THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TOPICS that I really have no business talking about.  One of those is racism.  The other is sports.

Don’t get me wrong: I know about racism, though I’ve rarely experienced it.  I think it’s one of those deep-seated things  rooted in the nature of man.  I remember racial tension growing up, especially when it came to certain places near where I lived.  Now, of course, I am a minority more often than not, living in a culturally-diverse but highly-Asian part of America.  On some level, race is something I don’t really see at this point in my life (at least not as some deciding factor or anything).

And sports.  I appreciate them.  I’ll even play them if I have a friend whose up for playing without getting too serious.  But I don’t identify with teams much, can’t really get into the collective-consciousness associated with most sports today.  I enjoy seeing my students play, too, which is something that I don’t do often enough.

And so Jeremy Lin.  I’ve been keeping up with the buzz around him on some basic level.  He is something of a sensation, there’s no way around it.  But thanks to Grantland, one of my recent favorite sites, I’ve read something interesting stuff about the effects of his recent rise to fame.

I’m not sure what you’ll think of the article I’m about to link to, but I think it’s worth reading.  Race, I fear, will always be an issue, and in multiple ways and arenas.  Growing up, it was about black and white.  Now and everywhere, it is about so much more.

Grantland’s Rembert Browne has an interesting perspective and a thought-provoking article here.  Agree or disagree, it’s a challenging conversation.