Posted May 8, 200520 yr Unprecedented choice for MVP begs question DAN LE BATARD dlebatard@herald.com How much of this has to do with race? A lot? A little? Or ''zero,'' as Miami Heat president Pat Riley said before the little white guy beat the big black guy for MVP? I don't pretend to know these answers. There is no good way to do these measurements with science or math. And I, too, am tired of seeing racism thrown like a Molotov cocktail into discussions where racism doesn't exist. But don't you have to ask these questions when confronted with something unprecedented? Or do we just continue laughing and making noise at our playoff cocktail party while ignoring the pinkish elephant standing in the middle of the room in a Nash jersey? No one who looks or plays like Steve Nash has ever been basketball's MVP. Ever. In the history of the award, a tiny, one-dimensional point guard who plays no defense and averages fewer than 16 points a game never has won it. But Nash just stole Shaquille O'Neal's trophy, even though O'Neal had much better numbers than Nash in just about every individual statistical measurement except assists, so it begs the question: Is this as black and white as the boxscores that usually decide these things? Nobody is suggesting voters made their selection while wearing Klan hoods. Today's racism rarely is that overt. It tends to be hidden better than that, as it is with the NBA's proposed age restriction, a rule that would ostensibly affect all creeds and colors but really affects only one. Does that mean commissioner David Stern is racist? Of course not. But, in that age restriction, he is proposing something that basically affects only black people until the age of 20. And you can see why blacks might see the prejudice in that, just like Jews might object if there was suddenly a $2,000 tax placed on all flights to Israel. The rule might apply to everyone flying to Israel, but one group is more likely to see and feel the anti-Semitism in it more than others. Does it mean that a prejudice exists? Maybe. Maybe not. There are usually other valid explanations, too. But if only one group feels it, it might as well exist. And that's where this MVP discussion gets tricky: Voters might have simply chosen Nash because he was different and the underdog. And being white is part of what made him those things. DIFFERENT CHOICE The book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, explores how these measurements aren't made by a conscious part of our brain. Very few people would admit to themselves or others that, yes, as the puppets sing happily in the Broadway show Avenue Q, ''everyone's a little bit racist.'' We don't like what it says about us, or makes us feel. But Blink gives example after scientific example of, say, car dealers in Chicago giving a worse deal to black buyers even though A) white men and women were sent in to the same dealers dressed the same way and giving the same background information and, B) every car dealer in Chicago probably isn't racist. The car salesmen weren't doing this with a conscious part of their brain any more than the MVP voters might have been. But if you need a tiebreaker (and Shaq and Nash could have certainly been co-MVPs), ''different'' and ''underdog'' might work for you as a rationalization better than, ``I'll take the white guy.'' Who is to say that, given the same stats as Nash, 5-5 Earl Boykins, who is black, may not have gotten the MVP vote, too, because he is so tiny? Or that being white helped Nash no more than being Canadian? But, again, there is no precedent, none, for any of the black guys who have put up Nash's numbers during the years -- and there have been plenty -- winning the MVP. PLENTY TO ARGUE There are reasonable arguments to be made on Nash's behalf beyond race. His team jumped from 29 victories to a league-leading 62. Phoenix started 31-4 and, when Nash missed the next five games, it was not only 31-9 but lost. And, for all Miami's winning, this has been the worst statistical year of an O'Neal career that has won him only one MVP. The argument Stan Van Gundy makes on behalf of O'Neal -- that Dallas improved in Nash's absence and the Lakers collapsed without Shaq -- is a flawed one. We are arguing about value this season, about the value of Shaq and Nash to these teams. And Miami played respectably enough without Shaq while Phoenix, in a smaller sample size, crumbled without Nash. Nash's team won three more games than Shaq's and, if you must use last season, Nash's present franchise improved more from one season to the next than Shaq's did. I would have voted for Shaq, but I understand the argument of those who didn't. A vote for Nash is a vote for the little guy, the underdog, the point guard, the assist, unselfishness and Phoenix's breathtaking style of play. And, by coincidence or not, the white guy, too. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...ll/11594531.htm personally, i think nash won it on merit. le batard puts forth a really, really pitiful argument and, as usual, makes the obligatory factual error (shaq's worst year, statistically, was last year.), but i think he'll be successful in having his edgy ramblings make national news (which was basically his objective in the first place). this story has ESPN written all over it.
May 8, 200520 yr LeBatard is upset that his guy Ricky hasn't let him write any newsworthy articles in the last six months.
May 8, 200520 yr This article is stoopid, the MVP the last few years has been black. Le Batard really has no creditability.
May 8, 200520 yr Its so ridiculous that it isnt even worthy of a thread. Shaq is a victim of the affinity to dislike guys who continually dominate. Its just like when they gave Malone the MVP over Jordan not because he was better, but because they were oh so sick of that Jordan guy winning everything. Its called the Yankees syndrome. Nobody like a continual winner.
May 8, 200520 yr Yup, it's obviously racist :plain. Anything a white man gets that a black man doesn't is racist! The Suns were horrid last year and look at them now, the best record in the league. This article is such BS.
May 8, 200520 yr ya you know, black guys havent won the mvp since last year in the nba. and they had only won it every year since 1985. this has got to be his most pathetic article yet. you know what, its so pathetic that i'm firing off an email to him.
May 8, 200520 yr I think Nash deserved it. He dared to dream to be an NBA player from Canada, got really good at the game with hard work, and this season has shown what he can do. The Suns have shown to be a good team and they are still young.
May 8, 200520 yr Le Betard should be fired, burned, and buried for writing such a piece of garbage article. Yeah, I think that tells you what I think about if it's racism or not.
May 8, 200520 yr my email: Rarely do I ever see such disregard for truth and such off the wall ideas that I feel that I must write to a journalist about it. However, your article concerning Shaquille O'Neal and how he lost out on the MVP award due to Steve Nash due to race has crossed that line. While you could probably successfully make this argument in every other major sport, basketball, the sport where the 'black man' has achieved everything in this sport, where the 'black man' is involved in every level of this sport, this is just ludicrous. There is not one major high profile position in the NBA that a black man does not currently hold or has never held. You could make the ownership argument until this year when Robert Johnson entered the league with the Charlotte Bobcats. Yes I know, there is only one black owner, so there must be some major injustice. I guess if you look at the fact that the media votes on these awards and there are not that many black journalists I guess you have a point, but thats your fraternity. Let's ignore the fact that a 'black man' has won this award every year since 1985. Where's the injustice there? Now regarding the under 20 age limit, you might have a point if this was not being supported almost unilaterally by all parties involved, yes even these young black men's fellow black men! The under 20 proposed age limit may be a full of ageism but racism? Hardly. When blacks are supporting this rule also its difficult to claim racism in the pure sense of the word. This rule is one that is being supported because most young players have no clue about fundamentals. Also many older players see this as a way to get a couple more years and a couple more million out of their careers. Let's be intelligent here and not try to sell a few more papers or get a few more hits on ESPN.com. There is a thing called responsible journalism. This is not a responsible column. I don't expect a response, although I would love to hear your thoughts. Sincerely, Das
May 8, 200520 yr Le Bastard is an idiot, the second I saw the article was written by him I did not even bother to read on.
May 8, 200520 yr and the killer reply of this great author: do you know how to read? i didn't say he lost because of race. i asked whether race was an issue. i raised a question.
May 8, 200520 yr and the killer reply of this great author: do you know how to read? i didn't say he lost because of race. i asked whether race was an issue. i raised a question. 767073[/snapback] He's a f***ing idiot, I got into a bunch of arguments with him through e-mail after we won the 03 WS and he was pumping out articles everyday trying to put a negative spin on the Fish winning it all. Arguing with him is futile, it's like arguing with a child, don't even waste your time. You'll type up some big e-mail filled with great points, and he'll reply with some cheap one-liner insulting you... hey, he'd fit right in on the MB.com boards :lol .
May 9, 200520 yr and the killer reply of this great author: do you know how to read? i didn't say he lost because of race. i asked whether race was an issue. i raised a question. 767073[/snapback] He's a f***ing idiot, I got into a bunch of arguments with him through e-mail after we won the 03 WS and he was pumping out articles everyday trying to put a negative spin on the Fish winning it all. Arguing with him is futile, it's like arguing with a child, don't even waste your time. You'll type up some big e-mail filled with great points, and he'll reply with some cheap one-liner insulting you... hey, he'd fit right in on the MB.com boards :lol . 767082[/snapback] ya i replied back to him with some cheap insults, primarily calling him an irresponsible journalist.
May 9, 200520 yr Let me add to this discussion that LeBatard got the idea of writing this editorial after Trick Daddy was on his show last week and said, "If Nash wins this award over Shaq it's just blame racist". Nice to see LeBatard is buying Trick Daddy's stupid statement and trying to make a huge fuss. Shows what credibilty he has. :plain
May 9, 200520 yr This article is stoopid, the MVP the last few years has been black. Le Batard really has no creditability. 766479[/snapback] Last few years? The last white guy to win MVP was 1986 (Admin Bird)...although Jason Kidd (half white) should have won it three years ago
May 9, 200520 yr this article made it's way to the suns board ... they are all getting generic 1 line responses from the retard ... basically "thanks for the comments and for reading" das should be honored he took an extra minute with yours
May 9, 200520 yr i don't think that race has anything to do with it but how can a player of Shaq's caliber only have 1 MVP award. he is the most dominate player in the game. he he wants to score he scores and i really beleive that he has been robbed for years. now what he has to do it tear it up the rest of the play-offs and win the whole damn thing.
May 9, 200520 yr this article made it's way to the suns board ... they are all getting generic 1 line responses from the retard ... basically "thanks for the comments and for reading" das should be honored he took an extra minute with yours 767526[/snapback] thats what happens when you question a man's professional integrity. ps is the herald too cheap to provide their employees with real email?
May 9, 200520 yr i don't think that race has anything to do with it but how can a player of Shaq's caliber only have 1 MVP award. he is the most dominate player in the game. he he wants to score he scores and i really beleive that he has been robbed for years. now what he has to do it tear it up the rest of the play-offs and win the whole damn thing. 767555[/snapback] well thats largely factored into two reasons 1) health 2) desire shaq has often shown one or both of these as lacking in the regular season the past many years.
May 9, 200520 yr They talked about it on The Hot List on ESPNews today and basically agreed with your sentiments Das.
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