OPINION:
Numbers don’t lie. Since she joined the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has made a night-and-day difference in attendance at Indiana Fever games. She is to basketball what Tiger Woods was to golf. The WNBA now has a model to follow to double game attendance, and it’s one of diversity sells, not social justice.
So I am confused when I hear African American players, sports pundits and commentators claim that racism, not Ms. Clark’s ability, accounts for her popularity (“Hard foul draws Angel Reese, Caitlin Ms. Clark into unfair ‘race war’ label, contends Robert Griffin III,” web, June 17).
These reactions show the entitlement mentality, in which racial preference, not effort, measures reward. Why? I could only imagine the demands and reactions if it were Ms. Clark and other White players claiming that the success of an African American player was due to his or her race, not hard work and talent.
I get it; racism has always been around, and it’s a human tendency to gravitate toward those who are similar to us. However, racism takes on many forms, including the dialogue of high-profile African Americans and the way in which the league selects players. It is not a coincidence that historically, after the NCAA women’s tournament, most top-ranked players drafted have been African Americans, and a lot of non-Black players have been overlooked.
What does this say about the irresponsibility of pundits, who are playing the race card to try to rationalize rejection by fans? If they would stop engaging in racism narratives, we could get beyond this silliness and instead ask sports editors why reporters are assigned to cover stories based on feelings, not facts.
The co-called racism isn’t Ms. Clark’s fault. It is the fault of the WNBA getting swept into the world of diversity, equity and inclusion, “woke” culture and the “experts” who should look in the mirror before calling us fans racist.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
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