I have a few friends who swear they aren’t racist but always root for the white kids to succeed in college basketball because, in their words, “when was the last time a white kid was a dominant player?”

I’m not really sure that even matters, but I guess we’re discussing the topic, so here we go.

Skin color is absolutely irrelevant any way you slice it up, but a lot of the time, it’s all that people talk about. The parts I don’t like are that it’s often ok for every ethnicity other than white to discuss race. First and foremost, I’m a half-breed like Mr. Griffin. My father was whiter than white, and my mother is as stereotypically Hispanic as they come. So, hey, I’m half Mexican. I look white though, so my Mexican friends say, “well, you’re not really Mexican…” as if I don’t quite have the necessary references or experience. I do like Taco Bell, though, so perhaps they’ll let me at least get my decoder ring.

Skip Bayless is an asshat, but had a black analyst said he were rooting for a guy to succeed because he was one of the only black guys in his sport, no one would have blinked. If, however, someone says “Go whitey!” then the community is gathering pitchforks and torches. America is a melting pot where there exists a myriad of different ethnicities, but we’ve become a country where even the mention of race is, in itself, racist. Color me confused. (see what I did there? ba-zing!)

I don’t really know the point of this comment is, but basically here’s a summary:

1. Skip Bayless is an idiot, and everything he says should have an asterisk next to it. He a living example of the fact that cream does not rise to the top, shit does.

2. I hate discussing race because I honestly don’t care about it. I live in a very diverse city (Seattle) and it seems like every day the news is talking about how some group feels they are being racially discriminated against. I’m not saying they’re not, but God dammit, I don’t care anymore. I’m completely numb to the entire argument.

3. Blake Griffin may or may not be black, but what he is is amazing. Go Clippers?

Alright, first off, there is now a Google ad for “Black Big Ghetto Azz” on SC. Thanks, Hilson.

Now to the very eloquently-written post.

When I wrote what I wrote in the aforementioned WIR (Maybe it can be included in the sure-to-come SC Book), I was almost certain Hilson would ask me to take it down. So why did I write it anyways? Because to me, it was more hypothetical than literal.

Do I really dislike pro basketball because there aren’t enough white guys in it? Na, I mainly don’t like pro basketball because its regular season is boring as hell and I can count its interesting teams on three fingers.

But would there be anything wrong with me not liking the NBA because there aren’t enough white guys? I argue that that answer is no.

My problem with rational race discussions is not that I am uncomfortable with them. I’m extremely comfortable with discussing race personally. I just refrain from it because of the discomfort it brings to too many others. And I’ve never bought the argument that I can’t join the conversation because I’m a middle-class white kid. I’m 5-foot-6 and drink too much beer, but that doesn’t stop me from talking about athletes.

I think the problem I have with race discussions is that they’re either one-sided or completely ignorant. They either come from a black guy (the one-sided part, just to clarify), or they come from a white guy who has lived his entire life in de facto segregation in some mega city and is too clueless, naive and light-spoken to make a real statement.

So my statement was meant as a contrast to those who make the opposite argument about baseball or golf or NASCAR or hockey. I have no problem with people making any of these statements, but I do have a problem when making the same argument in an opposite direction becomes taboo.

When Peyton Hillis was bound to go over 1,000-yards this season, there was discussion over whether or not it was appropriate to point out his feat in relation to him being a white running back.

That’s pathetic. How many white kids may have used Hillis to get past the snickering they heard when they told the coach they wanted to try out for running back? The same goes for those same kids trying out for the school basketball team.

It’s a real issue even though it gets buried. Until we all stop being pansies and start discussing race both ways, everyone is going to continue their stagnant bitching forever.

Where the hip hop culture has molded some minds for change, it has also forced some to limit themselves.

After reading this post I was going to express the same feelings as Kyle and Bryan just with less depth or articulacy.

On another note, I thought journalism kids spend 4 years earning a degree to write at a 6th grade level. The three of you must earn horrific marks in class. In all seriousness, I applaud all three of you for writing and commenting with substance and intelligence. Continue in this field because each of you have writing prowess.

Funny you bring this up.

When Blake Griffin first made his comeback this year, I Tweeted something along the lines of… “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Griffin play, I almost forgot he was white.”

I won’t necessarily say it caused an outrage on the site (It’s not like that many people follow me, and rightfully so), but there were some comments made.

I do think we’re slowly advancing in our country’s state of race relations where we can finally talk about these things without everyone getting all uptight (Thank you, Dave Chappelle).

But what do I know? I’m just an idealist with a sports website.

I was watching “Without Bias”, the 30 for 30 on Len Bias the other day, and Jim Brown said it was tragic not only because he was so young and a good kid, but because he was such a role model to all the young black kids.

I love Jim Brown. In my opinion (and no one has ever agreed with me) I think he’s the best football player of all time, regardless of position. Now, I know he’s a huge pillar in the African-American community and is a great mentor.

Having said all of that, can’t Bias just be a good role model period? Why does he have to be a role model for “the young, black kids”?

If I came out and said Kevin Love needs more media attention because he’s such a great role model for young, white kids, the internet itself might shut down with hate mail.

Either we’ve moved past race and want to look at everyone as equal, or we’re still celebrating our differences by having “pride” in the color of our skin (if you’re something other than white, by the way).

I’m no white apologist or anything, but I just don’t get it.

Tiger Woods.

You telling me that all those black folks watched all those matches and idolized him because he WASN’T black?

You telling me Hank Aaron bemoaning the lack of African American players in MLB and wanting the league to put money into inner cities is because he ISN’T black?

Obama got 85% of the black vote because he ISN’T black?

FWIW I’m latino not white. But I wonder when the last time you wrote an indignant post about blacks pushing for black athletes/celebrities/politicians or Jews pushing for Jews. You’d have a fulltime blog on your hands every day. Please open your myopic, judgmental mind on race.