e their true Hard Road to Glory. Discrimination, vilification, incarceration, dissipation, ruination, and ultimate despair have dogged the steps of the mightiest of these heroes. And, only a handful on the last 179 years have been able to live out their post-athletic lives in peace and prosperity.
Ashe's book presents a study of black advances in sports in the face of bias through several centuries, but a problem with his study is that it is superficial in its treatment, perhaps necessarily so, considering the time and the number of sports it tries to cover. Nevertheless, it is a fine reference work.
In general, African Americans have achieved great success as players in the major professional sports, and in some more minor sports--as players, that is. The success of blacks in coaching, managing, and more white-collar positions in those same pro sports has not been as remarkable. This is clearly due in part to the continuing stereotyping of African Americans in general, and in pro sports specifically.
Pro sports present a great contradiction in terms of the way they treat African Americans. Certainly blacks comprise a large number of players, some of the best players in fact, in pro sports. On the other hand, racism continues to exist in those sports, between players, between players and fans, between players and management. Owners employ blacks because they are the best athletes in many sports, and because their skills and talent translate into profits for owners. The attitude of the sports public toward black athletes seems to be based on the attitude of the athlete himself--as well as whether or not he is perceived to be a "winner." In other words, a black athlete with an "attitude" (e.g., Dennis Rodman, Mike Tyson, Latrell Sprewell) will be accepted by fans as long as he wins or helps the hometeam win. Rodman's recent return to pro basketball was accompanied by a tremendous surge in ticket sales at the games of the Dall...