[Wayne24405]

Larry Bird is being criticized for his recent comment that the presence of one or two white superstars in the NBA would result in larger attendance because most basketball fans are white. What do other whites think?

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Name : Wayne24405, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 44, City : Parsippany, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : marketing, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Seamus28251]

I don't think white people care as much about the color of their entertainment as other ethnic groups do. We're a bit more open-minded in that respect than before. White people still watch football and baseball with their black and Hispanic players, respectively. Besides, the NBA probably has more white players today than in the past few years. I think if the NBA lost its 'black style' of play of selfishness, lack of defense and individuality (played by both blacks and whites), there would be an increase in white viewership, however. When whites I know talk about basketball, these are the aspects they usually complain about.

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Name : Seamus28251, Gender : M, Age : 23, City : Charlestown, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Union official, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[James D.]

Let's turn the comment around. If Tiger Woods said that the presence of more blacks in golf would result in more blacks being interested in golf, I don't think anyone would disagree (I have heard commentators make this very point on TV). Certainly the Williams sisters have had a similar effect on tennis. Bird's comment is only questionable because it talks about having more white players, which automatically sounds racist. I don't think there's anything wrong with what he said. And I guarantee you that if an openly gay player were to become a part of the NBA, there would be a huge increase in attendance by gay people.

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Name : James D., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 47, City : Summit, State : NJ Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Andrew23923]

Basketball is a sport. There are people of all colors and physical makeups that play. Why is everybody so trigger-happy about this? Look, African Americans naturally develop more muscle. It's a genetic fact. Each race has its own special attributes that are there based on geographic location and lifestyle. Why do people always say African Americans can jump and whites can't? That aside, basketball is a sport, not a racial issue. No one is going to start watching the sport simply because of a change in the color of skin of the people playing.

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[Eric]

Doesn't the NBA have a number of white stars from Europe (Predrag Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki, for example)? Oh, wait, they are not from Indiana. I'd file this one under Insanely Stupid Comment.

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Name : Eric, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : disorganized religion, Age : 27, City : Heidelberg, State : NA Country : Germany, Occupation : Military, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Chris]

I think Larry may be on to something. Recently Barry Bonds stated that Boston was a racist city, and when Bird was playing here in Boston, they regularly sold out with a large percentage of white players (they would start a lineup that included three: Bird, Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge). Now, other than Nowitzki in Dallas, I cannot think of a big-name white player that has the draw that Bird and McHale had. It also may have something to do with the fact that it allows people to associate with faces that look similar to their own. It is a natural reaction.

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Name : Chris, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 26, City : Sunderland, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Warren Eckels]

Well, the Chicago Bulls underwent some changes a few years ago after which the racial composition of the team more closely matched the demographics of the fanbase. Unfortunately, that change included the departure of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Attendance at Bulls games fell dramatically. Perhaps it should be kept in mind that Larry Byrd owns a car dealership in Martinsville, Indiana, a town not known for racial comity. It would not surprise me if he received that comment regularly and often from his customers.

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Name : Warren Eckels, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 38, City : Schererville, State : IN Country : United States, 

[simon jarvis]

A natural reaction. No, its a racist reaction which basically states that the US along with other countries in Europe have not moved on. They are still as racist as before, only now they are more subtle about their use of language.

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[Edward H.]

I played high school and college basketball. Back in the '70s I could play playground ball with white guys or suburban black guys, and have a good time. There was passing of the ball instead of 'to the hoop' see who is going to outshine someone else. When I would get into an urban setting, Jeez Louise ... it wasn't basketball. It was a war zone.

I love college basketball. I do not watch pro basketball, even though several people, some white, some black, I played with play in the pros or have played in the pros. Our recent Olympics debacle is reason enough for my reluctance as far as pro ball goes. It is just one big "who can dunk the best."

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[Miles G.]

Someone once thought, 'If we can get a Chinese guy into the NBA, imagine how the audience will skyrocket.' Now Yao is here, and sure enough, a couple billion Chinese suddenly care about the NBA. It was true when Fernando Valenzuela came to the Dodgers. Mexicans flocked to the stadium. Now that Ichiro and Nomo and Matsui play in the Major Leagues, the Japanese are fervent American baseball fans. In every case, when a new class of fans is added, more money rolls in. Don't forget that Larry Bird owns a piece of the NBA and profits from marketing his product successfully. Adding attendance adds revenue. Nobody cares whether they are Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, or white. They all pay.

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[Ashley-B23479]

I think he was being honest and I don't think his comments were racist. Look at Eminems success. He is a good rapper but your naieve if you think his race has nothing to with it.

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