Why do few blacks play fantasy football?

djwhokid · August 30th, 2008, 09:05 AM

Article by Stephen A. Smith:

Quote:

According to a study by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, approximately 93% of armchair general managers are white. "I don't know why that is, and it's something I hesitate to speculate about," the FSTA's manager, Justin Cleveland, told me.

But honestly, I'm not surprised to learn that so few blacks are among the 30 million people who participate in fantasy sports. I've always thought that a lot of these guys (and 96% of them are guys) are nerds desperately in need of more sociable leisure-time activities. Leisure time for black folks historically consists of direct interaction, the kind of experience you get at a family barbecue or hanging out with friends. Sitting in front of a computer screen pretending to be Bill Parcells? Sounds like work to me.

FSTA research shows that only 1.6% of fantasy players are black, 2.3% are Latino and 1.1% are Asian. And the more I learn about the typical fantasy player, the more I think most minorities simply have better things to do. "The people who play fantasy are more into sports, more hard-core than the average fan," Berry says. "The reason the NFL embraced fantasy in such a big way is that it found that fantasy players watch three hours more football a week than the average football fan."

Of all the opinions I collected on the racial disparity, though, one of the most interesting came from Kim Beason, an associate professor at Ole Miss who is also the CEO of Fantasy Sport Research Specialists. Basically, Beason's six years of research shows that people who have well-paying jobs with fast Internet connections are more likely to play fantasy sports. "When you break it down, it appears the disparity has to do with a critical mass of individuals who are together discussing fantasy sports," he tells me. "Up to now, that has mostly occurred in the white workplace. And a lot of time, it's on the Internet."

ESPN - ESPN The Magazine

Is Screamin' A Smith for real? Minorities have better things to do than play fantasy football? Blacks folks historically enjoy direct interaction?

lorentrook · August 30th, 2008, 11:22 AM

S.A. Smith is the biggest joke out there. He is so racist, that I feel sorry for him. He don't keep a job for long, the racism creeps out and he's gone !

Yankee1012 · August 31st, 2008, 09:17 AM

It could be true because most of the black people in my high school dont look like someone who would play fantasy football.

Black people do play FF though. Steven A is clueless.

645 · September 9th, 2008, 12:40 AM

Really, How does he know. He can go to expert Drafts and that and say why am I the only Black person here and think why there isn't more Blacks playing.

Not thinking he may be one of the few Blacks lucky enough be called a so called Expert and how does he know. How does he know the Makeup of a Averge Private league that he'll never here about.

I don't know if it is true or not but if it is my guess would be that Fantasy Sports have become a game played on the Internet and it is possable that there are a limited number of Blacks that can aford to spend $500+ Dollars for a Computer and then pay a monthly fee for internet access. And that alone can keep them from playing.

August 30th, 2008, 11:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
lorentrook Community Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sophia,NC Posts: 730	S.A. Smith is the biggest joke out there. He is so racist, that I feel sorry for him. He don't keep a job for long, the racism creeps out and he's gone ! __________________ "Never argue with an idiot. I'll drag you down to my level, then I'll beat you with experience." "Those who think they know everything, are very annoying to those of us who do." -Mark Twain http://www.panthercoalition.com/index.php

August 31st, 2008, 09:17 AM	#3 (permalink)
Yankee1012 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 562	It could be true because most of the black people in my high school dont look like someone who would play fantasy football. Black people do play FF though. Steven A is clueless. __________________ Jets-Yankees-Knicks-Cowboys-GA Tech-Rangers

September 9th, 2008, 12:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
645 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,343	Really, How does he know. He can go to expert Drafts and that and say why am I the only Black person here and think why there isn't more Blacks playing. Not thinking he may be one of the few Blacks lucky enough be called a so called Expert and how does he know. How does he know the Makeup of a Averge Private league that he'll never here about. I don't know if it is true or not but if it is my guess would be that Fantasy Sports have become a game played on the Internet and it is possable that there are a limited number of Blacks that can aford to spend $500+ Dollars for a Computer and then pay a monthly fee for internet access. And that alone can keep them from playing.