Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same
via Negrophile
Global trend remakes face of pro sports
By Tim Wendel
…According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, the percentage of players from outside the U.S. continues to grow in professional baseball, football, soccer and basketball. What we're witnessing is the beginning of the global sports age. This trend could create a harsh new reality for U.S.-born players -- especially for the African-American athletes who dominate some of those sports.
International prospects can cost pro teams less and often are thought to play a more fundamentally sound game than their U.S. counterparts, says Harry Edwards, a University of California sociology professor and San Francisco 49ers consultant. He predicts that basketball will go the way of baseball as foreign-born players increasingly take over its rosters, now filled mainly with black U.S. players.
"In 10 or 15 years, the question won't be, 'What happened to the black athlete in baseball?' " Edwards says. "The question will be, 'Who needs the black athlete?' "
…From the Bronx to Watts, the personal promise of professional sports has held many neighborhoods together. Even though the dream becomes reality for a tiny percentage of those who play, it provides a structure and a discipline that will be hard to replace if teams fill more of their rosters with international stars.
…The year Hoop Dreams came out, the first 10 picks in the NBA draft were from the U.S., and all had attended college. In 2002, however, Yao Ming from the Shanghai Sharks was the top pick, an Italian forward was drafted at No. 5, and a Brazilian center was No. 7. This year, a high school kid, LeBron James, went No. 1, a center from Serbia-Montenegro was next, and a French forward was No. 11.