Admit It America, We're All Racist

The criticism of USA Basketball is borderline racist, is definitely unsophisticated and exposes a lot of super patriots as hypocrites. Allen Iverson is wearing our jersey -- our red, white and blue -- and playing the game the way we taught him to play it.

The author of a sports article concerning the 2004 Olympic Men's Basketball Team has met a lot of debate with his article surrounding criticism of the 2004 Men's Basketball Team. The author states that all hate and criticism surrounding the basketball team is racist in nature, backing up the significance of hate with some statistics.

In a poll on Page 2's Daily Quickie on Monday, 54.1 percent of the approximately 20,000 respondents said they wanted to see the USA team lose, and another 19.9 percent said they "kind of" would like to see it lose.

But then the author goes on to imply all criticism of the team is racist.

This team is being discussed unfairly in the media and being treated unfairly by American sports fans. There's a lot of convenient denial going on. No one wants to deal with the truth because they're having too much fun blasting a bunch of black millionaires for being lazy, unpatriotic and stupid. With the exception of adding the word "millionaires," this is a very familiar tune.

sports.espn.go.com.../040826

sports.espn.go.com.../040902

I think the author should have stuck to his original premise that those who wanted to see the 2004 USA Men's Basketball Team lose may be racist. But even that is a stretch. The author didn't even take into account the demographics of those who took the poll! I guess he would just call blacks who shared the same view self-racists.

[edit on 5-9-2004 by Jamuhn]

I wanted our team to lose since our basketball stars ae all arrogent jerks. I cannot stand Iverson or any of them now.

The man who wrote this is an ignorant fool, " No one wants to deal with the truth because they're having too much fun blasting a bunch of black millionaires for being lazy, unpatriotic and stupid."

A bunc of pompus black millionaries, I do not care if they were white or blue I do not like arrogent people like they are.

Cosby is a millionarie and I enjoy his comedy, Red Foxx was'nt really a millionarie but he was a famous black man and I enjoyed his comedy.

People like the idiot who wrote that article, are they ones who will forgive a black person for killing a baby, a cop, or a woman. They are the ones who believe the black race is infallibale and that it is heresey to talk back against them.

I would'nt be surprised if the author was black.

It has nothing to do with race. It's an abomination to have "Pro" athletes in amature sport. That includes Hockey.

Gotta echo the spirit of JediMaster's comments here. Why did American's revere the 1980 Hockey Team, Rulon Gardner, or the freakin' Jamaican bob sled team - they were underdogs. The US basketball team was expected to win and blew it.

While I cannot speak for all Americans, my opinion of the US Basketball Team - they couldn't have cared less about winning or the fact that they were representing their country. IMO the publics criticism has nothing to do with color of their skin (or of more importance to the average american, who they play for during the regular season) and has everything to do with passion and commitment.

Sorry guys put the blame where it belongs - on yourself.

I think the US team deserves to be criticized for a multitude of reasons. I'd like to see them play with passion and win. Obviously, they had the talent, but not the passion that Argentina, for example, had.

Some of the players play with passion, but the starters were just a sorry bunch. I have always been one to criticize Lebron James above all others; I think he is very overrated.

What I don't understand though is why someone would want to see them lose. I'd think that everyone would be pulling for them in some respect. Though to ascribe this to patriot racists I think is very stupid and not showing detailed research or insight into the many, underlying reasons. Everytime a person tried to generalize a situation, they WILL turn out wrong.

This author really turned me off though when he starts talking about how ALL criticism is racist. I can't believe ESPN actually let the guy publish his article on their site.

By the way, here's his e-mail address: [email protected]

Have fun!

I get to try out my gmail with that.

If he responds I'll post it.

[edit on 9-5-2004 by JediMaster]

I'll have to admit.
I wanted to see them win, then after watching the first game, I changed my mind.

There weren't at the "show", yet they were showing off.

They weren't playing as a team, they were showcasing their indvidual talents. That only works when the other team is doing them same.

One of the Argentinian players also mentioned this, in a post-game interview. "we played as a team" he said..

Thats all he had to say.

I don't hate black people for the prowess at sport, just their taste in 'music'.

Originally posted by Ezekial
I don't hate black people for the prowess at sport, just their taste in 'music'.

Youre an idiot

Originally posted by Ezekial
I don't hate black people for the prowess at sport, just their taste in 'music'.

Ezekial...
you have no soul...

But it does suck though. Not that most white music doesnt either.

learn to play against 2-3 cone defence

that one has always been USA killer, everybodys doing it.
Of course your players would rather look good and loose, than look bad and win.

The reason everyone hated this "dream" team is it wasn't a winner and everyone could tell from the start. The team was comprised of a bunch of really athletic players who didn't complement each other at all. They went with the premise of "the most talented players in the US together can outplay a cohesive team" then went there with their "C" team.

Had the teams roster read like it originally should have they would have won it all no doubt. That list included:

PG - Jason Kidd
PG/SG - Allen Iverson
SG - Kobe Bryant
SG - Tracy Macgrady
SG - Ray Allen
SF/PF - Kevin Garnett
PF/C - Tim Duncan
C - Shaquille O'niel

The problem was, only 2 of those players showed up to play (Iverson and Duncan). If they had simply kept them as the two stars of the team and built around them with good jump shooters and athletic defenders, they would have one it all. But instead they had the wonderkinds of tomorow playing (Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire) along with selfish players (Stephon Marburry).

This team also was very very young, with the average age being 23 years old. That young selfish mindset coupled with the fact that these players combined worth is around 1 billion dollars makes them not so easy to like. The US got what it deserved here, by sending a half assed team to represent US basketball.

If they want people to like their teams again, all they need to do is this: Get 3 superstars, and put great jump shooters around them.

I was a huge fan of the Baseketball Olympics. That's why I was shocked to hear they were losing so many games. Then I looked at the roster and it was no surprise. Some good rookies and AI. I like Iverson but I don't think he should represent the team. I bet any basketball team could beat the other countries. How bout we just send the Detroit Pistons there so they can win.

I was dissapointed even with the bronze. I don't think it's racism I just think african-americans are better at baseketball, just like Canadians are good at hockey. It's not racism- the bigger issue is why the basketball players who make more money then presidents, soldiers, and common workers don't show up to represent the USA!

While I cannot speak for all Americans, my opinion of the US Basketball Team - they couldn't have cared less about winning or the fact that they were representing their country. IMO the publics criticism has nothing to do with color of their skin (or of more importance to the average american, who they play for during the regular season) and has everything to do with passion and commitment.

I saw otherwise. I saw players determined to win, but they lacked the self-discipline that team play requires and they also showed lack of knowledge of foundamentals.

The problem with the NBA is that its last true superstar (Michael Jordan) has quitted. In the quest to find the new MJ, players are hyped to the max, without deserving so. NBA has been turned into a show. This is not necessarily bad, but the rest of the world has made great progress on the sport, so the NBA should abandon the 'show above all' attitude and play real basketball.

Another problem is that you can't just assemble a team 10 days before the tournament. And you can't just roll out any bunch of guys out there, without balancing roles. Don't tell me that Larry Brown did not know that other teams are gonna use zone defense. Did he get a shooter? nope. Not even one.

Finally, don't forget that NBA players are heavily boosted by substances while in the regular or play-off season. This is not allowed in the Olympics.

I don't think it's racism I just think african-americans are better at baseketball

Jinobilli, Scholla and Herman think otherwise :-).

You are calling them 'african-americans', while they are as americans as you are. I did not see whites being called 'euro-americans'. Why?

Some of basketball's greatest players are whites. The great Erving 'Magic' Johnson had 'Pistol' Pit Maravich as a model. Maravich did amazing things on the court, and he is still the first in statistics in NCAA in some category I don't remember. Then there is Larry Bird...what can be said about Larry? One of the 3 greatest players of all times! And there are many more...Stockton, for example. So I don't see basketball as being a black sport. The dominance of blacks is purely for social reasons.

Originally posted by MysticalUnicorn
How bout we just send the Detroit Pistons there so they can win.

Wow, that's such a great idea. I bet we would have won in such a case. They played with a lot of heart in the finals, that's for sure. Were there any Pistons on the olympic roster?

Originally posted by intrepid
It has nothing to do with race. It's an abomination to have "Pro" athletes in amature sport. That includes Hockey.

Its not even that. You had a large group of wealthy egomaniacal ball hoggs that could not play as a team. The got spanked and they deserved it.

It would be a cool idea if the team that won the annual NBA championship represented the USA in the Summer Olympics. Kind of like a 'qualifying round'. The team would be viewed as deserving, and I think the country would get behind their NBA champions a lot more. It could be turned into an honor instead of an 'unwanted duty' which most NBA stars view it as.

It would also be cool to do for baseball and hockey, but probably logistically impossible given where the games fall relative to their season...

And I have to give props to Mr. Iverson and the others for giving their time to represent their country - it's more than Shaq and Kobe did.

Originally posted by HoonieSkoba
It would be a cool idea if the team that won the annual NBA championship represented the USA in the Summer Olympics. Kind of like a 'qualifying round'. The team would be viewed as deserving, and I think the country would get behind their NBA champions a lot more. It could be turned into an honor instead of an 'unwanted duty' which most NBA stars view it as.

It would also be cool to do for baseball and hockey, but probably logistically impossible given where the games fall relative to their season...

And I have to give props to Mr. Iverson and the others for giving their time to represent their country - it's more than Shaq and Kobe did.

Yeah, nothing like sending in the Marines to take care of the Boy Scouts. Guanteed victory.

I gave up on most mainstream sports long ago. Too many of the athletes are repugnant to me. I enjoy the motorsports and follow F1. These men are really admirable and respectable, as well.

As for the everyone in the US being racist, that should be just as obvious as the fact that everyone is egocentric. The very best among us rise above these instincts.