The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Much as I love ESPN.com, I cannot stomach it when sports reporters try to pretend to be social commentators. Now, they have every right to have and write their opinions, but some of the stuff is so inane as to be laughable. Take ESPN.com's Page 2 editorial by Tim Keown, lamenting the lack of black starting pitchers. Why there are so few black starting pitchers is an interesting question, but if one were to lament the lack of white wide receivers in the NFL or white players in general in the NBA, they would be labeled a racist.

I don't know why young black men don't pitch. I think that the rise of basketball is a real issue, after all you can play basketball alone, or with one friend, or three friends anytime, anywhere. I used to shoot baskets for hours by myself as a kid (I was unstoppable with no one guarding me!). To play baseball, you have to have a place to play and enough guys to make a team, so if one makes an assumption that most black kids grow up in more urban areas and idolize LeBron James instead of Dontrelle Willis, it only makes sense that they play basketball instead of baseball. Kids don't sit around and decide to play baseball because pro baseball players make more on average than NBA players, they play basketball because it is fun and only requires a playground and a ball. But the simple minded logic that it is the evil rich white suburbanites keeping blacks out is insulting and ridiculous. The same holds true for hockey, but I guarantee you that if you find a young black kid that can put the puck in the net or throw serious heat, he will be given the chance to play.

You can click here if you are a glutton for poor writing.

Tim, stick to sports, your social commentary is embarrassing.