Editor’s note: Just like Bo Jackson, 40 DAWG knows that a hero ain’t nuthin’ but a sandwich.
As the election and football season draws nigh I am reminded of a previous black “first” that I was involved with that serves as a reminder to temper my expectations for presumed Democratic Candidate and political rock star Barack Obama.
It was my freshman year in college and as my beloved Temple Owls were closing in on another forgetful season, the winds of change were a blowing and it was pretty much cut in stone that the current head coach was on his way out. There were several choices out there but the name that kept coming up was this young up and coming defensive coordinator from Clemson University, who was responsible for one of the top defenses in collegiate football.
This (relatively) young coach had a pedigree of major college programs, won a national title as an assistant coach at Penn State and was even a member of the undefeated ’72 Dolphins. His coaching tome of defensive back drills was critically lauded as a handbook. Groomed and lauded by his peers, and stamped with approval by our illustrious alum and fellow Fighting Owl Dr. William H. (The Cos) Cosby. By our last game of the season the head coach was a lame duck and it was becoming a veritable free for all, the successor had been named, and in agit-prop mentality of the early 1990s, much to the chagrin of the current outgoing staff, I even wore a Clemson fitted to our last home came in salute to this new brother coming aboard.
Temple University was making history, for all the years brothers have been on the gridiron never had one cracked the head coaching fraternity on the highest Division 1 Level. Enter RON DICKERSON, suave debonair cat, with Billy Dee Williams looks and charm and did it with out ever taking a sip of Colt 45. Though he lacked any head coaching experience, he was named the first black/African-American/Negroe/whatever term you prefer, NCAA Division 1 Football head coach in history, and word to EDDIE ROBINSON we were proud. Here we were a program looking for a beacon of hope and in the throes of North Philly craziness we had a brother than was gonna take us to the next level.
It was an interesting time because in my young college football career the idea of a regime change let alone getting an HNIC was mind blowing and I believed in my heart of hearts that I was gonna do my part to help this brother succeed. I was also interesting because I knew that for some of my teammates this was one of the few black male role models that many had and what a shining example he was gonna be. He was all spit and polished, said he was gonna buy a house next to campus and open his home to his players and be that surrogate home for his new extended family. Point blank we were all entranced. However if I ever had an example of “all that glitters ain’t gold” this was the true and living proof of that adage.
I will spare the reader minutia of his shortcomings, for the lines of fact, perception, and opinion tend to blur in a way that would come off more as “hood lore” rather than hard journalism. However, I do find comfort in stating that the mass majority of my former teammates can all offer their varying degrees of responses about him ranging from forgetful nonchalance to vigorous contempt.
So what created this bevy of naysayers and malaise to a veritable racial pioneer of his field? Some of the circumstances;
As black players we felt that after toiling under white head coaches that some how our position in life would improved because we had “one of our own” running the show. A damaging fallacy that in a lot of ways worked out as well as thinking that West African chief was inviting you over to shake your hand with those tall ships looming out at sea.
Thinking that there was some common experience that he would be sympathetic and guiding as an authority figure to impressionable young men, who were still learning the ropes of life themselves and trying to pass Math 101 at the same time. He failed immensely on “being there” for his players who probably believed in him (and wanted to) more than he believed in himself. (More or less it generally came off like Dave Chappelle on Oprah. Where as Oprah could have guided Dave as elder and success blueprint she chose to talk at him rather than to him.)
I use these two examples to show that although they were character flaws of the man himself, in several ways they were self-inflicted disappointments because our propensity to suspend critical thinking and assessment of those who look like us that have never been in such positions of authority. Which brings me to Barack Obama.
In no way am I any less proud of what Obama has achieved at this point in the game. In fact I remember the pride I had when I realized I was going to be part of history playing for the first black football head coach in NCAA D1 history, and the feelings were quite similar. However I implore you to not invest everything in the mere melanin tonality of the figurehead. Sometimes we get so caught up in the aspect of “change” that we lose the objectivity to wholly critique the situation at hand, especially when its one of our own.
So in essence I’m imparting a brief overview of a similar experience to not lose sight of where you are in America, and make sure that at least one of your current wrongs are righted during his presidency. If not have the fortitude and wherewithal to make sure you make a way to survive regardless. For if we all sit there thinking “we made it” upon his election you’ll be in for a rude awakening once the hangover wears off. So ease back on the witty tees and celebrity endorsements because ultimately he’s got a job to do that goes a lot farther than “First Black President”…
I close this lengthy rant with a conversation I had when this coach was going to take the job. One of our academic advisers who was also proud of the coach-elect asked me:
“How does it feel to have a black coach?”
“Its cool, but its not everything, I just wanna win.”
“Really, I thought it would mean everything.”
“Hell I’ll play for the head of the Klan if he can get me a national championship.”
The point is this, we can not get caught up in the person, and absolve them from their job which is to get results. Dickerson wound up going 8-47 (.145) and is currently out of coaching. Barack Obama? Well we’ll just have to wait and see….
(BTW – If somehow you Googled yourself and find this write up Ron, I wanna thank you and your elastic spine for teaching me very valuable life lessons at such a young age. I still await the day to sit down to talk to you man-to-man, we’re going on 11 years and counting… #68)
