Jermaine Henderson
Strayer University
Essays #1
Bus 090
Prof Scorpio J Welch
February 11, 2010
Why are African-American are so Dominate in Professional Sport
The dominance of African-American in professional sports in the US and around the world is due to sociological reason rather than psychological reason. There is also some who believe the reason why African –American dominates professional sports is due to the physical advantage rather the other two that were previous mention. Is there also a genetic reason why African –Americans perform at a higher level than their white or non African-American athlete. In the three major professional sports leagues the NBA, the NF, and MLB African Americans are dominating more in the last two decade than any era before. African-American is setting record high in boxing and track and field as well. I will try to take closer look at how they are dominating in each sport.
Let start with basketball because that the sport that I love the most. Basketball has become a reflection of ghetto culture, much in the form of jazz and blues music form the filthy and the sixthly. In the NBA eighty percent of the players in the league are African-American. In Division I college basketball, sixty one percent of the players are African-Americans. Most of the Stars players in the NBA who are All-Stars this year are African-American. Basketball was created by Dr James Naismith as an American sport. In the early years basketball was play by all white players. As the sport grew in popular, more and more African-American begin to play. African-American have made significant invented to basketball just as much as Mr. Naismith., The most noticeable play that was made by African-Americans was the “dunking of the basketball’. Michael Jordon will parables go down as the greatest basketball player of all-time. The most noticeably white player in NBA history is Larry Bird and Jerry West, just to name a few.
The NFL is another profession League that African-American have a high successful rate in The NFL existed a long time before Africa-American were allow play the game. That ended in 1946, when African American players were Since then African –American have been dominating the NFL ever since. African-American are known to have more success in the skill position that the position such as running backs, wide receivers, comeback, line backers, safeties and offensive and. defensive line men. The one position that most NFL insiders think that African-American won’t dominate in NFL or Division I college football is the quarterback position. In the NFL the most popular quarterback are whites like Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. There are popular African-American quarterbacks in the NFL like Donovan McNabb, Vince Young, Jason Campbell and Michael Vick. African-American has also had a Super Bowl MVP in Doug Williams for the Washington Redskin and the first African American African=American Head coach was Tony Dungy for the Indianapolis Colts The area I would like to see more African American should try to dominate is the coaching aspect and in upper management position.
Major League Baseball is up next. African American has a strong history in baseball not just in major leagues but also in the Negro League. The most memorable African American has to Jackie Robinson. Jackie broke the color line in 1947. After that the flood gate open and African-American begin to dominate ever since. There are many players who help make the jump from the Negro league to Major league baseball. Players in this era are just as good or ever better that they were back when they allow players to make the jump from the Negros league to the Major league. Today African-American players don’t have as much of the same problem that the players had when they first made the jump. Today African-American players are dominate but I don’t think they were as dominate as those back in the early years of baseball
Baseball is the only sports that African American Has ruled in every aspect. In MBL they don’t have the same powers as they have in the Negros league as far as ownership and coaches.
In boxing and track and field African American are pretty dominate as well. The greatest boxer of all-time is Mohammed Ali depending on who you ask in the modern era the best boxer have been Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Evander Holyyfield etc. I can’t remember the last great American boxing champion that was white in the modern era. In track and field the world fastest man is Husain Bolt The top 15 world record in track and field is buy African –American. African Americans also dominate the previous Olympics in track and field and boxing and several other Olympics games.
Finally I feel that African –Americans proves that they can dominate on the field but, the real question is will we as African-American can dominate off the field in the real position that count the most. The ownership, the commissioner and other high end position that I would like to see more African-American excl in. Over the past two decades African Americans have proved that they can perform at peak level. In the next two decade it s time to prove that we can be just as successful in those areas do professional sport, Hopefully we can get more opportunity to prove that we handle those position just like we did on the field.