HBO’s “Real Sports” broke out an all-star cast of comics for its 20-year anniversary, and that included a special commentary provided by comedian Chris Rock.
Rock, who is one of the best comedians around and one of my personal favorites, talked about the lack of blacks in baseball. He developed that idea into an even bolder statement, saying baseball is not for blacks.
Though Rock is black and a New York Mets fan, he explains how baseball does not appeal to black fans, has far fewer black players than it used to, and why it is losing with America’s youth.
Among his points:
– it’s too slow
– the old fashioned code is a problem
– it’s too expensive
These are some criticisms that many have been making about the sport, and baseball is working to address them. They’ve cut down the time of games, they’ve replaced organ music with contemporary jams, and the stadiums have been modernized to appeal to young people.
There isn’t much new presented by Rock in terms of the criticisms of baseball, yet I stuck around for all seven minutes just because he’s so darn good as an entertainer. I also realize that I am the typical baseball fan and therefore not in a great position to understand its lack of widespread appeal; I’m white, over 30, and I grew up playing, watching and loving the sport because it was my dad’s favorite. Baseball is thriving within baseball circles, but it does sadden me that there aren’t more black players and fans.
