University of Maryland Hosts 9th Annual Shirley Povich Symposium Panel: Racism in Sports

“Jim Brown, born ineligible to play for the Redskins, integrated their end zone three times yesterday.” –Shirley Povich

A phrase like “Basketball is a black sport” is just one of many racial stereotypes that prompted the panel discussion “Racism in Sports How Far Have We Really Come?” at The University of Maryland College Park (UMD) Tuesday evening.

On Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. the ninth annual Shirley Povich Symposium panel included ESPN commentator, radio host, and UMD Alumni Scott Van Pelt, ESPN commentator and analyst Michael Wilbon, Washington Mystics basketball player and ESPN commentator Kara Lawson, ESPN panelist and Merrill College professor Kevin Blackistone, and curator of sports at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History Damion Thomas.

Some of the issues discussed were the use and possible banning of the “N-word” and its appropriateness, the name Washington Redskins and the racial offensiveness behind it, different sports and their racial perceptions, and two of the most controversial people in sports this year, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and Los Angeles Clipper’s former owner Donald Sterling.

The definition of racism versus race was also discussed.

According to Michael Wilbon, “Racism reflects a struggle for power. Race talks about how you see. Everything can be seen in the context of race.”

The panelists all agreed that although sports can no longer technically be segregated, the problem of race and racism still exists and that when an issue is affiliated with sports, people tend to pay more attention.

In Wilbon’s opinion, sports will always have a greater impact, because it is ahead of the culture. Problems in sports make viewers and listeners think about issues in a way they never have.

When problems happen in sports, people pay attention.

A prime example was the hateful remarks made by Sterling in contrast with the brutal domestic attack by Rice against his wife.

Earlier this year, when Sterling was exposed, by his then girlfriend Raquel Lee, for making racist comments about black athletes, the National Basketball Association (NBA) indirectly forced Sterling to sell his team and to leave the NBA all together.

“I’m glad that Donald Sterling is the face of it [racism], because that got the conversation started because people weren’t paying attention.”

When a video of Rice surfaced of him striking and dragging his wife out of an elevator, he was suspended almost immediately by the National Football League (NFL).

“That is something that is so vicious and heinous. I think it’s important that this is allowing the nation to have a conversation that we’ve been uncomfortable having,” said Thomas.

“That is the power of sports,” he added.

Another controversial issue in sports that caught the attention of viewers, is the use of the “n-word.”

Recently, racial disputes in the NFL prompted officials to penalize players who used the “n-word” on the field. This decision had been heavily criticized as being racist.

Panelists discussed, the “n-word” being banned and not synonymous words within other races.

“I use the word every day. That does not mean everyone can use it,” said Wilbon.

Growing up, Wilbon followed the rule of only using the words that “belong” to your respective race. His father taught him that not everybody can say everything.

In the article in The Washington Post entitled “The N Word” by Dave Sheinin and Krissah Thompson, it stated “If life were as simple as the National Football League would like us to believe, the United States could simply police the word with yellow penalty flag, as if everyone were referees. A yellow flag on the hip-hop artist with the egregious lyrics.

Another flag on the white kids at the mall, dropping the word on one another with no thought to its history. Another, if you wish, on the NFL for trying to ban in the first place a word used largely by African American players to other African American players.”

“What I don’t want to hear is Roger Goodell [NFL Commissioner] trying to hand out punishments through officials on the field for the use by lineman of the n-word when they have a franchise known as the Redskins.” Wilbon added.

With fans still criticizing the NFL for keeping the name Redskins –which is viewed as offensive to Native Americans— many do not see it fair that they ban the use of the “n–word” before they handle that matter.

Victor Cobblah, a resident of Silver Spring, MD said, “Banning the word in the NFL was just another way to make the sport appear less ‘black’.”

The topic of perceiving certain sports by race (such as basketball being a “black sport”) was also discussed. Although pro basketball and pro football had almost an equal percentage of black players, only basketball was seen as a “black” sport.

Wilbon felt this way, because in football, most of the quarterbacks were white as well as the coaches.

While watching a NASCAR (which is perceived as a white sport) advertisement on television, Thomas made a startling observation. He noticed a previous fight was used to advertise for an upcoming race. This commercial seemed odd to him, because in the NBA, NFL and college leagues it was absolutely frowned upon to fight at all, let alone to be used to promote the sport.

“We have a different view of white athletes when they get involved in these sorts of activities, than we do black athletes. And we immediately label them thugs,” said Thomas.

Lawson expressed that in sports such as basketball, it was all about fan perception. The NBA had the desire to make the sport less black to appear to a corporate white world

NBA “thugs” such as Ron Artest and Jermaine O’neal, who were involved in one of the biggest fights in the NBA, labeled the “Malice at the Palace” (Auburn Hills, Mich.), received heavy criticism from the NBA, fans, and sponsors.

Panelists agreed that in predominately white sports, fighting gets looked at as a way of showing support for your team.

Van Pelt felt presented the example of hockey, a predominately white sport, where players like Sidney Crosby, who fought at almost every game, received a pat on the back for “protecting” their team.

In sports such as basketball, it was all about fan perception. The NBA had the desire to make the sport less black to appear to a corporate white world.

“That is the path of profitability, and one of the reasons they do that [try to appear to whites] is, because the league is perceived as a black league,” Lawson said.