quote:

Don't kid yourself, Dale; we were all redneck and backwards as shite in the 50s and 60s, but you're correct save for one point: He would have been going up against the political establishment more so than the fans and boosters.

The political backlash would have declined greatly after the early-mid 60s.

What the SC games did for Bryant was show that once Bama stepped out of their weak SEC schedule, they had a hard time competing nationally with an all white squad, meaning the "why recruit them? We don't need them to win" argument was put to rest and the social acceptance replaced the argument.

It isn't like he pulled a Rupp and recruited a black player, but retired before he ever coached him.

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Posted by cyde

He gone

Member since Nov 2005

31793 posts

Posted on 10/10/14 at 9:20 pm to DaleDenton

quote:
The political backlash would have declined greatly after the early-mid 60s.

Perhaps, but some people seem to believe that Bryant could have simply handed down a fiat and, as a result, black students and athletes would have been summarily ushered in... and that might have been the case had it happened in 1978 or 1979.

In 1970, however, Bryant wasn't yet so entrenched as a living legend within the state that he could have pulled this off. He needed a practical example, which is where Cunningham came in...

quote:
What the SC games did for Bryant was show that once Bama stepped out of their weak SEC schedule, they had a hard time competing nationally with an all white squad, meaning the "why recruit them? We don't need them to win" argument was put to rest and the social acceptance replaced the argument.

Also, there was the subsequent creeping over to see Darrell Royal to gain the forbidden powers of the wishbone, only to turn right around and use them to push John McKay's shite in.