Quote:
Originally Posted by Buster
Judge by merits, not skin color. Most people who preach "Unity" and "Diversity" are the people keeping race in front of everyone and are actually causing more of a separation and racial divide. I believe MOST people think about results more than race when it comes to sports, employment, anything else. But, when you are forced to look at skin colors to fulfill some artificial quota, it brings race to the forefront in your mind and in your daily life when it probably would've been overlooked before.
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You'd actually be wrong in the sense that it's been proven pretty clearly that while most people *believe* they don't see race, age, sex when they look at someone, the fact is that there are all kinds of inherent and built-up unconscious biases that distort that stated desire to be objective.
There are online tests you can take which reveal this, and I must warn you that it's somewhat uncomfortable to realize you are not nearly as unbiased as you'd like to think you are. The important thing to realize is that the mechanisms that create these biases are in most cases not something a person has consciously chosen. They have to do with media, cultural biases, pressure to fit within perceived societal norms, etc.
If you all are interested in links, I can dig some up. I recommend the book "Blink" if you're really curious, it's a great read.
The takeaway for me in all of this is that Donovan is probably correct to a certain degree that there are biases that affect a typical NFL fan's mind with regards to a black quarterback. However, he doesn't address the fact that those same biases might affect a typical NFL fan's mind with regards to a white running back or (as others here have pointed out) a speedy white receiver (White Lightning, as it were).
And, realistically the problem with him bringing this up is that he's doing so from a position of weakness in a city known for eating its young and beloved if they falter. Had he made these comments right after winning the NFC championship or Super Bowl, or in another context, they might not seem like cop-outs.
I think the paraphrasing quote from Doug Williams was the best thing in this thread. While everyone has biases, and sometimes those biases affect views and decisions, most folks don't consciously choose to consider a player's race until it's shoved in their face.
Choosing to allow yourself to be defined by the color of your skin can only limit you in what you can accomplish and how you're perceived. Ever notice how nobody really focuses on the fact Tiger Woods' ethnicity anymore, despite the fact that golf is basically an old white man's game? It's because he refuses to allow that to define him.