If you’re a sports fan, you’ve heard this phrase: “A scrappy player.” A scrappy player could mean many things. In baseball, for example, it usually means someone who “plays the game the right way.” Recently, someone that fits that description is Red Sox 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia. Anytime he is being talked about, someone is there to say that he is a scrappy kid who plays the game the right way. Other baseball players that can be described as “scrappy” are Cubs shortstop Mike Fontenot and Padres shortstop turned second baseman David Eckstein. There is even an article on mlb.com that states “Mark Grudzielanek is the archetype of the scrappy middle infielder. The Royals second baseman will slap a ball up the middle, stand in stoutly making the double-play relay throw and explain himself and his team matter-of-factly before and after the game.” What do all these players have in common? They’re all white. In chapter 27 of the handbook, it is noted that “In contrast to Black athletes, who are frequently framed in terms of their physicality, White athletes are most often depicted as relying on intellectual means to achieve their sporting success” (453). As a baseball fan, when I hear the term scrappy, I think of just that, someone who may not have great athletic ability, but uses their head and their heart to succeed. Therefore, does calling Mark Grudzielanek “the archetype of the scrappy middle infielder” have racial undertones? You be the judge.
On the other side of the coin, we have the African-American athlete. A prime example of a player who has been touted for his athletic ability is Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes. ESPN’s Chris Jones even wrote a feature on Dukes for ESPN the Magazine. In talking to former teammate Ryan Knox, Jones was able to get an interesting quote. “Dukes also happens to be one of the best raw talents baseball people have seen on a diamond. In 2006, Baseball America ranked him the top pure athlete in the talent-rich Tampa Bay organization. ‘He's a freak, he's so good,’ even Knox admits.” There are a few words in this quote where some people might take issue. Raw, pure athlete, and freak aren’t necessarily associated with the typical baseball player. What’s even more curious about Elijah Dukes, is that he falls into a certain stereotype brought about by the media. “Both print and electronic portrayals stereotyped African-Americans as criminal, arrogant, unruly, undisciplined, and threatening” (455). As Jones notes in his article, “Dukes has been suspended at least once during each of his five professional seasons. In 2006, he was placed on indefinite suspension by Tampa Bay's Triple-A farm team, the Durham Bulls, after two violent confrontations.”
Obviously, this is a very small sample size. But it cannot be denied that the media treat Black and White athletes differently. What do you think has caused this discrepancy? Do you think it’s an insult for a player to be deemed scrappy? And finally, is Elijah Dukes only still in baseball because of his “pure” athletic ability? Would a player of less so-called “athletic ability” be out of baseball after all these off the field problems?
African American Athletes Viewed Differently…not for the better
ReplyDeleteBy: Michael Radomski
The media definitely views white athletes and African American athletes differently. Corey brings up an interesting quote that I would like to re-iterate and develop further upon. In the Handbook of Sports and Media, the authors note that “both print and electronic portrayals stereotyped African-Americans as criminal, arrogant, unruly, undisciplined, and threatening,” (455).
African Americans represent 9.2% of Major League ballplayers according to a 2007 survey from AOL and Black Voices. African American athletes also are the majority in basketball as well but these athletes, among all sports, often receive a bad image from other fellow athletes.
A recent New York Times article was focused on former NFL running back Travis Henry and his unique situation. Henry was a running back for seven seasons is better known for his off-the field issues that include fathering nine children with nine different women. The article chronicles Henry’s history of impregnating women, his inability to pay all of the child support, and the occasional jail trips. Henry’s situation sheds an unusual light on African American athletes along the “undisciplined” line that is used by the Handbook. Not all athletes are like Travis Henry, but his undoing hurts the African American athlete and the way they are viewed.
The 2008 NFL season also saw some more unusual circumstances that really have frowned upon the African American athlete. One such incident displayed Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress going to a New York club with an illegal firearm and having it accidentally fire, shooting him in the leg, and sending him to the hospital. Mike Lupica, sports columnist referred to Plaxico as going from “Super Bowl hero to Super Idiot.” Columnists love stories they can bit their teeth into and run with, and Lupica did some degrading going as far as saying Burress had a “head full of nothing,” that night.
A head full of nothing is unfortunately an early thought of African American athletes. Owners and general managers frowned against putting an African American at any thinking position like NFL quarterback or MLB shortstop for many decades. Fortunately enough, this plaguing issue has since persisted, but the thoughts were in the spotlight again this past season when Donovan McNabb did not know the NFL overtime rules. Bloggers and writers continued to use this as part of the argument that African Americans could not play a quarterback position or did not have the mindset to do so.
I completely disagree. I think a few African American athletes really can bring down the image from other fellow African American athletes. The bad stories often overshadow the good, as well as outnumbering the heart-warming stories like basketball center Dikembe Mutombo’s humanitarian work, or tennis star Arthur Ashe’s efforts to help out with children.
African Americana athletes truly are receiving a bad image for a few unfortunate incidents, but for every bad incident there is a good one like Mutombo that often flies under the radar. Newspaper columnists can sell more papers with a breaking news story like Burress or Henry, where a nice heartwarming story like Mutombo could be a small article, while Burress will be front page news for weeks to come.
"Research has suggested that while Black athletes are often praised for being naturally talented, White athletes are often praised for either their hard work or perceived intelligence and leadership." (Wenner 453)
ReplyDeleteI agree that this type of racial stereotyping tends to happen quite often in sports. you would never hear someone call a baseball player like Ryan Howard or Jimmy Rollins "scrappy." Howard is strong and overpowering, while Rollins is smooth, quick, and agile. Is it because of their race, that's definitely possible. The ridiculous stereotype that African American athletes are all brawn and no brain is present in the minds of many whether we like it or not.
One glaring example of where people draw this idea from is the position of quarterback in the NFL. Count how many starting African American quarterbacks there are. Did you use enough fingers to get to your second hand? Didn't think so. Quarterback is considered one of the most challenging positions in any sport. You have to know where everyone is at all times, what all of the plays are, who's coming at you, and you have to make a decision of how to execute plays in a matter of seconds - all while trying not to get crushed to death - because you're the leader, and without you, there is no team. It's perceived by many that a good deal of intelligence is required in order to perform well at the quarterback position. The fact that the NFL quarterback club consists almost entirely of white players, doesn't help the stereotype: that whites make better quarterbacks - because they're smarter.
"Analysis of print media coverage of National Football League quarterbacks similarly found that the performance of Black quarterbacks was characterized by innate ability, whereas the performance of White quarterbacks was attributed to the notion of "intellect"" (Wenner, 453)
The quarterback is the leader because of the position that they play. But what about other sports that don't have one position that clearly indicates leadership? Baseball teams have leaders at all different positions. Derek Jeter leads the Yankees from short stop, Jason Varitek leads the Sox playing catcher and David Wright leads the Mets at third base. What do all three have in common? For one, they're all white, (well, Derek Jeter is half white and half black but because he looks white, he is often perceived that way - and is described as a "scrappy player" rather than an athletic one) Secondly, a case can be made for all three of them that they aren't the most talented players on their individual teams. The case with David Wright is especially inflated by race. Wright is the go-to guy for the media because he's one of the only prominent players on the team that actually speaks english. Each of these teams have other, arguably more talented players - David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, Alex Rodriguez (well, we'll see if he's any good post-juicing) The fact of the matter is, "articulate, intelligent" white players often get thrown to the forefront, while equally talented black and latino players get pushed to the back - only complimented for their athletic ability, and never anything beyond that. Derek Jeter is a terrific athlete. But he doesn't make 18.9 million a year because of his numbers alone. His value to the team goes beyond his number of hits per year. Without him, the Yankees lack leadership. The same goes for Jason Varitek. Tek can barely hit .250 these days, but he's important to the Red Sox for more than just RBI's. Not to take anything away from these players, I mean, I could talk about Derek Jeter all day, but there are definitely other ball players in the league who are just as smart, and hard working. Yet they tend to be clouded with stereotypes, and looked at as raw, instinctual talent, and not much more.
Chris Myers
ReplyDeleteI think it is time we focus on just the athlete and stop focusing so much on backgrounds and color, which brings along with it stereotypes. There is no longer a color barrier in sports so that means that everyone playing the game shares a common theme and that is they are the best at whatever sport they play.
I think a lot of high profile athletes are black and dominate today’s most popular sports. For example Tiger Woods is the best golfer, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are the best basketball players and Adrian Peterson is arguably the best football player. These athletes are at such a high level that the press has easy access to their lives and this creates this discrepancy. Other high profile athletes as well such as Terrell Owens and Sean Avery bring the controversy on themselves and then when the media takes a hold of a story it is only natural to dig into their past for some sort of explanation.
I think a lot of athletes that get into trouble off the field have a common theme and that is they are usually mixed up with their friends. You also have to look at an athlete’s background of where he/she was born and put aside color when looking at certain information.
I don’t think it is an insult to call a player scrapper because it is purely based on their talent and on field abilities. At the pro level it takes a combination of skill and intelligence no matter what the race is. In the text it says “ Black athletes, who are frequently framed in terms of their physicality, White athletes are most often depicted as relying on intellectual means to achieve their sporting success” (Raney and Bryant 453) I believe this stereotype no longer is valid and that today’s athletes have both skills and some just use them in different ways then others. Tom Brady uses his skill and intelligence on the field well a player like Terrell Owens uses his skill on the field and his intelligence of the field. By this I mean he understands what he is doing and why he is doing it. He can control the media and has them tied up around him and why, this is no accident.
Your athletic ability on the field is what counts the most and that is why you see players getting second chances all the time. This is a game of money and you need the best athletes in order to make money so that is why players like Elijah Dukes and Mike Vick will get second chances. Don’t rule out Josh Hamilton either who was granted another chance because of his pure talent to play baseball.
While I agree that we should look past race and simply look at the athletes, it is something which is impossible to ignore, and it his hinted at in subtle ways. Whether it is from the front office, the league, or actions from the players themselves, it is impossible to ignore race today.
ReplyDelete"It would seem that explicit representations of race are more prevalent within today's cultural economym and racial difference has been increasingly appropriated as a means to sell a particular markets," (459).
This is the biggest way in our society that racial differences are heightened, in my opinion.
We see sports using players of a certain race or nationality, and then exploiting that for economic purposes. The NBA plays rap music while the ball is in play, primarily to attract its specific audience in a league that has significantly changed in the last 15 years. MLB teams like the Mets have such a large hispanic roster and fan following that there are days where the jerseys says "Los Mets".
While I have absolutely no problem with what is being done, I can't ignore that these players are being exploited for their nationality or races. Would Ichiro or Hideki Matsui be as popular or as in may ads if they weren't Japanese? While they are great players, there are many players that are just as skilled, but receive a fraction of the attention.
I think a major problem with stereotypes of athletes is that while the majority are not what that stereotype portrays, enough of them act like the stereotype in order to perpetuate that notion.
I disagree with the quote that states in reference to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods that, "many of the White population are gracious enough to accept, even adulate, African Americans, but only if they do not explicitly assert their Blackness" (458).
First of all, to assume this notion of "Blackness" is already pigeon-holing and setting stereotypes. I don't think that the public has a problem with black athletes, I just think they have a problem with athletes who believe the rules do not apply to them. If Ron Artest were white, I think people would have been just as shocked and appalled with his actions in Detroit a few years ago. The same goes for what Elijah Dukes or Allen Iverson, or any African American athlete that has committed crimes.
The bottom line is that we should not look at things in terms of race, but in subtle, cultural ways those ideas of race are still reinforced. Not necessarily in a malicious way, but in a way that still defines cultural differences.
African American in sports are seen as "natural athletes" and as Corey said white athletes are scrappy. They may have the skill level to play but also add strategy to win the game. I think this is an insult to the white athletes, people believe they can't play the sport as well as an African American. That is ridiculous, athletes are hired or drafted by coaches becusae they play the game well. People believing otherwise seems to be a cause of stereotypes among athletes of race. According to Wenner "NFL annoucners believe African American perfomrances are due to uncontrollable external forces while European American performances are due to controllable internal forces" (Wenner 158)
ReplyDeleteThe internal forces come from the hard work the Eurpean American puts into the sport while on the other hand the African American is just naturally good at the sport he or she plays. Looking at movies like White Men Can't Jump only ephasizes this stereotype even more. The Africna American can handle the ball better and jump high, his skill level surpases that of the White athlete. But the white athlete thinks strategy and can win the game with his "scrappy skills."
I think that stereotypes still go on in sports today weather it is women or male. It seems to me that this particular stereotype between the two races is more of an assumption brought on by the media.
This stereotype is probably why there are more white coaches then African American coaches. The white coache is a scrappy and knows how to win using strategy. With the coaches strategy and the players skill level they can win the game. I think that stereotypes will never go away, people are always going to see African American athletes as skilled. The media needs to stop putting ideas out there of these different athletes. Race does not matter how well one plays the sport.
Farrell Henneberry
Unfortunately it is undeniable to acknowledge that black and white athletes are still described and characterized by the media in completely different ways. The Sports Handbook talks of how North American sports columnists try to "identify male white players as leaders and hard workers" while black athletes are "framed in terms of their physicality" (453). First of all I completely agree with this section of the book as one can constantly find examples of these differing characterizations.
ReplyDeleteOne current example is how New York Knicks forward/center David Lee (who happens to be white) is described by local and national media. I often hear him described as "a great hustle player who never takes a night off", as well as "having a very high basketball IQ" and "getting the most out of his physical abilities". I feel this is a fairly common characterization of many white players in all professional sports and I don't think it is fair at all. David Lee is an extremely talented NBA player who is great using both hands around the rim as well as being one of the best rebounders in the league. Yet his talent on the court is not nearly talked about as his "incredible hustle and determination". Why is this? Why are white football players such as Patriots receiver Wes Welker constantly being described as playing 110 percent and with great intensity? Welker is a pro bowl receiver with incredible athletic abilities but never gets talked about in those regards.
The Sports Handbook theorizes that the black athlete and the still present “myth of natural physicality” is a big reason behind these modern stereotypes. The book finds that “in comparison to White athletes, the performances of Black athletes are more often attributed to innate physical skill…and often portray African Americans as naturally athletic” (453). For whatever reasons these myths and stereotypes emerged, I’m not sure, but I do agree that they have a lot to do with the fan and media’s perception of both black and white athletes. For years many people have associated young black athletes with exceptional talent as purely having great raw ability without a great understanding and intelligence of the game. This mindset could for years be reflected in the scarce number of African American quarterbacks in both college and the NFL. The position was regarded as a “white position” because black athletes were not considered intelligent enough to, for example, orchestrate a game winning drive against a complex defense. They were also not known to be leaders on the field. This mindset has changed over the years and more black quarterbacks have emerged yet when one ranks the top quarterbacks in the league today the names, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger instantly come up because of their incredible intelligence on the field, great leadership qualities as well as their great physical abilities. So in reality how much has really changed?