace to the culture of African Americans and Native Americans. The young minds would be safe from the racially offensive language used, and they would be safe from the violent views of people used by Mark Twain. The American Library Association should be in charge to authorize the removal of the racist ideology of the story of Tom Sawyer. They promote freedom of a book’s expression of ideas. This is an important job to do. If a thorough job is not done, it would detrimental to an audience. The American Library Association mentions John Mills works of On Liberty stating that “mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind ” (John Mill 1859). Challenging the viewpoints of books is difficult, and it requires dedication to keep at it. The audience of readers who want to read about Tom Sawyer will express their desires to not ban the book. The American Library Association will have to decide the best route to fulfill the needs of readers while securing the safety of young minds. Mark Twain’s story of Tom Sawyer is an amazing book to read, but the book cannot be reached by a larger audience since it is imperative to ban it for young
Even though many organizations claim to be about equality and respect for their players and even their spectators—of color. It becomes evident that respect and equality is not the priority of the organization, which are headed by majority White males. For example, in 2014, the Atlanta Hawks, a sport organization with a roster majority of young Black men and its fans being nearly 70 percent Black came under criticism and investigation for racist comments made via email and phone conference. The racist comments that were made were by former Hawks owner, Bruce Levenson, and Hawks GM, Danny Ferry; Both White men. Both Levenson and Ferry were involved in two race controversies. Former Atlanta Hawks’ owner Bruce Levenson sent out an email to other Hawks CEOs stating that the audience and it entertainment (the team, cheerleaders, halftime talent, music selection, etc.) are all Black. Levenson continued to say in his email that because the audience and entertainment were majority Black, it was scaring aware White fans and investors from coming to the games (Joesph, 2014, USA Today. On the other hand, Hawks’ GM Danny Ferry was recorded during a conference call making defamatory remakes about free agent, at the time, Luol Deng who the Hawks were trying to acquire. During the call, Ferry professes that “ ‘[Deng] has a little African in him’ ”(ESPN.com). In the
In assessing my carbon footprint using the website myfootprint.org I answered a quiz which asked me about my daily living habits, what I purchase, what I eat, how I get myself from place to place, my source and quantity of energy used at home, and how much water I use. I have been actively working to make changes in my life over the last ten years to be more contentious about my lifestyle choices, so I figured my score would not be terrible. Once the results were revealed I was sickened by how much I am contributing directly to the problem of global warming. If my score could be so appalling I can just imagine how others might be, and how collectively we are really impacting the environment. In class we learned that Americans are responsible for the majority of the environmental problems we face. Our culture in beyond consumptive and we are utilizing resources across the globe without giving consideration to the implications. The future generations will be appalled at the mindless destruction we have participated in and hopefully, if we all work together we can actual...