Forget about a black man being a star on 'The Bachelor'

ABC is overdue to cast a black man to star as "The Bachelor."

I mean, c'mon. In all 16 seasons on the show, all of the guys given top billing on the show have been white.

It's time to mix things up, don't you think?

The show's producers, though, are all about ratings. And a whole lot of Americans are still stuck in the last century when it comes to interracial dating. Certain black people - especially women - would have a major problem with seeing a room full of white women romantically pursuing a lone African American male. And certain white folks won't like it either.

But now, it looks as if the pressure for The Bachelor is off. The Associated Press is reporting that a federal judge has dismissed a case filed by two black men who claimed ABC's ''The Bachelor'' and ''The Bachelorette'' discriminated against casting participants of color. U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger's ruling on Monday states that casting decisions by the network and the series' producers are protected by the First Amendment and the case should not continue.

Earlier this year, two African American men, Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, sued ABC, claiming their bids to appear on ''The Bachelor'' weren't taken seriously. The judge, however, said that the First Amendment guards against regulating the show's content.

It's a bummer for Johnson and Claybrooks, as well as that Portland-based sportscaster - Lamar Hurd who'd also expressed interest in stepping in and being the Jackie Robinson of ABC's The Bachelor.

What do you think? Should ABC take a chance and pick a black bachelor or are too many people still not ready for it?