Every-Thing Sports

Can we finally put to bed some stereotypes in sports?

Can we finally put to bed some stereotypes in sports?

You're here on this site reading this because you're a sports fan. You have more than likely have invested countless hours watching and cheering for your favorite, or against your least favorite, teams. Whether it be the high school you went to (or your kids' school), your college or pro team of choice (or a birthright), you've dedicated a certain portion of your life to sports and your teams. You've also, by sheer exposure, have developed certain opinions. For example: I've talked to some fans in Houston who will support the Texans no matter what because they remember the years without pro football.

There are also other opinions that you've undoubtedly formed as a sports fan. Some of them are based off observation, some are based off history, while others are based on certain biases. We call the ones based off biases stereotypes. You know what stereotypes are because you have done it to others or have experienced them yourself. I know a lot of you have been profiled by employers, the police, landlords, bankers, etc. But have you ever thought about some of the stereotypes in sports? Or better yet, have you ever thought about how many of them are outdated and irrelevant? Here's a few that I've been thinking about:

"Athletic" quarterbacks can't make it in the NFL

First things first: "athletic" quarterbacks is most often code for black quarterbacks (minus a few exceptions, this is pretty true). The leading MVP candidates this year are Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson. Deshaun Watson was in the race until his showing against the Ravens a couple weeks ago. They all fit the mold of athletic quarterbacks. More and more the NFL is catering to these guys instead of trying to get them to fit a mold. Coaches like Kliff Kingsbury are getting a shot because of their knowledge of the types of wide open offenses being run at the college level that play to the strengths of spread style athletic quarterbacks. Sooner or later, these guys will take over the league.

White guys aren't good athletes

Sneaky fast/quick. Good hands and good route runner. More cerebral and that helps his lack of athleticism. This is mainly a football thing. However, Christian Mc Caffrey is blowing this out the water. He's one of the leading yards from scrimmage guys in the NFL this year. Pro golfer Dustin Johnson is considered the best athlete on the PGA tour. He once did a photoshoot where he showcased his ability to dunk a basketball. Mike Trout and Christian Yelich are two of the best baseball players on the planet. This narrative has to go.

Kids need to pick a sport and stick with it

Growing up, most kids play different sports. They may excel at all or none of them. The ones who excel at one or more are now being forced to pick one and stick to only that sport. Why? Would we have seen Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders if it were for a foolish idea like this? The idea that kids can't play multiple sports is dumb. The year-long playing and practicing of some sports gets in the way, but so does limiting kids. Narrowing their focus makes them narrow their thoughts, and we all see how far that's gotten this country.

Over my nearly four decades on this planet, I've watched a ton of sports. Ever since I could talk, my family would say sports was the thing I showed the most interest in. My aunt Charlene will tell everybody about me only knowing George Rogers for the Saints and yelling "Go Big George!" every time anyone in a Saints uniform did anything. I vividly remember the Lakers vs Celtics NBA Finals matchups of the 80s. I moved to Atlanta the summer the Braves were going from worst to first and suffered through only winning one World Series in the 90s. USMNT's run in '94 and USWNT's win in '99 got me into soccer. I was old enough to know Steffi Graf winning the Grand Slam in '88 was a huge deal. I also remember when Tiger Woods burst on the scene and vaguely remember Jack Nicholas' miracle win at The Masters in '86. Seeing the aforementioned Jackson and Sanders play pro football and baseball at the highest levels were among my favorite memories. None of this would be believable had any of these teams/athletes limited themselves to the narrow-minded thoughts of stereotypes. What are some of the stereotypes you've seen? Sound off on Twitter and let me know. Let's discuss this further. I'm sure there are some you guys can think of that I've left off here.

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Carlos Correa is back!. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros kick off a pivotal weekend series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Fenway Park — and they'll do so with a familiar face back in the lineup. Carlos Correa, reacquired in a stunning trade deadline move on Thursday, is set to make his return to the Astros and will hit cleanup in his first game back with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012.

Correa rejoins a Houston club that sits atop the AL West at 62-47 and is coming off a resounding 9-1 win over Washington on Wednesday, fueled by Jose Altuve’s four-hit performance. The Astros are 27-23 on the road and enter Friday with the fourth-best on-base percentage in the American League (.321).

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have won six of their last 10 games and hold a 34-21 record at home. Boston enters the weekend third in the competitive AL East at 59-51. Outfielder Jarren Duran has been a spark plug, hitting .265 with 29 doubles and 12 triples on the year.

Houston will send right-hander Hunter Brown (9-5) to the mound, while Boston will counter with RHP Cooper Criswell (1-0).

Friday marks the first meeting of the season between these two clubs.

All eyes will be on Correa’s return in a stadium where he’s delivered countless postseason moments. Now, he begins the next chapter of his Astros career, joining a team counting on him to help fuel their playoff push.

Starting lineup

So how will Joe Espada deploy his new toys? Pena is back at shortstop and leading off, with Altuve hitting second and serving as the DH. Jesus Sanchez gets his first Astros, start hitting third, and playing left field. Correa begins his Astros reunion hitting fourth and playing third base.

 

Yainer Diaz (C) will hit fifth, followed by Christian Walker (1B), and Taylor Trammell (CF). It's interesting to see Cam Smith hitting so far down the lineup at eighth. He'll play right field and finally, Mauricio Dubon will hit ninth and play second base.

Betting odds

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -134, Red Sox +113; over/under is 8 runs


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