U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT PROFILES BLACKS AND PRO SPROTS

          In a cover story entitled "Are Pro Sports Bad for Black
     America?," U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT's John Simons addresses
     whether African-Americans "suffer as a result" of their
     "dominant presence" in professional sports.  Although the
     achievements of black athletes have been significant, Simons
     notes that the "relatively small, elite class" of wealthy
     black athletes and the media and advertisers "who feed on
     them -- have created the impression among lower-income
     blacks that there are unlimited opportunities" in pro
     sports.  As a result, many young black men have an
     "obsession with sports ... often at the expense of the more
     traditional, if less glamorous, route to upward mobility:
     education" (U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, 3/24 issue).