Society's reflection in sports

For my first few blogs I've been promoting all of the great aspects of sports at FAU and in America. Sports can be a release from the stress of everyday life, a place to revert back to a blissful childlike state of aw. I still get the same feeling when I see D-Wade or LeBron James play as I did when Michael Jordan would fill my dreams with visions of a man so amazing he could fly. That's why I love sports. It's a way to leave reality for a few hours. Because, as I'm going to elaborate, reality can suck sometimes.

For good or bad, sports are more than just a way to relax, it's a reflection of what is happening in society. Take this past Super Bowl. It was the first time an African American coached in the game. The good news didn't stop there. Both coaches were black, and obviously an African American won the Super Bowl for the first time ever.

On the flip side of that great achievements the NFL has no African American owners, and college football has 117 teams and only three black coaches. That is definitely a reflection of the plight of African Americans today. They are making strides to break down walls of institutional racism in sports and society, but they're only poking holes when the wall needs to be torn down.

A few days after the Super Bowl, former Orlando Magic Center John Amaechi announced (or came out, I don't really know how to phrase it) that he was a homosexual. It was a bold move because only a few athletes have ever come out, and none of them while they were playing. The reaction from around the league was mild. LeBron James was quoted as saying that he would want a gay player to tell him if he's gay, because the team is a family. Charles Barkley stated that he didn't care. He had gay friends, and its none of his business what they do in their homes. I'm glad to see that my favorite athlete (Barkley) shared my opinion. I care if someone is gay as about asmuch as a gay person cares I'm straight.

According to Amaechi that's not the overall sentiment in the NBA. He believes that he was forced out of the historically moral backwards Utah because it was suspected that he was gay. There is no denying that Amaechi had to feel like an outcast in a atmosphere were the words like "fag" and phrases that use the word "bitch" in a homophobic way (i.e. Shaq made Amaechi his bitch). In addition to the locker room, the NBA has fans who are famous for heckling players. One was so obscene that he called Rockets Center Dikembe Mutombo a "monkey face" among other horrific names.

If you want to get a social temperature for big issues like race or sexuality, a easy barometer is sports, where just like in everyday society for every step forward we need to look back and realize that we are not anywhere close to equality.

FYI FAU has no African American Head Coaches besides Dyanne Loput, who coaches Dance. I'm not saying FAU is behind the times, in fact sadly they are on par if not better than most schools with these issues.