Ideally, athletics should be one component of American life that is not marred by racism. However, a recent study from the Q Scores Company proves that many white Americans have more hateful attitudes towards black athletes than towards white athletes.
The company provided a list of the top 10 most liked and disliked sports personalities. Out of the 10 most liked sports personalities, Michael Jordan (No. 1) and Tim Duncan (No. 10) were the only two black players on the list. However, six black athletes (Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant, Chad Ocho Cinco, LeBron James) and only two white athletes (Ben Roethlisberger, Robby Gordon) made the most disliked list.
Although the lists could be skewed due to the individuals who were chosen to participate in the study, it brings a disturbing issue to the forefront. White athletes are forgiven for their transgressions more than black athletes.
For example, Vick and Bryant have both had run-ins with the law, but were their crimes more heinous than the NHL’s Dany Heatley, who killed a teammate while driving drunk in 2003? Woods admitted to cheating on his wife with several women, but is that any worse than what Rick Pitino did? Pitino, the University of Louisville’s basketball coach, cheated on his wife by having sex with a woman on a table inside a restaurant.
Ocho Cinco and James have lived pristine lives off the court and they both play their respective games with passion and flair. So why are they more hated than Brett Favre, who recently sent a naked picture of himself to a woman who is not his wife?
Scoring touchdowns, winning Super Bowls, and dunking with tenacity can keep black athletes on the field and allow them to earn a big paycheck. But this study proves that it takes even more for them to be judged equally to their white counterparts. –amir shaw
