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Heart And Souled

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By BOB D'ANGELO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 10, 2008

Readers expecting a one-sided, "black athletes are being exploited" rant from Newsday sports columnist Shaun Powell will be disappointed. Those looking for challenging dialogue and insight will be pleased.

In "Souled Out? How Blacks Are Winning and Losing in Sports" (Human Kinetics, $22.95), Powell brings fresh, balanced and brutally honest perspective to a subject that has been bubbling under the surface since the mid-1960s. This book is the perfect companion piece to "Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?" by Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon, and William C. Rhoden's "Forty Million Dollar Slaves." However, Powell is not trying to persuade so much as make the reader think.

Don't look for theories or pompous phrasing. Powell's prose is direct. It's smash-mouth writing.

He examines and contrasts the character of black athletes in the inner cities and the suburbs, and condemns those who perpetuate stereotypes with outlandish celebrations or confrontations.

"These are the images commonly attached to black athletes, only because a few are willing to play those roles," Powell writes. "When they do, they cultivate stereotypes.

"They give ammunition to the bigots and the ignorant."

Powell also calls out absent black fathers and lauds involved parents like Earl Woods and Richard Williams.

Also taken to task are athletes who are gung-ho about commercial success but indifferent about giving back to the community. It's not all negative, of course. Powell credits the athletes who have been instrumental in building the inner city.

Blacks have made gains on the athletic side of the equation, and Powell is quick to applaud their progress. He does, however, lament the scarcity of black owners and executives, and the decreasing numbers of blacks in sports like baseball. Black women are still trying to level the playing field, too.

Powell also examines media perceptions. For example, a white point guard may be portrayed as "intelligent," while his black counterpart is "athletic" despite performing the same role.

The children of today's rising black middle class are excelling not only in sports, but also in academics and business executive jobs, Powell writes. And while he professes pride in the high visibility of blacks in our country's most popular sports, Powell cautions that "a race that suffers from an unhealthy emphasis on athletics and entertainers needs to be recognized and respected for its ability to produce leaders in all fields, not just a few."

At least a different image is emerging.

"The new Norman Rockwell portrait required several hasty strokes of brown paint, because the Huxtables moved next door to the Brady Bunch," Powell writes.

Powell has produced a thought-provoking book that is certain to raise some hackles - and hopefully, create some meaningful discussions.

RIGHT CHOICES: Rich Wallace's fast-paced narrative and short, snappy chapters work to good effect in his latest novel for young adults, "One Good Punch" (Alfred A. Knopf, $15.99).

Michael Kerrigan, a model student and captain of his high school track team, is hoping to do well at the state meet.

Those dreams are shattered when police find marijuana in his locker. Kerrigan is faced with some choices: argue that he's innocent, rat out the person who likely put the drugs there, or remain silent and take the blame.

The book title comes from a conversation Kerrigan has with a former boxer. You can fight a good bout, but it only takes one good punch to change the outcome. It's wisdom Kerrigan painfully discovers.

The ending has a nice twist and will reflect Kerrigan's true character. Wallace does a good job building the plot in a short space (116 pages), and it should hold the interest of young readers while imparting a morality lesson.

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