Young Black Sports Stars and the White Commentators Who Despise Them

The Ron Artest basketbrawl has revived the theme of culture war in pro sports. The usual commentators are decrying the rise of "hip-hop" culture in pro basketball, while others (a minority, I think) are criticizing the fans who help provoke conflicts and calling for preventive measures such as expanding the zone of empty space around the court. (Which of course the team owners won't do, since they can sell courtside seats for up to $1,500 apiece.)

One group that are almost never taken to task but who deserve their share of the blame are the newspaper and radio sports commentators themselves.

One of these days I will get around to writing a longer piece about the intrusion of right-wing commentary into radio sports talk (don't get me started on Mike and the Mad Dog!). But for now I just want to point out that when fans are fed an almost daily diet of broadcast complaints about how pro athletes are overpaid, spoiled, talentless, disrespectful, and selfish, it's not very surprising to see a few fans venting their frustrations in life by screaming curses and throwing drinks at the players.

Of course it's true that some pro athletes are overpaid, spoiled, etc. But are they any more overpaid than the movie stars who make $5 or $10 million per picture? Or any more spoiled than the Bush twins (or their dad, for that matter)? Or any more talentless than the CEOS who make tens of millions for leading their companies into bankruptcy?

There are many root causes for the growing disaffection between fans and athletes. But the sports writers and radio mavens are definitely part of the problem.

They encourage fans in the belief than any star whose team falters is an overpaid bum (ignoring the fact that, at any given moment, half the teams in any league have to be in the bottom half of the league--duh).

They also, more subtly, encourage (male) fans to cling to the fantasy that they could have been pro athletes if only they'd gotten a break or two along the way.

And some of the mainly white commentators do a poor job of hiding their jealousy and resentment over the fact that young black men who are less intelligent and articulate than they are can make twenty or fifty times as much money. (Sorry, sportswriters, but it's about the free market--as well as genetics and luck. You didn't expect to have all the life cards stacked in your favor, did you?)

None of this is to excuse Ron Artest or any other athlete who loses his mind and attacks fans. But for pete's sake let's put this whole brouhaha into a little broader context. And let's try to get the holier-than-thou sports commentators who tut-tut about such incidents off their high horses.