Prometheus 6   

What would Larry Bird say?
By Jason Whitlock

… Again, I'm not suggesting that Nader's request of James was wrong. I'm just wondering why there's rarely a push for non-African-American athletes to develop an agenda that goes beyond on-field performance. Michael Jordan is vilified and deemed a coward for keeping his mouth shut on controversial social issues. I can't remember anyone wanting to probe Larry Bird's mind about anything more important than "tastes great" or "less filling."

Look no further than the PGA Tour. We in the media want Tiger Woods to be a freedom fighter of Nelson Mandela proportions. Woods, who is only one-fourth African-American, is expected to speak out against racism, sexism, war and Phil Mickelson's refusal to wear a manbro. Meanwhile, the Tour's non-Cablanasian players need only worry about their games.

Is that fair? More important, is it counterproductive?

Shouldn't the majority community be pressured into having a collective social conscious? Do African-Americans own the moral high ground in America? Is that why the burden of a social conscious seems to fall in our laps?

I've often been disappointed that the majority community seems to be so willing to overlook injustices that occur right here at home. America's social ills -- racism, sexism, etc. -- could be stymied more effectively if the white men in power were asked to be as courageous as Ralph Nader wants LeBron James to be.

Jack Nicklaus could spark more change than Tiger Woods. When an African-American speaks out against injustice, too many people dismiss the complaint as just another black man crying the blues. What do you think would happen if Bill Parcells, who has made millions of dollars off the sweat of predominantly black football players, said it's shameful that these same players don't receive a fair opportunity when they move into the NFL coaching ranks or into front-office positions? You think Parcells words wouldn't carry more weight than Johnnie Cochran's or the New York Times' William C. Rhoden's?

Trust me, African-Americans -- with the possible exception of Jesse Jackson -- get tired of bitching. We'd like a month or two off. I'd love nothing more than to see our lawmakers make the month of March "White Social Consciousness Month." It would follow "Black History Month."