I’m not a big fan of football coaches, in general.
I think that, on the whole, they’re bullies, they have no sense of reality, and think they are so far and above the average fan. Most coaches I’ve met are cocky to the point of arrogance, and just aren’t too much fun to be around.
But Pat Fitzgerald, the head coach of Northwestern, warmed my heart with what he did last week. Two players on the Wildcats were scuffling during practice, and started smacking each other’s helmets.
Fitzgerald didn’t kick them out of practice, or separate them, or any one of a thousand things he could’ve done.
No, he had them walk a lap around the field together. Holding hands.
Brilliant. Gets his point across, embarrasses the two in front of their teammates, and sends a lesson to other players.
I just wish someone had snapped a photo of it for the team locker room wall.
**Mississippi, oh Mississippi. Just when we think you’re ready to join the rest of us here in the 21st century, a story like this comes along.
The school district in Nettleton, Miss., has a system in place at the middle school for student elections.
According to documents obtained by The Smoking Gun, children running for class officer posts at a Mississippi public school are only allowed to compete for certain positions based on their race.
Yep, you read that right.
Of the 12 offices for which students compete, eight are earmarked for white students (including the three class president spots), while four are termed “black” seats.
Nothing like a little segregated government down at the tween level. Let’s make sure we let the white kids have their fun, and make sure the African-American kids know their place.
Of course, once this came to light last week, the school district quickly squashed the policy, and said all positions in the government will be open to people of all races.
But that such a thing like this could exist, (and please, look at the actual memo spelling out the policy) in 2010 is reprehensible and disgraceful. But not altogether surprising.
The last embers of racism won’t die out for quite a long time, and in places like Nettleton, Miss., acceptance of African-Americans still seems a hell of a long way away.
