Love Them or Hate Them

I was reading the August 1, 2008 edition of USA Today and found something that triggered this blog. It was a review in the what’s New on DVD section. It was a report on the DVD: Joe Louis: American’s Hero... Betrayed.

Here’s the interesting sentence that it hit me like a knockout punch from the “Brown Bomber" himself --"The first black sports hero beloved by whites…"

After reading that line, I said to myself hmm, let me compile a list of black sports heroes historically beloved and loathed by whites. I chose seven:

Black sports heroes loved by whites:
Tiger Woods
Michael Jordan
Joe Louis
Jackie Robinson
Willie Mays
Joe Frazier
OJ Simpson (that was before the murder)

Black sports heroes hated by whites:
OJ Simpson (that was after the murder)
Barry Bonds
Jack Johnson
Muhammad Ali (He could be in either category. Those who love him now have short memories)
Jackie Robinson (April 15, 1947)
John Carlos and Tommie Smith
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Do you notice the character traits of those loved and loathed by whites?
Those in the” love list” tend to be non-confrontational, easy going, non- threating.

On the other hand, those in the “loath list” have what Ken Burns said in his documentary on the first black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson: Unforgiveable Blackness.
These sports heroes tend to be confrontational, protest about racial inequality, or seem to have an intimidating persona.

I’m sure you can name many others. However, the point is that many in mainstream America don’t just judge a black athlete by his or her gifts alone. They bring the same racial bias in the sport arena as they do in society. They would like black athletes to adhere to the philosophy: Just shut-up and play.