Cambridge
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Post by Cambridge on Apr 15, 2005 15:19:58 GMT -5
Just wondering what were peoples' reaction to Jermaine O'Neil's comments on the age limit being a racist move.
Is it completely ridiculous or am I just too whitebread to see the underlying issue? Any thoughts?
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Hank Scorpio
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Post by Hank Scorpio on Apr 15, 2005 16:01:38 GMT -5
i think there's some merit to what he says. kids skip college to play baseball, ice hockey, tennis, golf, to train to be olympic figure skaters and gymnasts. why not impose an age limit there? i don't know if the race card is 100% legit, but in a league dominated by young black men, i can see why he might perceive it that way. fact is, the last 2 nba rookies of the year never went to college and are playing at an all star level. dwight howard is a stud that will finish in the top 3 for ROY voting. if you can make the leap, i don't know why you should be prevented from doing so. if an NBA team has a problem with getting a 3 year project over immediate help...don't draft a high schooler. make yourselves accountable. but if you can get paid today, i think it's ridiculous to try and stop them. Just wondering what were peoples' reaction to Jermaine O'Neil's comments on the age limit being a racist move. Is it completely ridiculous or am I just too whitebread to see the underlying issue? Any thoughts? |
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the_way
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Post by the_way on Apr 15, 2005 16:05:51 GMT -5
Just wondering what were peoples' reaction to Jermaine O'Neil's comments on the age limit being a racist move. Is it completely ridiculous or am I just too whitebread to see the underlying issue? Any thoughts? No, I wouldn't say you are too whitebread to see the underlying issue.There is a segment of the population that aren't comfortable with young black men, coming straight out of high school and being mulit-millionaires overnight without proving anything on the basketball court. So I understand where is coming from there. O'Neal is a lot more wrong than he is right on this issue. Racism is a part of it. But I don't think its the NBA's stance. The NBA wants to see better product on the floor. With an age limit more guys will go to college and develop fundamentally some more and be more ready to play, than coming straight out of high school and riding the bench. Plus if they play in college before 20, the national viewing public gets to chance to follow these kids and so viewing interest would grow from college into the NBA. NOw the young stars of the today coming out of high school, nobody knows anything about them. Its more financial than racial for the NBA. But its hypocritical because they let Lebron, KG, T-MAC, Kobe, etc. in, and there wasn't a problem back then. Those guys haven't done too shabby. IN fact they are the stars of the league. |
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Cambridge
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Post by Cambridge on Apr 15, 2005 16:14:33 GMT -5
I can definitely see that nostalgic "I wish they played the game like it's meant to be played" line of reasoning as being laced with fair amount of racism. Especially when it comes from old Celtics and Knicks fans and they're specifically thinking about Bird, McHale, Bradley, Walton, etc... Basically, I think there's no doubt about what lies beneath the surface of their statement...especially when they embrace players like Nash who only play half the game, but seem to play the game the "way it was meant to be played."
I agree that the rules for MLB and NHL are different and that seems strange, but I think that has more to do with the expansive minor league system for both sports. Rarely, in either sport does anyone make the leap directly from college to the Red Sox or Bruins, rather they spend 4-8 years in the minors and/or college after the draft. Very different system, but one that I would happily see in basketball.
Interesting points though, Borat and Way.
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Hank Scorpio
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Post by Hank Scorpio on Apr 15, 2005 16:44:34 GMT -5
i agree with you in regards to the MLB and NHL, but, if a career doesn't pan out after four years in a farm system there, without a college degree, isn't a player just as "unprepared for life"? not saying that you said that a farm system does prepare them for life...just when i hear dickie v and other talking heads say a kid needs to go to college to get life skills i shake my head. 2 years of college isn't going to give you anything but some groupies on campus and exposure on the national level - the latter a financial benefit to the nba, as the_way alluded to. i think the pro golf, tennis, etc angles are more difficult to defend. some of these kids turn pro at 15...and unlike a first round nba pick, they don't have any sort of guaranteed income. while i think everyone should get a college degree just to fall back in case the professional athletic career fizzles out...it is not my place or anyone else's to force anyone to do so. enjoy the weekend everybody I can definitely see that nostalgic "I wish they played the game like it's meant to be played" line of reasoning as being laced with fair amount of racism. Especially when it comes from old Celtics and Knicks fans and they're specifically thinking about Bird, McHale, Bradley, Walton, etc... Basically, I think there's no doubt about what lies beneath the surface of their statement...especially when they embrace players like Nash who only play half the game, but seem to play the game the "way it was meant to be played." I agree that the rules for MLB and NHL are different and that seems strange, but I think that has more to do with the expansive minor league system for both sports. Rarely, in either sport does anyone make the leap directly from college to the Red Sox or Bruins, rather they spend 4-8 years in the minors and/or college after the draft. Very different system, but one that I would happily see in basketball. Interesting points though, Borat and Way. |
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