"we must get the black athelete"

stealthycat · 03-31-2004, 10:14 AM

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1772368

Former Notre Dame great Paul Hornung may have landed in some hot water when discussing how the Irish can improve their football fortunes.

Hornung told Detroit's AM-1270 The Sports Station (an ESPN radio affiliate) on Tuesday that Notre Dame must ease up on its academic restrictions because "We gotta get the black athlete," he said. "We must get the black athlete if we're going to compete."

Hornung said that Notre Dame's schedule factors into his opinion.

"You can't play that type of schedule," Hornung said. "We're playing eight bowl teams next year ... and it's always year in and year out ... one of the toughest schedules.

"You can't play a schedule like that unless you have the black athlete today. You just can't do it, and it's very, very tough, still, to get into Notre Dame. They just don't understand it, yet they want to win."

Hornung also added that Notre Dame, which in January signed a new five-year agreement with NBC to televise its home football games, probably will lose the contract -- worth about $9 million annually -- if the school doesn't start winning more games.

Notre Dame's football team went 5-7 last season, its second under Tyrone Willingham, the first black head coach in any sport in school history. It was the third losing season in five years -- something that had never happened before in the storied history of the program.

The losing season contributed to low ratings on NBC -- just a 2.4 rating per game, tied with 2001 for the lowest in the school's 13 years on the network.

Hornung is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play for a losing team: His 1956 Notre Dame team went 2-8.

===================================

Thoughts ? Is he right or wrong ?

burniegoeasily · 03-31-2004, 10:29 AM

Wups, I think some one is going to be having a Jessie Jackson party soon.[:-][

]

Jorgy · 03-31-2004, 11:02 AM

I think that Paul talked to Reggie White at a Packer reunion or something.

We have to remember, this was Paul saying this, he has no affiliation with Notre Dame.

Also, last time that I saw a Notre Dame game they have there fair share of black athletes, I think what Paul was really trying to say is that he wants the dumber black football players

slugman · 03-31-2004, 11:05 AM

Quote:

he wants the dumber black football players

Dumber , but better at football

BenGarrett · 03-31-2004, 11:42 AM

Hornung will get toasted for his comments, but he speaks a lot of truth.

Fact: Black athletes are, on average, better than white athletes in most positions on the football field.

Fact: Black athletes, on average, have lower grades than white athletes.

Those two things draw the ire of the easily offended, but they are indesputable when you look at the numbers. And before anyone calls me a racist, I see a compliment to the black race and a knock against the black race in those statements I just typed. Evens out, doesn't it?

logs · 03-31-2004, 11:49 AM

I heard the replay of the interview.

They, the media and others are going to Kill the messenger and hang him out for display.

I love it when someone says what many are thinking but are either too smart or just smart enough not to say it

Who was it, Cosel or Jimmy the Greek who said something to the effect that Blacks are better basket ball players because through breeding they have great lower body strenght and can jump higher. End of career...but don't ever forget the a million dollar movie was titled, Whitemen Can't Jump

hntngirl · 03-31-2004, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Who was it, Cosel or Jimmy the Greek who said something to the effect that Blacks are better basket ball players because through breeding they have great lower body strenght and can jump higher.

I don't know if Howard Cosell ever said it, but I know Jimmy the Greek did.

Jorgy · 03-31-2004, 12:42 PM

Howard Cossel was the "look at that monkey run"

I don't really think he is off on the whole black athletes are better fb players than white guys (rb, wr, running qb anyway) but I don't think many people are thinking that Notre Dame should lower there standards and become another Miami or Florida State

BigBore1895 · 03-31-2004, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Fact: Black athletes are, on average, better than white athletes in most positions on the football field.

Any source to where this "fact" came from? I would like to see it.

BenGarrett · 03-31-2004, 01:24 PM

Can you show me anything to dispute it?

Come on, I don't have time to dig up the numbers . . . But I can if you insist. It's pretty plain, though. At most so-called "skill" positions, with the exception being quarterback, you take your average black athlete and your average white athlete and put them side-by-side and the black athlete is going to be better.

15 percent of the general population is black. 80 percent of the NFL is black. You reckon the NFL owners just enjoy paying black people more than white people, or do they have the best possible players in the positions?