Mississippi is unlikely place for breaking racial barriers (God forbid such a thing)

, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Tuesday, December 09, 2003 | By Chuck Finder

[WKB]

John Mitchell knows about breaking down doors of racism so others may enter. He knows about college football and Deep South mores and the collision between them.

First African-American player at the University of Alabama. First African-American co-captain for the same Crimson Tide. First African-American assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference.

[WKB]

I am tired of this crap ping

[vetvetdoug]

Whining and victimization buys sympathy and ultimately gets their goal with the assistance of "feel gooders" from the North that wish to preserve the preconceived notion that Northerners and liberals are good and Southrons are bad. Don't you feel sorry for the individuals that were treated badly by a population dominated by Democrats and Carpetbaggers? Today's generation had nothing to do with it and we should not have to pay for what went on two generations back. If that were the case, the Japanese and Germans would be paying for our streets and infrastructure for the carnage and damage they perpetrated in the 40's. This whining defies all logic, unless one factors in the pity factor that they so desire.

[Theodore R.]

I am so ignorant about football that I had never even heard of THIS "John Mitchell." There was a labor leader named John Mitchell earlier in the 20th Century, and of course there was Nixon's John Newton Mitchell.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[cyborg]

:yawn: Whining gets boring real fast.

[Skooz]

People up north just don't get it.

The Deep South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama) is almost evenly split black and white. We work together, socialize together, and generally get along far better than any place else in the US (when's the last time anyone has heard of any racial tension or race riots down south? Anyone in LA and Cincinnati want to answer that?).

On the whole, a dispassionate observer would find less racism in the South than anywhere in the US.

Yet, the media still has black and white visions of Bull Conner and George Wallace in their oh-so-enlightened-and-sophisticated heads. Nevermind that Governor Wallace won nearly 90% of the black vote in the 1970s.

[Cowboy Bob]

Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame...

Do you think Notre Dame is having second thoughts about their hiring decision?

[onyx]

Not good to start a morning mad, but mad I am.

This John Mitchell is a full-out, hate-filled, and CLUELESS, Jesse Jackson type racist.

To wit: "I think this is a small ripple in a big ocean," said Mitchell, 52. "Attitudes don't change overnight. Just because Sylvester got hired, it's not going to be a windfall for African-Americans in college football. Let's not kid ourselves."

Not a windfall for Africian-Americans in college football? I should hope NOT. How about hiring on MERIT, Mr. Mitchell, or is college football supposed to be a black thang?

JMJ, the Mitchell's of this world are beyond ignorant. They're disgusting.

[ken5050]

You'd have to question the mental stability of anyone who moves from Miss to, Pittsburg...

[stainlessbanner]

When you have the white ADs, the white presidents, the search committees, when they go looking for a coach, they don't go looking for African Americans.

I like to think they go looking for the best person for the job.

[cyborg]

amen

[WKB]

A man of few words

[cyborg]

LOL

[WKB]

Apologizes from a southern gentleman

A lady of few words

[cyborg]

It's OK. What else can one say about moving from the beautiful land of cotton to the land of...well smog stained slush and freezing weather?

[petitfour]

I just read your take on John Mitchell, and I don't think he's hate-filled at all. He's simply realistic. There is not going to be a sudden hiring of black head coaches. Mike Shula did not merit the Alabama head coaching position. Sly Croom did.

[onyx]

I just read your take on John Mitchell, and I don't think he's hate-filled at all. He's simply realistic. There is not going to be a sudden hiring of black head coaches.

Why should there be a sudden hiring of black head coaches? You think color ought to determine who's hired and who's not? Preferential treatment, is that your thang?

John Mitchell is a poster boy for racism, provided this one article accurately depicts him.

Mike Shula did not merit the Alabama head coaching position. Sly Croom did.

Oh really? Mike Shula got the job, guess you think that was a racist call? You are one piece of work, but least you're consistent.

[bourbon]

Okay, let me get this straight. The author of this piece is saying, "Despite all the evidence to the contrary, things have barely changed in the South. And I know because I used to live there many, many years ago." Does that make any sense whatsoever?

And why does the paucity of black coaches in Division I teams, prove that racist attitudes still prevail in the South? Isn't there a D-1 football team in practically every state in the union? I guess the author feels that the complete absence of black coaches in the Big 12, Big 10, and Big East can be safely overlooked.

What a crock! This article is just more evidence that liberal pudknockers will never let the South live down its reputation for racism, no matter how many strides are made in the direction of racial reconciliation.

[bourbon]

I think the author of this article is using Mitchell's statements speciously to support his own prejudicial agenda. Just looking at Mitchell's actual quotations, he seems to be a lot more fair-minded than Chuck Finder (the author of this bilge).