LetT Set A Scene Essay

The question, “Are Blacks better at basketball than Whites?” is a stereotypical question and does not prove Mr. Bodeker’s claims in the least. Similarly, Mr. Bodeker claimed society cannot give credit to the White race for its successes. Mr. Bodeker points out an area where Whites excel (standardized testing). He further makes a point of saying the interviewees stated it had to be due to cultural bias, as they could not give credit to Whites. It is a proven fact standardized testing is written in a cultural bias manner. Therefore, the results of Whites scoring better is due to cultural bias not their ability to test well. Again, this question does not support Mr. Bodeker’s claims. In fact, Mr. Bodeker’s questions and the manner in which he framed them only serve to show how one-sided his film is.

Lebron James and Freddy Adu are both young athletes and with millions in their pockets with a countless number of endorsement contracts. Whether it is high school athletes skipping college and discontinuing the development of their education for millions of dollars, or teenagers signing contracts with businesses for massive amounts of money, youth sports programs are changing rapidly. However, American high school athletes are not financially, physically, or mentally prepared to tackle and endure the pressures of professional sports.

This shows these athletes would do better off with the professional help of the NBA. A major part of my action plan is to provide these athletes with the option to either attend a college or university for one year and then enter into the NBA draft or become drafted straight out of high school with the understanding that they will have to play for that specific teams developmental league for one year before joining the actually team itself. Ultimately, this plan would allow athletes to receive the financial benefits needed in the short term while still developing and preparing themselves for years in the NBA.

On the other hand though, playing professional sports is all African-American kids can dream of. Most of them live in low poverty places and most of their parents are not around and they didn’t go to college and finish high school. So when they feel they have a talent, most of them try to use that talent or special skill they think they have as a quicker way to upgrade their lifestyle instead of the long tedious process

There a many stereotypes that are explored in the film Hoop Dreams. Both William Gates and Arthur Agee fit into the stereotype of great basketball players who aren’t very successful academically. Over time as they advanced in High School this stereotype manifested to where they were unable to play at the professional level they all dreamed about when they were kids. As most parents would want to believe about their children, they want them to be successful academically and athletically. This stereotype was exploded as the documentary progressed.

Next, by an athlete staying and completing their education teaches the athlete maturity levels and raises maturity levels of an athlete. By staying in college an athlete can grow, develop, and mature throughout the course of their years in college. The athletes brain is more developed. The athlete has a more mature, developed mindset that benefits the athlete by allowing them to see game plans in a different perspective and allows the athlete to face challenges with a clearer mind, because college has equipped them with more experience in tough situations. For example, Michael Jordan, also known as MJ, received a full athletic scholarship to North Carolina University in 1981. Jordan played for the North Carolina Tar Heels for 3 years. Although Jordan was drafted in the 1984 NBA draft, he was only a junior in college.

In addition to basketball players leaving behind a backup plan when they leave college early for the NBA, they also leave behind the wisdom and maturity gained in the college experience. The value of the college experience cannot be weighed; however, it is evident when players are missing those crucial life lessons. For example, NBA fans know DeMarcus Cousins and Michael Beasley for their lack of maturity. They are defined by their rotten attitudes and off-the-court issues. Cousins’ immaturity has resulted in team suspensions, and Beasley’s off-the-court conflicts have hurt his play and reputation (Diaz 1). Cousins and Beasley are not the only players battling immaturity; there are many NBA players who should have stayed in college to mature as players and men. Although one-and-done players only miss out on three years of college, those

1. Judy is an older student who recently lost her job. She is attending college for the first time and is very nervous. She’s not sure if she made the right decision to attend but feels that it’s the only reasonable option she has. She is currently enrolled in a math course; she hasn’t had math for years. She is convinced that she’s not going to pass the course. She just wants someone to discuss some of her concerns regarding math, but doesn’t want to meet with the instructor. Write a referral for Judy.

In the start of the 1960s basketball had entered the world of professionalism since there was a decrease in amateurism in sports. More teams have come to a conclusion and have become a part of a professional league called the NBA (National Basketball Association). In regards to a book American Decades 1960s “In the 1960-1961 season of the NBA there were eight teams in the league, which included the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals, New York Knicks, St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and the Cincinnati Royals”. All these teams had at least two or more African American athletes. As African American athletes become more famous, players such as Bill Russel from the Boston Celtics or Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors have people who will become jealous and try to make them look bad. “Unfortunately more and more African Americans have become extremely valuable in professional sports leading to people/ fans to get used to different skin colors. Thus leading to less racism in sports” (Encyclopedia of Race and Racism). Racism was a huge benefactor during that time and became less public due to the fact that there will be African American players in professional sports no matter what.

Black, White or whatever people want to call other people it doesn’t matter because as Brown, T. says “There’s No Race on the Playing Field” At the elite level of sports the ability of the person playing no matter the sport or the position is what is in question day to day and game to game. However, ability to play the position and being athletic and playing the position are not to be confused. The ability to play a position will allow a player to play a sport for as long as the athlete can play and feel capable of playing or is thought by the powers in control feel they can. Conversely playing a position because an athlete is athletic will only allow the player to play until his actual physical athletic ability starts to decline. There is

In order to make it in the NBA, black students will have to finish high school and go to a college. The NBA rules states in order to be eligibility for the NBA draft the one-and-done rule is in effect (Wikipedia). Meaning one year of college is all your need. Despite this, black students feel this bias towards them, and compared the MLB Draft Rule, “High school players, if they have graduated from high school and have not yet attended college or junior college” (Major League Baseball) can still join the MLB. The black community feels this not equal and fails to gives hope to some black students, a great example

This I true because he never settled for second or third place. He always wanted to be the best. All of his life he was told that he was too small or not good enough. Part of why this happened was because one of his legs was shorter than the other. As a younger child he preferred team sports like baseball and football.

“Black” and “white’, are there two distinct styles of players in the NBA? Jeff Greenfield believes so. Greenfield believes the two most important traits that characterize “black” basketball is leaping ability and razzle-dazzle moves. When coaches see a white boy who can jump or who moves with extraordinary quickness, they say, “He should have been born black, he’s that good.” (Greenfield 212). This statement was used in the title to the hit film White Men Can’t Jump. Most of the legendary jumpers in the NBA were black. Such players include Willis Reed, Julius Erving, and Wilt Chamberlain. In today’s modern game

Dramaturgy—the idea of interaction through analogy with the theatre: backstage, front stage, setting, performer, audience, and performance (Applerouth & Edles, 2012). Erving Goffman claims that life itself is a dramatic performance and our communication is sociological. The social world is the theatre—we perform for others, we present an act for others, and our performance varies in different situations. The concept dramaturgy was highly influenced by the literary critic and theorist Kenneth Burke. Kenneth Burke who constructed “dramatism” viewed life as a theatre. However, Goffman perceives theatre as a metaphor that we are the actors in our everyday lives who plays different assigned roles.

Something positive can be taken from the precedents Thurman and Fizer; both at least started a college education and made positive contributions to the game. Each year the number of high school athletes that go directly to the NBA increases. In recent years Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have become household names with huge contracts. Both of them have risen to stardom after making the jump directly from high school. With all of the hype surrounding these success stories, little is mentioned about those not so fortunate. Like Garnett, Ronnie Fields attended Farragut Academy. In 1997 Fields attempted to follow Garnetts path to the NBA rather than accept a scholarship from a major university. Fields was not drafted and is not currently involved with any organized basketball (NBA.com). High school athletes need to realize that the fame of Bryant and Garnett are rare