Media Portrayal of Minority Athletes
Tiger Woods' racial representation in the media has been a subject of both praise and criticism. While Woods undeniably broke barriers and brought attention to the lack of diversity in golf, his representation in the media often focused solely on his racial background, rather than his extraordinary talent and accomplishments. Woods was often portrayed as a transcendent figure solely because of his mixed-race heritage, perpetuating the notion that racial diversity is noteworthy primarily in the context of white-dominated sports. This type of representation tends to reinforce racial stereotypes rather than challenging them, as it reduces Woods' identity to a racial label rather than recognizing his individuality and skill as an athlete. While Woods undoubtedly made significant strides in diversifying golf, it is important to critically examine the media's role in perpetuating a limited narrative that defines athletes primarily by their race rather than their athletic achievements.
Ultimate frisbee prides itself as a very progressive sport throughout all the skill levels. So, when the AUDL, the top professional men’s league, came out with its preseason Top 25 players list and it was comprised of only white players, people took notice. When I saw this on twitter I was intrigued immediately because I play frisbee and can connect it to our project. Since then, I’ve been watching the AUDL more closely and it honestly is quite surprising that only two black players even got votes. I am no expert and have not been following for a super long time but if you go on AUDL’s YouTube, it becomes apparent that it is not an entirely white dominated league as it may seem from the ranking. Either way you look at it I believe it was an oversight to not include any players of color in the ranking and the league would be much more successful if they marketed to a wider range of people.
The NCAA women’s basketball tournament brought lots of excitement and drama on the court but sadly the reactions from media off the court began to overshadow the rise that Women’s basketball is taking. In the National Championship, Angel Reese, a star player for LSU, taunted Caitlin Clark, Iowa’s star player in the same way that she had celebrated in games prior. Clark had been praised in games prior for playing passionately and bringing emotion to the Women’s game. But the media took an entirely different stance on Reese’s actions. They said Reese, who is black, has no class and should play the game with more respect essentially. Many people pointed out that the standards held for Reese and Clark were not the same, highlighting the unfair expectations for black women in sports. Clark has since come out and said that emotions belong in the game and that Clark should not be scolded.