A level playing field

As Americans, we believe there ought to be a level playing field for everyone. Even if we don't expect to finish first, we do expect a fair start. Only in sports have African Americans actually found that elusive level ground. But at the same time, black players offer an ironic perspective on the athlete hero, for they represent a group historically held to be without social honor. In this collection of sports essays the author, a noted cultural critic investigates these contradictions as they play out in the sports world and in our deeper attitudes toward the athletes we glorify. He…