During my conversation with Bubba O'Neil, the chat turned to race in Canadian sports media. He told me the best advice he'd received was from John Saunders who told him he'd have to work ten times as hard to make it, because he was a black man.
Black people may be underrepresented in Canadian sports media, but a recent promotional picture from Rogers to promote their sports radio hosts on The Fan 590 has me wondering about that station in particular.
For those wondering if Bob McCown and Stephen Brunt really did sit together for the photo, the answer is yes. All nine gathered and collected around a table for the photo shoot.
The "countless opinions" belong to nine white men. When you review their surnames, the lack of diversity becomes even more jarring.
- Brady
- Price
- Burrill
- Cox
- McCown
- Brunt
- Blair
- Walker
- Ennis
Herb Powell: You! What are your roots?
Exec: Well I guess you could say they extend to when the Anglos met the Saxons.
Herb Powell: In other words when white met bread.
- Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Simpsons
I have more questions here than answers. Without a doubt, this roster of sports talk radio talent is not representative of the world's most diverse city, but is it representative of sports radio listeners?
If one argues they are representative of sports radio listeners, is that a reflection of the fact all opinions are from a while male perspective? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
And finally, does this matter? Should sports talk radio in Toronto feature a more diverse roster of talent? Does anyone care?
