Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

ESPN's Howard Bryant: Statistical Analysis in Baseball Is 'Equivalent of Racism'
Newsbusters ^ | | April 19, 2018 10:19 PM EDT | By Jay Maxson

Posted on 04/20/2018 1:16:38 PM PDT by ethom

Major League Baseball just observed the 71st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the race barrier, but it seems little has changed since 1947 when he endured appalling racism. ESPN's Howard Bryant (in photograph) claims that if Robinson was still alive today, "He would be facing the same sort of vitriol that Colin Kaepernick is facing today." Bryant made these and other pointed remarks about race on The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap radio program. Oh, and statistical analysis is racist.

It's not surprising that Bryant, an African-American and senior editor for ESPN The Magazine, said race relations haven't improved in the U.S. since the 1940s. It's good for business. He is the author of a racially charged book that will be released in early May.

In "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism" Bryant deals with the "radical politics" of Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos that is being reclaimed today by "social justice warriors" LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and Carmelo Anthony.

During his interview with Schaap, Bryant mainly focused on race and baseball. Just under 8 percent of major leaguers last season were black, and Schaap asked Bryant if it's just a matter of personal choice. Bryant responded that it's a choice made by baseball and then switched the topic from black athletes playing baseball to the low numbers of black executives employed in professional sports:

"If you're talking about front offices it doesn't make a difference what sport it is. You're always going to be talking about the black body over the black brain. The black body produces. The black brain does not get a lot of opportunities in sports. Look at the number of black general managers in basketball -- 80-percent black league -- and how many GMs are there in basketball? Black executives in football? It's same thing."

It's not just the hiring of executives that makes sports racist either, according to Bryant. The increasing sophistication of the sport is ... yes, racist:

"I believe in baseball that analytics are the equivalent of racism because baseball has created a new barrier to entry. Now you have to have an Ivy League degree to get a GM job in baseball. Only two GMs in baseball right now are ex-players. ... If you're an African-American, being an ex-player is not gonna help you anymore because now you gotta be an Ivy leaguer. Eight percent of the Ivy Leaguers are African-Americans."

Finally coming around to the issue of how many blacks are choosing baseball over rival sports, Bryant complained that baseball is an expensive traveling sport that black families cannot afford. He said public baseball programs have disappeared and baseball scouting has been overhauled to the detriment of blacks.

"Baseball used to look for unfinished products out of high school and it wanted to develop talent in the minor leagues," Bryant said. "Now they want a finished product. Baseball prefers its players to be coming out of college, and if you're going to look for black players in college you're not going to find them. Only two percent of NCAA baseball players are black."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last

1 posted on 04/20/2018 1:16:38 PM PDT by ethom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ethom
ESPN's Howard Bryant (in photograph) claims that if Robinson was still alive today, "He would be facing the same sort of vitriol that Colin Kaepernick is facing today."

Baloney. Jackie Robinson wanted to play ball. Kaepernick obviously doesn't - he (or rather his handlers - Kaepernick is obviously a tool) just wants to use football to peddle his left-wing views.
2 posted on 04/20/2018 1:20:55 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ethom

the NHL is anti-American as too many of it players come from Russia and Nordic Countries.


3 posted on 04/20/2018 1:21:07 PM PDT by LukeL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ethom
Successful Baseball requires brains and patience, and the ability to work together as a team. It's not a sport for “hot dogs”.
 
4 posted on 04/20/2018 1:22:12 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (MAGA in the mornin', MAGA in the evenin', MAGA at suppertime . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ethom

Senior editor eh? No wonder the network is dying. A genius like this hates math.

What do we expect from a cultish hatred of facts? They resist the truth that there are TWO SEXES that are in fact distinguishable. They hate the idea that TRUTH is discernable. The idea of Creator being evident in the world is abhorrent to them.


5 posted on 04/20/2018 1:22:18 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AnotherUnixGeek
everyone and everything is RACIST! (even though baseball statistical analysis was invented by a guy working as a security guard on the night shift at a K-Mart plant )
6 posted on 04/20/2018 1:24:39 PM PDT by ethom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: ethom

My statistical analysis is that it’s very likely that Howard Bryant has an IQ under 85.


8 posted on 04/20/2018 1:25:10 PM PDT by cdcdawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lee25

Howard Bryant just has a problem that Bill James thought of it first! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_James


9 posted on 04/20/2018 1:27:00 PM PDT by ethom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

Stupid bird brains. The Dominican Freakin’ Republic had 83 freakin’ starters in the MLB last year alone, while Latin America has a full 25% contingent in the league. The vast majority of them did not go to college. If you have talent, the scouts will jump on you faster than Clinton would have on Stormy Daniels if he had half the chance.


10 posted on 04/20/2018 1:27:07 PM PDT by GOP Congress
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ethom
ESPN's Howard Bryant (in photograph) claims that if Robinson was still alive today, "He would be facing the same sort of vitriol that Colin Kaepernick is facing today."

Not in any way true. Jackie Robinson was a proud American, a World War II Veteran, an intelligent, thoughtful, well-spoken man, and someone devoted to improving race relations in this country and not just throwing gasoline on fires. He would never have engaged in the sort of disrespectful behavior seen in Kaepernick.

Indeed, Branch Rickey chose him specifically because he would NOT engage in controversial theatrics.


11 posted on 04/20/2018 1:27:45 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Bryant will never admit racism is even close to ‘over’ because his liberal gravy train depends on it.


12 posted on 04/20/2018 1:29:54 PM PDT by ethom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ethom
So, "statistical analysis" is racist toward blacks but benefits Hispanics and Asians? MLB is, by far, the most racial diverse sport.

The reason there are fewer blacks in baseball is because black athletes prefer football and basketball.

13 posted on 04/20/2018 1:30:30 PM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cdcdawg

Upon closer reading of this Howard Bryant is the racist.
He is essentially arguing that blacks are not smart enough to thrive in an environment where the ability to analyze statistics is a key to success.


14 posted on 04/20/2018 1:30:37 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ethom

Sooooooooooo, black people can’t do basic arithmetic, Mr. Bryant?


15 posted on 04/20/2018 1:31:36 PM PDT by NohSpinZone (First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Old-time black players that really did suffer discrimination, like Jim Brown, love the country and vehemently oppose Kaepernick’s anthem protests.


16 posted on 04/20/2018 1:32:20 PM PDT by Kazan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ethom

“He would be facing the same sort of vitriol that Colin Kaepernick is facing today.”
______________________________________________________________

Jackie Robinson was an officer in the US Army. What did that POS Kaepernick ever do for his country except $hit on it?


17 posted on 04/20/2018 1:38:31 PM PDT by HenpeckedCon (Covfefe Trump!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Yes and not only that, this jerk from ESPN is deliberately choosing not to notice the very large percentage of Latin ball players who have varying percentages of African blood.

Hell, the league is 58% full blooded white.

This guy is spouting nonsense.


18 posted on 04/20/2018 1:39:15 PM PDT by Rome2000 (SMASH THE CPUSA-SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS-CLOSE ALL MOSQUES)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ethom

So Hank Aaron is to be stricken from the record books?


19 posted on 04/20/2018 1:45:23 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (You Say "White Privilege"...I Say "Protestant Work Ethic")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

Also,he was a Republican!


20 posted on 04/20/2018 1:45:42 PM PDT by Dr. Ursus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson