Presidential game plan: Obama’s bid rooted to the rise of the black athlete

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Barack Obama’s run toward the White House is even stronger because African-American athletes have become more appealing to the public, writes Examiner columnist Frank Deford. - AP

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Obviously, there are so many factors that have been applied, incrementally, over a long time, to bring us to a place where an African-American can be elected president. But I cannot help believing that the ubiquity and esteem of the black man in sport has played a significant part in this transformation that enables a black man to run for president.

You see, the way the black athlete has evolved in the public mind has made him something of a precursor for African-Americans in other visible fields. Originally, in fact, blacks in sport were confined strictly to the arena. Many of the biggest stars — Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Muhammed Ali — seemed downright threatening. They only underscored the image of African-American leaders as confrontational. For so long, endorsements invariably went to lesser white athletes, for advertisers simply assumed that a product’s association with even a non-controversial black star must be off-putting to white consumers.

But, my, as well we know, how that changed. By the 1990s, Michael Jordan was accepted as the most prominent pitchman on the planet, and he has been primarily succeeded by Tiger Woods. Moreover, outspoken, even prickly, black sportsmen like Charles Barkley or Shaquille O'Neal are accepted, even admired, for their candor.

From a cultural point of view, this sea of change in attitude in sport signalled that race did not constitute that much of a perceptual difference in public figures … which, ultimately, of course leads us from the playing field, to entertainment, to politics, to at last, the presidential race and Barack Obama.

In that vein, I particularly believe that the recent ascendancy of black movie stars — notably Denzel Washington and Will Smith — can be largely accounted for by the prior acceptance of the personable black athlete. Whereas Washington and Smith usually are viewed as the heirs to Sidney Poitier, he was really something of an anomaly, a distant one-off, separated by so many years. But the celebrated African-American athletes were, in effect, leading men themselves, so an audience that grew up with the likes of Jordan and — just as important — all the black stars who were local heroes for hometown teams, could so much more easily accept the same sort of Hollywood crossover.

It’s also true that just as the black superstar was, for so long, denied the chance to be a personality, so was the smart black player denied the opportunity to lead. Now, we don’t get the chance to see most decision-makers making decisions. Neither boardrooms nor smoke-filled rooms are live, on network TV. Aha, but we can watch coaches and managers pull the strings and settle strategy on the sidelines. Surely, it was influential to be able to see black men dispensing judgment in those visible positions, and to see that black coaches were, as a group, just as smart and just as dumb, as white coaches. Vivid equality.

Look, maybe Barack Obama would be the Democratic nominee if there had never been a Frank Robinson and a Michael Jordan and a Tony Dungy and a Derek Jeter. But I really don't think so. I think the black athlete has, ultimately, made a deep, if subconscious, impression on whites. He’s been heroic, of course, but beyond that, it’s he who’s had the chance to show whites that he can be congenial— just folks, just like the white guy next door — and that he can demonstrably lead people, yeah, even to championships.  This evolved comfort factor for fans must have eased the path for Obama with voters. 

As a closing fillip, it’s always said that Obama is different from the African-American politicians who proceeded him. I agree. He reminds me more of Arthur Ashe than anyone in his own business.

Frank Deford can be reached at flamegarden@aol.com.

SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY

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59 days ago: Before Phelps, ‘Sunny Boy’ shined brighter than anyone in the pool

66 days ago: Take me out to the ballgame, no matter the price

» 80 days ago: Presidential game plan: Obama’s bid rooted to the rise of the black athlete «

87 days ago: When being left-handed is more than all right

94 days ago: Hall of Famer who brings the past to present

101 days ago: Hope springs eternal for Baltimore’s Phelps

108 days ago: The playground: Darwinism at its best

115 days ago: Cubs and 1908: Can’t say one without the other

122 days ago: Be fore-warned: Golf courses will be saturated in water crisis

129 days ago: Turning back NBA clock produces timeless classic