Sports commentators have the unique ability to shape our reactions to the game's events. A neutral viewer's energy and reactions are most often dictated by the commentators' energy and reactions. Many commentators though, perpetuate racial stereotypes.
Off the top of my head, here are some of the words used only to describe white players: gym rat, high motor, scrappy, hustle, high (insert sport) IQ, good fundamentals, deceptive speed/athleticism. As a result, white players are often-times underrated. Black athletes probably have it worse. They are mainly praised for their athletic skill rather than their team work or other qualities. A few common adjectives for black athletes: raw, fluid, durable, natural, fast, powerful. These seem harmless, but there are rare instances where it gets worse. A commentator once praised a black athlete's "getting away from the cops speed," although the commentator was himself black.
All of this stuff has been addressed before. My opinion though, is that this stuff is not a big deal. When a black athlete is described as fast, it's because he is fast, not because the commentator is consciously or subconsciously trying to perpetuate a stereotype. And black athletes are, in general, faster than white athletes. In fact, since black people could fully participate in the Olympics(starting in 1984), not a single white athlete has even received a medal in the mens' 100m sprint. That's not luck, so there must be some reason black people are faster. People get offended when innate physical differences between races are mentioned, but this one at least is fact, as are many others. What we should be worried about is stereotypes about mental capacity and personality.
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