Mood:
incredulousTopic: "Doug Williams"(4)
George Preston Marshall was the owner of a team in the newly-formed National Football League. Washington, D.C., home of the "Redskins" was also the southernmost location of any franchise in the league, and in the early days of professional sports in America realistically reflected the land as it was. When Marshall died, his Last Will and Testament included a paragraph declaring that no subsequent owner of the Redskins could employ a "Negro" as a player. It was not until the late All-American Ernie Davis of Syracuse was drafted that any "Negro" was ever associated with the "Redskins." Davis was promptly traded to the Cleveland "Browns" in exchange for "Lightning Leroy Jackson" and the great sidekick to Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell. These were the first men, "Negroes" if you will, to play professional football and be telecast on the black-and-white medium into homes in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and other points southern. The "Redskins" were the last team to employ a "Negro" as a player.
Bobby Mitchell is today an executive for the Washington "Redskins." Lightning Leroy's whereabouts are not presently known to Frodo. Ernie Davis tragically died of leukemia before he ever played a game.
Frodo has gotten on this point for a less than obvious reason. Tonight, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) will accept the nomination of the Democratic Party to be the next President of the United States. If successful in his quest, he will be the first person of African descent, a "Negro," to be selected to preside over any western nation. The acceptance, and his subsequent speech, will take place in Denver, Colorado, home of the Denver "Broncos," a competing franchise in the National Football League. It was against the Denver "Broncos" that a graduate of Grambling State College and University named Doug Williams led the Washington "Redskins" to a commanding victory in the Super Bowl. Williams became the first "Negro" to quarterback a National Football League team to victory in a Super Bowl. The touchdown passes completed, and the total yardage remain as all-time records in a Super Bowl.
Tonight, in Denver, Barack Obama becomes Doug Williams. His mere presence means something to every inhabitant of Middle Earth. The fact that he will take center stage, and lead his team to victory, will mean something that historians will chronicle and dissect long after the dust has settled. Just as Williams survived the onslaught of the "Orange Crush" defense, so will Obama avoid the "Red State" blitz.
Frodo removes the Ring from his finger, and magically appears, running downfield like Gary Clark, wide open, as Aragorn unleashes a long pass in his direction.
"Hail to the Redskins." God Bless America.
