black beauty 2

As an avid aficionado of professional basketball, this second section had some huge parallels to the NBA that I felt necessary to point out. Both Black Beauty and veterans of the league share the same mistreatment in common. Usually, once a player has passed his prime (even if he once was an All-star), he immediately becomes trade bait. Often times, these wily vets that understand the game and have experience are put on the trading block to trade for healthier, younger athletes. Growing up in Dallas, I follow the Mavericks religiously. A good example of this is Jerry Stackhouse, a shooting-guard who once won the 6th man of the year award in 2005-2006, the year we made it into the championship. Now with a wave of younger and injury free players, Stackhouse finds himself on the bench with little to no playing time. When I read Black Beauty and saw the way he was treated after being injured, I quickly connected the two. Black Beauty says, "I was turned into a small meadow for a month or two; no other creature was there, and though I enjoyed the liberty and the sweet grass, yet I had been so long used to society that I felt very lonely" (108). Shortly after, Ginger joins him because "she had been ruined by hard riding, and was now turned off to see what rest would do" (108). After being in the spotlight for such a long time in his career, Stackhouse has to be experiencing the same feelings of Black Beauty. All injured players or veterans in the NBA face the same hardships as this. They are expected to be loyal to their organizations when resigning contracts, but once they get injured or too old to produce, they are shown no loyalty in return. Horses are shown the same treatment as injured players as can be seen by Black Beauty's owner: "the black one, he must be sold; 'tis a great pity, but I could not have knees like these in my stables" (109).

Stackhouse riding the bench at a game [1]

The discontent of older players in the NBA can be seen in this article on Stackhouses role with the Mavs. He says, "The teams that make sense for me are close and need a veteran, some toughness and a guy that knows how to win big games. Hopefully we can find that, but if not I'll be here in the same role I've been in: continuing to encourage the young guys. That's what the team has been asking me to do. It's just that I feel I could serve a better role somewhere else." [2] The article continues to say that "Stackhouse wasn't angry. He's not demanding a trade. He just feels he still has something left, and he doesn't fit in the new Mavericks' offensive scheme." If it were me though, I would be extremely upset. This guy was a vital part of our team in the development of the franchise into a succesful powerhouse and the only thing we can show him in return is that if we can develop younger athletes at the expense of him, then that's OK? I say that's horse shit.

In the same vein of professional sports, I was reading an article in a magazine (that I can't find online anywhere) about a man who started a ranch with his wife for retired race horses. Apparently, after race horses get injured or are past their prime, they are put down. These horses win people hundreds of thousands of dollars, and once they are hurt, they pay to have them permanently retired. What has happened to loyalty, people? This wonderful old man and his wife would purchase these thoroughbreds, and nurse them back to being healthy. The ranch was spotlighted on ESPN's Sportscenter when a blind and dying child's wish was to meet one of the most prestigious race horses ever. He got to pet this horse, and I think was allowed to ride him around. Just like Stackhouse, this horse along with these horses have become forgotten champions.

Petting an old champion race horse [3]

In an extreme light, these injured veterans can face an even harsher light such as Black Beauty. When he was sold, he said that "in this place I was to get my experience of all the different kinds of bad and ignorant driving to which we horses are subjected" and that he "was oftener let out to the ignorant drivers than some of the other horses, because I could be depended upon" (111). Instead of being shown loyalty for these admirable traits, Black Beauty was exploited and given to ignorant drivers. One of his drivers even goes on to say that "He's a hired horse ... I don't know what's the matter with him, but it's a great shame to send out a lame beast like this" (113). I feel sorry for professional atheletes, both human and animals alike. It's just unfair to treat these earthlings with strictly business like manners. These are living beings and should not be subjected to these feelings of abandonment and worthlessness. They are much more than what they are good at and to send them packing to hit the road is a very cruel punishment.

[4]

[1] http://bojack.org/images/stackhouse2.jpg
[2] http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3710468
[3] http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/2487646403_c5f0f846a4.jpg
[4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Tiz6INF7I