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re: Was Bear Bryant a racist?
Posted on 3/8/09 at 3:54 pm to billfish21
Posted on 3/8/09 at 3:54 pm to billfish21
quote:
bear and alabama took their sweet time integrating... prejudice? definitely... racist? it depends
When George Wallace is the governer at the time and an influencial figure at the university, there's not much the Bear could do. People close to him had said that he had been pushing the administration and Wallace for years on the issues before any movement was made.
1
Posted on 3/8/09 at 3:55 pm to BamaScoop
worth repeating
bear and alabama took their sweet time integrating... prejudice? definitely... racist? it depends
know this... bear could have led integration in the SEC and south - he didn't - his teams of 1960s lost at least one national championship because the tide was all white - undefeated and uncrowned - cannot recall the year
bear and alabama took their sweet time integrating... prejudice? definitely... racist? it depends
know this... bear could have led integration in the SEC and south - he didn't - his teams of 1960s lost at least one national championship because the tide was all white - undefeated and uncrowned - cannot recall the year
Posted on 3/8/09 at 3:57 pm to usc6158
Bear Bryant probably realized he needed blacks in order to win. I am not saying he was a racist, but recruiting blacks because you need them to compete with teams like Southern Cal does not really make him a great humanitarian in my opinion
Posted on 3/8/09 at 3:57 pm to billfish21
southern cal and bama...
have I told a lie?
have I told a lie?
Posted on 3/8/09 at 4:18 pm to CC Tiger1
quote:
Bear Bryant probably realized he needed blacks in order to win. I am not saying he was a racist, but recruiting blacks because you need them to compete with teams like Southern Cal does not really make him a great humanitarian in my opinion
I would probably agree with that statement. I don't think coach Bryant would have ever done anything rascist to a black person but I also don't think he would have gone out of his way to help a black person unless there was something in it for him and his team. That being said, I don't think he was any different than most other white people his age during that time period in the South.
Just my opinion.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 4:25 pm to CC Tiger1
quote:
Bear Bryant probably realized he needed blacks in order to win. I am not saying he was a racist, but recruiting blacks because you need them to compete with teams like Southern Cal does not really make him a great humanitarian in my opinion
agree. It was ultimately self-serving, but his willingness to push for integration, no matter how self-serving is commendable IMO
Posted on 3/8/09 at 4:27 pm to BamaScoop
the bear did right for all his ballplayers, the university and Alabama... with some qualification
Posted on 3/8/09 at 5:14 pm to RGCjr01
quote:
So was he racist towards African-Americans?
What a stupid post. No.
As for the famous 1970 Southern Cal-Alabama game, i think Alabama had already signed Wilbur Jackson ,who was on campus as a freshman and John Mitchell was coming in the following year. Wendell Hudson was on the varsity that season as the first black basketball player. Only 3 yrs earlier had the first blacks played varsity football and basketball in the SEC. Nat Northington at Kentucky in 1967 and Perry Wallace in Vanderbilt basketball in 1967-1968.
Bryant and Alabama were not unlike any other SEC ,ACC or southern independent at that time.Not that those decisions were 'right',they just had a lot of company.
I am always just stunned when other Southern sports fans toss around the 'racist/racism' cry directed towards and opposing coach or school.Unbelievable.
This post was edited on 3/8/09 at 5:23 pm
Posted on 3/8/09 at 5:35 pm to RGCjr01
quote:
I have heard he was, but that doesn't make sense because Croom speaks so highly of him. They certainly make him out to be a racist in that movie Mississippi Burning with that joke they tell about the colored boy who wanted to play for Bear Bryant. So was he racist towards African-Americans?
RGC, I don't think that Bryant was a racist. I think that his role in coaching had a huge impact on blacks in the SEC. The majority of the time I think that movies always try to make the south out to be such a horrible place. While I am not downplaying the south in those times and times of unjust, I sometimes think that Hollywood makes the south out to be horrible and the north to be the great groups of people that had no ill will towards blacks. I in no way say that how people treated blacks in those days is in any way warranted nor do i condone it. But, from everything I have heard and seen, Bryant was in fact kind of the pioneer in having black players in the SEC or at least in Alabama.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 5:41 pm to RollTide MJ
How the hell did such a stupid topic/thread make it 3 pages so far?
Posted on 3/8/09 at 6:08 pm to Tiger n Miami AU83
"How did this stupid thread make it to 3 Pages"?
Long Lomg.....Time until September Brah..
Long Lomg.....Time until September Brah..
Posted on 3/8/09 at 8:36 pm to RlTde2
He was not. It was mentioned earlier about opposition from Wallace and Bryant trying to force the issue. There was a documentary on HBO a month or so ago but I missed it. It touched on integration in college football.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 8:55 pm to goat
The HBO piece was great. Bryant flew to LA to talk to USC's John MacKay to come to Birmingham to play Bama. Sam Cunningham ran all over Bama. After the 42-21 Trojan victory Bryant thanked Mackay after the game
Posted on 3/8/09 at 8:57 pm to RGCjr01
quote:
Was Bear Bryant a racist?
Everyone was back then. Times have changed.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 9:36 pm to SBJ
Since we're on the subject, how many sec schools were integrated before Alabama? :hopefullybamawasnotthelast:
Posted on 3/8/09 at 11:20 pm to Governor
In 1958 LSU had the Go team, the Chinese Bandits and the white team. Hell they were all white and I doubt a Chinese football player would have been allowed.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 11:24 pm to billfish21
quote:
know this... bear could have led integration in the SEC and south - he didn't - his teams of 1960s lost at least one national championship because the tide was all white - undefeated and uncrowned - cannot recall the year
1966. And it wouldn't have mattered. We didn't win it then because of Civil Rights and the entire south. Not just because we weren't integrated at that time. It was hugely political and a statement to the whole region.
Posted on 3/8/09 at 11:47 pm to Alahunter
64, 65, & 66. three peat baby
Posted on 3/9/09 at 7:42 am to Governor
Bear Bryant was pure football. He did not care if what color you were. Off the field I have no idea. I'm sure he's like anyone from his generation living how he was raised.
Posted on 3/9/09 at 8:42 am to RGCjr01
I sometimes wonder did Bear lose that game to USC on purpose so that fans would accept black players. Strange how he wanted USC to come there so bad AND they lose so he could prove a point.
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