[Tax-chick]

Some interesting research has been done on athletic aptitude and success. I haven't seen any reports indicating a natural advantage for black people in basketball. Extreme height is found among all races - even Asians on occasion - and although a larger percentage of blacks could be very tall, their percentage of the total population is small and declining. The drive to succeed in team sports seems to be largely cultural.

On the other hand, research into the physiology of runners has shown specific advantages for some Africans in terms of cardiovascular functioning and bone/muscle structure. Runners from around the world now try to replicate the training environment of Kenya or Ethiopia: fairly high altitude, dry conditions, extreme distances.

However, there is also a cultural factor in this, in that track sports offer a path to success for young Africans in an environment where other opportunities are more limited than they are in the U.S. or Europe.

[MV=PY]

I’m interested in links if you’re willing.

Two books I’ve run across that touch on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Curve-Intelligence-Structure-Paperbacks/dp/0684824299