1958?
What about today?
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hocke...terstitialskip
Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, has felt the staggering chill of a death threat arriving in his mailbox. But it didn't come after his first game for the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958.
The threats have come in the last several years, after the NHL hired him to work with the league's diversity task force to help promote hockey to black youngsters or players of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
"I still have the letters," O'Ree says. "They said, 'We know there are players of your kind in Canada, but you don't need to bring them to the States.' They said they knew what to do with my kind."
One letter warned him not to attend a tournament because it involved teams with minority players. The NHL provided security, and O'Ree attended anyway. After enduring racial taunts, physical challenges and prejudice to play professional hockey, he certainly wasn't going to let a threat disrupt an enjoyable weekend for young players. "I was more fearful for the kids," he says. "I just shook my head that this still goes on."
^O'Ree has been involved with promoting diversity in the NHL for years. At an event in 1998, he poses with Mike Grier, the first American born and trained black player to make it in the league.
^O'Ree works with children from the Oakland Boys and Girls Club during a clinic earlier this year
Last edited by Bringthetruth; January 15th, 2008 at 12:28 PM.
1958?
What about today?
First Amendment rights are like muscles, if you don't exercise them they will atrophy.
stop it mesue, you read only what you wanted to believe.Originally Posted by mesue
One letter warned him not to attend a tournament because it involved teams with minority players. The NHL provided security, and O'Ree attended anyway. After enduring racial taunts, physical challenges and prejudice to play professional hockey, he certainly wasn't going to let a threat disrupt an enjoyable weekend for young players. "I was more fearful for the kids," he says. "I just shook my head that this still goes on."
McCants says minority players still face racial issues when they play and what they hear from O'Ree helps them deal with it. O'Ree reminds them not to let insults get in the way of their dreams: "If you speared me or butt-ended me, I went after you. But when it came to racial remarks, I let it go in one ear and out the other. If I responded to every word that was said to me, I would have been in the penalty box all the time."
O'Ree says there is still much to be done, that race or cultural issues don't hold back minority players as much as facilities: "Hockey is a unique sport. You can bounce a basketball around in many places, and you can always throw a baseball or football around or kick a soccer ball anywhere. But to play hockey, you need to get on the ice. … We need facilities for these kids."
No, I read what I needed from you. Man! You are so stuck in the past. Get over it. Gimme something from today's hockey players. Something from after Grant Fuhr made a stand (quick, go Google Grant Fuhr) and tell me the current plight of the poor black hockey playing man!Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
First Amendment rights are like muscles, if you don't exercise them they will atrophy.
nobody is saying poor black man, we are talking about equality.Originally Posted by mesue
Why can't things just be fair when it comes to participating and having facilities in the inner cities as well as the suburbs.
In many cases mesue the past is still making decisions for today!
Get out of your cocoon and ask people who don't look like you.
and only because you edited your article, twice thus far.Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
Really, BTT, you'll do whatever it takes, even edit your post, at least twice, to further your cause?
First Amendment rights are like muscles, if you don't exercise them they will atrophy.
What? You couldn't find anything about todays' oppressed hockey players on Google? Probably because there isn't any.Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
You are the one that needs to come out of your cocoon and venture forth into the real world. Put your sun glasses on, it's kinda' bright out here.
First Amendment rights are like muscles, if you don't exercise them they will atrophy.
What about all the women that get shunned from the NHL? Hispanics? Asian?Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
Originally Posted by PaulJonson
Yea start a thread on it , and stop hijacking my thread with your spittle!
If it weren't for me adding to the nonsense that are your threads, no one would be replying.Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
You're welcome.
Mr Johnson, most of my threads create liveliy discussions, until insensitive people start chiming in.Originally Posted by PaulJonson
You are both insensitiveOriginally Posted by Bringthetruth
I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.Originally Posted by Bringthetruth
and what other MB do you belong to cause I might have to go there and read some, god knows you dont post them hereOriginally Posted by Bringthetruth
BTT I thought black people didnt like the cold at least thats what they tell me
"PAY POLICE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT"
"WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOUR ASS NOT KISS IT"
"DOWN WITH BROWN"
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