How do you measure the success of affirmative action without some numbers? By your analysis, every affirmative action initiative would be considered a quota.

And no, there's nothing idiotic about Rainbow/PUSH - Jackson et.al. are doing what the face of any organization does: they meet with the big-ups, get in the papers, and put some added pressure for their cause on the margins.

Of course, the Atlanta Braves only real incentive to follow-suit is political (or possibly ethical, 'gasp!'). As I believe has been discussed on this blog before, getting african-american kids to play baseball again is much bigger and meetings and press conferences won't achieve it. I don't think Rainbow/PUSH are idiots, so perhaps this is part of a wider solution to that issue.

Dan:

This may be a question of who is using who, and ever since John Rocker, the Braves have had a bit of a race problem, Hank Aaron notwithstanding.

The Braves are well known for their ability to scout talent. If the resources of PUSH can be utilized to find some hot prospects the other scouts aren't seeing, the Braves will be happy and their minor league system will remain well stcked. As for affirmative action on the roster -- um, no.

"...ever since John Rocker, the Braves have had a bit of a race problem..."

That's nonsense. Exactly what race problem have the Braves had since they axed Rocker?

Affirmative action by Rainbow/PUSH is not idiocy, because they have successfully demonstrated for years that their form of 'moral' economic blackmail is effective. Essentially, their success uses 'victimhood' as a business plan, and corporate America signs up as paying customers and clients of the discriminating anti-discrimination paradigm.

But, discrimination is discrimination. Whether discriminating for race (affirmative action against the Atlanta Braves) or against race (Jim Crow laws in Atlanta), the inescapable result of racial discrimination is the perpetuation of hate. Racial discrimination is a form of Exclusion, and we humans initially resent, then grow bitter against, and eventually will develop a hard hate for whatever or whomever denies our natural sense of being human by Exclusion.

Affirmative action is a 'moral' form of justice for past wrongs that actually 'flips' morality; it is a mirror reflection of racial hate, and it is no "idiocy" for Rainbow/PUSH to adopt affirmative actions so long as its blackmailing flip of morality pays so well.

The current thinking on affirmative action is no longer to right past wrongs; rather that diversity is a desireable goal in and of itself. Maybe so. I think someone should look into the dramatic underrepresentation of asians in all professional sports.

The current thinking on affirmative action is no longer to right past wrongs; rather that diversity is a desireable goal in and of itself. Maybe so. I think someone should look into the dramatic underrepresentation of asians in all professional sports.

If this is how it works, then every NBA team has a serious lack of Latinos. We need more Latinos in the NBA, and Eskimos, and Native Americans, and.....

It gets pretty absurd now doesn't it.

(Is Rainbow/Push still paying Jesse's mistress?)

Well, if they had axed Rocker for his statements instead of his sudden lack of performance, they would have done better. That's why they had a bit of a perception problem.

Re-looking at the stement by PUSH, the real problem they have is not the number of non-whites on the team, but the number of non-American non-whites on the team. The issue isn't affirmative action, Dan. It's protectionism.

Is there ever going to be a point where race doesn't matter? It's hard to argue that blacks have less opportunity in sports than whites, latinos or anyone else. What if black kids just don't want to play the sport? Is there anything wrong with that? Clearly, economic resources are not necessary to play, as most latin players grow up in communities far poorer than any US city and still manage to have sufficient equipment to learn the game. And scouts are scouring all over the world to find good players. It's hard to believe that they are passing up many skilled candidates at home.

Rainbow/PUSH gets a press release out of this, nothing more. The Braves win nearly every year, and John Schuerholz is recognized as one of the guys who make that possible. When they start losing, people might get interested in protesting the racial mix on the roster.

If Rainbow/PUSH wanted to do a protest march in Miami demanding that the Marlins trade Dontrelle Willis to Atlanta, though, that would be pretty cool.

Andruw Jones dosen't count. Simply amazing.

Andruw Jones dosen't count.

Born in Curacao, baby. Apparently the Braves are discriminating against African-Americans in favor of African-Dutch.

Let's also remember that those bigots in the Braves front office apparently don't mind African-Colobian (Renteria) or African-Dominican (Soriano). They are just bigoted against African-Americans.

Why is this even under discussion? Rainbow/PUSH are doing exactly what the diversity industry does, in every industry it can. Every university, for instance, runs recruiting, measurement of diversity, awarding of scholarships, and hiring in exactly the way Rainbow/PUSH want the Atlanta Brave to be run. Every government agency in this country does the same thing. Are you shocked that diversity is what diversity is? Or that it is what it is in the sports industry, too?

Sk

Let the Braves sponsor some new and/or improved diamonds in the black parts of Atlanta and other nearby cities. Some free and/or lower-priced tickets for inner-city youth wouldn't hurt either. It's good community relations, encourages black kids to play baseball, and helps build the next generation of fans.

It won't happen, of course.