I don't think we have even one African American top athlete in our country.

Heavenly said:

Where do you live, Iceland?

just tell him the truth: it's because most african-americans are half robot and have heat vision.

Naked, I appreciate your question, and I think a non-contentious answer is that to some extent the physiologies of the races are simply different. I'm absolutely no geneticist (and I'm happy to stand corrected here), but I'd venture to guess the bodies of people whose ancestors come from more tropical regions are more often given to speed, agility and heat endurance (think of rain forest and desert survival), while their counterparts descended from people of more torrential climates are more often built to withstand the extremes of low temperatures, physical discomfort and isolation, etc. (Think of cold weather survival.)

To take things with a bit of humor, you don't see many black folk in shorts and t-shirts after... say... September in most of the U.S., much less excelling in hockey, cross-country skiing or endurance swimming. Likewise, if white men can't jump, it's because they had to beat the shit out of a bear to eat rather than catching an antelope.

Also, I think cultural history has a LOT to do with current sports and physiology in the U.S. In a very real way, African Americans were bred for physical superiority for centuries, much the same way any beast of burden would be. The results, I think, linger. Also, African American physical achievement has been far more readily accepted and rewarded than intellectual, etc., in the U.S. until more recent times.

It's a good question... and you shouldn't feel the need to walk on eggshells. We could all learn -- and have fun -- from discussions like this.
[Edited 12/13/04 20:44pm]

Lammastide,

Thanks for such a good answer. I told Naked that I had to answer a question like this in college, and when I tried to answer it in a test, the professor gave me a low grade and said that I would have been fired if I had been a sports commentator. I referred to genetics in the sense of parents and such, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say, much less what you have said here.
I appreciate your speculation and interest, as well as your candidness about this question. Thanks for taking this seriously.

Black people have a higher bone density than others. This gives them an advantage in 'explosive' physical tasks - the muscles can work harder without stressing the skeleton too much. It is for the same reason, that none of the world's finest swimmers are black - the higher bone density is a disadvantage in water.

This is true - I asked my friend who's a doctor

just tell him the truth: it's because most african-americans are half robot and have heat vision.

Naked, I appreciate your question, and I think a non-contentious answer is that to some extent the physiologies of the races are simply different. I'm absolutely no geneticist (and I'm happy to stand corrected here), but I'd venture to guess the bodies of people whose ancestors come from more tropical regions are more often given to speed, agility and heat endurance (think of rain forest and desert survival), while their counterparts descended from people of more torrential climates are more often built to withstand the extremes of low temperatures, physical discomfort and isolation, etc. (Think of cold weather survival.)

To take things with a bit of humor, you don't see many black folk in shorts and t-shirts after... say... September in most of the U.S., much less excelling in hockey, cross-country skiing or endurance swimming. Likewise, if white men can't jump, it's because they had to beat the shit out of a bear to eat rather than catching an antelope.

Also, I think cultural history has a LOT to do with current sports and physiology in the U.S. In a very real way, African Americans were bred for physical superiority for centuries, much the same way any beast of burden would be. The results, I think, linger. Also, African American physical achievement has been far more readily accepted and rewarded than intellectual, etc., in the U.S. until more recent times.

It's a good question... and you shouldn't feel the need to walk on eggshells. We could all learn -- and have fun -- from discussions like this.
[Edited 12/13/04 20:44pm]

Lammastide said:

My... how I miss your intelligent responses (common sense) around here. ~Big hugs.

Sports to kids from wealthy families is simply something they do in their spare time. Kids from "poor" families view sports entirely different. It's their way to make a living, a way to make to actually become something in life without being required to have money to go to a good college and earn respect. A career in sports is stimulated by their family, whereas people who are better off will stimulate their kids to focus on school rather than sports.

If you have enough money to send your kids through college would you really want them to persue a career in sports where a simple injury can be the end of the career or would you rather have them focus on getting an education (first)that will last a lifetime?

Chances are much higher you'll make a decent living as someone with a degree than as an athlete.

Naked, I appreciate your question, and I think a non-contentious answer is that to some extent the physiologies of the races are simply different. I'm absolutely no geneticist (and I'm happy to stand corrected here), but I'd venture to guess the bodies of people whose ancestors come from more tropical regions are more often given to speed, agility and heat endurance (think of rain forest and desert survival), while their counterparts descended from people of more torrential climates are more often built to withstand the extremes of low temperatures, physical discomfort and isolation, etc. (Think of cold weather survival.)

To take things with a bit of humor, you don't see many black folk in shorts and t-shirts after... say... September in most of the U.S., much less excelling in hockey, cross-country skiing or endurance swimming. Likewise, if white men can't jump, it's because they had to beat the shit out of a bear to eat rather than catching an antelope.

Also, I think cultural history has a LOT to do with current sports and physiology in the U.S. In a very real way, African Americans were bred for physical superiority for centuries, much the same way any beast of burden would be. The results, I think, linger. Also, African American physical achievement has been far more readily accepted and rewarded than intellectual, etc., in the U.S. until more recent times.

It's a good question... and you shouldn't feel the need to walk on eggshells. We could all learn -- and have fun -- from discussions like this.
[Edited 12/13/04 20:44pm]

Freespirit said:

It's a bunch of BS though.

Why do you hardly ever see kids from wealthy families excel in sports? I know it's a bit extreme, but I think it proves my point.

we were talking, and he would like to know why a lot of the greatest athletes are african-american.... does anyone know an answer to this question ? thanks in advance...

we were talking, and he would like to know why a lot of the greatest athletes are african-american.... does anyone know an answer to this question ? thanks in advance...