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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 4 May 2017
Boston sports Orioles rivalry shouldn’t au- League Baseball showed

tomatically result in racism, only 7.7 percent of play-
Continued from Page 17 “for some white Americans, ers are African-Americans
that’s often where they go — the lowest figure in the
Jones was given an ex- if they’re angry,” said Uni- years since the institute
tended ovation on Tues- versity of Hartford sociolo- has tracked the data.
day night as he stepped to gist Woody Doane. Black players have long
the plate for his first at-bat, “Pulling a racial epithet out commented on the atmo-
a moment sharply different of our back pocket is some- sphere at Fenway, saying
from what he described thing a lot of us still do,” said they expect racial taunts.
Monday night, saying he Doane, who studies sports, On Tuesday, Yankees
heard fans call him the society and whiteness. pitcher CC Sabathia said:
N-word and had peanuts Boston’s racial history — “You get called names, N-
thrown in his direction in including fights over seg- word, all kinds of stuff when
the dugout, hitting a near- regated housing, schools you go to Boston.
by police officer. and politics — has spilled “We know,” he said.
Fenway security said 34 into sports as some working- “There’s 62 of us and we all
people were ejected, but class residents experience know: When you go to Bos-
only one for using foul lan- a “white crisis,” said Univer- ton, expect it.”
guage toward a player, sity of Connecticut sociolo- Both the city and its sports
and it was unclear wheth- gist Matthew Hughey. franchises have changed
er that was toward Jones. In this April 1959 file photo, Boston Red Sox’s Pumpsie Green “They can’t live up to the in recent years. Last sea-
Police said the peanut- poses for a photo. Associated Press levels of superiority they’re son, the Patriots started a
thrower was ejected by told they’re supposed to black quarterback for the
stadium security before all-white National Hockey American Lakers star Mag- naturally have, so they turn first time. The Red Sox have
police could identify him. League. ic Johnson epitomized the to symbolic things or peo- several African-American
The All-Star said he felt “it The Red Sox ballpark NBA’s racial divide. Earlier ple to build a sense of iden- players in their starting
was just the right time” to and offices are located this season, Celtics forward tity and to take out a sense lineup. And Celtics guard
speak out after experienc- on Yawkey Way, named Jae Crowder, who is black, of frustration,” Hughey said. Isaiah Thomas is currently
ing previous racial heck- for franchise owner Tom said he felt “disrespected” “Sports can be that sense leading his team in the NBA
ling at Fenway over 12 Yawkey who presided over by fans openly coveting of identity.” playoffs.
seasons, though he said it the team at the time. The white potential free agent Ballparks can also be an Red Sox President Sam Ken-
was more a sign of larger Red Sox passed on Robin- Gordon Hayward, rekin- environment where some nedy said his ownership
racial issues than an indict- son in 1945 and also passed dling the debate. people feel more com- group made it a mission in
ment of Boston or its fans. on a chance to sign future In 2012, some fans upset fortable expressing offen- 2002 to “acknowledge the
Several black ballplayers Hall of Famer Willie Mays. with the Washington Capi- sive views while others feel shameful past of the Boston
said Tuesday that Jones The Celtics were the first tals for bouncing the Bos- uncomfortable or unwel- Red Sox” and its reputation
was just describing what team to draft a black play- ton Bruins from the NHL come. as an unfriendly environ-
they regularly experience. er, the first to field an all- playoffs lobbed racial in- More black and Latino fans ment.
The Celtics and the Bru- black starting five and the sults on Twitter toward Joel have begun attending “We’ve worked really hard
ins were pioneers in pro- first to hire a black head Ward, a Canadian who is games at Fenway, but they to change that. We want
fessional basketball and coach. Bill Russell was black. And in an episode remain largely in the minor- to open up Fenway Park
hockey during the 1950s. among the league’s first of “Saturday Night Live” ity, said Doane, who has to everyone,” Kennedy
But the Red Sox were the black players and cham- before the New England regularly attended Red Sox said. “Everyone should feel
last Major League Base- pions, but he wasn’t em- Patriots played in the Super games since 1963. comfortable at Fenway
ball team to field a black braced by fans during his Bowl this year, comedian “It’s a white space,” Doane Park. No matter your race,
player. Pumpsie Green de- career and was embittered Michael Che called Boston said. “If you are a person of religion, political beliefs,
buted at Fenway in 1959 — by his experience in Boston “the most racist city I’ve color there, you would defi- your sexuality — you are
more than a decade after for years, though he is now ever been to.” nitely feel in the minority.” welcomed at Fenway.”
Jackie Robinson played a beloved figure in the city. Boston fans pride them- The situation is not much Boston’s neighborhoods
for the Dodgers, and even In the 1980s, the rivalry be- selves on rabidly supporting different for players on have diversified and its ra-
after Willie O’Ree took tween the white Celtics star one of America’s greatest the field. Lapchick’s 2017 cial boundaries have be-
the ice for Boston in the Larry Bird and the African- sports cities. While the Sox- report card on Major come less rigid. q

UFC creates 4th weight class for women, adding 125-pounders

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The popularity of women’s one on its current roster the possibility of adding 115 pounds.
UFC is creating a new di- mixed martial arts grew who can make the weight. a 125-pound division in The UFC already staged its
vision for 125-pound wom- swiftly with the rise of for- The UFC is holding open recent months, suggest- first stand-alone flyweight
en, and its first champion mer 135-pound bantam- tryouts for the reality show ing the promotion wasn’t fight last June, when
will be crowned during the weight champion Ronda May 23 in Las Vegas. ready to add another Joanne Calderwood beat
upcoming season of the Rousey, prompting the The UFC added a group of fighters to its Valerie Letourneau by
promotion’s long-running UFC to expand its roster 115-pound strawweight large roster. third-round stoppage.
reality television show. dramatically. division in 2014 and a But numerous fighters al- The UFC has eight men’s
The UFC announced plans The first 125-pound cham- 145-pound bantamweight ready under UFC contract, weight classes.
for a women’s flyweight pion will emerge from the division this year. The pro- including high-profile The Invicta Fighting Cham-
division Wednesday. next season of “The Ulti- motion also crowned its strawweight Paige VanZ- pionships, an all-women’s
Flyweight will be the fourth mate Fighter,” which will first strawweight champi- ant, have requested the promotional company
weight class for women in begin filming in July. The on during a season of “The addition in recent years, with ties to the UFC, has
the UFC, which only be- UFC is inviting professionals Ultimate Fighter.” hoping to compete closer five women’s weight class-
gan promoting women’s from around the world to UFC President Dana to their natural weight in- es, including a 105-pound
fights in early 2013. The compete alongside any- White had downplayed stead of fighting at 135 or atomweight division.q