Wash. Post's C. Milloy: "Why is baseball striking out in the black community?"

[RL04]

Some interesting thoughts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/why-is-baseball-striking-out-in-the-black-community/2012/10/30/57fa1aca-22c7-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html

[hammondsnats]

o'bama's america

[HalfSmokes]

o'bama's america

really?

[hammondsnats]

[JCA-CrystalCity]

But he wears a White Sox cap!

[hammondsnats]

But he wears a White Sox cap!

i hate that!

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Because Sarah Palin would have had inner city black kids lining up for rural blue collar white pastimes like shooting animals for kicks (and with the patriotic fever that would have gripped the land, probably baseball too...hell, maybe even Nascar!).   

o'bama's america

[Kevrock]

Really guys?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

 

[Tyler Durden]

Milloy often takes on the racially charged issues.  He makes some interesting points - the decline in interest in and participation by the black community is bad for DC and bad for baseball.  As the Deadskins continue to flounder and the Nats do well, maybe that will change in DC.  Not sure how it will change throughout the country. 

He makes the point about baseball being a father and son sport.  He's probably right but I think it's just as much a suburban sport and less an urban sport.  That might explain some of the decline in interest.  Most Nats fans live in VA and MD, for example.

[Kevrock]

I thought this comment was interesting:

The "boring" argument is a cop out. And this goes across the board. I have three friends with boys, all white, who gave up baseball very soon and decided the only wanted to play football. I asked their fahters why and each said the boy said, "Boring."

I asked the boys more penetrating queestions. You know what was revealed in the answers. "Baseball is too hard and I wasn't any good at it immediately." I quized them about football and when it came down to it it was about how relativiely easy it was to play hitting someone else is much easier than hitting a curveball or throwing to third base.

Baseball is like learning to play the piano. It is boring as hell, right up until you have grinded enough to be truly skilled, then it comes alive.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Baseball requires a lot of real estate and equipment compared to, say, basketball.  And the good old days of playing baseball in city streets went the way of the dodo bird the better part of a century ago. 

That said, the crowd at Nats games has been considerably more "urban" in appearance as of late.  Everyone loves a winner.

Milloy often takes on the racially charged issues.  He makes some interesting points - the decline in interest in and participation by the black community is bad for DC and bad for baseball.  As the Deadskins continue to flounder and the Nats do well, maybe that will change in DC.  Not sure how it will change throughout the country. 

He makes the point about baseball being a father and son sport.  He's probably right but I think it's just as much a suburban sport and less an urban sport.  That might explain some of the decline in interest.  Most Nats fans live in VA and MD, for example.

[UMDNats]

few black role models, more expensive to play at a high level than basketball, not as popular as football and basketball, hard to play in the inner cities, there isn't the generational baseball fan in much of DC considering the team hasn't been here, team is less ingrained in the community.

didnt even read the article but i think these are the major points

[spidernat]

o'bama's america

Dude you should know by now that saying something like that (even in jest) is going to draw the ire of all the Obama worshippers. 

[edited for language]

[Boss Dealwiler]

Dude you should know by now that saying something like that (even in jest) is going to draw the ire of all the Obama worshippers. 

There were a few offering services for an Obozo today...

[edited for language]

[PANatsFan]

Because Sarah Palin would have had inner city black kids lining up for rural blue collar white pastimes like shooting animals for kicks (and with the patriotic fever that would have gripped the land, probably baseball too...hell, maybe even Nascar!).   

Get it right, she shoots wolves from helicopters

[hammondsnats]

Get it right, she shoots wolves from helicopters

i'm reporting you, that's offensive!

[mitlen]

Get it right, she shoots wolves from helicopters

If only wolves carried weapons and could fire back.