Results tagged “House” from Robert Littal Presents The Infamous BlackSportsOnline

Let me first say I respect Eddie House for keeping his cool. It is the playoffs and he is very important to the success of the Boston Celtics so retaliation would have been the wrong move.

Now that I got that BS out of the way:

You know I am one of ESPN's harshest critics. But I have to give credit when credit is due. I just finished watching their two-part documentary "Black Magic" and it was brilliant. (Sorry I am a slave to the DVR. I never watch anything on time anymore)

Even though I go by the moniker of "Sports Expert," deep down, I am just a person who loves sports just like you. I am also a young, Black male who. by the time I was on my way to a predominately white college (The Ohio State University), it wasn't a big deal to see a Black man walking around campus. I will be honest. I knew on some level about coaches like "Big House" Gaines, John McLendon and Ben Jobe, but I never understood their struggles. When I think of Willis Reed or Earl Monroe, my first thoughts are of the NBA not the historically Black college they came from.

What really stuck me with me, though, were the players that I had never heard of such as Cleo Hill, who was universally recognized as one of the greatest Black-college players of all time. Because of racism on the Saint Louis Hawks, he was black-balled from the league. Just imagine having a skill so great that you are one of the best in the world, but, because of the color of your skin, being denied a chance to showcase that skill. How difficult would that be?

When I heard about the great Bob Love, a player that my father admired, speak on his stuttering-problem and how his wife left him and took all of his possessions because she didn't want to be with a mute and a cripple. A knee injury forced him to retire. He moved me when he spoke of having to be a bus boy after 11-years in the NBA. How embarrassing and humiliating it was. His experience should make today's athletes think twice when they are complaining about being "under paid."

There are very many more stories from the documentary that I could write about. They are both inspirational, sad, and funny and sometimes all of those combined. But, I want you to watch "Black Magic" and draw your own conclusions.

It was truly an eye-opening experience for me. I feel as if I'm a better person for having watched it. There aren't many programs that one can say that about these days. I encourage everyone to watch it, if you haven't already, especially young athletes so they can better understand the basis for the opportunities they have today. Kudos to ESPN for bringing this to light.