An overwhelming white majority of baseball fans skeptically approached Jackie Robinson’s entrance on their well-kept baseball fields. After watching Jackie’s dazzling performances, the fans begged for tickets and attendance at Brooklyn Dodgers games soared. The racism that barred black baseball players from performing on the national stage subsided, or did it; did black ballplayers mean money and did earning bucks come ahead of racial exclusion? If Robinson was just a good player and not a superstar and crowd drawer, would the major league baseball fields have opened themselves to the marginalized black hitters? Recent events in the Women National Basketball Association (WNBA), founded on April 24, 1996 and struggling for survival from day one, revealed that Jackie Robinson only reduced the appearance of racism; a stash of cash always smashes the illusion.

Reports had Caitlin Clark, considered the college all-time greatest female basketball player and “rookie of the year” with the Indiana Fever, leaving the WNBA for the European League. Who better to ask about this sensational occurrence than political commentator, Bill Maher.

The comedian turned talk show host indicated that Clark was a victim of racism. After showing a clip of Caitlin Clark body checked by an opponent, Maher said, “We also have a racial element to this. We can’t deny that.” He followed the remark with, “Women are catty. The league is very lesbian and she’s not, and there’s race,” he said. “There’s a lot going on.”

Those words don’t proceed from logical arguments — body checks by a few aggressive players against rookie stars are not unique and appear in all sports. Holding an entire league responsible for the actions of a few hyperactive players is conspiratorial. Describing women as “catty,” and the league as “lesbian” and racial are examples of illiberal bigotry. The WBNA has predominantly black players, similar to the NBA . In the sport of ping pong, Chinese people are superior. In the sport of basketball, black people are superior.

Another comment attributed to Maher, which I have not been able to verify on any video, is, “Women’s basketball got on my radar — like everybody’s — because of Caitlin Clark,” he explained. “And the other girls and the league are delighted for her success. … I’m joking of course. They f—king hate her.”

This type of comment, that Caitlin Clark inspired many in the white world to become interested in the WBNA, which other commentators have stated, proves that Jackie Robinson’s exploits only reduced the appearance of racism. Caitlin Clark may be an excellent player but she is seventh in scoring and tied for fourth in overall efficiency in the league’s statistics. Just as the NBA is the same NBA without rookie of the year, Victor Wembanyama, the WNBA is the same WNBA without rookie of the year, Caitlin Clark. The white majority became interested in the WNBA when their great white hope entered the courts to battle black players. In the fortuitous moments, they learned that the WNBA league housed exciting basketball and entertaining basketball handlers, something their prejudice prevented them from knowing. Television and streaming services quickly observed the money flow and the WNBA, previously a sidetracked oddity of mostly black women hoopsters, became a sports rage. The next time, Maher charges others with racism, he should look in the mirror.

The rumor that started the crass statements has been body checked. ESPN announcer, Ryan Ruocco, reports, “We talked to Caitlin Clark earlier today. She said she almost definitely will not play basketball this offseason. So it is likely we will not see her play again until April.”

The decades apart racisms exhibited in the sports arenas are not isolated cases. They demonstrate that Americans look inwards and have a lack of unawareness that racisms, of many forms, are imprinted in their psyches. When the agenda of a controlling institution changes — financial, political, social, or economic — and the particular racism impedes the agenda, then Americans are told to change their attitude; an imprint is relieved.

By excessive attention to a genocide committed almost 100 years ago in a Western nation to Western people, a controlling institution has imprinted its racist attitude in the minds of Americans. The agenda assures that the World War II genocide is given consistent recognition, and the genocide by western oriented people in an Arab country does not register. Racism, as shown by Bill Maher’s remarks and attitude, is a significant factor that guides the genocide of the Palestinian people.

The post Bill Maher Strikes Again first appeared on Dissident Voice.

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