Read the post. No suggestion was made that Picasner's comments were racially motivated, but rather his assertions that "I don't know how it started or if it was true.." were an admission of historical empty-headedness and far from "a joke that circulated in the late 50's".
His further comment, "Cruel perhaps, and obviously untrue and meant to be a poke at at the full-time athletes, called "students," that attended major universities.", is, in part correct. The basket weaving comments were cruel. In the 1950's, however, those and other slurs were "meant to be a poke at the full time athletes..." to the same extent that the bananas thrown at Jackie Robinson were meant to be a poke at all 2nd basemen.
I'm most confused by the statement, "The special treatment athletes got back in the 50's and extending to this day was the idea of the comment." The 'special treatment' that black athletes received in the 50's was primarily exclusion. Is there a joke there?
The University of Alabama, the fountainhead of college football, remained segregated until President John F. Kennedy deployed the National Guard to abet the enrollment of two African American students in 1963. Who can name any basket weavers that played there in the 50's?
The University of Kentucky basketball program was still segregated in 1966 when they were defeated by Texas Western for the national championship. I wonder if UK had any basket weavers suit up?
But, hey, this is all in good fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment