21 January 2007

Lovie & Tony

What a day!
What a day for football fans!
What a day for Black people!

We have TWO Black HEAD COACHES, Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy, leading teams into the greatest sporting event of the year - The Super Bowl!

The deal was sealed when Indianapolis Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson intercepted a pass from the New England Patriots quartback Tom Brady with the Colts ahead by four points and less than 25 seconds remaining on the clock. Jackson caught the ball, ran about five yards and showed great intelligence and selflessness by falling onto his back and allowing th eplay to end. A lot of other 'hotdogs" would have tried to show off by running wildly towards the endzone, or would have stupidly started lateraling the ball around with hopes of scoring a touchdown to add insult to the Patriots injury - but not Jackson, he showed that he had his head together and did the right thing. Major Kudos to HIM!

The Monsters of the Midway, the Chicago Bears under the coaching of Lovie Smith had secured their spot in the Super Bowl earlier today with a big win over America's feel-good team, the New Orleans Saints.

This is such a spectacular milestone for Blacks in the higher-end of professional sports. Sure, many Blacks can throw and run and jump and tackle, that's just a plain old given at this point. But step by step, Blacks are proving their talent and abilities to the world of the NFL...

Okay, let me just point out that there are far more important issues, obstacles and goals for Blacks to get through, over and to in the real world, but since I'm a big football fan, I just wanted to blow my horn about the greatest sport in the world.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

For the longest time, uh the 80's, there was just Doug Williams and Warren Moon - the two lone Black men trusted to throw the ball in the NFL. Slowly but surely through the 90's and into the last 6 years, more and more Black men were trusted at the helm of the offenses. And then, they started popping up on the sidelines calling the shots as HEAD COACHES, and I was like, "YEAH!"

Yeah, ART SHELL!
Yeah, RAY RHODES!
Yeah, DENNY GREEN!
Yeah, TONY DUNGY!
Yeah, HERMAN EDWARDS!
Yeah, MARVIN LEWIS!
Yeah, LOVIE SMITH!

And here we are now, with two really good and really talented teams, lead by intelligent and skillful Black men, in what is going to be a serious blend of strategic, smash mouth, groudpounding, and airin' it out gridiron warfare! I just can't wait!!!

TEBM

6 comments:

onefromphilly said...

After my Eagles were eliminated, all I've cared about is that we get the two Black coaches into the Superbowl. Of course there are more pressing issues facing Black America, but they can wait until February 5th. LOL

The funny thing is that we really must have made some significant strides as far as Black representation and decision making in professional sports. My 16 yr old son actually wonders why I get so excited and cheer for the teams with Black coaches. He says "Mom there are plenty of Black q-backs in the NFL, and plenty of Black coaches in the NBA". Wow, I forgot how different the world looks to this generation. But then I have to quicky remind him just how far we have come, how much work was required, and how long it took. There is a life lesson in everything (in his opinion) LOL.

Dangerfield said...

Yo TBM excellent post, and you are correct this is a great moment in black american history.
Any little sliver of positivity comming from anywhere is a good thing consedering all of the negative things our children and people in general.

Kudos to Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, for a minute I didnt think dungy could get his boys ready to play but he has now proven everyone who shared that view wrong.

Also Lovie is going to get paid.

Tasha said...

Co-sign with mark. This is a great moment in black american sports history. I'm proud of Dungy and Smith, and at this point I really don't care about the outcome of the game (especially since my Giants got demolished this season). It's just nice to see two black men in the positions they are in.

Dangerfield said...

Yo TBM did you get my email of the other day Id like to talk to you about a few things. Peace. Hit me up at otwis03@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Even though I live in Chicago, I am a 49'ners fan. However I always cheer on Black Coaches and Quarterbacks. It's a win anyway it goes!!

The Thinking Black Man said...

Hey there ONEFROMPHILLY I meantto include you on my Christmas shout out! My bad!

Yeah, I think it is funny that young people today don't know anything of the Warren Moon days or the Art Shell days in Oakland!

MARK My Man - yeah, it was a little touchy for Tony for a minute there. One thing I'm happy about is that the media keeps saying, "Peyton Manning stayed calm and focused because head coach Tony Dungy stayed calm and focused. The media is giving him a lot of props and I'm glad to hear it!

Hello TASHAYour GIANTS got crushed... pleeease - I'm a REDSKIN fan! At least you all MADE it to the playoffs!!!

I'm from Baltimore and I'm still pretty sore about that snowy day in 1984 [I remember it like it was yesterday - HONESTLY] when the Ersay family stole our Colts! Never the less I'm going to find it in my heart to root for them... Sorry Lovie.

MARK Yup, I hit you back!

DJ BLACK ADAM The Man himself - yeah, I'm with you, sometimes true loyalty has to run deeper that helmet logos. Maybe your job will cut you loose a little early on the day of the big parade! Win or lose, don't both teams get big parades? I'm a Skins fan, and our last parade was like 15 years ago, so I haven't been to a parade in a looooooong time!!!