As you may or may not know, I'm a huge fan of professional football. Over the past few years, however, I've become a big fan of college football. After all, the pros get their big auditions from playing college anyway, right?!
Well, I came across an HBO sports documentary on college football. It's called Breaking The Huddle: The Integration Of College Football. It's a documentary showing how segregation affected college football in the Southeastern, Southwest and Atlantic Coastal Conferences and their recruiting (or lack thereof) of black athletes.
The documentary showcased numerous black athletes that were denied the opportunity to play in great football programs in the late 1950's and 1960's. The one player that stood out to me was Bubba Smith, the former Baltimore great. A Texas native, Smith wanted to play in his home state, but was denied the opportunity because no schools were ready to integrate their football squads. Instead, he went to Michigan State in order to pursue his football career.
Another intriguing storyline they followed was former Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Wanting to integrate his football team for years, he feared the consequences from his White counterparts if he brought in Black players, so in 1970, he created a plan to bring in an integrated team, the USC Trojans, to play against. The plan was to show the university how Black players were needed in order to be consistent contenders for the national championship. It worked. After USC RB Sam "Bam" Cunningham ran all over Alabaama, the Crimson Tide program finally became one of the last programs to integrate it's football team.
As a 29 year-old Black female, I cannot say that I can relate to this situation, because I live in a generation that is already integrated. However, after watching this documentary, it was definitely an eye opener for my naive mind. Having known that the National Football League had indeed been integrated by the time these stories took place, I thought that collegiate sports had followed the same moniker in order to be able to succeed on a professional level. Boy was I wrong. The images re-created were heart breaking, upsetting and full of hatred.
I am a huge fan of the Southeastern Conference, or better known to us as the SEC. I always said that if my son became very good at playing football and wanted to pursue it further, the SEC would be a good conference to get an NFL career started. Those programs are absolutely awesome, especially on defense, and any player has a great chance to be pro coming from the SEC. (I'd like to take a quick and lighter side note to add that, I'm a Florida Gators follower. So I'm quite biased of the SEC anyway. Oh and I'll be rooting for them on Jan. 8th. Now back to our regularly scheduled program).
After watching this program, I did, and still do, have second thoughts regarding the programs and schools in the South. Forty+ years later after everything that has happened, it is totally disheartening to see how unfair people, MY people, were treated. While racism and prejudice has somewhat subsided and, to a degree, been suppressed, I feel strongly that some of those feelings and actions still have a lingering affect on today's generation. While I'm well aware that this is 2008-09, some things never change. In fact, the old cliche says, "The more things change, the more they stay the same"
I recommend any college football, or pro football fan to watch this documentary. To my father and uncle who pursued college football careers during this area, this may be nothing but a painful reminder for them. But to generations like myself, it's brings a whole new perspective of segregation and the affect it had below the Mason-Dixon line and the Deep South
Side Note: I love sports documentaries. One that are very well produced and directed, have tons of sports history that I never knew of. If you love sports documentaries like I do, I suggest you see the following programs:
Rebels of Oakland: The A's and the Raiders, the 70's.
Great HBO documentary about the city of Oakland and how they were treated like stepchildren to the more desired neighboring city of San Francisco. Showing how both the A's and Raiders put Oakland on the map, there are various story lines that really get your attention. Biggest info I learned?? How the Immaculate Reception should have never been. But because the referees were scared about what would happen to them if they called it an incomplete pass, the call held up.
The Greatest Game Ever Played.
Most recently showed on ESPN, this re-captures the 1958 NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Football Giants (as they were called in those days) in color. I love this story, mainly because my grandfather was a part of history, by going to New York and attending this game. So in a way, I feel a sense of connection to this story. Most of the former players say they never expected this game to change football to what it is today (mainly because of the sloppy plays and turnovers in this game). But the production is great, bringing in old Colts and Giants members to talk with current Giants and Colts members about that special game. Biggest info I learned? They brought in a expert to see if in fact, Frank Gifford did or did not get the controversial 1st down that would've allowed the Giants to run the clock out and win the game (he was ruled short during the game). According to the expert, the refs were right. Based on a sophisticated software they used, they confirmed that Gifford did NOT get the 1st down.
Good stuff!
With the 2008 NFL Season over and the playoffs starting, I figured... why not start my new blog off right. Comment on thoughts of each team from this season, just like everyone else will do at this time. The difference between my thoughts and others? Nothing really... Other than the fact that I think I entertain myself pretty well, so why not share the wealth with others who probably could care less but want to say how much my opinion sucks!
Anyway, on with my observation of this fabulous 2008 NFL.
Disclaimer: If you don't like what I said about your team... too bad Ha Ha Ha!!!!
One Thing To Say About Each Team
Atlanta Falcons- Wow! A years after the debacle in the A, the Falcons, with the help of coach Mike Smith, QB Matt Ryan, and RB Michael Turner, look like a playoff contender. Whodathunkit???
Carolina Panthers- My underdog team to root for (other than my own team) for the postseason. Steve Smith is a beast, and their running backs Williams and Stewart aren't too bad either
Tampa Bay Bucs- So Monte Kiffin leaves and your defense becomes flat as a 4 day old Pepsi? Pathetic
New Orleans Saints- Three words: Get A Defense! Brees puts up 40 points, but then their D gives up 41. Help a QB out!
New England Patriots- Good job showing resiliency, but too little too late. Matt Cassel, what a great job you did. But you, my friend, are no Tom Brady.
Miami Dolphins- Bill Parcells is THE Football god. You heard it here first!
Buffalo Bills- What the hell happened to you?? A great start with a sour, sloppy finish??? I think this team still has Super Bowl Loser jet lag from the 4 straight losses in the 90's. Nothing has gone their way since then (See Music City Miracle for confirmation)
New York Jets- Shame on you! Dumping Chad and his water pistol arm for gun slinging Brett. Oh yeah, Chad says thanks for putting him out of his misery and allowing him to go from cold, windy, snowy New York to warm, sunny, sunbathing Florida, were his team actually appreciates him. *snicker*
Baltimore Ravens- This is what happens when you have an owner that has the balls to make a very hard decision and fire his head coach because he sensed he could do better. Well, he has and they haven't missed a beat. Brian who?? PS- Let's go Flacco!!
Cleveland Browns- You suck. I know, harsh words, but it's true. Sorry, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But admitting it is the first step... And No, Bill Cowher will not be your head coach for 2009, so stop asking him
Cincinnati Bengals- You showed heart the last few weeks of the season. Although the head coach doesn't really have a say in what goes on over there, and you cut valuable players that would've helped you this season (i.e. Willie Anderson, Rudi Johnson), and your starting QB hasn't played for majority of the the season, you're probably still better off than the Browns.
Pittsburgh Steelers- You look like the Baltimore Ravens of 2000. Great defense, inept offense with a good runni.....wait! Your running game is sub par too. But you do have a clutch winner with Big Ben. The reason why I mention this comparison (to which yellow-and-black fans should LOVE).... because you may get a 6th ring this year. Plus, the football gods love you. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good
New York Giants- I smell a repeat coming. But then again, I was piss poor all year with my office pools, so what do I know???
Philadelphia Eagles- Make up your mind. Are you hot or cold. You lose to Washington 10-3 in Week 16, but then you beat the Cowboys like they slapped your mama in Week 17, 44-6. This team is bi polar and I hope the "happy" team shows up in the playoffs
Dallas Cowboys- Remember the sign a Brownie fan put up when Terrell Owens was with Philly and came to Cleveland?? It said, "T.O. Has B.O." This sooooo applies to the current situation in Irving. It stinks! Fix it!
Washington Redskins- Note to Dan Snyder, "STOP INVESTING IN PAST-THEIR-PRIME PLAYERS IN FREE AGENCY/TRADE AND FIX YOUR OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINES" Some folks need to learn that winning NFL champions doesn't happen if you buy the team. You build through the draft. This isn't the MLB. If it were, you'd have half as many rings as the Yankees have by now. But it's not... and you don't....
Indianapolis Colts- As a Ravens fan, I just want to say... I never want to see Peyton manning again! Please and thank you
Tennessee Titans- OOOOOOO, you better watch out. Yellow-and-black is gonna get you, because you stomped on those Terrible Towels (which, if it makes any of you yellow-and-black fans feel better, it was NOT the Myron Cope Terrible Towel that goes to charity)! That whole situation is funny to me. And I can't say I don't understand why Tennessee did it. It was there house, they dominated and they were unhappy about other folks being in their house. If these 2 teams play each other in the AFC Championship, it will be great theater to see what happens.
Jacksonville Jaguars- Better luck next year. With a few additions here and there, I believe this team can be back to playoff status next year.
Houston Texans- 16-16 in 2 seasons means you're almost there, but something is still missing. I think, whatever needs to come in place, will happen within the next 2 years, either in the draft or free agency.
Chiacgo Bears- How do you lose to the Texans with the playoffs on the line??? Wow!
Green Bay Packers- Oh trust me. It wasn't because you let Brett go that you suck. Your defense can't stop anybody, is why. I will not allow anyone to blame Aaron Rodgers for mediocrity. And why is Charles Woodson a safety now???
Minnesota Vikings- Adrian Peterson. Nothing or no one else comes to mind when I think of this team. Oh and Jared Allen dishing it but can't take it (those low blows to the knees).
Detroit Lions- I'm sad for you. This one is way too easy to crack jokes. But nothing's funny. I'd probably cry home to my momma if I didn't get one answer right on my driver's license test, or anything I do for that matter. Like Tupac says, keep ya head up!
San Diego Chargers- Philip Rivers is carrying you. That's right, not LT, but Rivers. It's nice that you guys are trying to get over the Norv Turner curse (see Washington Redskins for reference). And I hope you break it. When does Merriman come back again??? Oh and I love this Rivers-Cutler rivalry going on! Great for TV
Denver Broncos- Poor Shanahan got the fall for such a disappointing team. The Broncos have a whiny QB and a defense that can't stop my son's little league team (and trust me, I'm confident that there's one little boy they couldn't stop, no joking around). Get some D!
Oakland Raiders- Al Davis must be rolling around his grave knowing what's goi..... Wait, Al's still with us? Then why the hell is this team so bad for so long? Wait happened to "Just Win, Baby!!"??? What a bunch of crap we've been sold. I feel the same feeling I felt when my childhood friend told me Santa was a lie. I feel lied to......
Kansas City Chiefs- Poor Herm. I hope he keeps his job, at least to get once more chance at redemption. Who knew that Tyler Thigpen could be a serviceable QB for the Chiefs earlier this season? It may have brought in another win or two
Arizona Cardinals- Worse playoff I ever remember seeing.. Even with Warner, Fitzgerald and Bouldin.
St Louis Rams- You suck. Even with Steven Jackson
Seattle Seahawks- You suck. Even with Mike Holmgren. Oops! That's out the door, now, isn't it. You just suck, I guess....
San Francisco 49ers- You did suck, but once you fired Nolan and had Singletary take over the team, you improved vastly. There is hope for the NFC West after all.
Game Balls of the Year- Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens organizations. Going from one of the worst teams in '07 to true playoff contenders in '08. Picking up key off season acquisitions, but none of them flashy or expensive, to help rebuild. Not even knowing this would be the furthest thing from being a "rebuilding" year
Peyton Manning- Because you are truly awesome. Even with a bum knee and a back-to-sub par defense, you still find ways to win games
Bill Belichick- I know a lot of people think of Spygate with him. But after Brady went down, I said they were done. He's a football genius. Bill Parcells taught him well
Shame Balls of the Year- Jerry Jones and "America's Team"- I'm sorry, but can we take this self proclaimed title away until this team wins a playoff game??? Seriously. I could think of a few teams that earned the right to be called "America's Team", and they aren't it.
Plaxico Burress aka Harris Smith aka Plexiglass- IF YOU HAVE TO CARRY A GUN TO THE PARTY YOU'RE GOING TO... THEN THAT PARTY MAY NOT BE THE PLACE FOR YOU!!! That was free of charge Plax... I'm charging you next time
Mangini and the Jets- Karma is something, and I believe that. The very guy you cut, is the same guy that knocked you out of the playoffs and Eric Mangini to lose his job (well, you can make a strong case that Brett is why Mangini is gone, but this is debatable however you look at it). This is better than Any Given Sunday, except this was real life. How cool is that?!
Denver Broncos- You would've clinched the division 3 weeks ago. But because your defense can't stop apretty much no one, you lost, in blowout fashion, to your arch rivals, the San Diego Chargers. You lost the division AND a spot out of the playoff. I'd hate being a Broncos fan right now.
Detroit Lions- [insert comment here.......]
Thanks for coming to play boys and girls. I promise I'll be back with more thoughts and arm chair analysis
The NFL Chick knows that you care about how your personal information is used and shared, and we take your privacy very seriously. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy. By visiting our website, you are accepting the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy covers The NFL Chick's treatment of personal information that The NFL Chick gathers when you are on the The NFL Chick website and when you use The NFL Chick services. This policy does not apply to the practices of third parties that The NFL Chick does not own or control, or to individuals that The NFL Chick does not employ or manage.
Information Collected by The NFL Chick.
We only collect personal information that is relevant to the purpose of our website. This information allows us to provide you with a customized and efficient experience. We do not process this information in a way that is incompatible with this objective. We collect the following types of information from our The NFL Chick users:
1. Information You Provide to Us: We receive and store any information you enter on our website or provide to us in any other way. You can choose not to provide us with certain information, but then you may not be able to take advantage of many of our special features.
2. Automatic Information:
o We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us. The NFL Chick and its authorized agents automatically receive and record certain "traffic data" on their server logs from your browser including your IP address, The NFL Chick cookie information, and the page you requested. The NFL Chick uses this traffic data to help diagnose problems with its servers, analyze trends and administer the website.
o The NFL Chick may collect and, on any page, display the total counts that page has been viewed.
o Many companies offer programs that help you to visit websites anonymously. While The NFL Chick will not be able to provide you with a personalized experience if we cannot recognize you, we want you to be aware that these programs are available.
E-mail Communications
The NFL Chick is very concerned about your privacy and we will never provide your email address to a third party without your explicit permission, as detailed in the "Sharing Your Information" section below. The NFL Chick may send out e-mails with The NFL Chick-related news, products, offers, surveys or promotions.
Cookies
Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser and tell us how and when pages in our website are visited and by how many people. The NFL Chick cookies do not collect personal information, and we do not combine information collected through cookies with other personal information to tell us who you are or what your screen name or e-mail address is.
The "help" portion of the toolbar on the majority of browsers will direct you on how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to command the browser to tell you when you receive a new cookie, or how to fully disable cookies. We recommend that you leave the cookies activated because cookies allow you to use some of The NFL Chick's coolest features.
The NFL Chick's advertising partners may place a cookie on your browser that makes it possible to collect anonymous non-personally identifiable information that ad delivery systems use to present more relevant ads. If you would prefer to opt-out of this standard practice, please visit our advertising partner Platform-A's privacy policy and opt-out page.
Sharing Your Information
Rest assured that we neither rent nor sell your personal information to anyone and that we will share your personal information only as described below.
The NFL Chick Personnel:The NFL Chick personnel and authorized consultants and/or contractors may have access to user information if necessary in the normal course of The NFL Chick business.
Business Transfers: In some cases, we may choose to buy or sell assets. In these types of transactions, user information is typically one of the business assets that is transferred. Moreover, if The NFL Chick, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred.
Protection of The NFL Chick and Others: We may release personal information when we believe in good faith that release is necessary to comply with a law; to enforce or apply our Terms of Use and other policies; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of The NFL Chick, our employees, our users, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
Syndication: The NFL Chick allows for the RSS syndication of all of its public content within The NFL Chick website.
With Your Consent: Except as noted above, we will contact you when your personal information is shared with third parties or used for a purpose incompatible with the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected, and you will be able to opt out to prevent the sharing of this information.
Children Under 18 Years of Age
You must be 13 years and older to register to use the The NFL Chick website. As a result, The NFL Chick does not specifically collect information about children. If we learn that The NFL Chick has collected information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. We recommend that minors between the ages of 13 and 18 ask and receive their parents' permission before using ******* or sending information about themselves or anyone else over the Internet.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
The NFL Chick may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time, at its sole discretion. Use of information we collect now is subject to the Privacy Policy in effect at the time such information is used. If we make changes to the Privacy Policy, we will notify you by posting an announcement on the The NFL Chick website so you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances if any, it is disclosed.
Conditions of Use
If you decide to visitThe NFL Chick website, your visit and any possible dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use, including limitations on damages, arbitration of disputes, and application of California state law.
Effective Date of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is effective as of The NFL Chick and last updated The NFL Chick.
