Showing posts with label natatorium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natatorium. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2009

#104. Swimming

The athletic prowess of Black people is unquestioned. Being able to run and jump at levels that currently allow them to comprise more than 75 percent of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 60 percent of the National Football League (NFL), despite being less than 13 percent of the United States population, one would imagine that Black people dominate all sports.

However, Black people are notoriously nautically challenged, as the trials and tribulations of entering any body of water - whether it be a lake, ocean, bathtub or natatorium - is one of the ultimate conundrums for our melanin- enhanced friends.

There is a paucity of Black people at beaches and swimming pools - especially among college swimming teams - and this trend shows no sign of change.

Perhaps no video showcases Black people's frustration with water better than Eric "The Eel" Moussambani at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Nearly drowning, Moussambani epitomizes why Black people don't like swimming and what transpires when Black people are confronted by the complexities of the pool.

Eric the Eel can be viewed here.