Ron DeSantis Calls Basketball Players Athletic, USA Today's Mike Freeman Yells Racism

Gov. Ron DeSantis noticed aloud what most of America has long understood: basketball players are more athletic than baseball players.

But according to Mike Freeman of USA Today, saying so is a dog whistle for the racist whites. Or as Freeman calls it, a "bullhorn."

Here is what DeSantis said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network:

"So I think that there's kind of a place for everybody on a baseball team if you're willing to work hard, if you're willing to practice, and if you're willing to hone your skills. I kind of thought it was always a very democratic game, a very meritocratic game.
"Whereas I kind of viewed like basketball as like these guys are just freaks of nature. They're just incredible athletes. In baseball, you know, you have some guys that might not necessarily be the best athletes, but maybe they've got you know that slider that nobody can hit, or they have the skills that allow them to compete at the highest level."

And here's how Freeman covered the comments:

DeSantis was essentially talking about two leagues, and how the mostly Black one, the NBA, is full of freaky athletes with fast-twitch muscles and apparently not as democratic or meritocratic or whatever-cratic as baseball players.
Then, according to DeSantis, there's baseball, or the MLB, the mostly white sport, full of OK athletes but gosh darn, do they work hard, and form democracies and meritocratic-ocracies-republics. They're not freaks at all. They're real Americans.

Freeman embodies the problematic nature of an outlet deploying a writer only to screech about racism. There is not enough racism to screech over, forcing tools like Freeman to manufacture examples.

DeSantis is correct in that basketball is a game of athleticism. Baseball is less so. Turn on both the NBA and MLB, no one can dispute that claim.

Including Freeman.

It's true the NBA is more black while MLB is more white. The reasons for that are multiple. Some of it has to do with interest among young athletes, geographic location, culture, access, etc.

Perhaps most kids want to play basketball but white kids are, on average, less athletic so they settle for baseball.

If anything, the stereotypes are negative toward white athletes. Ask Nikola Jokic, who faces more racial discrimination than any pro athlete in America.

Mike Freeman Sees Color, Nothing Else

Yet, whatever the underlying reasons are for the disparity, it doesn't prove what DeSantis said wrong.

Are we supposed to pretend something objectively true is not true because it might offend someone from USA Today?

Further, there are exceptions. Quite glaring exceptions, that is. The best player in basketball is white (Jokic). The two best players in MLB are Asian (Shohei Ohtani) and bi-racial (Aaron Judge).

The racialization of both leagues is overblown. The best players succeed, no matter their skin color.

The fact that the races of the players are even a conversation demonstrates how the corporate press hopes to derail the progression of society.

Gov. DeSantis didn't suggest baseball players are "real Americans." He didn't undermine black players, either.

DeSantis, like most non-media figures, isn't blinded to the races of the athletes.

That said, we understand Mike Freeman's suspicions. Freeman only sees color. He views every story and comments through a racial lens. Race permeates every thought he publicizes.

Mike Freeman assumes everyone is that way.