SportsFilter: Sports Community Weblog

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Walking Through the Fire Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com takes us through the story of the first 5 all black players to play in a NCAA Championship, the story depicted in Glory Road the new film by Disney. But it was so much more and if you have little knowledge of this story I would suggest reading this article and more. Awesome, life changing, history changing story.

Comments

Scoop, is it necessary to use the term "brotha" to describe the players? Do we even know these fellows want to be addressed as such? And this line: Back to where the chariots swing low but the ropes swung high Jesus Christ. This is a great lesson and important stuff, but Jackson's hackneyed style undermines the seriousness of Texas Western's story.

I hate Scoop Jackson. I was midly interested in the movie because it's a good story. Talk about leaving a bad taste.

Guess folks don't appreciate Scoop Jackson round these here parts, I reckon. :0

Scoop Jackson is an award-winning journalist Proof positive that some awards don't mean very much. From the article: A loss would have meant that Earvin Johnson would have never become Magic. Michael Jordan claimed he never would have gone to UNC if Texas Western had not won that game. Others? Try that without this win, John Thompson isn't allowed to put together those teams at Georgetown without resistance from the school or the conference. Then in no way does Jerry Tarkanian build those UNLV G-Unit squads of the early '90s. Then five freshmen never come together at the University of Michigan a few years later with plans to take over the world. More direct, if Texas Western loses that game, Nate Archibald never leaves NYC to follow Bobby Joe's footprints, Maurice Cheeks never leaves Chicago years later to put his feet where Archibald's were (at West Texas A&M), which means Timmy Hardaway never follows Cheeks. More substantial, Nolan Richardson never gets out of El Paso to coach Arkansas to become only one of three black coaches to ever win an NCAA championship. Of course, Scoop knows this because he hopped into his ESPN time machine, rearranged history, documented how things turned out, then went back and righted everything again. Dipshit.

I don't think he's a very good writer. Too much of a jingoistic style without really connecting on facts. His articles tend to leave me with eyebrows raised, saying "Wha... ?"

I am black, and while I am a long-standing opponent of political correctness and hypersensitivity to perceived discrimination and bias (a prime example being the ridiculous racial subtext applied to the victims of Hurricane Katrina), my initial reaction to SFers' barbs hurled at Scoop Jackson's ESPN piece was that they were probably overreacting. Then I read it. If Kentucky wins that game...Don Haskins' story never gets told and Rupp's does, which means we never see "Glory Road" because there's no reason for it to get made. Instead Ebert and Roeper would be thumbs-upping "Birth Of A Nation II: Rupp Strikes Back." Well, I think I know how Scoop got his nickname; he must follow bulls around with a scoop for inspiration.

I just love Scoop Jackson posts. I quit voluntarily reading his crap a while back so these posts are the only time I get to read his brand of so-called sports journalism and every now and then I feel the need to reassure myself of the contempt I have for his writing. Thanks, Scoop. I can continue to rest assured.

So...any chance Disney did a decent job with this? We could use another good sports movie right about now.

Man what a load. Why the hyperbole? He could have said that if Texas Western lost then changes in the NCAA sport would have been delayed. But to assume all the progress happened based a single basketball game is asinine. I think changes occurred primarily through the work of people like King, X, the protesters, the marchers, and the others like my mother who said "Enough." Sure, the basketball game sent a message, but it was a single shout in a cacophony of protest.

I think he has just been rereading What IF...

i used to read scoop and like his stuff.. what happened? hands-off editors at espn.com?

As an El Pasoan of 36 years, all I can tell you is coach Haskins has always had, and still does, a lot of class.

"Scoop Jackson is an award-winning journalist who has covered sports and culture for more than 15 years.........." I think he graduated from Bob's fish and chips school of journalism, what an asshole!!! I am also from El Paso and this is comming off like Haskins discoverd square bread.

If Haskins is responsible, I'll have to send him a hot cocoa sampler box, 'cause I loves me some square bread. and some biscuits, mmm hmmm Kudos also to the fine folks at Disney for getting one of their own to pimp the shit out of this while they have a large monetary interest.

Instead Ebert and Roeper would be thumbs-upping "Birth Of A Nation II: Rupp Strikes Back." I bet Roger would be sleeping on the couch after that one, though.

Well, I think I know how Scoop got his nickname; he must follow bulls around with a scoop for inspiration. L.N. Smithee wins. Close the thread, please.

From what I've read, the only fact the film gets right is that Texas Western won...

The movie was great!!!!!!!

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