Sprinter reignites debate over correlation between race, speed

Carl Crawford.

 

We can all name the Gardners and Podsedniks and Urlachers and, before them, Brady Andersons of the sports world who are lightning-fast white guys. But the exceptions do not prove the rule. Over an enormous sampling size of athletes, it is not inaccurate to say that black athletes absolutely dominate the speed positions, particularly cornerback and running back in the NFL.

Check out the list of all-time stolen base leaders. You have to go all the way down to Brett Butler at 24th to find a white guy whose career began after World War I.

 

No love for Tim Dwight or Wes Welker I see.

 

Again: Exceptions.

The fact that people can come on here and toss out the names of a handful of blazer white guys doesn't prove anything. It reminds me of the other thread where someone used Mike Williams' two All-Star selections as proof that All-Star selections aren't a good Hall of Fame criteria. You have to operate with a large sample size to get a good picture of anything, and the large sample size in this case clearly tells an almost irrefutable story.

Also, as far as Welker goes, notice that I didn't say wide receiver.

 

Not sure who you're arguing to, Dick, has anyone here actually denied it?

Despite how that article labels it, I don't believe this is really much of a "debatable" question anymore. Everybody knows it's generally true, it's just something we avoid directly saying, and instead we pretend it's debatable, because it touches on such sensitive areas. And most of us didn't need to look at the NFL or "sample sizes", I figured it out when I started competing against African Americans and going to camps as a kid. I'm sure the same applies to others here. Just how it is.

 

Well, people keep naming fast white guys. I understood that as an attempt to indicate that there isn't a racial component to speed.

 

I don't know what it is about speed and race...

but I have an 8-year-old. He's in great shape, very athletic, hardly any fat to drag him down.

My little guy also can't stay within 3 steps of the African-American kids his age in basketball. The only aspects that keep me encouraging him at basketball are that a) he loves it and b) he has been medically projected to be in the 6'6'-6'9" range.

Otherwise, in the spring, he plays baseball. Why? He's a lefty and loves to pitch.

In life, go where your strengths are and try to avoid your weaknesses - unless you HAVE to overcome them, then tackle weaknesses head on.

 

Bengie Molina.

Oh sure. You think you could leg out a triple to complete the cycle? Afterburner Bengie did.

 

Blue font, Double J?

 

Well, the wink should tell you how serious I am about his speed.

That said, he did actually leg out a triple to complete a cycle a little more than a week ago. Something I don't think too many people currently working for ESPN have ever done.

 

Was Brady Anderson ever that fast?

 

Not as fast as Bob Dernier, for you early 80's types.