Sports are a powerful thing. Now that the Olympics are back in motion and under full swing, people are realizing just how profound of an impact the event has on the world every four years. When the games were first canceled, it was no doubt a shock to the world. However, no one realized the impact that it truly had. Now that the games are back underway, more and more people are starting to realize just how important the event was. Well, sports might be important, but they wouldn’t be what they were without the athletes to grace the game. And over the years, there have been some truly great athletes, especially in the black race. There have been some athletes so great that they changed the sport they played.
Jack Robinson
You don’t have to be a star-studded diamond fan to appreciate what Jackie Robinson did for baseball. He is easily known as one of the greatest African American athletes of all time, and when you see everything he has accomplished, it is easy to under why this is the case. He changed the way people view baseball. Heck, he changed the way that some people play it. He was the first African American to grace the professional diamond after the segregation act. It wasn’t something that came easy for him. He wasn’t just hated by the other players, but the fans completely despised him. Could you imagine that?
Teams and opposing players used dirty tactics when going up against him, but he never let it bother him in the slightest. He shrugged it off and kept going. It was his cool mentality that made him stand out in many of the ways that he did at the time. This is why he became the Rookie of the Year in 1947 and later won the MVP in 1949. He was the first black to ever do so. He’s now a six-time all-star and in the hall of fame. He also played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement during the late 50s and 60s. He was known for helping many in his community during their time of need
Jesse Owens
If you place bets with quality online casinos like สล็อต66, you don’t need anyone to tell you that Jesse Owens is, was, and always will be one of the fastest human beings to grace the face of the earth. Despite this, this man would run from nothing in his life. He possessed the ability to run further, farther, and faster than most, but never chose to do so, even during the most difficult times. It was his ability to overcome adversity that won him eight national titles during the years 1935 and 1936. He also went to the Berlin Olympics and showed Adolf that the white race isn’t superior.
While there, he brought home four gold medals. One in the 100-meter, one in the 200-meter sprints, one in the long jump, and one in the 4×100 meter relay. He battled his fair share of hatred and racism but overcame it. Dwight D. Eisenhower even went as far as to name him the Ambassador of Sports in 1955 because of everything that he accomplished throughout his career.
Bill Russell
Black men have always been exceptional in basketball. They still are today, but there are only so many that can change the game. It was Bill Russell that completely turned the sport on its head during his tenure. He was born during the height of racism. It was spread like wildfire and hatred was being spewed all-around. He started his career at the University of San Francisco where he led the NCAA team to two championships. Believe it or not, it was his defensive skills that he was most noted for. So, anyone that thinks black players are ball hogs and show boaters, you can get that out of your minds right now.
With his rare defensive abilities, he dominated the game, winning a total of five MVP awards and becoming a 12-time all-star with 11 title rings. What’s probably the most impressive is, he did all this in his 13-year career. He was also known as being highly influential off the court as well, as he was too involved in many of the Civil Rights Movement at the time.