Tag: basketball

Infographic: The Changing Face of American Baseball

December 13, 2017

Here’s a good, and important, infographic from the Huffington Post that takes a look at the racial makeup of Major League Baseball.  Jackie Robinson may have broken the color barrier in 1947, but as the graphic points out, that didn’t change the economic barriers to playing baseball.  And, let’s be honest, this is an expensive sport.  On the other hand, Robinson’s debut into the majors did also open the doors for Latinos in the MLB, and given the talent it has introduced, this is definitely a great thing.

the-changing-face-of-american-baseball_534551d424d01_w1500.png

Sports ethics: Winning with Integrity symposium

April 20, 2017

Here is a fascinating panel discussion from last year that I watched late last night (too late — my poor sleep schedule).  Hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, this discussion encompasses all sports and the culture that surrounds athletic competition in general.  From children’s organized sports on up through the pros, these folks explore the problems of the idea of winning at all costs.

Clearly, we see, there are some issues when it comes to ethics in the world of sports.  When the majority of athletes self-report that they would be willing to take a pill to become Olympic-caliber athletes (with the caveat that they’d die in five years), we realize that our priorities are wholly out of whack.  When cheating does take place, nobody in sports wants to be a snitch, and the idea that “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” permeates the atmosphere.  How do the higher ups of an organization combat this attitude?

This discussion is long, but if you have the time to watch even a little bit of it, it is certainly worthwhile.

Quote of the day

July 16, 2014

Baseball is a team game but, at the same time, it’s a very lonely game: unlike in soccer or basketball, where players roam around, in baseball everyone has their little plot of the field to tend. When the action comes to you, the spotlight is on you but no one can help you.

~Chad Harbach

Wikimedia Commons

Infographic: Most Dangerous Sports

May 22, 2014

This infographic isn’t quite baseball-specific, but I do find it interesting to see how baseball ranks among other sports in terms of the “danger factor.”  Honestly, it surprises me to see hockey rank so low on these scales, but I guess they do wear quite a bit of protective gear.  Fatality rates did not make it onto the graphic, but given the focus on safety in all sports, this should barely be an issue.  But it still piques my interest.