This week, the country took a moment to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. People conducted ceremonies, took a day off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and got together to celebrate how great the United States can be. Many people are grateful to Dr. King. I know I am.
As a black man, I understand that the job I have now probably wasn't available during his lifetime. The doors were opened thanks to leaders such as him, not to mention those who endured the up front struggles (including my parents, grandparents, and ancestors).
The same can be said in sports. Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Willie O'Ree, and the 1966 Texas Western basketball team all broke down stereotypes in their respective sports. Even though their accomplishments might not been as accepted in their time, the magnitude of their presence is felt and seen in the sports leagues of today.
It seems appropriate that while we celebrate Dr. King, the sports world will prepare for another small breakthrough in the annals of its history.
Sunday afternoon, the NFL will decide which two teams will be represented in the Super Bowl on February 6th. The AFC championship will feature two powerful defenses and a couple of squads that personify the word "team." The NFC title game will feature two outstanding teams, but also holds something more significant.
By the end of that game in Philadelphia, either Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb will become only the third black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl.
When Doug Williams led the Washington Redskins into Super Bowl XXII, I was only 8-years-old and really couldn't comprehend the significance of the moment. Williams' four touchdown tosses in the second quarter made the game irrelevant in the eyes of those looking for a close game. However, I can't help but feel that the performance stood tall in the eyes of Willie Thrower, Marlin Briscoe, and Joe Gilliam, Jr.
When Steve McNair ran out of the tunnel five years ago (in Super Bowl XXXIV), I was much more aware of the situation at hand. I remember watching most of the game in my dorm room at Iowa State, quietly rooting for the Alcorn State grad to lead Tennessee to a win. Instead, homegrown Iowan Kurt Warner ended his Cinderella story thanks to a tackle on the one-yard line.
The older I've gotten, the more I recognized what African Americans have gone through to be seen as worthy to stand in arenas of power and prominence. The NFL quarterback is no different. In 1953, Thrower, a member of the Chicago Bears, became the first black man to throw an official pass in the league.
Baltimore Colt George Taliaferro (1953) and Green Bay's Charles Brackins (1955) saw limited time behind center before another 13-year span of no black QBs in the pros. Briscoe broke the mold again when he started 11 games for Denver during the 1968 season. That venture into the league opened the way for Gilliam, James Harris, Williams, Warren Moon, and Randall Cunningham to take over the brightest position on the field.
In the present, youngsters like myself can't really imagine the struggles it took to get our race this far. There won't be another Civil Rights Movement as there was in the '60s. Although there are improvements to be made on the sidelines and in the front office, the field is showing some results. McNabb and Vick are only two of six first-string QBs to take the field this season (not to mention a handful of backups who formerly started).
But an opportunity to be seen on the big stage doesn't come along at the drop of a helmet. Even with six starting quarterbacks in the league, the deck is pretty stacked against one of them getting to the almighty championship.
So, as we celebrate the life of a man who preached equal rights, let's remember that plan as a slow work in progress for all walks of life. Hopefully, as the game unfolds Sunday, millions of blacks around the country will enjoy the outcome, no matter who wins. I'm sure I will.
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