Jesse Jackson and Rainbow/PUSH to Sue the Preakness and NBC

This is just unbelievable.

BALTIMORE - Jesse Jackson today announced plans to sue both the organizers of the Preakness horse race and NBC over perceived racial discrimination. Jackson said he was outraged that none of the jockeys in yesterday's big horse race were African-American even though the race was taking place in Baltimore which has a very large African-American population.

"You have these Spanish guys and one redneck white guy riding these beautiful big brown and black animals using whips to get the most out of their performance," explained Jackson. "All the while for the entertainment of a white audience while white men and one white woman commentate on the action for NBC. The defacto discrimination and the slavery imagery have me outraged."

When asked how outraged he was - Jackson responded that he was "seven figure" outraged. Jackson also vowed that he was going down to Pimlico Park, the home of the Preakness race, and if he found a single one of those black jockey statutes that his outrage would double.

Management for Magna Entertainment Corporation (owners of Pimlico race course) could not be reached for comment. A highly placed official at NBC, however, speaking on terms of anonymity said that the charges from Jackson have led NBC Sports to make a large bid for African-American sportscaster Stewart Scott who would then take over lead broadcasting responsibilities at all Triple Crown horse races from Bob Costas. When reached for comment, Mr. Scott simply yelled, "boo-yeah!"

Rainbow/PUSH Try to Strongarm the Braves

Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH joke of an organization met with Braves general manager John Schuerholz and other Braves officials on Monday to discuss the lack of African-American players on the Braves roster. I'm sure Schuerholz took the meeting just to get it over with and the "no comment" approach to any questions about the racial make-up of the roster is the best course of action.

However, the tactics of the Rainbow/PUSH people make me sick. The whole "not enough African-Americans in baseball" argument is a bunch of crap.

When you see the stats that go along with stories like this - you see stats such as "African-Americans comprise only 69 out of 750 MLB roster spots (9.2%)." Such articles always then bring up that "according to U.S. Census estimates as of July 1, 2005, African-Americans make up 12.25 percent of the U.S. population." The inference is that the number of African-Americans in baseball is below the level of the general population. The problem is the census counts just Americans whereas the MLB roster spots are made up by both Americans and foreign born players.

This season there was a record 246 foreign born players among the 849 players in MLB (750 active 25-man roster players plus 99 disabled or restricted players). Let's assume that 9.2% of those 99 disabled or restricted player roster spots belong to African American players - that would equate to 9 additional African American players. Now if you take those 246 foreign born players from the 849 roster slots - that leaves 603 roster slots for American born players. If 78 (69 active roster and the estimated 9 out of the 99 disabled or restricted spots) belong to African-Americans - that makes it 12.9% of the American born roster slots going to African Americans (a number above the 2005 census numbers for African Americans in the US).

The argument makes me ticked - especially when it is being made by race-baiting blackmailers like Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH sham of an organization.