Posts tagged: BYU
The Stereotype that Dares Not Speak Its Name
In explaining why East Coast college basketball teams did not recruit the Jimmer, a coach at Hofstra says,
“I think everyone in the Northeast fell into the same trap,” said Steve DeMeo, an assistant at Hofstra who scouted Fredette while at Providence. “I think basketball coaches are guilty of stereotyping, and to get past that you have to watch the kid play a lot of times.”
Pete Thamel, who wrote the story for The New York Times, leaves it at that. No discussion. No explanation of what stereotype DeMeo was talking about. No need to.
The Jimmer is white. And as everybody knows, white men can’t jump. Not on the East Coast anyway.
Fortunately, many people don’t buy into the stereotype.