Racism Yes….But Not In The Way You Might Think

So, Charles Barkley recently made news when he blasted his Alma matter, Auburn University, for their choice of Gene Chizik as the new football coach. Chizik, who posted a very unimpressive 5-19 record at Iowa State over the past two years, was given the job over Turner Gill, a former Nebraska All-America quarterback who is the current head coach at the University of Buffalo. Gill took over the Buffalo program 3 years ago, at a time when it was considered the worst in Division 1, and has since guided it to a MAC Conference championship and their first bowl game this year. He is widely considered among the hottest coaching prospects in the country. Yet he was not chosen for the Auburn job, and Barkley feels the reason is racism. “I think race was the No. 1 factor. You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two résumés and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst résumé.”

I believe that Sir Charles is right. Race was a factor in a school like Auburn, in the heart of the Deep South, not hiring a black man as head coach. However, I think it was the race of Mr. Gill’s spouse that had just as much, if not more, of an impact on him not getting the job. You see, Turner Gill is married to a white woman. Now its true that interracial relationships have becoming more commonplace and accepted, frequently seen in the media and in many major cities…We even have a president who is the product of an interracial union....But within certain circles in the Deep South, interracial relationships....especially those featuring the Black man/White woman dynamic....still cause a level of discomfort. I believe that the thought of a dark skinned Turner Gill and his Caucasian wife going to booster events at Rotary clubs in rural Alabama was something that the trustees at Auburn were uncomfortable with.

This situation makes me think about Charlie Strong. Strong, the Defensive Coordinator at the University of Florida is regarded as one of the best and brightest assistant coaches in all of college football. His defense completely shut down Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith in the 2006 BCS championship game, as the Gators won the national championship. He will be coaching the Gators defense again in this year’s BCS Title game. During his years as defensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina and at Florida, a number of players have gone from his tutelage to productive NFL careers. His name is mentioned every year in the coaching carousel, especially through out the South given his connections and reputation as a very good recruiter in the talent rich southeast. Yet, in spite of his success and accomplishments since 1999, ability to recruit top talent and good reputation in coaching circles, Strong has yet to be hired as a head coach.

What color is his wife? White....Doesn’t seem like a coincidence.

It seems like there is now an extra layer of racism that qualified black candidates have to now deal with just to get jobs that they have proven they are capable of handling. And it’s incredibly unfortunate.

Random Thoughts on a Snowy Weekend…..

Not a lot today....Just a couple of thoughts this time...One silly, one serious...

There are a number of currently successful artists in the music industry whose appeal I simply cannot understand (I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this Lil’ Wayne nonsense). I seriously try to be open minded to their music, yet I am left scratching my head as I listen to crappy songs and see a lack discernable talent or appeal. This thought brings me to one of those artists: Keisha Cole. Her albums generally sell very well, she has her own television show....Yet I have no idea how this harpy is successful. The sound of her voice literally hurts my ears.

Last night she...ummm...performed the national anthem before the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Paciao fight. A better explanation is that she screamed it while writhing and convulsing. It was embarrassing to watch and needless to say, it didn’t exactly measure up to the Marvin Gaye/Whitney Houston gold standard. I do not understand why some people think screaming and hollering like you're getting beat with a switch qualifies and being able to "sang".

Now don’t get me wrong, she’s an attractive girl, but her tone deaf wailing reminds me of a cat in heat.....getting tortured by a blow torch. Seriously, someone help me out on this one because I just don’t get it.

Moving on, I read some very sad news about Rodney Rogers, a former great college and professional basketball player. It seems that Rodney has been left paralyzed from the shoulders down by after an ATV accident in rural North Carolina.

I was always a fan of his. He was a big power forward who could shoot like a guard. I remember him dominating the ACC at Wake Forest. In the pros, every team he went to seemed to get a lift and improve due to his contributions. I remember he was a huge part of the last good Celtics team before the “Big 3”, getting traded here during the 2001-2002 team and being a huge part of the Pierce-Walker team that went to the Eastern Conference finals and really pushed the Nets before falling.

Even more than athletically, he always seemed like a total class act. You never heard his name mention in any trouble or controversy. He always played hard. Now he sits crippled for life at the very young age of 37.

I would just like to send my prayers to Rodney and his family, as I hope he is able to rebound somehow from this and live out his days in a happy and productive manner.