Major League Baseball: Where are The African Americans?
The game of baseball has always been a game that was positioned close to my hearts. During the past couple of years, I have seen a dangerous trend within the game that I admire so much. There are have been such a heavily decline in the correlation between professional baseball and African Americans. As I watch the game, I can count on my fingers the amount of African Americans that avidly support and follow Major League Baseball. When I go and watch my beloved Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
The people that run professional baseball need to address this dilemma because African Americans are patronizing other sports such as football and basketball. Baseball has to begin to start building parks around areas where young African Americans participate in recreational sports. Baseball is a great game, but it turns into an ugly game when it is not distributed to the every demographic. African Americans help enhanced and elevate the game to where it is today. If this issue of race in baseball wasn’t imperative, various sports outlets wouldn’t take the time to examine the lack of African American representation in baseball. As an African American male, I know there are black minority athletes out there that would play baseball if they felt the game embraced their culture and people. This issue will circulate through the game like an incurable disease, until baseball takes a stand and starts promoting the game to the African American demographic.
"But if Mr. Rickey hadn't signed me, I wouldn't have played another year in the black league. It was too difficult. The travel was brutal. Financially, there was no reward. It took everything you make to live off." Jackie Robinson
Women’s Soccer is making a Statement
The FIFA Women’s World Cup has recently ended and most fans, even males, are saddened by this halt. However, the action for the lovely women is not even close to over. Sure we have our expectations after the magnificent tournament, but we have to be reasonable because women’s soccer is still continuing to grow each day.
The USA unfortunately lost in the WC final against a team they had never been beaten by in 25 tries, Japan. They were brilliant, passionate, brave, and did not quit until it was all over. Japan did win the tournament but the US won our hearts.
The US boasted talents such as Alex Morgan, Hope Solo, and Abby Wambach. Solo stood tall and strong in goal while Wambach led the attack with Morgan providing an effective spark off the bench. Megan Rapinoe also was important for the US to winning the right to advance to the semi-finals. She gave the accurate cross to Wambach who headed in the equalizer against Brazil in the finishing seconds of extra time.
Now that the cup is over, they are required to head back to club duty. Hope Solo of MagicJack is on a short break allowing her injured shoulder and leg to heal. She has appeared on a few day/night time shows to keep herself busy in the mean time.
Abby Wambach who also plays for MagicJack already returned to her club just days after playing in the WC final. She made the return to her home town of Rochester, New York to play against the Western New York Flash where Marta of Brazil and Alex Morgan both play. The game ended in a 3-1 defeat for Wambach’s MagicJack in a game where she did not see any minutes.
Alex Morgan played in that game after coming off the bench to a huge ovation from the home crowd. The game where she shone was last night when her Flash travelled to Boston to play the Breakers. She came off the bench and just minutes after her team went down 2-1, Morgan scored what could be voted as goal of the year. The ball bounced at her side and she just flicked it off the crossbar and in with the outer side of her foot.
The Women’s Profession Soccer league does boast a lot of World Cup talent and this is what is needed to make Women’s soccer known not just in the US but around the world. For men a good reason to watch is that they are beautiful women but we could also learn a thing or two. They not only have to looks but the talent to make it a full package.
Sometimes during the World Cup they played better than the men do. The heart they showed was truly impressive and it inspired many to do better in their own lives. Soccer is already un popular with the men playing professionally but after the Women’s World Cup, the interest level has risen to newer heights.
For those that do not enjoy soccer, give it one more chance by watching the women play. These girls really do know how to put on a clinic when they need to. They truly do know how to get your heart thumping against your chest.
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