Post: #26

Tommy Sotomayor made a good point about the overrepresentation of blacks in the NBA and NFL, and to an extent, the entertainment industry. American blacks view these avenues as the only means of social advancement - juxtaposing the nonexistent outcry from the Asian-American communities over such trivial things as OscarsSoWhite. Indians and Koreans don't care about that shit. Education and entrepreneurship are demeaned in most black communities while wealth is glorified. Want a Benz and AP Royal Oak? Don't start a business or become a doctor. That's too white. Hope against hope that you become a professional athlete or rapper.

Post: #27

(04-16-2017 12:28 PM)la bodhisattva Wrote:  Tommy Sotomayor made a good point about the overrepresentation of blacks in the NBA and NFL, and to an extent, the entertainment industry. American blacks view these avenues as the only means of social advancement - juxtaposing the nonexistent outcry from the Asian-American communities over such trivial things as OscarsSoWhite. Indians and Koreans don't care about that shit. Education and entrepreneurship are demeaned in most black communities while wealth is glorified. Want a Benz and AP Royal Oak? Don't start a business or become a doctor. That's too white. Hope against hope that you become a professional athlete or rapper.

Always nice to go for the 1 in 10.000 chance of making it super-big instead of taking the solid 1:1 probability of "making it" at least to a better life.

Post: #28

Feel like Tommy is ignoring the part that basketball and football provide full athletic scholarships for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend college without taking out huge loans. Sure many people squander this opportunity, but I work with and know many who didn't.

Post: #29

(04-16-2017 11:46 AM)captain_shane Wrote:  

(04-15-2017 06:42 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

(04-15-2017 06:19 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I played college baseball. I was the only black guy on my team for a couple of years. I didn't read the article but I think the reason for the article is that baseball was such a large part of the black community (Negro League, Jackie Robinson). But now its the 3rd in popularity now. I think a couple of reasons for its decline in America (not just black community) is that its a father/son sport (blk community = single moms) and its fuckin hard sport to play (requires a ton of time to get good/hitting a baseball is tough). I heard there's an article about the 100 most popular athletes today -- only 2 baseball players made the list. And one of them is retired -- Jeter. Every year around Jackie Robinson day this subject comes up. 

Is baseball third in popularity? I consider it fourth after boxing, with boxing being a very distant third. Basketball and football are obviously huge.

Boxing isn't anywhere near as popular as baseball. I'd venture to guess that 99% of the population can't name 1 boxer outside of Mayweather.

I agree -- baseball over boxing. I might go hockey over boxing as well. If you listen to sports talk radio -- boxing is rarely talked about. Of course, big fights make big money. But baseball is played/covered by the media every day in the summer. And even the casual fan identifies with their local teams.

Post: #30

(04-16-2017 01:10 PM)Repo Wrote:  Feel like Tommy is ignoring the part that basketball and football provide full athletic scholarships for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend college without taking out huge loans. Sure many people squander this opportunity, but I work with and know many who didn't.

Yes, but the full scholarship and all the other educational opportunities afforded to college athletes is largely ignored or at least severely under-utilized by many of the players. One only needs to look at the majors these athletes study. I understand Andrew Wiggins and Lonzo Ball not majoring in pre-med, they're guaranteed huge paydays. The likelihood of going pro is less than 1% the typical college athlete but none of them accept that. Major in something that isn't communications or sports management.

Post: #31

(04-16-2017 02:04 PM)la bodhisattva Wrote:  

(04-16-2017 01:10 PM)Repo Wrote:  Feel like Tommy is ignoring the part that basketball and football provide full athletic scholarships for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend college without taking out huge loans. Sure many people squander this opportunity, but I work with and know many who didn't.

Yes, but the full scholarship and all the other educational opportunities afforded to college athletes is largely ignored or at least severely under-utilized by many of the players. One only needs to look at the majors these athletes study. I understand Andrew Wiggins and Lonzo Ball not majoring in pre-med, they're guaranteed huge paydays. The likelihood of going pro is less than 1% the typical college athlete but none of them accept that. Major in something that isn't communications or sports management.

Nothing wrong in majoring in sports management if that is what you are making a career in and enjoy doing. Anyway, the fact that many people squander the opportunity doesnt make it a less valid path for people who don't. Not everyone is smart enough to get a full ride scholarship based off academics (and frankly if more people where, that would just make them that much harder to get because of increased competition) , but that doesn't mean they aren't smart enough to benefit from college and become a more productive member of society.

Post: #32

Funny how there's never an article about not enough white players in the NBA

Post: #33

(04-16-2017 05:48 PM)Gambler Wrote:  Funny how there's never an article about not enough white players in the NBA

You beat me to the punch. I was about to say the same thing.

Post: #34

(04-15-2017 06:42 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

(04-15-2017 06:19 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I played college baseball. I was the only black guy on my team for a couple of years. I didn't read the article but I think the reason for the article is that baseball was such a large part of the black community (Negro League, Jackie Robinson). But now its the 3rd in popularity now. I think a couple of reasons for its decline in America (not just black community) is that its a father/son sport (blk community = single moms) and its fuckin hard sport to play (requires a ton of time to get good/hitting a baseball is tough). I heard there's an article about the 100 most popular athletes today -- only 2 baseball players made the list. And one of them is retired -- Jeter. Every year around Jackie Robinson day this subject comes up. 

Is baseball third in popularity? I consider it fourth after boxing, with boxing being a very distant third. Basketball and football are obviously huge.

Boxing may not be as popular as Baseball or Hockey when you talk fan numbers. But I think boxing is third in popularity for a young black male athlete to train in.

A black guy on the shorter side will have basically no shot at professional basketball. Football would be the next option but isn't going to work for everyone. Boxing is pretty much the only other sport for urban blacks in America. There is track and field of course but it doesnt have the cool factor of the first three.

Post: #35

(04-15-2017 06:19 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I played college baseball. I was the only black guy on my team for a couple of years. I didn't read the article but I think the reason for the article is that baseball was such a large part of the black community (Negro League, Jackie Robinson). But now its the 3rd in popularity now. I think a couple of reasons for its decline in America (not just black community) is(bthat its a father/son sport lk community = single moms) and its fuckin hard sport to play (requires a ton of time to get good/hitting a baseball is tough). I heard there's an article about the 100 most popular athletes today -- only 2 baseball players made the list. And one of them is retired -- Jeter. Every year around Jackie Robinson day this subject comes up. 

That's a good point. I played the Big 3 growing up and my dad was an exceptional athlete in his youth. He worked with me on the fundamentals and then I would go out on my own or with friends to play basketball and football. Baseball seemed to be much more of a father-son pastime. Throwing a ball back and forth is a wonderful father/son bonding experience. Perhaps many boys' love of baseball was due more to a subconscious nostalgia (how nostalgic can you be at 14?) of having a catch with their dads instead of the actual sport. Unfortunately, many black boys don't have that opportunity so no appreciation of baseball was fostered and they had little reason to seriously pursue it as they aged?

Post: #36

(04-16-2017 06:22 PM)azulsombra Wrote:  

(04-15-2017 06:42 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

(04-15-2017 06:19 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  I played college baseball. I was the only black guy on my team for a couple of years. I didn't read the article but I think the reason for the article is that baseball was such a large part of the black community (Negro League, Jackie Robinson). But now its the 3rd in popularity now. I think a couple of reasons for its decline in America (not just black community) is that its a father/son sport (blk community = single moms) and its fuckin hard sport to play (requires a ton of time to get good/hitting a baseball is tough). I heard there's an article about the 100 most popular athletes today -- only 2 baseball players made the list. And one of them is retired -- Jeter. Every year around Jackie Robinson day this subject comes up. 

Is baseball third in popularity? I consider it fourth after boxing, with boxing being a very distant third. Basketball and football are obviously huge.

Boxing may not be as popular as Baseball or Hockey when you talk fan numbers. But I think boxing is third in popularity for a young black male athlete to train in.

A black guy on the shorter side will have basically no shot at professional basketball. Football would be the next option but isn't going to work for everyone. Boxing is pretty much the only other sport for urban blacks in America. There is track and field of course but it doesnt have the cool factor of the first three.

I was referring to popularity in the black community only. Basketball is obviously number one. Football is number two. I would put boxing at a distant third, maybe a very distant third. Other sports like baseball, soccer, and hockey aren't as popular in the black community.

Post: #37

162 games. A season that lasts 6 months. Games that take 3+ hours and are painfully slow.

Baseball is just not keeping up with the times as the world is moving so rapidly and attention spans are getting shorter. Everytime I catch a game on tv it's like looking at a relic from the 1800s

Post: #38

MLB revenue has been rapidly growing since 2008, though, so it must appeal to plenty of people.

My cursory research suggests the NFL is on top, then MLB, then the NBA at about 60% of MLB's revenue. NHL pulls in about 2/3 what the NBA does.

NASCAR continues to decline. Didn't check anything else.

Post: #39

^NBA or basketball is the most popular sport among young kids in Canada.

Even in Canada where Hockey is a big deal and is pushed down our throats, I still don't hear young kids raving about the sport.

The simple answer to this dilemma, is why not get more non black American kids involved in the sport?

Post: #40

Baseball needs a bigger field. The pitchers would have to throw from further back thus make it easier to hit the ball and the players in the field would have to cover more distance. Batters would also have to hit the ball a lot further to get a homerun.

Of course, this will never happen.

Post: #41

(04-16-2017 11:49 PM)Suits Wrote:  Baseball needs a bigger field. The pitchers would have to throw from further back thus make it easier to hit the ball and the players in the field would have to cover more distance. Batters would also have to hit the ball a lot further to get a homerun.

Of course, this will never happen.

That would make the game even longer.

(04-16-2017 09:37 PM)TigerMandingo Wrote:  162 games. A season that lasts 6 months. Games that take 3+ hours and are painfully slow.

Baseball is just not keeping up with the times as the world is moving so rapidly and attention spans are getting shorter. Everytime I catch a game on tv it's like looking at a relic from the 1800s

I hate when people say baseball is painfully slow. Its like people that say there's not enough scoring in soccer. Or people that hate the wrestling part of MMA. I enjoy the slower parts of sports when you can watch strategy play out. You can see the pressure of a game/situation. But TigerMandingo is right about attention span.

Post: #42

I'll quote myself from an older thread.

(10-06-2015 08:51 PM)Bear Hands Wrote:  ...
Baseball is a generational game. MLB's current commissioner Rob Manfred has cited polls that show most of today's fans (about 70%) played the game as children. Fathers pass down love of the game to their sons. There's a lot of nuance to the game that requires a father's guidance to understand. The stars of the game usually learned how to throw, hit, and catch with their fathers before they were old enough to step into little league. So why is popularity down? Fathers are not with their children as much. Single parent homes are on the rise. Parents are working more. Fathers come to homes that are not cared for and have to devote their after-work energy to something besides their kids. Children are growing up in areas where they cannot just go outside and start a pickup baseball game in an open field. Ask yourself which demographics have less involvement from fathers now than in the past.

I wonder why Ken Rosenthal doesn't ask why most people could only name Sandy Koufax when asked about a famous Jewish player.