NFL Players Association Tip: Consider the Source!

The above quote was included in the NFLPA’s January 9, 2015 newsletter to former players.

Ben Franklin was definitely at war with his vices. Here’s an excerpt from an article entitled: Ben Franklin's mixed legacy on race, both slave owner and abolitionist

"When it came to the most shameful chapter in America's history, Franklin's words did not match his actions. He spoke of liberty and was a key contributor to the Declaration of Independence ("All men are created equal"), yet he owned slaves for more than 40 years. He sought to prove to Britain that his nation was the land of freedom, yet accepted - and even profited from - chattel slavery as a matter of course.”

I’m not sure if former players want to take tips from Ben Franklin – no matter how good they sound.

All I can say is the NFLPA should choose their quotes more wisely, especially when you think about the early years of the NFL and the exclusion and oppression of black players.

Many white players - and white society in general – took part in this discrimination and even though I’m not remotely equating the NFL with slavery, we can’t forget that there was a time when blacks were not allowed to play pro football. 

Even though there were a small number of black players in the 1920’s and 30’s, the integration of pro football did not truly begin until 1946 when the Los Angeles Rams signed running back Kenny Washington and receiver Woody Strode, and the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference signed offensive tackle Bill Willis and running back Marion Motley. In 1949, 3 of the 10 N.F.L. teams had black players. By 1955, the Redskins were the lone holdout in the 12-team league. They didn't have any black players until 1962.

One of the turning points in race relations in pro football came in 1965 when black players decided to boycott the 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans after many of them were refused service by cab drivers, hotels and businesses. Here's an excerpt from a story posted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame website:

As the black athletes made it clear that they were heading home, league officials and the game organizers had a decision to make. Would the game go on without the nearly two dozen players who walked out? That question was soon answered when, in a show of support and sympathy for their cause, white players such as Hall of Fame Tackle Ron Mix of the San Diego Chargers decided a statement was needed. “I made a decision then that if the game were to go on despite the absence of the black players, I would not play,” reflected Mix. “I felt I would be wrong in not playing but that it was important for at least one white player to join them, to say we’re with you.” Mix was not the only white player to join the boycott. The next day, on Monday, Jan. 11, AFL commissioner Joe Foss announced that the game would be moved to Houston and played at Jeppesen Stadium. 

For the Civil Rights movement, the episode was historic: black players united to use their stature and organizational value to effectively change the course of a major sporting event. My fellow Buffalo Bills Alumni, Butch Byrd, Cookie Gilchrist, Ernie Warlick and Jack Kemp were instrumental in the Boycott that demonstrated to the nation that the struggle was ongoing and would not be cured by simply passing federal laws. 

February is Black History month, so let's continue to learn from the mistakes that were made in the past and do everything we can in the present - to build a better future for all members of the human race.  

We can’t forget the past........... but we do have the power to forgive.  

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” - Martin Luther King jr.

Now that’s a good tip.........from a good source!