As Jack Roosevelt Robinson stepped into the batter's box at Ebbets Field in 1947, he had no idea what would ensue in the years after his historic accomplishment. Jackie Robinson would set the benchmark for African-American athletes in the modern era. As times have changed and new generations have come to the forefront, that benchmark seems to have been erased. Just recently has the question been asked: is there enough diversity among the upper eschalon of sports, i.e managerial positions? The "numbers" for diversity do not quite add up for sports including baseball, basketball, and football. Only last year, in the Super Bowl, did signs of improvement begin to show.

In Major League Baseball, the diversity problem is not only reeking its havoc in the club house, but on the field as well. Dave Zirin, from the Los Angeles Times, reports that only 8.9% of players are African-American. An even more astonishing statistic is the number of African-American coaches: two. In fact, it wasn't until 1975, more than a century after the inception of baseball in America, that an African-American, Frank Robinson, became a manager. Since then, African-American coaches have been a rare sight in Major League Baseball. Although there are recently founded urban baseball development leagues, the league is focusing more on cheap talent in Latin American baseball academies. When an elderly Jackie Robinson was asked to participate in an "old-timers" game, he refused saying that he wouldn't play until he saw improvement in the coaching and managerial departments.

The diversity question has also been raised in the National Basketball Association. In a league that consists primarily (75%) of African-American players, only eleven out of thirty coaches are African-American. That's just over a third. Sure, those are slightly better numbers than that of the NBA's stick and ball counterpart, but there is much room for improvement for a league that, as of late, has been smothered in controversy over gambling and game-fixing. Even worse, according to Leonhardt and Fessenden, of the New York Times, is the short tenure of African-American coaches as compared to that of their white counterparts. Astonishingly, African-American coaches, over the last decade, have lasted a mere average of 1.6 years with their respective team. This disturbing statistic could possibly be the result not only of more pressure being put on African-American coaches, but less patience being used in the front office as well. The problem in the NBA is even more prominent in the front office. Only one owner, among 29 others, is African-American.

The "race card" has, arguably, been used the most in discussing the coaching situation in the National Football League a.k.a. the NFL. Are there enough African-American coaches? The questioners seemed to be partially silenced this year as both the teams participating in the Super Bowl were coached by African-Americans, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith. However, this was an ironic coincidence that generally does not reflect the level of coaching diversification in the NFL. Only six African-American coaches walked the sidelines in 2006. That is an extremely low number citing that the NFL consists of nearly seventy percent African-American players. There does, however, exist a rule that compels a franchise to interview a certain amount of African-American coaches. Under serious pressure from the late Johnnie Cochran, the NFL implemented the Rooney Rule in 2002. Although the NFL does seem to be taking this issue the most seriously, possible racial prejudice is still a problem that needs to be dealt with in the months and years to come.

Racism is around us everywhere and in every way. Sports used to be the one thing that made everyone equal. A man wasn't judged by the color of his skin, but rather by how far he could hit a baseball or how many Super Bowl rings he wore on his fingers. By watching sports, no matter who someone is, they forget about everything else except the entire reason they are watching it: because they love it. As American's we love our heroes, not because of the color of their skin, but because of what they can accomplish. Racism is still lingering in nearly every sport. It may not be quite as evident as it used to be, but it's there. It may not be where it used to be, but it's there and it will remain there for the rest of time unless not only the fans stand up for what is right, but the players as well. In passing, Jackie Robinson once said: "Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life" (The Jackie Robinson Foundation).

Within the last decade, talk of anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs has become prevalent amongst not only players and officials of Major League Baseball, but the media as well. Do performance enhancing drugs belong in baseball? The common answer seems to be "no". As someone with an immense love of the game, it has become increasingly harder for me to believe that every homerun is legitimate. Much of the American public feels the same way.  Talk of steroids has "struck a chord" with fans and may alter the game of baseball forever if it already hasn't.

Some might ask: "What exactly is an anabolic steroid and what constitutes a performance enhancing drug?"  Anabolic steroids are synthetic drugs similar to the male hormone testosterone. They are usually injected through the muscle and assist in muscle growth, strength, and power.  Performance enhancing drugs that have allegedly been used in what has been deemed by some as "Baseball's Steroid Era" include steroids, steroid precursors, steroid masking agents, and stimulants. While many steroids and PED's have been banned by Major League Baseball officials, some remain to be banned and, according to numerous active players, are still commonly used. Whether or not these substances actually aid in hitting the ball further is still highly disputed. One thing is clear though: the sport of baseball is changing...for the worse.

Before the steroid era, baseball was part of American lore. Players were household names and ideal role models for children. Their integrity was never questioned. There are still players that fit this demographic, but they have become far fewer in numbers. In the glory days of baseball, a night wouldn't go by that you didn't hear your favorite player's name mentioned on the nightly news over the radio. Sure, this summer millions of people's attention was captured by Barry Bonds' homerun record chase, but it was drenched in doubt and questions of steroid use. The decline in the American public's interest and involvement in baseball is an all too real reminders of the "dark ages" of the sport. The controversy and questions have even intensified to the point that the United States Senate has decided to get involved. Senator George Mitchell is heading up a committee investigating the illegal use of steroids in Major League Baseball. The committee plans to release a report within the next few weeks that will include and incriminate many players, past and present.

It's a cool brisk evening at Camden Yards in Baltimore during September of 1995. Banners that read "2131" are unfurled on a brick warehouse in right field. Cal Ripken has just broken the all time record for most consecutive games started, previously held by Lou Gehrig. This night was voted, by the public, as one of the most memorable moments in baseball history. It seems as time goes by, the number of these "moments" has decreased. This decline can be directly linked to the lack of heroes, or suitable role models for that matter. This is only part of the vicious cycle that is possibly leading to the demise of the sport. Since the steroid era, baseball has become simply what it is called: baseball. It's lost its luster and appeal to the masses. Baseball has always drawn on fan's emotions. It just doesn't have that same draw as it used to.

So what lies ahead for the sport of baseball? As someone who loves the game immensely, I can only hope for the best. I don't see things getting much better in the near future though. With other sports' viewing market increasing more and more every week, the future looks bleak. Any sport needs a market and fans in order to survive. The American public has clearly become disillusioned with baseball. A recent study concluded that attendance in all markets has decreased substantially from last year. Steroids are obviously not the only factor in this decrease, but it is a major one. The problem is not steroids, rather the effects that they have produced such as lack of role models and emotional appeal.