My name is Robert Littal and I’m the creator and CEO of BlackSportsOnline. You may have heard of me, listened to me on the radio, read one of my articles, or seen me on TV.

Myself and my writing staff have been called a lot of things since our debut. That goes with the territory when you are considered as a rogue site but there is one particular perception about BSO that needed to be addressed.

The #1 question that I get about BlackSportsOnline is a simple one and even though it has been worded many different ways (some nicer than others) the point of the question is clear:

“What if there was a WhiteSportsOnline? You wouldn’t like that would you?”

Normally the question is followed with this statement:

“This is a racist site.”

I believe it is time to clear the air on the subject of what exactly BlackSportsOnline is but before I do I need to make my feelings clear about racism in sports and the role the media plays in it. First, I would ask you to read the remainder of this article with an open mind because what I am about to say may shock some but in reality should come as no surprise.

There is racism in sports but not specifically from the media (more on them later) – but rather from the fans. The most popular leagues in the United States are the NFL, MLB and NBA. The majority of those players are minorities (NFL & NBA black and MLB foreign-born Latinos) and just like in society when minorities are dominating something there will always be a racial element to it. You don’t believe me? Go visit ESPN message boards and search for a topic with Michael Vick or Chad OchoCinco and I guarantee you will be shocked at some of the words that are posted. It is sickening (but not surprising) the hate that’s still out there towards black athletes.

The sad thing is this isn’t limited to whites talking about black athletes. It is also common among blacks speaking about white athletes or Latinos talking about black and white athletes. It is widespread; the Internet has given an avenue for fans to express thoughts that used to be suppressed behind closed doors. The media is the gasoline that is helping spread the flames.

You have heard me use the term “Biased Sports Media” but you have rarely heard me utter the phrase “Racist Sports Media”. The reason is because I don’t believe the media in general are racists. What I do believe is the media have a bias against athletes who don’t fit into their image of a “classic athlete”. I call it Michael Jordan Syndrome. It really has nothing to do with race but more to do with image. Michael Jordan had a perfect image even if it was a lot different than the real person it didn’t matter in the minds of the media. The media expects every athlete to act, speak and be like Mike and if they aren’t they are treated and covered differently. This isn’t racism; it’s prejudice. Unfortunately it feeds into the racial overtones fans already feel about certain athletes.

Some examples are Roddy White & Stevie Johnson. They’re not that different as athletes but the media perceives them differently. Tim Duncan fits the media script but Ron Artest doesn’t. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you try to follow the script as an athlete because once you get on the wrong side of the media it is almost impossible to get off it (see: Alex Rodriguez). The media is like a pack of wolves; they are mostly bandwagon followers who will go where the pack leads them. So if the pack says Tiger Woods was untouchable he wasn’t touched, but when outside media sources like TMZ started to expose Tiger the mainstream media then felt it was ok to jump in on the slaughter. Think about it.

The media doesn’t care about race, they care about recognition and that recognition is about sensationalizing stories and focusing on athletes whom the public already has a negative perception of and feeding that frenzy. As stated before, they play the role of the gasoline on a flickering flame.

Now that I have clarified my thoughts on race and prejudice in the media, it’s time to answer questions specifically about BlackSportsOnline.

BlackSportsOnline came about because of my feelings stated in the previous paragraphs. At the time I felt that a specific voice was not being heard when it came to reporting sports:

“The Young Black Man/Woman”

Most people who work in the media are older white men and the majority of black media are part of big corporations where they don’t have the freedom to say what is really on their mind. It makes sense that Chris Berman can’t understand Chad Ochocinco. It is also understandable that someone like Michael Wilbon who is a product of the Civil Rights era shakes his head at some of the things that athletes of our generation do. It was sad in my opinion that people think Stuart Scott is the voice of the hip-hop generation when he is pushing 50 and quoting Leader of the New School in his highlights. I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I am Black, I am young and I am around the same age as most of the athletes that I write about. I have a different perspective. I see things differently. Maybe when I am 50 years old I will be as cranky as Tom Jackson, but for right now it is my job to make sure that different perspective is heard.

People assume the site is called BlackSportsOnline because it protects black athletes and targets white athletes. I have gotten calls and emails from athletes who believe that, but this isn’t the case because if it was it wouldn’t make me or BSO any better than those in the media I call out on a consistent basis.

The reason the site is called BlackSportsOnline is because I didn’t want it to be just about me. I wanted to give Black and minority writers who felt like their voice wasn’t being heard a place they would be heard loud and clear. No one gave me that opportunity; I had to make it for myself. BlackSportsOnline is sports reported from our perspective; the Young Black Man/Woman.

I answer the question about how would I feel if there was a “WhiteSportsOnline” the same way every time:

“You already have WhiteSportsOnline. It is THE MAINSTREAM SPORTS MEDIA. BlackSportsOnline is sports from a Black American perspective and I dare you to find any instance ever on the site that showed a racial bias toward any athlete no matter if they are white, black, yellow, green or pink.”

To this day I have never gotten an example.

BlackSportsOnline is no different than BET.  That is Black Entertainment Television, but you don’t have to be black to enjoy it.  I watch ton of shows on Bravo, but I am not gay and if I don’t like a program on there I just don’t watch.

We are an editorial site, we are giving you our perspective and we don’t expect everyone to agree with, we respect that and in turn we ask that you respect us. We don’t run with a pack. We call it like we see it and it isn’t just in black or white.