schneider@2littl.DEC (DANIEL SCHNEIDER) (10/11/85)
> Q: Which NBA team was the first to draft a Black basketball player? > Q: Which NBA team was the first to have a Black coach? > Hint: They wear green sneakers. Q: Which president appointed the first woman Supreme Court justice? Q: Which president appointed a woman as head of the Dept of the Interior? Hint: He wears a hearing-aid. > ...NBA history shows that Red Auerbach > helped to break down the racist policies that once pervaded the league. But I wonder what the NBA players think. Beware! Things are sometimes different than what they appear. (Sorry about the politics.) > (Someday, I'd like to hear how Jerry Sichting pronounces his last name. > I've heard three different versions so far from the sportscasters ...) I always heard it as: See-shting, which rhymes with bee-sting if you think about it. > Mark C. Mudgett Daniel Schneider {decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-2littl!schneider
sdp@chinet.UUCP (steve d. pruitt) (10/14/85)
> Q: Which NBA team was the first to draft a Black basketball player? >> Q: Which NBA team was the first to have a Black coach? >> Hint: They wear green sneakers. > ... >> ...NBA history shows that Red Auerbach >> helped to break down the racist policies that once pervaded the league. > >But I wonder what the NBA players think. Beware! Things are sometimes >different than what they appear. (Sorry about the politics.) I can recall when CBS sports had an excellent NBA "color" commentator named (Bill R.), who kept his side-kick and play by play announcer (Brent M.) in stitches the entire game with is humorous frankness about the game. Once during a Celtic telecast Bill was being praised by Brent for his glory days in green. Brent (obviously in jest) inadvertently and very unadvisedly asked Bill if he would "do it all over again" (play for the Celtics) if he had the choice. Well with a straight face Bill simply said "NO", much the the chagrin of Brent (with of course a national TV audience). So you see, some things do appear much differently to the untrained eye. If you read Russell's first book he clearly states that he was a victim of much racism as a member of the Celtics (is anyone naive enough to think otherwise?). And please don't make Red A. out to be the Branch Ricky of the NBA. Red has a knack for drafting the best talent available, and in 1954? when he desperately needed a center the man would have been crazy if he didn't look to USF for the best in the land in one Bill Russell. Oh, by the way, to finish that story about the announcer and the frank "color" commentator, the next year CBS replaced the man who had done such a competent job for 2-3 years? with a not so competent, not so colorful Dummy (I mean Tommy) Heinson(sp) a blatant Celtic loyalist to the bitter end (as both Celtic and non Celtic fans have observed his total bias toward the green while in a supposedly neutral position, unlike his predecessor). Amazing how much power Red has in all facets of the game, which includes of course officiating. -- ......................................... . "Living forever isn't just a dream!" . . . . Steve Pruitt . . ..!ihnp4!chinet!sdp . .........................................
sdp@chinet.UUCP (steve d. pruitt) (10/14/85)
I might add just on more comment on the subject of racism in the celtic organization...just ask Cornbread Maxwell. He played his heart out for the Celtics for many years and now...he can be reached in LA...banished (excuse the expression clipper fans but any playoff games in LA will be played in the Forum) for lack of not comming back quick enough from knee surgury. Dare I say that if he were a white player he would still be wearing green, Walton or no Walton).-- ......................................... . "Living forever isn't just a dream!" . . . . Steve Pruitt . . ..!ihnp4!chinet!sdp . .........................................