In Zirin's article about Ben Roethlisburger, he argues that legal action should be taken against Roethlisburger and he should be punished according to his crime. Even though he's not yet been convicted, Zirin argues that sexual assault is a serious-enough accusation that punishment from the NFL should be issued, in the form of suspension and various other atonements. He argues that Roethlisburger is getting off easy because he resides on a "white pedestal of wealth and fame," and that if he were black he may not even make it to trial before being sent to prison. The evidence against Roethlisburger seems overwhelmingly convincing, but because of his race, fame, and wealth, he's not yet been convicted. Zirin compares this case with that of Michael Vick abusing dogs, and notes how seriously he was punished. Zirin firmly believes Roethlisburger should be punished accordingly, without our society's ideology of white supremacy working in Roethlisburger's favor and playing a role in viewing him as innocent.
Wise argues a similar view, that whites should be treated and "punished" as blacks would be when doing the same things. He argues that white supremacy shouldn't be a free pass to threaten others and act in violent manners without consequences, because if black people did the same things they'd likely be punished, and in a far more severe manner than if whites were even punished at all. Wise gives several examples of racist acts performed by whites, and asks readers to imagine what would happen if blacks did the same things to white people. If roles were reversed, the reactions and punishments would be quite different. However, thanks to the ideology of white supremacy, whites can "get away" with such actions without facing dire consequences.
The two arguments in these articles are compatible with McIntire's "Unpacking the Knapsack" examples because white privilege is so widespread and normalized that often our society doesn't even realize its effects. It only becomes evident if we compare white experiences to black experiences and look at their differences that we realize how biased our society is. If we think of role reversals, like in Wise's article, then we become aware of white privilege, but this happens far too infrequently to be able to start trying to change the status quo of white supremacy.
Coakley discusses the myth of black athletic destiny, and how it is explained by how blacks, especially men, are raised to believe they are superior when it comes to physical abilities and certain sports, and that it is their destiny to excel. This belief pushes them to train harder in their specific sport, yielding incredible results and success. This myth of black athletic destiny is further perpetuated when they feel that their chances of gaining respect and prestige are small in other contexts and realms outside sport, and when they experience restricted opportunities in other potential occupations. All these factors preserve the myth of black athletic destiny, and heavily influence the choices blacks make in regards to sport choice and beliefs that they can achieve superiority and success.
Sociologists make several critiques about the genetic explanations of black athletic achievements. One of them is that human actions can't be reduced to the effects of particular genes, and that environmental factors play a huge role in activating and suppressing genes. Various chemicals and hormones also play a part in gene regulation, which are in turn influenced by the environment as well. Sociologists also critique that athletic ability and success in a sport requires a great many genes, and that this only provides a partial explanation of athletic ability. There is no evidence that shows that specific sport performances are enhanced by skin color, and to say black athletic achievements are based solely on genetics is ridiculous.
Studies similar to these aren't conducted on white athletes, because when whites succeed in athletics it's viewed as a result of cultural and social factors. Skiers from Austria, for example, are good because of their environment and the opportunities they had growing up to ski with friends and family. This is a readily simple explanation, and one that would be boring to study.