Hoberman Dares to Expose the Dirty Business of Sports, June 30, 1998

This review is from: Darwin's Athletes: How Sport Has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race (Hardcover)

I purchase John Hoberman's book right after it was first published. This was in the spring of 1998. Prior to its release he appeared on a segment of Nightline, along with other guests, to discuss the effects of sports on african americans. As I recall he was the only white guest on the show. Ted Koppel introduced Dr Hoberman as a man who had written a controversial newly published book. When I heard this I naturally had to continue watching it so that I could learn it's title. Needless Hoberman was treated rather harshly by the other guests. For what I saw and heard I agreed with most of his comments. As a black man I have long thought that sports has had a very bad effect on blacks. I had the feeling that because Hoberman was going against the grain he would not be a guest on many shows. He was supposed to be on the president's race panel which was held in Houston dealing with sports. Anyway, I went out the next day and ordered the book. I think it a very accurate book on the adverse effects sports have had on the black community. It is a matter of fact that athletes are expected to maintain low academic standards. It is very acceptable to lead criminal life and still get excepted to elite colleges. Not all but some. It is a matter of fact that the NCAA sets academic guidelines that most universities except. For example. When we passed proposition 209 here in California athletes were not required to meet strict academic standards expected for other blacks. Before 209 athletes were admitted under affirmative action in the University of California system. They knew that athletes would no longer be able to enroll under the new standards. So they were removed and 209 became a gender, race and ethnic issue. The UC Berkeley rejected 4.0 black students with a SAT 1500 score. Just to let in a black athlete with a 2.5 GPA. And they make provisions for even the learning disabled athlete. The basketball's team GPA is 2.47. Again, black people get caught up in the belief that athletes ar! e an advancement of our race. Bottom line is only white people are profiting huge sums of money from this non-sense. Hoberman is right in many of his conclusions. I realize that Hoberman is a white man. And many black people think that he may be a racist. Okay, then lets try this. Go and read Nathan McCall's book "What's Going On". And read Earle Ofari Hutchinson's book "Assassination of The Black Male Image" These are blacks and they talk about the kinds of things Hoberman talks about. Maybe you can call them Uncle Toms. The fact is you would be hard pressed to find any institutions which seeks out people with the lowest standards/qualifications rather than the highest. Maybe it is good that many blacks are in the NBA, NFL, colleges. If they were'nt they be out on the street mugging, selling drugs, performing drive by shooting, raping and on and. Some of them do it anyway.

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