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[Blackace]

Bird is off the chain with this:

"Well, I think so," said Bird, the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations. "You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited. But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever. I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American."




"The one thing that always bothered me when I played in the NBA was I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me," Bird said. "I still don't understand why. A white guy would come out (and) I would always ask him: 'What, do you have a problem with your coach? Did you coach do this to you?' And he'd go, 'No,' and I'd say, 'Come on, you got a white guy coming out here to guard me; you got no chance.' ... For some reason, that always bothered me when I was playing against a white guy.


"As far as playing, I didn't care who guarded me -- red, yellow, black," Bird added. "I just didn't want a white guy guarding me. Because it's disrespect to my game."


the rest is here

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1818396

 

[belgurdo]

...wasn't basketball invented by a white doctor to keep his predominately white classes busy during phys ed courses?

 

[Blackace]

...wasn't basketball invented by a white doctor to keep his predominately white classes busy during phys ed courses?

And the English invented Soccer, Rugby, and Cricket... and suck at all of them... your point is......?

 

[Chesapeake Silt]

Countdown to the inevitible Ralph Wiley column... 3... 2... 1....

 

[Blackace]

Countdown to the inevitible Ralph Wiley column... 3... 2... 1....

That's where the link takes you!

 

[DarienA]

Poor Larry... senility is setting in.... Jim Gray so obviously set him up(agreeing with Don & Mike here).

 

[levious]

it's not Bird's fault that the only other good white players were on his team!

And Jim Gray set someone up? IMPROBABLE!

 

[sc0la]

Bird is a black man trapped in a white man's body!

The last guy they called bird was charlie parker... think about it.

 

[Blackace]

I hate Gray... but I do like Bird selective memory... "You had me, and McHale... and a few others." hahah Nothing about Stockton.... hahah

 

[levious]

I hate Gray... but I do like Bird selective memory... "You had me, and McHale... and a few others." hahah Nothing about Stockton.... hahah

hahaha, no respect to Ainge even.

 

[Cooter]

I guess he sorta has a point but that second paragraph is pretty dumb.

 

[The Faceless Master]

larry bird IS DA MAN!!!

i gotta see this special

 

[Blackace]

larry bird IS DA MAN!!!

i gotta see this special

He is da man, but whatever you do, don't put the MAN on him!

Also, Magic was quoting saying "It's funny because, I'm just sitting here, and we've spent time together, but not this much time," Magic said. "If you look at all four of us, personality-wise, we're close (Magic and LeBron) and they're close (Bird and Anthony). It's really funny. They're quiet, and we like to talk. So I'm sitting here saying (that) we mirror each other. So I see now why you sat us all down together, because we are definitely like each other in so many different ways."

Since when did Bird not like to talk?

 

[bishoptl]

 

[Blackace]

Fight da power LB...

 

[SD-Ness]

" I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American."

I mean...he's not really wrong or anything...

 

[Tabris]

Basketball was invented by a Canadian.

 

[Tabris]

" I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American."

I mean...he's not really wrong or anything...

Wayne Gretzky is African-American?

 

[Blackace]

Basketball was invited by a Canadian.

And they suck at it! see the trend

 

[Drey1082]

Wayne Gretzky is African-American?

Hockey won't have many african american players for a long time to come, if ever... Ice skating is not a big african american pasttime (not being mean, just stating a fact)

 

[Blackace]

plus us brothers don't really dig the cold... *That's how we stay black!*

 

[DarienA]

Hockey won't have many african american players for a long time to come, if ever... Ice skating is not a big african american pasttime (not being mean, just stating a fact)

Once I complete these specs for the heated ice ring... THEN you'll see something!

 

[Tabris]

Plus you would have to be born in Canada.

It's a requirement for being a good hockey player.

 

[Bigfoot]

Plus you would have to be born in Canada.

It's a requirement for being a good hockey player.

But Canada has black people... I just saw one last week!

 

[Loki]

But Canada has black people... I just saw one last week!

Bishop doesn't count-- he's an aberration.

 

[Malakhov]

Plus you would have to be born in Canada.

It's a requirement for being a good hockey player.

That would have been true YEARS ago but not anymore, Europeans are quickly catching up if not already on par with us.

 

[Incognito]

Er, there's a lot or reasons why blacks don't excel in hockey, and the fact that it's played on ice is the least of those problems.

 

[Archaix]

Er, there's a lot or reasons why blacks don't excel in hockey, and the fact that it's played on ice is the least of those problems.

Oh please elaborate. Please, please, please, bish, give this guy a chance to elaborate? I very much want to see where he goes from here.

 

[Incognito]

Oh please elaborate. Please, please, please, bish, give this guy a chance to elaborate?

Huh? I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but hockey isn't a sport that even a lot of white people are able to afford(through HS -- if the HS even has it. Then there are the expensive as fuck club leagues, equipment, practice sessions, rink time, etc..), much less black people. Also, it's not viewed as a 'glamour' sport, such as football, basketball and baseball.

Don't pigeonhole me, please.

 

[Malakhov]

The best nhl player right now is black.

 

[Incognito]

That's good. Anyway, I didn't mean to offend anyone, so sorry. Hockey isn't a sport that's probably even spoken of in many inner city communities, whereas football and basketball are probably focal points. Not a slam against them, it's a slam against how boring hockey is..

 

[Malakhov]

Not a slam against them, it's a slam against how boring hockey is..

BAN HIM!

 

[Archaix]

BAN HIM!

Hey, I knew the response would get bishoptl to want to bam him one way or another. This way works just as well

 

[Bigfoot]

That's good. Anyway, I didn't mean to offend anyone, so sorry. Hockey isn't a sport that's probably even spoken of in many inner city communities, whereas football and basketball are probably focal points. Not a slam against them, it's a slam against how boring hockey is..

Hey, soccer isn't big in America either. Hockey is huge in Canada (much more popular than basketball or baseball), and soccer is big in most places outside of North America, so not everyone finds it boring.

 

[Blackace]

That was called a "please-don'- ban-me-for-saying-that-Blacks-can't-play-hockey" damage control... Even after the brothers were telling him we just don't like to get cold...

 

[Boogie9IGN]

Black people play hockey?

 

[Bowser]

Eh, I don't really find it offensive or anything (I'm not black or white either, so maybe I just don't care), but he's not really wrong in saying that the best athletes (at least the one in basketball) are african american. There aren't many good white players, but just because there aren't many, doesn't mean there aren't any (Jason Kidd is an example [he's white right? For some reason, I'm thinking he's half white, half black now...]). Anyway, I don't think people should get riled up over this (in fact, I don't think many people are).

 

[Blackace]

We's play if it was played in a heated gym...

 

[DarienA]

Huh? I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but hockey isn't a sport that even a lot of white people are able to afford(through HS -- if the HS even has it. Then there are the expensive as fuck club leagues, equipment, practice sessions, rink time, etc..), much less black people. Also, it's not viewed as a 'glamour' sport, such as football, basketball and baseball.

Don't pigeonhole me, please.

I don't know whether to laugh or shake my head...

 

[Incognito]

I don't know whether to laugh or shake my head...

How about instead of either of those, you respond accordingly? Hockey just isn't everyone's cup of tea. Couple that with the fact that it's expensive as ALL get out to even regularly play, and you have your problems. Notice I said WHITE people too, DarienA.

 

[DarienA]

How about instead of either of those, you respond accordingly? Hockey just isn't everyone's cup of tea. Couple that with the fact that it's expensive as ALL get out to even regularly play, and you have your problems. Notice I said WHITE people too, DarienA.

Respond accordingly? Who the hell are you my parents? My response was the response I felt... mild amusement tinged with slight annoyance. You don't like it? Too bad.

Quite honestly I find your blanket household salary assessment to be... interesting.

 

[Blackace]

How about instead of either of those, you respond accordingly? Hockey just isn't everyone's cup of tea. Couple that with the fact that it's expensive as ALL get out to even regularly play, and you have your problems. Notice I said WHITE people too, DarienA.

People said the exact same thing about baseball too..

 

[Incognito]

People said the exact same thing about baseball too..

You need about three things to get involved with baseball, nowadays:

-Little Leauge (Which is easy as fuck to find)

-Equipment

-Little money

All three of these things make baseball the far superior choice for youths -- of any race.

Now, onto hockey. You'd have to search up and down just for the league, if there's even one. Then, the cost for equipment would be astronomical. I'm also pretty sure there is no national hockey little league, like baseball, so you're resorting to Club hockey leagues. You know how utterly expensive those are? Volleyball costs are upwards of 5K a year ... just think about hockey.

 

[Blackace]

I just think it is a lack of role models in the sport... to be honest. That's all... once we see a few more stars in the sport more kids will want to "be like Mike" I don't think money a big of an issue as you think...

 

[Sirpopopop]

Larry sort of does have a point here y'know... especially with the first paragraph:


""Well, I think so," said Bird, the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations. "You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America"

Case 1: Every white American player who comes in is compared to Larry Bird - even if their game is nothing at all like his. ---> See: Keith Van Horn.

Case 2: Yao Ming. He brought out more Asians to the arena solely because of his race. Who is to say that a white American superstar won't have the same effect?

Case 3: Taken from a Village Voice Article - http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0322/mcgraw.php

But does race affect TV ratings? In 2001, Mark Kanazawa, a professor at Carleton College in Minnesota, and Jonas Funk, a financial analyst in San Francisco, published a study in the journal Economic Inquiry that examined what effect white players have on Nielsen ratings. Using a complicated formula (and terms like "heteroskedasticity")—which took into account a team's record, number of all-stars playing, whether the white players were on the court or benchwarmers—Kanazawa and Funk came to the conclusion that each white player on a team increased ratings by 0.54 of a point. That would increase the number of households watching by 3,500 to 36,200 for each white player, depending on market size. According to the study, the additional revenues from the higher ratings would mean an additional $1.1 million for the Knicks and the Nets for every white player on their rosters.

While as the Village Voice article states if you add 12 white players to a team you probably won't gain 6.48 points(.54*12) on the ratings scale, it's still rather telling that ratings increase when you put a white player on the floor.

Is this league itself actively trying to be racist? No. Is Larry Bird being racist? No. I just think he is stating the truth - get a white superstar out there and more white people will watch. Why is it ok for people to point this out with regards to Yao Ming, yet when someone says that this can also be true for white people it's treated with ridicule? As a nation, race is still an issue, and we have yet to progress to the point where we can say race is a negligible factor - no reason why sport should be any different. People are still more comfortable with people of the same color. It's unfortunate, it might not be logical, but that's how life is.

 

[DarienA]

I think I can safely say for the group... that it's not the first paragraph that people are really having issues with...

BTW anyone who thinks Basketball sneakers are cheap... especially for a whole season... well.... no.

OMG I said sneakers... I'm showing my age.

 

[Blackace]

Larry sort of does have a point here y'know... especially with the first paragraph:


""Well, I think so," said Bird, the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations. "You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America"

Case 1: Every white American player who comes in is compared to Larry Bird - even if their game is nothing at all like his. ---> See: Keith Van Horn.

Case 2: Yao Ming. He brought out more Asians to the arena solely because of his race. Who is to say that a white American superstar won't have the same effect?

Case 3: Taken from a Village Voice Article - http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0322/mcgraw.php




While as the Village Voice article states if you add 12 white players to a team you probably won't gain 6.48 points(.54*12) on the ratings scale, it's still rather telling that ratings increase when you put a white player on the floor.

Is this league itself racist? No. Is Larry Bird being racist? No. I just think he is stating the truth - get a white superstar out there and more white people will watch. Why is it ok for people to point this out with regards to Yao Ming, yet when someone says that this can also be true for white people it's treated with ridicule? As a nation, race is still an issue, and we have yet to progress to the point where we can say race is a negligible factor - no reason why sport should be any different.

I agree with you on Larry's comments......... Only the "don't put a white guy on me..." part was pretty shallow...

 

[Deleted member 1235]

And the English invented Soccer, Rugby, and Cricket... and suck at all of them... your point is......?

English don't suck at rugby last I checked. (Which was the world cup)

 

[Incognito]

I just think it is a lack of role models in the sport... to be honest. That's all... once we see a few more stars in the sport more kids will want to "be like Mike" I don't think money a big of an issue as you think...

True, just like any sport, hockey wouldn't hurt from some decent exposure(read: a lot more) and some bonafide superstars like an MJ. Having said that, though, money is still a HUGE problem. It's viewed in a lot of areas as a country club-esque type sport...

 

[bishoptl]

Actually, HalfPastNoon nailed it pretty well on the head, although it applies to all lower financial demographics, no matter the colour.

The amount of money that hockey requires is immense. Shoulder pads, chest and elbow pads, jerseys, shinguards, socks, helmets....all of which kids outgrow from peewee through bantam and junior and beyond. I haven't even touched on the skates, which easily run a couple of hundred dollars for decent Bauers that won't hurt growing feet. Add to that the amount of sticks you go through in a season and you're shelling out hundreds per kid, every other year. Hockey practices are usually held early in the morning (like 5 AM), so a parent has to get up and drive to the rink, then take the child home after practice and get them ready for school.

Did I mention that ice time is also expensive?

Now, if you're a single parent with a couple of kids:

- you can't afford to shell out a big bank every year so your kid can play hockey
- you're not leaving a child at home alone while you take the other one to the rink

Why deal with all that when all it takes to play basketball is a ball and access to the nearest playground? Soccer? Set up a couple of garbage cans for goalposts and you're off. There's a reason why kids in the United States are playing soccer more than nearly any other sport - that's right, more than basketball and baseball.

Hockey outreach programs have blossomed over the past 12 years - around the same time Tampa Bay and Ottawa got their expansion franchises - through the O'Ree/NHL coalition, among others. All of these help to pay for the equipment, ice time, and they also make arrangements to ensure that the kids get there and have a postive exposure to the game. Combine that with the ever increasing number of minorities in the NHL of all races, and the sport will definitely reap the benefits over the next couple of decades. Guys like Anson Carter, Jarome Iginla, Richard Park, Donald Brashear, Jean-Luc Grandpierre, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Jordin Tootoo have all made into the League and enjoyed varying degrees of success. Hell, Toronto put up more of a fuss about making a Swede (Mats Sundin) their captain than Calgary did about making a black Canadian (Iginla) theirs.

So hockey's making progress and I'm pretty happy about that.

it's a slam against how boring hockey is..

Don Cherry sez GET THE FUCK OFF MY FORUM