Editorial
Racism in sports
reflection of society
A1 Campanis, vice president in charge of player person
nel for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was fired yesterday for
racial remarks he made during ABC’s ‘‘Nightline.” In doing
so he confirmed the subtle discrimination occuring in sports
today.
Answering Ted Koppel’s question regarding the
number of blacks managing or owning baseball teams, Cam
panis said he truly believes "that they (blacks) may not have
some of the necessities to be, let’s say, a field manager, or
perhaps a general manager.”
This remark brings the issue of racism in sports to the
surface. Harry Edwards, a sociology professor at the Univer
sity of California Berkeley noted that this racism is symbolic
of society. It is ingrained in the system, and therefore, not as
apparent.
Edwards also emphasized that athletics still operate on
the "plantation system.” Blacks do the production while
whites hold the managerial reins, looking at the proportions
of blacks holding manager or owner positions in profes
sional sports proves this theory.
According to "Nightline," 25 percent of the players in
baseball are black yet there are no black managers. In foot
ball, 55 percent of the players are black compared to 4 per
cent being black head coaches. The largest percentage
comes in basketball. Seventy five percent of the players are
black and 11 percent of the head coaches are black. There are
no black owners in the sport.
Peter O’Malley, owner of the Dodgers, said Campanis
was fired because his comments ". . .were so far removed
and so distant from what I believe and what the organization
believes. . . ”
But the statistics prove that there is organizational pre
judice within the system. Campanis said they do not have
the "necessities" to hold higher positions. But they do have
the experience.
Clearly black athletes are as qualified to coach, manage
or own a team of their specialized sport as a white player.
The white hierarchy and "plantation system," however, is
preventing them from achieving these positions.
We can not let this discrimination continue. Firing
Campanis was a start. But if people do not follow through,
and put meaning behind the action, the firing will become a
symbolic gesture with no impact.
This subtle form of discrimination is hard to overcome
simply because it is so hard to prove. Only when officials
make statements like Campanis’ do their true colors show.
Jackie Robinson, the first black professional major
league baseball player, had to confront and overcome many
blatent forms of prejudice. Like Martin Luther King in the
‘60s, his actions and determination paved the way for other
blacks and minorities to excell in all levels of society.
We cannot let their dreams die. Hank Aaron realizes this
will be difficult. The attitudes of people and perceptions of
the situation have changed.
“I’ve been hoping that things would change for the last
10 years,” Aaron said. But his hope has dimmed in the light
of Campanis’ comments. "... you sill have people like Cam
panis with his beliefs. When you have that, blacks aren’t
ever going to get anyplace," he said.
Campanis, and people like him, will continue to prac
tice their beliefs if we allow them. These comments should
not be taken lightly.
Letters
Irony
Thursday, April 3rd, this
paper ran a short article on the
fall of a student from third floor
Tingle. The article was brief,
but important, and the
Emerald’s inclusion of it was
appreciated by many, including
myself.
However, the urgency of its
message was blunted by an ac
cidental slip-up by the layout
department, which wound up
creating a sick, sick joke.
Directly beneath the article
was an advertisement for a cable
program that evening, and the
headline in large black letters
was “DEATH - A CERTAIN
APPOINTMENT. ’ ’
At first, I found the paradox
funny. Then I realized how sad
it really was, and became angry.
As most of us by now know,
the boy is dead. Although I did
not know him. I still am sadden
ed by the loss, and furious that
the Emerald, a paper 1 greatly
respected, should be so careless
as to let those two articles be
run in the same column.
Accident though it may be,
the grotesqueness of the irony is
a slap in the face to all who
know Peter Frangos, and the
Emerald owes an apology to his
friends and those who mourn
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grid White, Michael Wilhelm, Serena Williams, X. Kang
him. My respect for your paper
has plummeted.
Dean Backus
Student
Not so fast
The ASUO Constitution Court
will soon be ruling on the con
stitutionality of giving man
datory student incidental fees to
OSPIRG — the student group,
that is, not the state PIRG.
Before the flood of “OSPIRG is
wonderful” letters comes in, I
would like to make a few
observations.
At its Incidental Fee Commit
tee hearing this year, OSPIRG
requested a $2 "membership”
fee from each student as its
mechanism for funding.
This membership fee is not
optional and you cannot get a
refund. If you are a student at
this school, you are a member of
OSPIRG — whether or not you
agree with the group’s
legislative agenda or its
methods.
OSPIRG, by the way. is not at
all affiliated with the University
as is the ASUO. It is an entirely
independent activist organiza
tion. It no longer even elects
members of its board of direc
tors on the ASUO ballot.
I-ast year on this campus, by a
170-vote margin, OSPIRG pass
ed a ballot measure doubling
the University’s contribution
from $45,000 to $90,000 a year
in mandatory student fees —
your membership fees. (Last
year, OSPIRG also ceased
receiving any money from OSU
Letters Policy
The Emerald will attempt to
print all letters containing fair
comment on topics of interest to
the University community.
letters to the editor must be
limited to 250 words, typed,
signed and the identification of
the writer must be verified when
the letter is turned in. The
Emerald reserves the right to edit
any letter for length or style. Ut
ters to the editor should be turn
ed into the Emerald office. Suite
300. EMU.
student fees.)
Allegedly, all of this money
“returns” to campus in the
form of services, but I would
like to see a break-down of how
OSPIRG spends our fees. Some
of it does go to purely campus
related activities such as the
consumer hotline, but how
much goes to fund the staff of
the state PIRG, or the formation
of non-campus related causes
such as a regional PIRG office in
Oregon?
And there remain nagging
constitutional questions about
using mandatory fees to support
definitive political positions in
the Legislature. Freedom of
speech is trampled when
students are forced to pay for
lobbying that competes with the
positions they speak out on.
Rob Young
Senior
Killer brew
A few words on education,
students, and alcohol: It’s ob
vious the three do not mix.
Peter Frangos, a University
freshman, lost his life because
of alcohol abuse. It was reported
that his BAG (Blood Alcohol
Content) was over .20. Beyond
.08 is considered legally
intoxicated.
If Frangos had been sober, he
probably would not have gone
out on the ledge in the attempt
to enter his room. If Frangos
was sober, his better judgment
would have taken over. But
Frangos was intoxicated. When
intoxicated, the ability to judge
things is one of many body
functions impaired because of
too much alcohol.
Students are here for an
education. Wake up and get the
facts on alcohol abuse. W'hat
happened to young Peter
Frangos can happen to you. Is
alcohol really necessary for a
good time? Think about it.
Alcohol abuse can and will cost
you your life.
Suzie Hunter
Eugene