Everyone in Warriors Nation, Hoops Nation, and the whole sports world should read Bomani Jones' recent piece Sterling's Racism Should be News for ESPN's Page 2. Rarely do you find anything that insightful or socially relevant in the mostly sensationalized sports world, but Bomani seriously drops some science.
Donald Sterling's housing discrimination lawsuit shouldn't be on Page 2. It should be on Page 1, front and center instead of meaningless stories like Danica Patrick switching race car teams or some over-hyped and calculated shot at Terrell Owens. As Bomani illuminates:
The tragedy of Maurice Clarett is big news. So are the legal adventures of the Cincinnati Bengals, Rhett Bomar's inability to recognize that not all money is good money, Floyd Landis' daily excuse, and teenager Michelle Wie's being too nervous to tell a grown man she would no longer pay him to carry her stuff around a golf course. But Donald Sterling's refusing to offer housing to blacks and Latinos? Must not have that sizzle. On the section of the Los Angeles Times Web site dedicated to the Clippers, the lawsuit against Sterling can be found only on the AP news wire. On ESPN.com, it takes a few clicks to find the story.
Housing discrimination is a terrible sin and deserves censure at the highest level. When former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott and former Major League Baseball pitcher John Rocker made their dumb comments they were publicly vilified, but the type of structural, covert racism that Sterling is being sued for and has been accused of in the past is far more destructive and harmful. It's the type of racism that keeps this nation from ever fully realizing the dream of equality.
On a positive note, I hope that ESPN realizes what they've got and gives Bomani Jones more air time. ESPN.com and SportsCenter are quickly turning into nothing more than the National Enquirer and E! Hollywood Story for the high testosterone crowd. It's refreshing to see a perspective like this. Props to Bomani.
All the more reason to boo Donald Sterling if he ever comes to town for a Warriors-Clippers playoff game...
Definitely check out Bomani Jones.com
Running List of Blogosphere Coverage:
- Bethlehem Shoals at FreeDarko dropped an insightful piece: The unfortunate moss
- Donald Sterling Might Be A Huge, HUGE Douchebag from The Mighty MJD
- Sublimation & the Sports Fan from ClippersBlog.com
- Racism Isn't Dead, Its Just Been Caricatured from The Assimilated Negro
- Eddie Johnson is a child molestor, Donald Sterling is a racist, and all Arabs are pretty much terrorists from 5-Point Bucks
- Clippers' Owner Sterling Sued for Racial Discrimination and No One is Talking from SportsBiz
- Monday Bullets from True Hoop
- Et Tu Renaldo? from Bench Renaldo
EDIT: Correction- Sterling was not found guilty of housing discrimination in the previous case. Instead he paid "one of the largest settlements" of this sort. For a crime that is incredibly difficult for victims to prove, a large settlement speaks volumes. Again, Sterling is being accused of housing discrimination here as well as in the past. This piece has been modified to reflect this correction.