Monday, October 30, 2006

Normal Time and End of an Era

Sunday ended Daylight Savings Time. Sort of a pity, because if Daylight Savings Time has started, I would be able to claim that my religion precludes me from observing Daylight Savings Time and would have been able to sleep in an additional hour. I will have to wait until the spring to use this excuse and get my additional hour of sleep.

Oh, well.

You know, we all are wrong. Well, maybe everybody but Grant, perhaps Prata.

When I was growing up, I thought the Boston Celtics were a racist group. But it was from my perspective. Okay, my Dad (the knower of all) hated Larry Bird – his impression was that he was over-hyped. Perhaps passionate basketball fans cannot like both Bird and Johnson. Anyway, he thought Boston was racist – normally four of the five men on the floor were white, sort of an aberration.

Red Auerbach died recently, and I did not know some of the facts:

1. He drafted Chuck Cooper, the first black player drafted in NBA history.

2. He was the first coach to start five black players (in the 1964-65 season).

3. He named Bill Russell his successor when he retired from coaching in 1966. Okay, I know he hired Bill Russell, but I did not know it was his successor. And, yeah, Bill Russell is one of the best players in NBA history. If MJ never played, he may be the best player ever.

Ever notice that sometimes our impression of the world, based on our experiences, don't really jive with reality. I am only a thirty-something white girl, and I have not seen things in the 1950s, 1960s and really anything political in the 1970s (when in pigtails, I don't even remember much about the "I am not a crook" guy or Ford. I just thought Ford was some guy who kept tripping while getting off airplanes.

Funny, I always pegged Boston (and Mr. Auerbach) as racist. Maybe I was wrong.

8 comments:

Advizor54 said...

I heard the same story this morning and was surprised to know that Red Aurbach had so many "firsts" in crossing the color line. My dad wasn't (isn't) a big sports fan so I had no impression of Aurbach, or the Celtics even, as a kid, but I was surprised that I hadn't heard more about him on these racial issues.

We hear a lot about Jackie Robinson and other "firsts" in sports, but not so much about Red.

And as for being old, my main memory of Richard "I am not a crook" Nixon is that the impeachment hearings pre-empted my TV Shows for weeks. My parents were riveted to the set and all of my shows were gone. When they told me that shows were all about our president, I figured he was a pretty mean guy to bump all of my shows. I'm sure however, that Nixon didn't like the hearings on TV either.

mal said...

Hindsight is always so much clearer than our vision of the moment.

I remember watching Nixon resign and then heading to a summer evening class to discuss deriviatives...amazingly, we actually got to the topic.

Birds playing rival, Magic Johnson is someone who very much impresses me. I remember when the Lakers drafted him. He sounded so much like just another jock. As the years have gone on, he has become an eloquent spokesman for the virtue of ongoing improvement. I am further impressed by how much he has put back into the LA community. He is a big man in so many ways...

Blog hog said...

Leesa,
You were right and wrong. Red Auerbach was racist, like a lot of people, but changed, and made up for his sins.
Larry Bird has a bastard child that he has nothing to do with. I dont like that part of him.

QUASAR9 said...

A little girl in pigtails thought Ford was a crook who kept tripping while getting off airplanes. lol!
Little sis, in those days I thought Ford was something with wheels, to drive pedal to the metal

PS - I say little sis, as a thirty something, your pops is probably a couple years older than I.
And I know nothing about Boston Celtic, but I find Boston Legal a bizarrely humorous and strangely interesting mix of star trek and LA Law. Seems whether in deep space or in a court of law or at the stadium - humans are human.

Prata said...

Magic Johnson, not to mention a very big adulterer. But yeah. *snickers*

My personal opinion though about MJ, is that yes he was good. He was a great player even, but he was also the only player in the NBA that was given the green light to do whatever it is he wanted to do with the ball. "Mike, you wanna pass the ball...go ahead and pass it..you wanna take it down the court..go for it." and basically to the other players, "you et in trouble, pass it to Mike, you see Mike open, pass it to him...if Mike wants the ball..give it to him"

That is simply the way of things. Magic Johnson was just as good as him, but not better. Wilt Chamberlain...as good..maybe better...Dr. J. arguably a better player...not to down play MJ (Jordan)...but we can't really say that because no other players have been given such free reign of the court.

QUASAR9 said...

Lol Leesa, your dreams come true in the voting at Sar's place

Both Kat + I declared joint winners
so you get to chose either way which gender makes you sway, which candidate you wish to lay

PS - If its to lay out on deck with one punch, kat might be your best choice. If it's to drink under the table, kat might still be your best choice. If it's to get pics to profit from, hmmm kay might still be your best choice

Gosh, I feel I'm losing badly
Si I guess thatr makes me the next challenger... gotta try catch that ball, gotta try keep an eye on the ball

Ian Lidster said...

As you are a Bill Russell fan, Leesa, I can only think good things about you.
your friend
Ian

Leesa said...

advizer: Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier for baseball, but he was not the first black player.

mal: Magic always looks so kind, so approachable.

gw: sometimes the path one takes from sin to redemption is much more meaningful.

quaser: I have been to Boston.

ian: thanks. I like learning things about the greats of years ago. Bobby Jones instead of Jack Nikolaus/Tiger Woods.