NO CONTEST!
Words By Raymond Tyler
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| At One Point Mr. Robeson was brought before congress not about steroids or cheating but because his stance on upholding human rights were deemed "un American" by congress. |
First let's establish that I am older than 25, so my history of football goes back before Donovan Mc Nabb played for The Eagles.
Second let's establish that I am black. I will not apologize for having a full perspective of football from the vantage of being older than The Tennessee Titans or a person of color.
I will establish a third thing later.
Now allow me to discuss establishment number two.
Whenever I have a SERIOUS conversation about football? I always begin with talking about Paul Robeson.
No Robeson never played pro ball after college.
No I do not believe he is in the football hall of fame.
I will consider it the football hall of shame until Paul Robeson is put in.
And yes I believe that too few people who are under 25 and not enough people of every color know who and what Paul Robeson was.
No I do not believe he is in the football hall of fame.
I will consider it the football hall of shame until Paul Robeson is put in.
And yes I believe that too few people who are under 25 and not enough people of every color know who and what Paul Robeson was.
MAKE NO MISTAKE. In highschool and college Paul Leroy Robeson dominated.
Robeson was only the third black student ever enrolled at Rutgers in Newark. He later endured physical racial bigotry from his own football team before going on to letter in several college sports.
AS A GROWN MAN, I am always more impressed and proud of what Mr. Robeson did when not carrying a football and what he choose to do after college.
Robeson was only the third black student ever enrolled at Rutgers in Newark. He later endured physical racial bigotry from his own football team before going on to letter in several college sports.
AS A GROWN MAN, I am always more impressed and proud of what Mr. Robeson did when not carrying a football and what he choose to do after college.
Through out his time at Rutgers, Mr. Robeson was a profound actor and singer.
It was his story that helped me understand that I myself could enjoy playing basket ball, but it was no crime to embrace the world of arts my passion.
After graduating from Rutgers with honors Mr. Robeson went on to law school and became a world famous performer and activist. His work in the theater and fighting for human rights eclipsed ALMOST anything he accomplished on the field.
ALMOST.
You see with out Paul Robeson who was a dominant athlete and activist.
ALMOST.
You see with out Paul Robeson who was a dominant athlete and activist.
You almost never get to other athletes who while they dominated never played games when it came to important issues.
People I admire not for their scoring (okay well yeah I do) but more so for them being RIGHT on important issues like ownership, war, peace and community were also inspired by Robeson.
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| You Can't get to Russell, Ali and Brown without connecting them to Paul Robeson |
People Like Bill Russell and Jim Brown and Ali would be more like the"shuck and jive and shinning" players we have too many of today, if not for Paul Robeson.
I enjoy football a lot. However, I love the legacy of Paul Robeson much more.
NO CONTEST!
Oh the third thing I wanted to establish is that yes I will have my pre-season picks in before Wednesday's first NFL game.
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