Does race matter in Tennis?

BreakPoint said:
Let's just put it this way. If all the black athletes chose to play tennis instead of the sport they chose to play (e.g., football, baseball, basketball, track, boxing, etc.), they would be dominating both the ATP and the WTA.
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In principle, I'd have to agree on this. It's not that _each_ black player would reach the top, but a reasonable enough number would. Enough to sweep the top positions as happens in Olympic short and middle distance races.

Like any other group, there will be those with more or less intelligence, and other mental skills. African americans are doing well in other fields too where given the opportunity.

However, there is still one other issue. To my knowledge, the africans in america (and Britain and France) come from the West African coast. This section is known more for speed than endurance. So hitting the fastest forehand once, and hitting it for 5 sets are 2 different issues.

I am NOT clear on how much endurance is required to last 3 or 5 setters almost every day for a week or 2 but I suspect a decent amount is required.

I have no idea what kind of endurance Blake, Monfils, Young, Tsonga have. If they have enough, then I'd agree totally with BP.
 
I thought this was going to be another race points vs entry points thread.

No of course race doesn't matter in tennis, that is obvious.
This thread subtly pushes to the forefront the notion that some races are better than others. And knowing TTW as we do, let's be frank, intimately; this is tantamount to inciting racist posting. I think the thread should be deleted.
 
James Blake is BLACK?!

BreakPoint Said "Look at how fast James Blake is and how hard he hits the ball and he's only HALF black."

Maaaan get the f**k outta here James Black is black. The next thing you know, you'll be tellin' me that Tiger Woods is black too! Silly people.
 
It's not just race, I think it's more of money though. All of these pros were able to start tennis very young and keep funding their skills with private lessons and such. Plus, Andy Roddick is white and Gonzalez isn't black. Maybe race does affect someone's tennis, but probably just a little. In my opinion, the effect of someone's race is 1% of someone's tennis compared to their technique /we.
 
stormholloway said:
It's been well documented that blacks have
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BreakPoint said:
Most blacks choose to play
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Whilst I realise SH said it as part of a joke, both SH & BP have used the term "blacks" above.

I'm just trying to understand where things are in the US - here in Australia such a term would be looked on as racist, or at least hideously old school and undesirable - even in the context of a joke.

Is saying "blacks" acceptable in the US now?
 
no it's completely ignorant to say "blacks". most overly sensitive people say "african american" and while it's the politcally correct term, it sounds almost as bad as "blacks" to me because it sounds like they are overcompensating. personally i think "black people", "white people", "asian people" are pretty neutral terms.

the main difference in physical abilities is due to cultural upbringing that may be due to race and a particular race's history. what kind of BS thread is this anyway?
 
Rhino said:
I thought this was going to be another race points vs entry points thread.

No of course race doesn't matter in tennis, that is obvious.
This thread subtly pushes to the forefront the notion that some races are better than others. And knowing TTW as we do, let's be frank, intimately; this is tantamount to inciting racist posting. I think the thread should be deleted.
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Well we all know in a couple of years Japan gonna be kicking our asses.
 
you cant really compare the dominance of tennis to other sports because talent is the major factor in sports such as basketball, football etc. in tennis in order to be a top player you have to at least have some money in order to start training at a young age and become very good. also athleticism doesn't get u to the top in tennis, but mentality and technique is very important. in other words race doesn't matter, but the opportunities one gets at a young age usually determine what will happen in the future.
 
Rickson said:
That's right, jackass. We just not intelligent enough to beats all you white folks in your country club game. We just a bunch o stupid, ignant folks dat listens to rap music all day and becomes gangstas. Oh how I wishes I could be good at this game, but my po black ass can't afford nice rackets and all dat udda expensive stuff.
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Sucks for you.
 
adamvann said:
Maaaan get the f**k outta here James Black is black. The next thing you know, you'll be tellin' me that Tiger Woods is black too! Silly people.
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. . . and i suppose YOU know more than messrs blake and woods about their ethnic origins, right? now look who's being silly.

this thread is a trip. some have had a laugh, others have gotten offended . . .
 
notice my sig im black and i can run for days on the tennis court my friends say that i am just "athletically gifted" because im black its all good though
 
OrangeOne said:
Whilst I realise SH said it as part of a joke, both SH & BP have used the term "blacks" above.

I'm just trying to understand where things are in the US - here in Australia such a term would be looked on as racist, or at least hideously old school and undesirable - even in the context of a joke.

Is saying "blacks" acceptable in the US now?
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Blacks is the term most frequently used, by both whites and blacks. I personally think it's stupid. Blacks aren't black. They're brown. If we're going to call groups of people by a color, it might as well be the right one.
 
stormholloway said:
Blacks is the term most frequently used, by both whites and blacks. I personally think it's stupid. Blacks aren't black. They're brown. If we're going to call groups of people by a color, it might as well be the right one.
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get real the term "blacks" is offensive as the word "JAPS" or is. leave the obsolete terms back in the 1960's please

Well this is a tennis forum mainly made up of white collar middle income bigots so i am not surprised by the comments really.
 
skip1969...I was not serious, besides I think it's been pretty well established whom James and Tiger's parents are and their respective backgrounds. So you can miss me with all that my man. FYI, my mother is white and my father is black. Now you can go and tell people so, because Messr Vann has explained his "ethinc origins" to you. Hehehehe...Relax foo!
 
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stormholloway said:
It's been well documented that blacks have an extra muscle in the calf area of the leg. This leads to more explosive quickness.
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Is this really true? Any links to this? I've always heard of this (except "it" was always an extra muscle in the hamstrings, not the calf area), but haven't ever seen anything definitive...I've always figured that a lot of blacks simply had a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers vs. slow-twitch ones compared to whites/asians.
 
stormholloway said:
Blacks is the term most frequently used, by both whites and blacks. I personally think it's stupid. Blacks aren't black. They're brown. If we're going to call groups of people by a color, it might as well be the right one.
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So do you also have a problem with calling caucasian people white?
 
Only now, after I've already posted my other question, do I realize that Storm was only kidding...
Anyway, I have gotten a kick out of people getting offended by this thread...some people will find a way to get offended about anything!!
 
10sfreak said:
Is this really true? Any links to this? I've always heard of this (except "it" was always an extra muscle in the hamstrings, not the calf area), but haven't ever seen anything definitive...I've always figured that a lot of blacks simply had a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers vs. slow-twitch ones compared to whites/asians.
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*woosh*

That's the sound of the joke flying right past your head. =)
 
re: Their is a new species called **** Federeralis Dominatoris

Our labs have isolated what gene sequence that makes Federer a mutation that allows him to play tennis beyond human capabilities. This genetic mutation will not allow him to mate with any humans, hence a new species, so he will not be able to procreate unless we can find a female version of him. We hope that advances in gene therapy will allow us to create a female version and a new species will co-exist in Swiss neutrality with us **** Sapiens. As a back-up plan, at the request of the Swiss Tennis Federation, we have cloned one thousand Federer
 
adlis said:
get real the term "blacks" is offensive as the word "JAPS" or is. leave the obsolete terms back in the 1960's please

Well this is a tennis forum mainly made up of white collar middle income bigots so i am not surprised by the comments really.
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Black people in America overwhelmingly use the term blacks and don't take offense to whites or any other race using the term. I don't see blacks boycotting Black Entertainment Television to any significant effort.

You're a whining baby. Is African American the term you would prefer? I assume you find the term "whites" equally offensive. Is this correct?
 
Steve Dykstra said:
So do you also have a problem with calling caucasian people white?
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I never claimed to have any problem with the term blacks in the first place. I think it's stupid, however, as black people have brown skin. Whites rarely have white skin, but I'm sure there are more whites with white skin than blacks with black skin, making the term "blacks" that much more stupid.

As for having a problem with it, I really don't care. People need to get over this crap. It's only an issue because people are so insecure about race.
 
stormholloway said:
Black people in America overwhelmingly use the term blacks and don't take offense to whites or any other race using the term. I don't see blacks boycotting Black Entertainment Television to any significant effort.
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Many do take offense if the term is used in the workplace or in an official capacity. BET and your other examples are meaningless. Just because a woman likes to go for "girls' night out" doesn't mean she likes to be called that by her boss. Your statement does not take context into account. You should know by now that names can be used within a group which should not be used by people outside the group, and terms can be used in entertainment and popular talk which offend when used in the workplace. Next you will be saying Chris Rock uses the n word and so it is OK. Learn to understand the situations, and when in doubt, don't assume people share your false camaraderie about calling them whatever you want. Also, don't bait them by using some term, and then jumping and down if they don't like it, saying "real men" wouldn't mind. In other words, treat others like you want to be treated.
 
my previous comment was deleted? Looks like the TW Gestapo are in full force.

the word "blacks" is offensive.
 
sureshs said:
Many do take offense if the term is used in the workplace or in an official capacity. BET and your other examples are meaningless. Just because a woman likes to go for "girls' night out" doesn't mean she likes to be called that by her boss.
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BET is a meaningless example? Care to explain? Girls is a different animal altogether. Girl denotes immaturity. When women have a "girls' night out" it's meant to imply that they're going to go have immature fun. Black is a color. It doesn't denote immaturity. It's neutral, though it is a misnomer in terms of color of skin. A boss calling a woman a girl in the workplace implies that he views her, in that context, as immature. It's completely different, but thanks for playing.

Your statement does not take context into account. You should know by now that names can be used within a group which should not be used by people outside the group, and terms can be used in entertainment and popular talk which offend when used in the workplace.
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If you go around calling yourself black in public, then you lose the right to be justifiably offended if someone else calls you black, regardless of race.

Black man: "Yeah man. I'm black and I'm proud."
White man: "Yeah man. You're black."
Black man: "Hey! I'm offended!"

Absurd.

Next you will be saying Chris Rock uses the n word and so it is OK. Learn to understand the situations, and when in doubt, don't assume people share your false camaraderie about calling them whatever you want. Also, don't bait them by using some term, and then jumping and down if they don't like it, saying "real men" wouldn't mind. In other words, treat others like you want to be treated.
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Last time I checked Chris Rock had a whole routine on the difference between "black people" and "******s". Perhaps you should go take a look.

I take no offense in someone calling me white. I think skin color is irrelevant, so I certainly don't find it to be a thoughtful word, but I'm not offended.
 
adlis said:
the word "blacks" is offensive.
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Not to the majority of black people it isn't, and if you expect people to read your mind as to what you find offensive then you're crazy.

I bet there are people who find African American offensive, as they're only African by blood and really 100% American.

If you want to be called something else besides black, then talk to black people themselves and start a campaign to come up with a new phrase, otherwise stop your whining. People hear blacks use the word "black" and so they use that term. What did you expect exactly?

And what exactly would you like people to call people of African descent? Maybe you should just let everyone know so you don't get your precious feelings hurt.
 
Race do have an effect on the way a guy would develop it's game. If i were black i'd develop a physical game such as the Williams sis, just because i'd be smart enough to use the advantages the mother Nature gave me. Now, if i solely base my game on hard hits and moving fast, i won't be competitive enough because i won't be able to predict my opponent's movements and hits, lose concentration because a bird was singing, or getting nuts because my fav dampener got lost. The mind is one of the main weapons with the body and (in a lesser extent) the gear.

And stop ruining a perfectly valid thread just because you get pissed off by social "sensitiveness" topics like race.
 
adlis said:
get real the term "blacks" is offensive as the word "JAPS" or is. leave the obsolete terms back in the 1960's please

Well this is a tennis forum mainly made up of white collar middle income bigots so i am not surprised by the comments really.
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Huh? The black people on this forum call themselves "blacks". What do you call a black person from Haiti? "African-American"? How about a black person in Ethiopia? "African-American"? Puleeeze....

If it's not offensive to call people "white", then why is it offensive to call people "black"? It's just another color in the spectrum. BTW, "white people" are not white, they are beige or tan, so shouldn't they be offended for being called "white"? And, no "black people" are not black, either.

By thinking the term "black" is offensive perpetuates the sterotype that somehow being black is not as desirable as being white.

Just listen to black people talk. They call themselves and other black people "black" all the time. So the term "black" is still very much used in the U.S. by both the black and the white and other communities. What is now rarely used are terms like "colored", "negros", etc.
 
dennis10is said:
Our labs have isolated what gene sequence that makes Federer a mutation that allows him to play tennis beyond human capabilities. This genetic mutation will not allow him to mate with any humans, hence a new species, so he will not be able to procreate unless we can find a female version of him. We hope that advances in gene therapy will allow us to create a female version and a new species will co-exist in Swiss neutrality with us **** Sapiens. As a back-up plan, at the request of the Swiss Tennis Federation, we have cloned one thousand Federer
Click to expand...
If blacks are not "blacks" but "African-Americans", then Federer is also not "white", he's "African-Swiss" since his mother is from South Africa, making Federer half African.
 
Thank you Break Point, I had no idea his mother was Thai. Where have I been?! Man, do I feel like a comlplete ***hole. Hehehehe...Tiger and James are about as black as Bryant Gumble.
 
Hahaha you so love to disagree don't you BP...
But i agree with you... athleticism comes first, mental comes second, (race third hehehe)...

Anyone who may not be able to add up their ATP points, can learn when to go for that down-the-line... physical ability, repetitive practice, experience and instincts much more than intelligence...

On the topic, IMO 'race' is overrated... Anyone who gets offended when called white/black/yellow has insecurity issues... It really doesn't matter... You did not get to choose your race when you were born, and you can't change your color...

But you can do a lot more 'nicer' things, rather than just "judging by color"...;)

Peace
 
adlis said:
get real the term "blacks" is offensive as the word "JAPS" or is. leave the obsolete terms back in the 1960's please
Click to expand...

Only in the US. It's funny...I've seen people go so overboard trying to be politically correct that they'll call a black British person "African-American".
 
daerous but very interesting

To my eyes, very generally speaking, the natural gifts more common in African based races,( speed, jumping, endurance), play less off a factor in tennis as opposed to the, very generally speaking, white athletic traits( hand eye, touch etc). I think it is one of the few sports that the black athelete doesn't have a genetic advantage.
 
angharad said:
Only in the US. It's funny...I've seen people go so overboard trying to be politically correct that they'll call a black British person "African-American".
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Funny. Someone just told me a story about someone who did that in Britain, exactly like you described.
 
Hipkat said:
To my eyes, very generally speaking, the natural gifts more common in African based races,( speed, jumping, endurance), play less off a factor in tennis as opposed to the, very generally speaking, white athletic traits( hand eye, touch etc). I think it is one of the few sports that the black athelete doesn't have a genetic advantage.
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Are hand eye coordination and touch really white traits? Or are you simply giving them those traits because they don't get to have the other ones?

I definitely don't think it's out of bounds to say there are physical genetic tendencies among groups, but what exactly is the point of it all?
 
BreakPoint said:
Tiger Woods is Asian. Thai to be exact. ;)

(Like Blake, he's only half black)
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Tiger Woods considers himself black, as does Blake and another star athlete of mixed parentage, Derick Jeter. If THEY consider themselves black, for whatever reasons, then that's what they are.
 
stormholloway said:
Are hand eye coordination and touch really white traits? Or are you simply giving them those traits because they don't get to have the other ones?
Click to expand...
Well, maybe since Asians are so good at really fast eye-hand coordination sports like table tennis and badminton, that they are the ones with the superior eye hand coordination and touch traits?
 
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