Chris Rock rants about the lack of African-Americans in baseball

sports.yahoo.com ^ | April 22, 2015 | Chris Cwik

[PROCON]

African-American participation in baseball is on the decline. This isn't a new development. Over the past couple years, a number of black athletes have addressed the issue.

This isn't just an issue for other black players, it's becoming an issue for black fans, according to comedian Chris Rock. Rock gave his take on the alarmingly low rates of blacks in baseball for HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumble." (WARNING: NSFW Language).

Rock's rant is humorous, obviously, but it also points out some discouraging facts about why fewer black people are playing, and watching, the game. The fact that Howard, a prominent all-black college, doesn't even have a baseball team should give some idea of how troubling this situation has become.

[lee martell]

The Watusi-Samoan-Danish Race Jockey Association feels dramatically under represented. This lobby group will be picketing late this summer at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, hoping for more fair inclusion.

[longfellow]

Whites need affirmative action to play in the NBA.

This is getting crazy. We have never been so divided in my lifetime.

Well i am going to invest in white and black water fountains and clean up.

Red Buttons once joked about Abe...”If I hadn’t of freed them who would play in the NBA?”

[esoxmagnum]

heh, now that was a well thought out response that made me laugh my ass off, see I didn’t even say LMAO, it was too good, it really did make me laugh my ass off, it caught me by absolute surprise

you are obviously a person of dry sense of humor! Hat’s off!

usually my dry comments go unnoticed, or perhaps I have no comedic ability.

Either way, thanks :)

[married21]

Does he want to go back to when there were leagues that were all black?

I have read that more blacks left baseball and went into basketball because it is cheaper, easier to do. All you need is a ball and shoes. And you don’t need a whole framework of involved parent volunteers to run it.

When more black males return to full-time fatherhood, maybe they will enjoy bringing up ball players.

[Rome2000]

Is that Stargell?

[PA Engineer]

Yep. He never was a ripped six pack type, but he could rip the ball over the wall.

Did I give my age away?

[KarlInOhio]

I'm concerned about the lack of Samoans in gymnastics.

[PieterCasparzen]

You are very bad man ! Very bad man !

Bad Man !

[PieterCasparzen]

Ah those were the days, and I’m a Yankee fan. Baseball good.

[Oztrich Boy]

I;ve never seen a black Windsurfer

[esoxmagnum]

hahahahhahahaha

how long did it actually take you to find that!

omg, i am flattered! the only paki baseball player ever!!!!

[Oztrich Boy]

And the lack of San Bushmen in Sumo Wrestling.

[PA Engineer]

Ah those were the days, and I’m a Yankee fan. Baseball good.

It really was. Forbes Field was good, Three Rivers was not so much, and PNC Park is a fantastic evening (well, except they took out the cigar section).

[PieterCasparzen]

lol, I just typed

seinfeld bad man youtube pakistani people

into google.

it came up first.

[lee martell]

I had fun writing it. Push an extreme to a level of absurdity. It’s getting harder to do though, in the age of Microaggressions and triggers.

[rawcatslyentist]

I'm more alarmed at the lack of 4' 2" Asian women in the NBA~~~!!!

Racists!

[Rome2000]

One of the great ones for sure.

Lots of class too

It’s good to be old enough to remember seeing guys like that.

I’m late 40’s and actually saw in person Willie Mays play for the Mets at Shea stadium, must have been his last season before retiring.

[esoxmagnum]

well, f them so called triggers, you made an old dude laugh!

I’ll send you a sour ball!

that was great

push that PC stuff to the curb!

[sten]

more or less then 12%?

meanwhile, should we talk about basketball?

[PA Engineer]

It’s good to be old enough to remember seeing guys like that.

It is. It is. How many people remember Roberto Clemente?

His death hit hard as a young teenager. We had heroes back then and he definitely was. Today there is too much scandal and cynicism.

The back story on his death played out in Pittsburgh when they revealed he boarded the plane to Nicaragua because he wanted to stop the looting that was going on during the relief flights.

We were a lucky generation in many ways to have lived when we still had a righteous country.