"On April 21 Bryant Gumbel aired a monologue by Chris Rock on his HBO show Real Sports. The comedian's topic was the deteriorating relationship between baseball and African Americans. Rock played it for laughs, but it was clear he was serious about the subject. Describing himself as 'an endangered species — a black baseball fan,' Rock argued that the game of baseball has stubbornly alienated African Americans: 'Every team is building a bullshit, fake-antique stadium that's supposed to remind you of the good old days — you know, the good old days with Ruth, DiMaggio, Emmett Till.' Even as the world has sped up, he contends that the sport has slowed down, operating under an outdated unwritten code that discourages the kind of flamboyance exhibited in professional basketball and football, sports that are more popular among blacks. And blacks are staying away in droves, on the field and in the stands. ..."
VOICE
2015 April: Chris Rock explains how Major League Baseball got so old and white
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