Toph Speaks

I feel like I am on some sort of roll today. Ray and I were having a conversation this morning about a Sportscenter report on Jackie Robinson. If you need some background on Jackie Robinson, you have problems. But, since people have problems, here’s the quick story. Jackie Robinson was the first black major league baseball player. He was signed by the Dodgers by a man named, Branch Rickey, thus breaking Baseball’s color barrier some 60 years ago. As hard as it will be, I will not talk about sweet of a name Branch Rickey is. Seriously, though, where did names like that go? Oscar Wilde, Branch Rickey, Mickey Mantle, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Toph Miller, powerful, real names like those evoke sexy thoughts in the ladies. It’s true. Look it up.

60 years ago, Jackie Robinson was not an icon. He was not a legacy. He was considered a fool for trying to be the first black man to play Major League Baseball. He was beaten and tormented. Today? Well, his number 42 is retired by the entire league, and I’m writing a little ditty reflecting on this accomplishments. Rather, discussing the impacts of his accomplishments. If you have checked ESPN.com today, you might have seen an article printed on What Jackie Would Think. In case you haven’t, I just posted the link. Read it after you’ve read my biased opinion. The article is about how less and less black kids are playing baseball because of football and basketball. Fine, ESPN, let’s get another take in this.

In no way do I want you to think I am racist, etc. Not what this is about. I just want to look at the other side. If Scoop Jackson can do it, why can’t I? I did just compare myself to Scoop Jackson, but I think he’s terrible, so it’s okay. Having to place this disclaimer pretty much makes my point for later on.

Where are the stories about the declining role of Whites, Asians, Mexicans, etc., in basketball and football? You don’t hear them, because no one cares. They don’t care about the role of Blacks in Soccer and Hockey. No one cared when Eduardo Najera was the only Mexican in the NBA. No one cared when Dat Nguyen was the only Asian in the NFL. Yes, it was great that they were who they were, and that they played with such fire, but it was not amazing because of their race. It was weird when Steve Nash won his first MVP award, but everyone agreed it was because he is tremendous. It’s the reason why he may win his 3rd in a row this year. What you can’t do is look at numbers and place a quota.

I don’t think Jackie Robinson decided to become a professional athlete in an all white world so that one day 60% of the league might be black. I don’t think they should have a quota on how many black head coaches you have to interview in the NFL. It’s 60 years later. How is this still a problem? At what point are as a society going to hire the best man for the job? I understand prejudice, and racism, I do, but what I don’t get are these grandstanding to make everyone happy. For shits sake, we’re about to be voting between a Jew, a Black, and a Woman for our President.

Is it not time to finally say we have all arrived?