You’d like to believe we’ve entered an enlightened era when college football players are judged strictly by their ability and not by their skin color. Sadly, College of the Sequoias coach Curtis Allen says that’s not the case.
Just not in the way you’d think.
Allen, a former Fresno State cornerback who also played in the Canadian Football League, has been around college football for 30 years. Since taking over the COS program in 2005, he’s sent 130 players to four-year schools. He knows what recruiters are looking for when evaluating a player, and he believes race plays a role.
The numbers back up Allen’s assertion.
Out of 120 Division I football programs, 110 of them have a leading rusher who is black.
There is only one white starting running back in the NFL — Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns. Out of the top 40 NFL leading rushers, Hillis is the only white player on the list, and he ranks No. 17.
“For a long time, they didn’t want any black quarterbacks either,” Allen said. “I don’t understand why those perceptions are there. A player is a player. If he can play for me, I don’t care what color he is.”
Get The Picture 
Ah, this argument. Is it not possible that black people are on average quicker and faster than white people, which leads to the disparity?
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Potentially, but that doesn’t explain why there are certain positions dominated by white guys. Fullback in particular has always confused the hell out of me.
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A quicker, faster Fullback is usually known as a linebacker. 🙂
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Careful. We will be talking about Physics Professors next.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson is my hero.
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What if someone in reference to an article about an underrepresentation of blacks among quarterbacks or coaches said the following:
“Ah this argument. Is it not possible that (white) people are on average (smarter) and (more bright) than (black) people, which leads to the disparity?”
Such a comment would be considered racist wouldn’t it?
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I do not think it would be racist if you had the overwhelming evidence there is for black men generally being better athletes than white men. The subject would certainly be taboo even if you did have such evidence though.
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Their also a good bit of evidence that caucasians as a whole score better than those of on academic aptitude tests than those of African descent do, as a society we need to pick a standard of what is or isn’t racist to say and stick to it, if the comment you made about blacks generally running faster than whites is not to be considered racist neither should the second comment be. If the second is to be considered racist, so should the first. There are numerous extremely intelligent persons of black persons but their are also white guys that can outrun black guys.
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I totally agree. And medically speaking, treating everyone as if they’re the same is dangerous. The problem is that studies of racial differences have been so abused in the past that it’s nearly impossible for most people to be rational about it. And of course, there’s always the chance that it could be misused in the future if you did study the matter in depth.
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Definately. I can understand either approach, the history of racial strife might very well justify us being super sensitive about this kind of thing, if that’s true, fine, I get that, but let’s be consistent.
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the movie “Top Secret!” immediately comes to mind:
“Do you know any good white basketball players?”
“There are no good white basketball players.”
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I like how anytime there is a big white guy in basketball, the commentary is always that he “can really run the floor”. Anytime you read a breakdown of the NBA draft, and there is a white big man, you can bank on that being part of the analysis of the player. I’ve never quite figured out exactly what it means.
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I’ve heard announcers in just about every sport use the same tired cliches at one time or another. Think about all the white athletes who got to the pros because of their “hard work.” Black athletes, however, succeed because of their “natural ability.” It’s a BS categorization either way you slice it.
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My friend invited me to join a NBA Fantasy league this year. Considering my complete indifference to basketball in general, I decided to put those assumptions to the test by drafting only white guys. Well the first week was actually pretty close and I lost by a respectable margin. This week…. I am getting completely waxed in all phases of the game except for Free Throw Percentage. Go figure.
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I always loved that interview with Magic Johnson where he tells the story about how younger black NBA players have come to him and asked him: “Man, was Larry Bird really that good or was a big deal made of him because he was white?” To which Magic Johnson replies: “Man you have no idea how good Larry Bird was.”
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Speaking as a Caucasian, I would just like to point out that I am sick and tired of being held down by the Man.
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I’ve always wondered why white receivers have “deceptive speed”.
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I think it’s because they “are precise route runners” with “solid footwork”.
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Not to mention their “hustle,” and the fact that they “play the game the right way.”
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There will always be a place for the white guys at quarterback, fullback or possession receiver. Also, defense in general is off-limits to white guys. Pollack in ’04, Josh Mallard in ’01 and Kirby Smart in ’98 are the only ones I can even think of going 12 years back if you don’t count the punter. I think its more of a skill set issue that black guys have more often than white guys. The coaches put the best players on the field and I don’t think they are seeing it in black and white.
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Reggie White- The Minsiter of Defense
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Roddy White is one of the top WR’s in the NFL!
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John Lynch?
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Oh, and Jim Leonard is a 5’8″ safety on one of the best defensive units around.
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Jimmy the Greek is rolling over in his grave.
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Agreed. If you watch that 30 for 30 special you’ll notice that no one said that Jimmy was wrong. They just say he shouldn’t have said it.
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“There aren’t a lot of black downhill skiers”
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We had a strong white RB at Georgia the year Donnan beat Tennessee- Brett Millican. If I recall there was some press about him not getting a scholly or being able to compete in the SEC as a RB because he was white. I found that curious. There ARE indicators that definitely seem to follow (or precede) conditions that produce more athletes (Note: you get better athletes by having more athletes–because of competition, higher standards, and improvements passed down to the players coming along).
Chief among them, irrespective of race, are 1) “effectively” single-parent families (think of the football-productive coal mining areas of Pennsylvania during the mid-20th century; although there were 2 parents, Dad was down in the mine 12 hours a day and dead-tired when he got home), and 2) pervasive poverty. A higher percentage of young males growing up under these conditions will typically be drawn to either gangs or team sports–mainly because they provide identity, a non-matriarchal family, and strong father-figures.
The social dynamics are the same regardless of race. We just happen to live in a time when nearly 70% of black children are growing up in single-parent homes.
(Next time you hear of a “values-preaching” coach giving a “bad” kid a second or third chance after screwing up… remind yourself that some of these athletes are just now facing demands for self-discipline that you mastered in grammar school.)
I agree more with this attitude than just the blanket this race is a better athlete argument. I have seen more studies that link professional success to athletics based upon social economic status than I have to actual race. If you look at today’s professional athletes, very few of them grew up in economical successful families. If you factor out the athletic families (Sims, Mannings, etc.) the number of successful professional athletes drops to next to nothing. This trend goes back all the way to the early 1900’s. Back then it was the Italian, Irish, and Jewish athletes dominating college and the early professional sports. These were the immigrants and poor of the time. If you polled most kids in a poor neighborhood (regardless of race), they would rank the path to wealth in the following order; Sports, Lottery, and then an education. Also take a look at the kids that make up the participants in X games and Extreme Sports. Those are some great athletes. Kudos to the Senator for his willingness to discuss. Also, just to get it out of the way….Muckbeast I really don’t care how you feel about my posts.
just sayin’
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Brett Millican was on scholarship when he was at UGA. He was pretty highly recruited coming out of Parkview. He did not get a lot of looks at Georgia because he was behind some other pretty good backs (Robert Edwards – 1st rounder, Olandis Gary – NFL starter, Patrick Pass – NFL starter) as well as the “immortal” Jasper Sanks. He got some time his senior year and scored against Carolina and a couple of other times.
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Once on a wheel route I’m pretty sure.
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He was large against Tennessee…. in Donnans win…the goal posts came down. Both of them. He was the difference in that game. Yes he was…and Robert Edwards wasn’t in that game……. I remember QC throw it over their heads Carter got the MVP but it was all Millican on third down conversions. And there was the press on a Euro-American (I hate the term Caucasian-sounds like Italian shoes……just apply that anthropologically term elsewhere and see what you gather) Brett as never really having a chance.
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I can’t believe none of you dolts failed to mention Joe Dudek.
http://www.sicovers.com/Product.aspx?pid=1319
And I’d say Gale Sayers is whiter than most white people.
And that Obama kid from Chi-town is half white and plays a mean pick-up game.
And my man Joe Dudek would have smoked Jo Backson, who was only 99% black (btw).
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I have been wondering why UGA hasnt had any white linebackers. Meanwhile, it seems as if Ohio St has an all-american white linebacker every other year…so I know they exist. Not saying we should one, just wondering why I havent seen any in a while.
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think about the demographics in GA vs Ohio.
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because Ohio State is in the midwest, and UGA is in the south.
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Whit Marshall was the man!
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he was a stupid drunk that got his ass whipped all the time by other less-drunk frat boys.
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Are you forgetting Brandon Tolbert from 1997? And what about all the buzz around Chase Vasser? A white linebacker at UGA is like a hot girl at GTU.
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Wasn’t it Tolbert and Bobo that got cuffed and stuffed for being in an altercation at Foxz?
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same for Pennsylvania.
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“You’d like to believe we’ve entered an enlightened era when college football players are judged strictly by their ability and not by their skin color.’
Part of not being a racist, according to the Left, is, in fact, to sometimes judge people by their skin color.
To always or never use race as a factor equals racism. To sometimes use race as a factor equals enlightenment. ; )
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Look at the D-lines of teams around the Mississippi river. There is a difference. Kind of like the vet in Alabama said, ” the further you get away from the train depot, the worse the football gets”.
You guys have busted on me for saying athletes are alot like hunting dogs. It is true though. Genetics and environment play are huge role in athletic development. Watch blacks children play outside. They are essentially doing plyometrics early in life. One thing, they are outside and not playing video games because they don’t have the money. All that is changing though, and couple that with the genetics thing. Hell, Tubberville even said when he recruited a kid that he wanted to see his momma and sisters. Translated, he wanted to see the bottom side of the pedigree or heifer line. Ask any cattleman, he will tell you the heifer line is as important as the bull. Same thing with dogs, what is the bitch line bringing into the equation.
I think black men liking women with big asses has something to do with it. A white man’s idea of a thing of beauty is a fine boned skinny woman. A brother loves him some thick women. Look at black women, on average they are taller, broader shouldered, and have big hips. This translates into producing a more athletic child. Call this racist or whatever, but it is all about the brood stock. That is part of the talent evaluation process. A coach has to know if the kid’s body can carry 20 to 30 lbs more. Does he have the body structure to handle it.
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Jimmy the Greek incarnate, right here. 😉
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Hey, it is about like two short, fat, big bone people having a kid and thinking the child is gonna be a distance runner. Yeah! If your a liberal you say the child will compete equally with a Kenyian.
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“Look at black women, on average they are taller, broader shouldered, and have big hips”.
Michelle, you phone is ringing.
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You knew who I was thinking about!!
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‘Chelle, with the a*e vulva. to boot.
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hahahahaha
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So does having a liquor store and a gun shop on every corner in the black community produce good RB’s?
I guess having a financial planner and a tennis racket shop on every corner in a white community doesn’t produce top notch RB.
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Wow. Just…. wow.
It’s all BS, of course.
Fastest kid I ever knew was white.
“Brood stock?” Seriously?
Wow.
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Usain Bolt is white?
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He didn’t say fastest man in the world, just the fastest he ever saw, presumably in person.
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I was laughing while I typed, but I was serious. As much as we want to believe we are domesticated and civil, we still are animals. We are what we come from. Socially not always, but physically, yes.
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The Big 10 is usually called the slow plodding running conference. Thats why the white LBers do okay up there. And then usually get to the NFL and suck or they faten them up and move them to the OL.
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Do you guys remember that story on ESPN a few years ago about where speed comes from? They showed black kids in south florida running down swamp rabbits in the mucky sugar cane fields. You don’t see those cream of wheat, hash brown eatin’ mofos from Wisconsin doing that.
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Danny Woodhead (Patriots) has been making some unbelievable runs this year. He is fast (4.33 to 4.38), great balance, great moves, and he is white. A little undersized at 5 ft 7 in. but he weighs in at 205 lbs.
Peyton Hillis is a monster at 6 ft 1 in. and 240 lbs….he also ran a 4.58 which is fast for his size….hell Dexter McCluster ran a 4.58 at the Combine and people don’t say he is slow.
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