“Here we divide people into two types. Those that see systemic racism in any outcome that doesn't match overall demographics, and those that recognize that cultural diversity in America produces diverse outcomes, no "systemic racism" necessary. Do I need to point out the popularity of basketball among black youths? That so many of their sports heroes play hoops? That Latin America has a huge baseball culture? That Minnesota, the hockey capital of the US, is much more white than the southern states where football reigns supreme?“
Some people insist on seeing EVERYTHING through the lens of “woke.”
I see two basic reasons for this condition. One is the high representation of blacks in urban areas, where there aren't really many baseball fields but quite a few basketball courts. The second is that basketball, and to a lesser extent football, is more highly glorified in black communities. Black youths tend to want to be LeBron, so that influences them away from other sports. Perhaps that's a generalization or oversimplification, but I still think it applies.
I've absolutely no doubt that all you say is true. Kids are rarely iconoclasts or independent thinkers, and if basketball is more important than baseball in urban black communities, it's only going to continue in that vein.
There are baseball diamonds even in upper Manhattan. Ditto for soccer fields. But they can only pull, they cannot push, and if kids want to shoot hoops, who are we to tell them otherwise?
For those of us who remember Carl Crawford's disastrous season-and-a-half (2011-part of 2012) with the Boston Red Sox, this was a big issue with him. He was from Houston and said that he wanted to generate more interest among black American youths in baseball, or the day would soon come when there were no American blacks in baseball. A story I read about him back in 2011 said that he'd been trying to start a baseball academy in Houston. But he was so awful, so disappointing, and so over-the-hill with the Red Sox (while being wildly overpaid) that he became extremely unpopular and served as the punching bag for the Sox's September collapse that season, and the barrage of criticism directed at him probably had the opposite result than he intended with regard to black youths.
I didn't read Ben Walker's article. But I remember Crawford advocating for some of the changes that MLB is now implementing; his contention was that baseball was so hidebound that it was unappealing to American black youth.
The point is, this trend is no surprise, and it also isn't due to racism. But if the only tool you want to use is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.
Appealing to black youths is in MLB's interest, from an economic perspective alone. After all, it's a business, and it has been eclipsed in popularity by the NBA. So, they don't have to lament the possibility of racism to try and expand the base. But, as you note, it's what they *want* to see everywhere, so they can scold it.
What I really want to know is the purity of the gold in your horseshoe and the content weight. That could be a nice addition to my stack, even if a silver one might be more durable and less expensive. 😁
May the best players rise to the top and win, regardless of their heritage.
The horseshoe has as much gold content as any other digital asset. Its purity, however, stands head and shoulders above most - I award it rarely and only when deserved.
“Here we divide people into two types. Those that see systemic racism in any outcome that doesn't match overall demographics, and those that recognize that cultural diversity in America produces diverse outcomes, no "systemic racism" necessary. Do I need to point out the popularity of basketball among black youths? That so many of their sports heroes play hoops? That Latin America has a huge baseball culture? That Minnesota, the hockey capital of the US, is much more white than the southern states where football reigns supreme?“
Some people insist on seeing EVERYTHING through the lens of “woke.”
I see two basic reasons for this condition. One is the high representation of blacks in urban areas, where there aren't really many baseball fields but quite a few basketball courts. The second is that basketball, and to a lesser extent football, is more highly glorified in black communities. Black youths tend to want to be LeBron, so that influences them away from other sports. Perhaps that's a generalization or oversimplification, but I still think it applies.
I've absolutely no doubt that all you say is true. Kids are rarely iconoclasts or independent thinkers, and if basketball is more important than baseball in urban black communities, it's only going to continue in that vein.
There are baseball diamonds even in upper Manhattan. Ditto for soccer fields. But they can only pull, they cannot push, and if kids want to shoot hoops, who are we to tell them otherwise?
For those of us who remember Carl Crawford's disastrous season-and-a-half (2011-part of 2012) with the Boston Red Sox, this was a big issue with him. He was from Houston and said that he wanted to generate more interest among black American youths in baseball, or the day would soon come when there were no American blacks in baseball. A story I read about him back in 2011 said that he'd been trying to start a baseball academy in Houston. But he was so awful, so disappointing, and so over-the-hill with the Red Sox (while being wildly overpaid) that he became extremely unpopular and served as the punching bag for the Sox's September collapse that season, and the barrage of criticism directed at him probably had the opposite result than he intended with regard to black youths.
I didn't read Ben Walker's article. But I remember Crawford advocating for some of the changes that MLB is now implementing; his contention was that baseball was so hidebound that it was unappealing to American black youth.
The point is, this trend is no surprise, and it also isn't due to racism. But if the only tool you want to use is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.
Appealing to black youths is in MLB's interest, from an economic perspective alone. After all, it's a business, and it has been eclipsed in popularity by the NBA. So, they don't have to lament the possibility of racism to try and expand the base. But, as you note, it's what they *want* to see everywhere, so they can scold it.
What I really want to know is the purity of the gold in your horseshoe and the content weight. That could be a nice addition to my stack, even if a silver one might be more durable and less expensive. 😁
May the best players rise to the top and win, regardless of their heritage.
The horseshoe has as much gold content as any other digital asset. Its purity, however, stands head and shoulders above most - I award it rarely and only when deserved.