FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Jackie Robinson, Bill Russell and Jack Johnson- just to name a few. While you are at it, you can add Jim Brown, Warren Moon, Althea Gibson and Jim Thorpe. Who are these exceptional individuals? They are a distinguished group who have encountered and conquered racism in American athletics. Come to think of it, you can also add Charles Scott, Fritz Pollard, Willie O'Ree and Tyler Hansbrough. Tyler Hansbrough?!?!

While, at first, most may scoff at the idea of sequencing Tyler Hansbrough in a list with such American icons, allow me a minute to present my case. Lend me your ear, that I may define what I see and detail what I have read.

 It was not that long ago that non-Caucasian Americans of all stripe were socially dealing with racist norms in just about every aspect of athletics. While the plight was generally summarized by the African American experience, there were instances of Native Americans and Jews, among others, who suffered stereotypical prejudices. These occurrences transpired over decades in every arena of sport throughout the 20th century.

Despite these instances, the long planted seeds for a socially concious America grew aware of itself in the 20th century and change was on the horizon. The century opened with Jack Johnson, African American heavyweight champion of the boxing world dominating his sport along with the newspaper headlines. The archaic establishment at the time could not bear a brash, outspoken black man who cavorted about town with white women on his elbows. The cross was too much to bear and the champ was 'dethroned' both athletically and legally, leaving a public residue that would echo for quite some time to come. 

World War 2 redefined not only America, but the world's stance on numerous human issues. Granted, human beings are imperfect and things did not move as expeditiously as expected but there were moments of clarity. In the 1940's, trailblazers such as Jackie Robinson and Althea Gibson refused to accept the norm and carried the torch of such upstanding athletes as Fritz Pollard. In this second half of the century, the playing field was leveled as the major sports all saw successful integration, with African Americans leading the way. The uphill battle ensued and coupled with the Civil Rights movements, America was on its way.

In certain sports, though, stereotypes were alive and prevalent not in the external but the internal sense. Instead of denying blacks entry to play, management could scrutinize them and their ability to play the glamour positions such as quarterback. Warren Moon can tell you a thing or two about that. Or, you can blame the delay of progress on the region as in the case which culminated with Charles Scott playing for the University of North Carolina. Whichever way, racism adjusted its modus operandi from an outward to an inward, more hidden form.

In certain sports, such as basketball, the prejudicial labels grew to encompassing all athletes in such generalized terms. Irrespective of a man's talent, ideologies grew into basketball cultural norms. The white guy will be the shooter with the high basketball IQ. The black guy, the athletic beast, will more often that not dunk his way out of a jam. Unfortunately, for both amateur and professional basketball, after decades of debunking stereotypes in America, these still prevail. Enter Tyler Hansbrough.  

Tyler Hansbrough has a basketball resume befitting a Greek god of sport. Let's see- 2008 AP National Player of the Year, 2007-2009 First Team All American, 2006-2009 First Team All ACC, 2006 Second Team All American and 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year...just to name a few. In 2008, he completed the sweep of the 10 National Player of the Year awards, of which he needed only six to have his number retired. in 2009, he finished tied for second for the AP National Player of the Year. You can also add a 2009 National Title and an additional 2008 Final Four appearance to boot. The list just keeps on going. Honestly, that resume is enough for three players!

Bringing that much to the table and being 6' 10", one would think Tyler is a lock to break the top five. Guessed wrong. Bringing that much to the table and being 6' 10", one would think Tyler is a lock to break the top ten. Guessed wrong. Top fifteen? Wrong again. Top twenty? Don't bet you house on it! Try in the twenties. Yes sir, that's the draft status of Tyler Hansbrough. Huh?

 Tyler Hansbrough is the victim of racism. I don't want to call it reverse racism because that implies that whites are the only ones capable of racism. Racism is racism. Prejudice is prejudice. Tyler suffers from a social norm that I like to call, "The Larry Bird Complex". The LBC states that any player who is white and fails to be the next Larry Bird is instantly cast away as a bust. What amplifies the magnitude of the failure is society's promotion of the highly drafted white player as the next big thing. Danny Ferry, sadly, has become the poster boy for this disturbing trend. 

Danny Ferry was touted as the next Larry Bird coming out of Duke in 1989. Hailed as a multiple threat and with Larry Bird in decline, the Los Angeles Clippers drafted him second overall that year. What followed was a steady decline. Ferry did not want to play for LA and went overseas to Italy. Eventually, Cleveland traded the house for him and signed him to a 10 year contract that never saw him reach full potential. Following Ferry was such names as Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Eric Montross, Cherokee Parks, Adam Morrison and so forth. All white players, with potential, from 'smart' schools who never became superstars. What followed is a culture of negativity towards the white player which Hansbrough is encountering right now.

Hansbrough is white, from a good school and had awe inspiring numbers and play in college. His list of achievements might never be equalled, unless, you're say...Tim Tebow (that's another story...another time)! Hansbrough is facing two kinds of prejudice. One, where his skin color evokes memories of past failures. The second is his history of overwhelming college success that draft gurus seem to think will never transfer over.

Clearly, Tyler's skin color has put him on Larry Bird Complex watch. Any white player who receives any magnitude of publicity for his basketball play will inevitably be compared to Larry. The ironic thing is that Tyler is more of a bruiser while Larry was a finesse player. Compared to the 'list', Tyler may very well be the toughest customer with some pretty good athletic ability!

In any event, it is tragic. What more can a single player do to enhance his public persona? In the 1930's to the 1950's minority athletes were battling an image that stated success would turn them to Jack Johnson prototypes. Even though that nonsense has long been put to rest, there are still hints of it in current society. These hints are present in the quiet inquisition of Tyler Hansbrough. The labels that were once heaved upon African Americans, amon others, are now heaved upon Tyler. He will be judged against a recent history of failure that he is unfairly attached to. Will he be the next Bird or another Danny Ferry type? I've actually heard that one in a bar! What's messed up is that it was a white guy who asked it!!  

Tyler Hansbrough versus American racism.