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When Hillary Clinton claimed last week that Barack Obama was having trouble getting the votes of "hard-working Americans, white Americans," much speculation ensued about whether she was intentionally exploiting classic racist beliefs about the supposed laziness of African-Americans.
My view is that Clinton isn't as gifted a politician as her husband, so this apparent appeal to the kind of racist populism that fueled the careers of demagogues such as former Alabama Gov. George Wallace may have well been a verbal slip (if Bill had said something like that you can be sure it wouldn't have been by accident).
In the end it really doesn't matter much. A mistake people make about racism is to think it's primarily a personal flaw which some people have and others don't, as opposed to something that distorts our society at a structural level, whatever particular individuals may believe or say.
One of the easiest places to see this is in the sports world, where certain racial cliches and stereotypes get expressed in relatively unself-conscious ways. These stereotypes reflect the sort of language we are now seeing from Clinton and her advisers, about "blue-collar" voters.
Just as in Clinton's special political language, in the world of sports "blue-collar" is a code word for "white." A bunch of other terms - "gritty," "gutty," "hard-nosed," "lunch-bucket ethic," and of course "intelligent" - work in the same fashion.
The idea is that white players must overcome their lack of God-given athletic talent (which is apparently conceptualized as God's version of affirmative action for black players) through good moral character, and in particular the classic Puritan virtue of hard work.
In recent years, these cliches have been noted often enough that more sophisticated media figures have become aware of them, and will try to avoid them, just as savvy white politicians have come to realize it's not a good idea to refer to people like Barack Obama as "articulate."
Nevertheless these patterns of thinking are so ingrained that they continue to appear in amusing if ultimately disturbing ways. Consider this evaluation of a couple of football players just chosen in the NFL draft.
Draft Countdown, one of the most popular NFL draft evaluation sites on the Internet, provides critiques of college football players for the purpose of judging their professional prospects. The site lists what NFL talent scouts call a player's "measurables," the most important of which is his speed in an electronically timed 40-yard dash, and his weight. (Generally speaking, the bigger and faster the player, the better the player's prospects, although "measurables" don't include "intangibles" like gritty, gutty, blue-collar leadership skills.)
Here is the site's evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of two players. Each is listed by the site as running the 40 in 4.55 seconds. One weighs 212 pounds; the other weighs 211. Both play the same position (safety).
Player A's strengths include "excellent athleticism" and "great timed speed." His weaknesses include "technique and footwork" (i.e., things that can be improved through hard work and practice).
Player B's strengths include being "a hard worker and team leader with excellent intangibles." He is described as "smart" and "tough as nails." His weaknesses are said to be that he "is not a great athlete" and "does not have great timed speed."
Given the foregoing information, any sports fan with half a brain will be able to say with something close to absolute certainty that Player A (Kevin Phillips) is black, and Player B (Tom Zbikowski) is white.
From a social perspective, the evaluation of college football players might seem a trivial thing. But the same cultural forces that almost automatically depict Tom Zbikowski as a gritty, gutty, hard-working, blue-collar team leader, and Kevin Phillips ask a great natural athlete who could benefit from working a little harder, have far more important effects.
Just ask Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Paul Campos is a professor of law at the University of Colorado. He can be reached at paul.campos@colorado.edu.
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May 14, 2008
3:13 a.m.
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mrfxx writes:
What nonsense! Would any Broncos fan say that Rod Smith did NOT epitomize the "gritty," "gutty," "hard-nosed," "lunch-bucket ethic," and of course "intelligent" - work ethic Campos ascribes to being a code for white athletes? Or are we to believe that Rod Smith (or any of the black members of the old "Orange Crush" for that matter) are exceptions to that "rule"? Sure - there are black athletes who don't maximize their abilities, but can anyone recall what a disappointment Ryan Leaf was?
I find it interesting that the institutionalized sexism in this country is being ignored (and exit polls have white males saying they couldn't vote for a woman), while Obama is given a pass on having a racist minister/mentor - by blacks and whites alike. And yes, a member of a minority can be every bit as racist (or sexist) as a white.
May 14, 2008
5:20 a.m.
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roger44 writes:
There will be racism as long as humans exist on the planet.
May 14, 2008
5:50 a.m.
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Rangerjoe1 writes:
This guy continues to show us what a fruit-Loop he really is. He fit right in at the Rocky Mt. News
May 14, 2008
6 a.m.
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jconder45 writes:
theQ- you'll have to excuse me for not taking your perceived correlation at face value. I haven't seen any such thing.
How about Campos's example of DraftCountdown's evaluations of Phillips vs. Zibowski? Anyone want to deal with Campos's specific arguments rather than spout derogatory generalities like he's a "fruitloop"?
May 14, 2008
6:52 a.m.
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Froward69 writes:
The fact remains that for those hillary supporters (conservative Dems), they would rather identify someone based upon the pigment in their skin than the fact that they are indeed the statesman we need. sad really. The need to margionalize someone because of their skin color directly reflects the known inability to compeate. narrowing the compition to those of ones own skin color.
What ever happend to the best and smartest person for the job of cheif statesman? only if they are white? thats really really sad.
at least I am learning what states to avoid in my travels.
May 14, 2008
6:58 a.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
Q: So the comment you made about how Joseph Trujillo MUST be an illegal alien because of his last name is evidence of.....
wait for it......
racism?
Campos: Speak for yourself, ya racist pig.
May 14, 2008
7:01 a.m.
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Gene writes:
Campos, you may have missed the husband, Mr. William Jefferson 'Bill' Clinton playing the race card first. It was big. How could have missed it? Also, without a direct tie in with University of Michigan football, I really feel you are not qualified to comment on sports. Or race for that matter.
May 14, 2008
7:17 a.m.
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ImDaMailinator writes:
Did you know that Tom Zbikowski is a boxer, too?
May 14, 2008
7:25 a.m.
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Spencer writes:
as long as you're going to bring up racism in sports, lets not forget about that football expert Rush Limbaugh and his point that Donovan McNabb was getting a "free ride" from the liberal media just because he was a black quarterback. I guess Rush never heard of Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham or Doug Williams etc etc etc.
May 14, 2008
8:15 a.m.
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fatheromalley writes:
Campos..... what a joke and why do they allow you to remain here at the paper? It couldn't be from your depth of insight, nor could it be your original thinking..
If whites don't vote for Obama they are racist.. not that he's a socialist in Democratic clothing, not that he is embarrassed of America and accepts racism in his own personal and political circles.
No, whites can't have a non racist opinion about Obama..
Now for some original thinking.
Mr. Campos, why not investigate the flagrant racism amongst Blacks?Oh, that's right, Blacks CAN'T BE RACIST.. wow..
Over 90% vote for Obama.. and they be still on the Democratic plantation thinking "they got it made" just like a druggy does after he gets a fresh hit. For a while it sure do feel good, now don't it?
Bulletin to Obama, his wife, Reverend Wright and our beloved brown shirted socialist Campos, there were 620,000 "whites" that lost their lives freeing Blacks during our civil war, when will their families get reparations?
For some more original thinking try www.fatheromalley.com
Great videos.. great ideas from all over the world!
May God Bless,
Father O'Malley
May 14, 2008
8:16 a.m.
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dilligaf writes:
You'll know when racism is gone when it isn't talked about like these stupid opinions. Lets move past this and talk about issues and the candidates. I don't care if the guy is from mars if the person can help get us out of the hole that we have dug ourselves he or she should be considered. And yes democrat or republican.
May 14, 2008
8:17 a.m.
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John_II writes:
Mr. Campos conveniently left out a lot of details on the scouting reports. Here is the full strength description for Phillips:
"Very good size and a solid frame...Excellent athleticism...Great timed speed with a burst to close...Instincts and awareness are outstanding..Fantastic range...Terrific hands and ball skills....Very physical and aggressive...Solid tackler who will deliver the big hit...Does a very nice job in run support..Good leaping ability...He excels in both man and zone coverage..Team leader...Productive...Great program pedigree."
So, Mr. Campos included the "team leader" description for the white guy, but not the black guy. Very sneaky (racist?).
Now, here is the full negative description of the white player:
"Shorter than you would prefer...Does not have great timed speed...Is not a great athlete...Can be too aggressive at times...Does not have fluid hips and could be a liability in coverage...Is prone to biting on fakes...Will need to work on his tackling fundamentals...Might be a one dimensional in-the-box type...Has a limited upside."
That is a pretty negative report of the white guy. If you look at the mock drafts, Phillips was drafted early, Zbikowski wasn't picked by anyone.
Who knows why one is considered possessing great speed and the other isn't. Maybe a faster speed was expected from one body type over the other (the black guy was a few inches taller than the white guy). Maybe two different people wrote the scouting reports.
This liberal hyper-alert sensitivity to racism has gone far enough. Mr. Campos is now scanning football scouting reports for signs of racism. This is beyond absurd. 95% of the players in the draft were black.
Also, I have learned to never, never, trust Mr. Campos. This is not the first time I have caught him leaving out crucial information from his column in order to make his point. I think he should be fired for his constant deception. The RMN should be ashamed of itself for paying this guy.
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scou...
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scou...
May 14, 2008
8:22 a.m.
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SASQUATCH writes:
PC is obsessed with race, color, ethnicity--all those things that make us a little different from one another. And as a self-appointed non-white spokesperson for whites, he is hardly qualified to speak about me or other whites. When he speaks of "our" he only speaks about "his" or "my." Try as he might, he can't project his persona, and all its faults, onto others. And having said all of that, PC reamins living proof that "affirmative action" can not work. What's ingrained in him simply can't be erased regardless of the row they sat him while he was in law school and then later hired by a law school. Beware of this scorpion, his sting is part of "his nature," he can't help himself to do otherwise.
May 14, 2008
8:23 a.m.
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John_II writes:
And another thing. Calling a player a "hard worker" with "excellent intangibles" is probably the kiss of death for a player. Those are not code words for white players. Those are code words for players who lack the tangible abilities. It is sort of like describing an ugly girl with the "great personality" label.
Leave it to a shallow man like Campos to interpret it as "ingrained racism".
May 14, 2008
8:27 a.m.
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Gene writes:
SASQ,
Are you sure Campos is a non-white. This could throw new light on a lot of his nonsense.
May 14, 2008
8:43 a.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
John_II
You made my day!
May 14, 2008
9:16 a.m.
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Ichbins writes:
Mr. Campos makes a stereotypical racial comparison. This can be done in sports where there are more black atheletes anyway. Why not make the comparison in ice hockey? Or skiing? Or swimming? Or wrestling(not WWF)? Or baseball? Or figure skating? Or pole vaulting(arguably the most difficult sport)? How about mountaineering? How many black atheletes have scaled Everest? Any?
Bicycle racing? How many black Tour De France winners? How many black bike racers? Get the drift?
This list goes on, too. Hyper-sensitivity is a trademark of people on the left. And so are, it seems, garbage racist claims.
Mr. Campos makes this very clear in a very fuzzy way.
Well, what else to expect from a far-left, socio-marxist, TENURED,
so-called 'CU professor'? Pretty lame.
May 14, 2008
9:28 a.m.
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RS writes:
The current Democrat primary campaign has exposed what many of us already knew - they are extremely racist and this Campos column just helps to highlight the fact. Shocking statements like the one from above:
"The fact remains that for those hillary supporters (conservative Dems)..."
demonstrate the unreality coming from the Left wing party - using Hillary as a proxy for "conservative Dems" is just nuts. There are no conservatives in this race - even McCain would qualify as a moderate Democrat and nearly switched parties early in the GWB administration. The Dems are the true racists, but don't want to be held responsible for their racism, so instead push ineffective solutions such as "affirmative action" to be implemented by the evil corporations they also hate. Making your enemies pay for your crimes is a truly brilliant soltuion, but never resolves the real issues.
May 14, 2008
9:36 a.m.
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SASQUATCH writes:
Gene:
Campos is Mexican. That is why I always reference the failure of "affurmative action" when I write on one of his sorry articles.
May 14, 2008
9:49 a.m.
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Gene writes:
SASQ.
Thanks. I honestly had not picked up on that, even though I am a bigoted, good-looking, tall, male, hetrosexual, WASP, educated, American-American, etc. etc. etc. (ahh, sarcasm !)
May 14, 2008
10:24 a.m.
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CU59Skier writes:
Rangerjoe1 has it right about Campos, except he used the wrong institution to bash. At the Rocky, Campos sticks out like a sore thumb. Sadly for the citizens of Colorado, Campos fits like a hand in a glove where he spends most of his time, Law School classrooms at CU-Boulder.
May 14, 2008
10:27 a.m.
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Ultima writes:
Racism is certainly a structural problem. A far better example of it occurred in the North Carolina election in which 92% or some such high percentage of Blacks voted for Obama as opposed to about 36% of the Whites. Which group would you consider more racist?
Why talk about the "White" blue-collar worker vote instead of the Black vote in North Carolina? Isn't Campos missing the real point -- why should Whites vote for Obama when Blacks have shunned the White candidate?
May 14, 2008
10:30 a.m.
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raysmom writes:
Froward- I read your comment and was scoffing before I even knew who it was, then I saw it was you and laughed. West Virginia will miss you sorely, I'm sure.
All Obama supporters hate women. All woman. Just because they are women. Good grief.
May 14, 2008
10:40 a.m.
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jconder45 writes:
John_II- Of course you missed the Campos's point, and therefore your attempt at deconstruction was an abject failure. Campos's point wasn't that one player was given a more negative evlauation than another, it was that the positive and negative qualities attributed to each fit racial stereotypes: the black player more athletic, the white player less athletic but more "hard-working". Nothing you adduced showed up Campos's point.
May 14, 2008
11:07 a.m.
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John_II writes:
jconder45,
I missed no point.
First of all, Campos misled us into thinking only the white player was described as a leader. But, in fact, both players were described as team leaders. Why do you think Campos did not mention that? So, right off the bat, Campos was deceiving his readers with this anecdotal evidence.
Second, the white player was described as being less athletic because the white player is less athletic. In fact, from what I saw, no one in the mock draft picked Zbikowski. Just look at his negatives: too short, needs to work on tackling fundamentals, not athletic, prone to biting on fakes. Calling him a hard worker seems more like a polite effort to say something nice about him.
Campos' point was so arbitrary it is absurd. He picks two players and compares their scouting reports as if the players were identical other than skin color.
If the scouting report happened to match racial stereotypes, why is that an indication of racism rather than anything else? The entire draft was one big confirmation of racial stereotypes. 95% of the players are black. Was that just a coincidence?
Calling a player a "hard worker" in addition to describing him as less athletic is meaningless. Players can be called a "hard worker" just for showing up to practice everyday. It is a meaningless cliche. You have to really be obsessed with racism to find racism in such a label.
May 14, 2008
11:08 a.m.
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KelcyCo writes:
Hate to tell you this but it is not racism but Obama himself that is the issue. Doesn`t matter if he is white, black, green or purple. He has no established personal track record or body of work as a state or US senator....something that would allow people to judge for themselves what type of president he would be. Obama expects everyone to just take him at his word based on his speeches. Why? I don`t take anyone at their word. I have learned that talk is cheap and it really comes down to what you actually do. I withhold my opinion of someone until I see what their performance is. I have done that in my work life, as well as my personal life for that matter, and it doesn`t matter whether you are my boss, a peer or a subordinate. Everyone must earn my trust. And I am a firm believer in the adage ``trust but verify`` until you know what their capabilities are and what their actual performance is, and that their word means something.
Consequently all I have, all anyone really has, to verify at least the words of Obama are the words of his close surrogates. His surrogates most prominently being Reverand Wright with whom he had a close personal relationship for 20+ years and then his wife, who by the words that come out of her mouth appears to agree with much of the controversial words that have come out of Wrights` mouth. Those words express opinions and viewpoints I do not agree with and will not support. Consequently I will not vote for him. Neither will I vote for McCain who also expresses opinions and viewpoints I do not agree with, as well as having a proven track record of performance that I find objectionable.
The question the Democrats have to answer is whether Obama can beat McCain if only a percentage of those that did not vote for him in the first place. What I read in the papers after each primary election is that there are many people who feel as I do. Lack of performance is a reason for concern. I refuse to feel compelled to vote for the lesser of two evils. And I resent those out there that choose to call that racist.
May 14, 2008
11:24 a.m.
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rjnova writes:
Campos’ sports simile as racism is silly. There are many people who do not like Obama because he is black, or half black, but there are also many who do not like others because of religion (Romney’s Mormonism, Muslims hate Jews, Christians & all non-Muslims) or ethnicity Germans/Yugoslavs, French/Germans, and it goes on for any manner of personal difference. But do not transfer racism to “us all”. Isn’t that “The fallacy of what is true of the part is true of the whole”--Perfesser?
Campos and media people are on a fools mission. You are working to elect Obama because he is black and liberal and then will scream to high heavens when he is passed over crying that this country is too racist to elect a black man. Obama might be more of a racist than white working guys since his remarks on Wright and perhaps even his wife has been oblique on their racist views. Hillary may not be the Democrats nominee but she will sink Obama not Republicans. She talks of an Oct. Surprise and I suspect has one in mind.
I am actually pulling for Obama because he is less electable than Ole Hill. This country’s females can elect Bill Clinton's wife (does that make me a sexist too?) It is certainly not going to elect an Osama Obama president. It will be partly because he is black, but his main problem is that he is devoid of any ideas but those of the Democrats to fabricate a rich/poor divide, bigger govt., Nannyism, etc. But the Rich/Poor and Black/White thing is not going to sell no matter how much the Liberals and Dumocrats push it.
May 14, 2008
11:45 a.m.
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OhBrother writes:
In my opinion this article is poorly constructed but the point is valid. Racism is alive and well and it goes both ways, all ways and every way. I think it is ingrained in society to a certain degree but the classification is so open and used so often it barley holds merit. people now claim your racist if you don't agree with them and anytime a minority brings up ANYTHING to do with unfair treatment or ANYTHING to do with there race they are labeled as playing the dreaded "race card".
I see over and over on here the people that say black or minority people don't look at themselves as being racist, do white people ever look at themselves as playing the "race card"?
May 14, 2008
11:49 a.m.
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John_II writes:
Here is more proof of Campos' deceptive nature. K. Phillips was ranked number one in the Safety position. Guess how the number two guy, a black guy, was described.
"Smart with a high football IQ...A hard worker and team leader..."
The number five ranked Safety, also a black guy, was described as:
"Good football IQ...Hard worker...Team leader."
The number eight ranked Safety, a black guy, described as:
"A team leader with top intangibles...."
The number 10 ranked Safety, a black guy, was described as:
"Smart with nice awareness...Works through traffic well...Has a lot of experience...Good special teamer...Hard worker...Leader. "
The number 12 ranked Safety, also a black guy, was described as:
"Smart with a great football IQ...Hard worker and leader with top intangibles..."
The number 16 ranked Safety, a black guy, described as:
"Very smart...Hard worker..."
Need I continue down the list? Mr. Campos, you are sneaky, deceptive, shallow, little man. You should be fired from RMN.
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/rank...
May 14, 2008
11:52 a.m.
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jconder45 writes:
KelcyCo- I am certainly not saying that anyone who doesn't vote for Obama is doing so for racist reasons. Hardly anybody says that (there are a few exponents for *any* point of view, no matter how ridiculous). But racism is certainly a factor in many's opposition to Obama. Anyone who can't admit that is either naive or a liar. Just look at rjnova: "Osama Obama". Besides being really juvenile, that is clearly racist.
May 14, 2008
12:02 p.m.
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John_II writes:
Number 18, black guy:
"Hard worker with excellent intangibles..."
Number 19, black guy:
"Team leader with elite intangibles..."
Number 20, black guy:
"Smart with nice instincts and awareness...Good special teamer...Hard worker with top intangibles."
Number 21, black guy:
"A team leader and captain...Hard worker..Productive."
Number 24, black guy:
"Team leader and hard worker with solid intangibles..."
Number 27, black guy:
"Smart with nice instincts and awareness...Hard worker and leader with good intangibles."
Number 31, black guy:
"A team leader and captain...Smart with nice awareness and instincts.."
Number 33, black guy:
"Great instincts and football IQ..."
It is time to fire Paul Campos.
May 14, 2008
12:11 p.m.
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rjnova writes:
jayconder, I protest. I'll bet I have more black friends than you. Osama Obama is not racist but anti-Muslim (really radical Muslim because I do not have strong religious views). I think the guy is a closet Muslim taking after his Old Man.
May 14, 2008
12:20 p.m.
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jconder45 writes:
rjnova- And why are you trying to link Obama to being Muslim, something he has never been in his life?
May 14, 2008
12:28 p.m.
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rjnova writes:
jayconder-how do you know that? Obama is a charlatan, a pretender that talks a good game but offers absolutely nothing of a plan so he cannot be criticized.
May 14, 2008
12:39 p.m.
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jconder45 writes:
rjnova- a pretender that talks a good game but offers absolutely nothing of a plan so he cannot be criticized.
Huh?
Above, you said of Obama- he is devoid of any ideas but those of the Democrats to fabricate a rich/poor divide, bigger govt., Nannyism, etc.
Which is it, does he offer absolutely nothing of a plan, or is he a big government "nannyist"? It can't be both.
Btw, "fabricate a rich/poor divide"- that's a good one.
May 14, 2008
12:41 p.m.
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Don_Lopez writes:
John_II,
You made my day, too!
May 14, 2008
12:53 p.m.
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John_II writes:
Good. I am glad I am making some folk's day. But, I really want to ruin Campos' day. This column was an absolute disgrace. RMN should be embarrassed. Mr. Campos either purposely chose not to acknowledge all the black players described as hard-working, smart, top intangibles, and good leadership, or was so sloppy in his thinking that he never bothered to look at the other players scouting reports. Either way, there is no excuse to pay this guy money to write this garbage. CU and RMN should both be embarrassed for employing this fool.
I am going to contact some people at the newspaper. This guy needs to go and they need to see all the information Campos left out his column. It is one thing to have a differing point of view but it is quite another to be deceptive and/or foolish.
Can Campos!
May 14, 2008
1:30 p.m.
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jconder45 writes:
And rjnova- what basis do you have to assert that Obama is only pretending to be a Christian, besides 1. an Arabic name and 2. Brown skin? Both irrational grounds.
May 14, 2008
1:43 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
Campos needs to get out of his Ivory ( is that racist too? ) Tower and face reality.
The reality is that PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.
Campos, you can start with being INTELLECTUALLY HONEST with yourself.
Campos, you do not deserve a paid soapbox to vomit out your drivel.
You need to become a member of the UNEMPLOYED, because that will give you some REALITY to talk about..
May 14, 2008
1:50 p.m.
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B10 writes:
This is an excellent article. It amazes me that some people are quick to say that black QB's were stereotyped early on in the NFL but when you mention that white skill position players are now stereotyped people get hysterical.
Most rational people understand that stereotyping exists. Tony Dungy has said that he thinks white skills position players are slotted or funneled to certain positions early on in their career. Mike Wilbon mentioned that Tyler Hansborough gets sterotyped as un-athletic. Recruiting guru Tom Lemming has mentioned the sterotyping of white athletes in college recruiting. There is a building body of evidence of the steroptyping that exists in sports today.
BTW Tom Zbikowski ran a 4.44 electronic time according to NFLdraftscout which is faster than Phillips' time.
May 14, 2008
1:59 p.m.
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B10 writes:
For those of you who are interested in researching the sterotyping of white athletes here is an atricle and some quotes to ponder.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/...
here is a quote from tony dungy
"You've got guys in high school, white players, who are discouraged from being wide receivers, defensive backs or running backs -- I think we do have that," Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy says. "It's 'this position is a white position or black position. I definitely believe they are channeled early on."
and a quote from merill hodge
"People look at it, 'If you're white, you can't be a tailback. You got to be a fullback,' " says former Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Merril Hoge, who was a tailback in college at Idaho. "When I was in the NFL, I had a coach tell me, 'I can't have a white guy leading our team in rushing.' Whether that was a joke or not, what does that tell you?"
May 14, 2008
3:10 p.m.
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rjnova writes:
jayconder-I do not have the interest to play word games with you but I did not say he was pretending to be a Christian. If he was a Muslim and admitted it it would cause me no grief. I have a doctor friend and play tennis who another Muslim and they are 2 of the brightest, best and kindest people you could ask to have as friends.
Obama is a pretender to a plan to eliminate grid lock in Washington—what is it, he has never mentioned one.
He says he will work across the isle with Repubs—he has absolutely no record of working in a bipartisan manner on any legislation.
Indeed, he has no record of any significant legislation at all in either the Illinois of the US Senate.
He has voted PRESENT 130 times so as not to have a record with any controversy or that can be categorized.
He sat in Wright’s church for 20 years and never heard that racist, hateful rant with the lies that the US invented AIDS to kill off black people.
He mouths the Democrat line of rich vs. poor working people which is stupid in this day to try to ferment class warfare. Tell me how that brings people together.
Those are just a few that come to mind and that makes him a pretender or a charlatan in my opinion.
May 14, 2008
3:29 p.m.
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John_II writes:
B10,
Have you seen my posts where I listed all the black players who were described as hard working and smart? What stereotype are you referring to? Campos' examples were based on deception. He purposely chose a black player who was not described as hard working. Yet, there were plenty of black players who were described that way.
May 14, 2008
6:36 p.m.
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SASQUATCH writes:
"Badges? We ain't got no badges...We don't need no badges...I don't have to show you any stinkin' badgers."
http://home.comcast.net/~owenb522/bad...
May 14, 2008
6:57 p.m.
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Snapple writes:
In March 1992, then-Russian intelligence chief and later Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov admitted that the disinformation service of the Soviet KGB had concocted the false story that the AIDS virus had been created in a US military laboratory as a biological weapon. The Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported on March 19, 1992:
"[Primakov] mentioned the well known articles printed a few years ago in our central newspapers about AIDS supposedly originating from secret Pentagon laboratories. According to Yevgeni Primakov, the articles exposing US scientists' 'crafty' plots were fabricated in KGB offices."
The Soviets eventually abandoned the AIDS disinformation campaign under pressure from the U.S. government in August 1987.
http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive...
I guess I wonder why a US Senator wouldn't take on this lie in his own church. Senator Obama seems like he doesn't care as much about people's health as about his votes.
80 % of news AIDS cases are young blacks 18-24. They often believe this old KGB lie and so don't take care of their health.
Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles said:
"The whole notion of conspiracy theories and misinformation . . . removes personal responsibility...If there is this boogeyman, people say, 'Why should I use condoms? Why should I use clean needles?' And if I'm an organization, 'Why should I bother with educating my folks?'
May 14, 2008
7:11 p.m.
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Snapple writes:
Rev. Wright's lie about AIDS no different than Ward Churchill's fabricated account of the US Army deliberately infecting the Mandan Indians with smallpox.
The head of the Russian communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, says the US is giving everyone bird flu.
In medieval times, ignorant Christians believed that Jews were poisoning wells with plague.
People like Wright, Churchill, and Zyuganov are just dressing up old anti-semitic canards and using them to smear the US government.
These lies about the US deliberately spreading diseases to kill minorities are often enemy propaganda that is spread to discredit the US government and to spread race-hatred.
For 20 years, Senator Obama sat in Rev. Wright's church and didn't say anything. Why is that?
May 14, 2008
7:28 p.m.
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B10 writes:
John II
I have read your comments, they do not refute anything I stated. I am talking about the stereotyping of white players as un-athletic and lunch pail types. In general black players are assumed to be athletic and natural or smooth athletes with "upside". Whites are classified as overacheivers and lunch pail types who have limited upside.
Kenny Phillips is not a better athlete than Tommy Zbikowski. Zbikowski ran a 4.44 electronic 40 time according to nfldraftscout, phillips ran in the mid 4.5 range. However we see the sterotyping in the scouting reports. Zibs is given no credit for his superior athleticism.
Also look at Jamar Adams profile, it says he is a "smooth athlete" This is simply false. I have watched Adams whole career at Michigan and he is not a great athlete and is not as athletic as Zbikowski. Yet Tommy Z is described as "not a great athlete"
Compare the scouting reports from most media pundits of dwayne bowe and jordy nelson. They are almost identical in size weight and 40 time. Also for what its worth, Scott Wright had Nelson buried on his list of WR's and projcted him as a late round draft for most of the season.
Player evalauation is subjective and this leads people to fall back on old and tired stereotypes. There are too many examples to cite but if you keep an open mind you can find alot of valuable information.
May 14, 2008
7:46 p.m.
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John_II writes:
B10, are you Paul Campos?
If so, then explain all of the instances I listed where black athletes were described in a manner in which you inferred was reserved for white players. Did you not see how many black athletes were described as "hard worker"?
Now, as for the comment:
"Kenny Phillips is not a better athlete than Tommy Zbikowski. Zbikowski ran a 4.44 electronic 40 time according to nfldraftscout, phillips ran in the mid 4.5 range."
Merely winning a race is not the sole measure of athleticism. Athleticism is a measure of not just straight-forward speed, but the ability to jump quickly, change speeds quickly, make spectacular plays such as diving catches and incredible acrobatics. You may think Kenny is better than Tommy, but that is solely your opinion. And one who disagrees with your opinion is not a racist. This scout or scouts felt Kenny was the better athlete. Are you actually saying that Tommy is the better athlete but the scouts, who are probably white, chose to downgrade based on some kind of subtle racism against their own race?
Again, I do not know if you are Paul Campos or not, but this column provided very specific evidence to back up the writer's claim. This evidence included a white man described as being a hard worker, possessing leadership skills, and being smart. Kenny was also described as having leadership skills although Paul Campos refused to acknowledge that. Furthermore, I listed all of the black players who were also labeled as being a hard worker, a leader, smart, high IQ, and possessing "intangibles". In fact, more than half of the black athletes for the safety position were described with such labels. So, what was Paul Campos basing his argument on?
Paul Campos' main goal was to tie the "hard worker" label from Hillary's comment to the hard worker label listed by college scouts. But, again, more than half of the blacks were described with the very labels that Paul Campos implied were reserved for whites. He (you?) lied.
May 14, 2008
9:36 p.m.
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Gene writes:
Ahh, SASQ.
Campos is Mexican. That is why you always reference the failure of "affurmative action" when you write on one of his sorry articles - and he is also a University of Michigan wolverine, not a stinkin' badger.
May 15, 2008
12:37 a.m.
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B10 writes:
I am not Campos, lets not start with juvenile jokes. It is immature to accuse me of being Campos simply because I agree with some of his points and disagree with you. I cannot speak for him so I will not address your questions toward him.
I give credit to Campos for addressing the general problem of racial stereotyping. My essential point is that in general, white athletes do not get the credit they deserve. I did not say that black players don’t get called hard working or intelligent. The problem is that whites who are clearly athletic are many times not given the proper credit while black athletes are given credit for athleticism they do not possess. My point is that Zbikowski is described as a hard worker but not as a good or great athlete which he is.
Are you saying that there is no stereotyping based on race? Do you think that is possible? Evaluations are opinions and are subjective. It is reasonable to expect bias to creep in, it is only human, there is bias based on height as well as race. Yes I am saying that white scouts stereotype white players, why is this hard to comprehend? I did not say that it is a diabolical scheme. It is my opinion that white scouts or media taking heads are the ones most likely to do it. I am saying that most scout cant tell who is more athletic and they fall back on stereotypes.
As far as Zibs and Phillips, in the objective tests of athleticism (40 time, 3 cone, vertical jump, short shuttle) Zbikowski compares well if not better than Phillips. So the only evidence that Phillips is a better athlete is other people subjective opinions. That is where the racial bias creeps in.
Tom Lemming is aware of the racial stereotyping in college recruiting. Mike Wilbon has mentioned it in regards to basketball. Tony Dungy thinks players are slotted based on race. Are they liars? You are swimming against the tide on this issue. It is a complicated issue and a lot of people get the wrong idea about it but it is interesting to research. However one must have an open mind and break away from their reflexive condmenation of these type of issues.
May 15, 2008
7:12 a.m.
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Alive writes:
There is racism in America? No way! I am so glad someone finally pointed that out.
A new age of enlightenment begins...
May 15, 2008
8:15 a.m.
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outrider writes:
Color is a way of life for race, and life.
May 15, 2008
8:20 a.m.
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John_II writes:
B10,
You are not following the main point here.
Your argument is based on two assertions: (a) that racial stereotyping exists in sports and (b) that some players you think are athletic were labeled as not athletic.
I have not denied that "racial stereotyping" exists in sports. Of course it does. So, I am not "swimming against the tide on this issue".
My argument is with Campos' method of proving his point. He implied that black athletes are not thought of as hard workers. He implied that black athletes are not thought of as smart. He cited a very specific football draft as proof. Yet, when I scanned all the scouting reports for the safety position, I found that more than half of the black players were described as smart and hard working.
"So the only evidence that Phillips is a better athlete is other people subjective opinions. That is where the racial bias creeps in." - B10
How do you know that? Of course it is subjective opinion. And your opinion clashes with their opinion so you accuse them of racial bias. You are the one claiming the white guy is better than the scouting reports say he is. So, maybe you are the one exhibiting racial bias.
My argument is not nearly as encompassing as yours is. I am arguing a very specific claim that Campos made. He purposely held back crucial information so he could slander football scouts. His accusation was highly irresponsible and should be withdrawn.
May 15, 2008
6:04 p.m.
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American100 writes:
Observation, people with dark skin are obsessed with skin color.
Everything is about skin color.
Whites don't base all life's opinions on their skin color.
May 15, 2008
7:41 p.m.
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John_II writes:
American100,
Keep in mind that Campos is not black. And black athletes are not complaining about not being called "hard workers". Campos created this notion out of thin air.
May 16, 2008
10:45 a.m.
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Ichbins writes:
NO! Campos must not go. Nor should anyone else who thinks like that(most people from the BDR). I vehemently disagree with them, but do not begrudge them their right to say what they want.
More importantly, they do a huge service by exposing their wooly-thinking to everyone who reads it. And besides, posts like this would be boring if we all agreed with each other.
May 16, 2008
11:04 a.m.
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John_II writes:
Ichbins,
I mostly agree with your comment. But, Campos slandered the scout at the drafting website. Its one thing to write a lot of liberal nonsense so we can all pick it apart. It is quite another for a paid columnist to deceive readers and slander innocent people.
May 16, 2008
12:46 p.m.
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Bmac writes:
I agree with B10. There has been racism (against white athletes by white coaches and scouts) in Football and basketball for quite awhile now, just as there use to be racism against black athletes. Anybody who doesn't see it either has blinders on, or they never played high school sports, only to see all the black athletes get recruited to bigger named colleges, while white players get the smaller local colleges. I'm not talking about linemen or quarterbacks, but receivers, tailbacks, and cornerbacks. I remember back in the seventies Howard Cosell saying that Jack Dolbin (a Broncos receiver) had good hands but wasn't that fast. In reality he was one of the fastest players in pro football at the time. Things haven't changed that much since then. However, it is encouraging to hear people like Colts Coach Tony Dungy say there is a problem.
May 16, 2008
1:06 p.m.
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John_II writes:
Bmac,
The argument is not over whether or not racism exists in sports. The argument is over whether or not NFLDraftCountDown.com exhibited racism. It did not. Other examples, such as the ones you and B10 have mentioned, are valid. Campos should have cited those examples instead of slandering an innocent person.
May 16, 2008
1:48 p.m.
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GetReal writes:
J Duece-
Nice job providing the info debunking the whole premise of Campos' article and argument.
What, cherry picking Paul still believes he can spout off anything he wants with no one fact checking his ass?
It took me about two seconds to access the site and see numerous black athletes listed just as his article infers they are not.
The sad fact is a high percentage of his readers will not take the time to investigate his claims and accept them as facts.
This is another example of Campos' deceptions and it needs to be exposed more publicly than just on this board.
Why wont Paul log in and defend himself on this?
Maybe because there is no defense?
May 16, 2008
2:44 p.m.
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John_II writes:
I agree, GetReal. We have the benefit of discussing these columns in the online forums. And, even then, there are some who refuse to acknowledge irrefutable evidence of slander simply because their guy is politically on their side.
But, what about all those readers of the newspaper who do not discuss this stuff online?
What Paul Campos did was use this newspaper platform to slander an innocent man. And he did it in the name of his elitist liberalism. That is why he calls it "ingrained racism". He is saying that he is so smart that he knows you are racist even if you don't. And who can defend himself against such a charge? Using this "ingrained" accusation, any discrepancy whatsoever can be blamed on hidden racism. Did an umpire call a strike on a black batter but later called it a ball on a white player? Ingrained racism. The same accusation could apply to countless other innocent discrepancies.
It is very scary how easy Campos was able to make his accusations. A man's name is attached to NFLDraftCountDown.com. It is not some evil faceless corporation. The website is called "Scott Wright's Draft Countdown". Mr. Wright is the founder, President and scout. He wrote the scouting reports. Paul Campos slandered him without batting an eye.
I actually contacted Scott Wright about this column. He was understandably outraged by the false accusation. I honestly cannot think of a worse thing a columnist could do other than slander. Plagiarism is a close second. But defaming a man's reputation and characters is inexcusable.
Paul Campos has long ago crossed the line in terms of honest debate. Most of his columns practice some kind of intellectual dishonesty. But I think this is the first time I saw Campos breezily slander someone. There needs to be some kind of consequence for this behavior. He needs to be publicly reprimanded, fired, or both.
So, I do share your frustration with the amount of readers who have not seen the truth about Campos' claims. But, I am not done with him yet.
May 16, 2008
7:31 p.m.
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titancain writes:
Ask any minority who the racist party is.
May 16, 2008
8:43 p.m.
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GetReal writes:
John-
Agreed.
Normally I'm against how litigious our society has become but believe Mr. Wright may have merit for a slander case against Campos.
Let's hope it happens and gets enough coverage to pressure his employers to reevaluate Mr Campos.
In all actuality, millions of white Americans have been slandered repeatedly with the growing false claims by the ObamaBots and MSM of bigotry and racism hurled at anyone voting against Obama.
This crap has got to stop.
One can only imagine the bile "taught" in the "professor's" class.
May 18, 2008
3:05 p.m.
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SASQUATCH writes:
PC should write an article about the perpetual and never ending gender-race-religion battle the Democrats have inflicted upon America. Hillary claims that she is unfairly treated because she's a girl, her husband agrees and Bill plays the race card on Obama at will, Barak-Don't Call Me Hussein-Obama has been a member and financial supporter of a hate-whitey, hate-America racist/Nazi cult for 20 years and Jimmie Carter never stops reminding us how much he hates the Jews. This is not the party that is going to unite America; they are as Balkanized and bigoted as you can get; always engaged in their own civil war. PC fits right into this pathetic Cuckoo's Nest.