Something stinky this way comes

[tjreese]

I'm really not looking for a fight, I'm not sure where the disconnect is here. I have at no time said that any one person, Eddy included, acted based on racism. My understanding is that your view is that we don't know that racism was involved in Hall's dismissal, is that understanding accurate?

It really should be quite clear. I have stated and continue to state that I am agnostic on that. I have no reason to believe either way. I stated reasons why and went as far to say that you are welcome to hold whatever view you want and your view could be correct, but that I wasn't going to jump that chasm of unknowns. I listed some events contrary to that thought at the same time frame and the general population having many, but not all racists. There is no fight because I'm not punching back. I'm reminded of the great quote by Rummy

 

[northside100]

It really should be quite clear. I have stated and continue to state that I am agnostic on that. I have no reason to believe either way. I stated reasons why and went as far to say that you are welcome to hold whatever view you want and your view could be correct, but that I wasn't going to jump that chasm of unknowns. I listed some events contrary to that thought at the same time frame and the general population having many, but not all racists. There is no fight because I'm not punching back. I'm reminded of the great quote by Rummy

You answered my question, thank you. You don't believe that it's known whether racism was involved in Hall's dismissal.

Serious question, do you believe that racism played a role in there being no black basketball players at Purdue prior to Hall?

 

[tjreese]

You answered my question, thank you. You don't believe that it's known whether racism was involved in Hall's dismissal.

Serious question, do you believe that racism played a role in there being no black basketball players at Purdue prior to Hall.

I do NOT know if racism was involved in Hall's dismissal like every single poster...only I admit it. Yes, I do believe that racism was in play in many areas where blacks were not given the opportunity to play. Those are two different things.

Oddly, when Jeff was playing my sister was pinned to someone else and my favorite player was Gerry Williams. Sure, I saw all the kids rush the floor to get Jeff's autograph after games, but Gerry Williams was my man at that time.

"The 5-8 Williams, of Indianapolis, was nicknamed “Muffin.” He set a high jump state record of 6-6 at Shortridge High School — 10 inches over his head and just four inches off the national record. He was a college conference champion in the high jump and 100-yard dash. Time magazine pictured Williams, characterized as “a refuge from Biddy Basketball,” and coach Tony Hinkle together." I believe he enrolled in Butler in the fall of 1959.

"“One of the main things I remember about that team is all the guys were really good to be around,” said Jeff Blue, a 6-6 sophomore for those Bulldogs and a close friend of Williams. Blue said Haslam and Williams compensated for lack of size with speed. When they trapped an opponent, Blue said, it was fun to watch.

The 5-9 Haslam, of Crawfordsville, led his team to second place in the 1958 state tournament. Known more for ballhandling, speed and defense than for scoring, he was Trester Award winner for mental attitude. Hinkle once called Haslam “the smartest player I ever coached.”

I could grab a rebound and turn in the air and throw it down the court, and either one of them could make a bad pass look good,” Blue said."

 

[northside100]

I do NOT know if racism was involved in Hall's dismissal like every single poster...only I admit it. Yes, I do believe that racism was in play in many areas where blacks were not given the opportunity to play. Those are two different things.

Oddly, when Jeff was playing my sister was pinned to someone else and my favorite player was Gerry Williams. Sure, I saw all the kids rush the floor to get Jeff's autograph after games, but Gerry Williams was my man at that time.

"The 5-8 Williams, of Indianapolis, was nicknamed “Muffin.” He set a high jump state record of 6-6 at Shortridge High School — 10 inches over his head and just four inches off the national record. He was a college conference champion in the high jump and 100-yard dash. Time magazine pictured Williams, characterized as “a refuge from Biddy Basketball,” and coach Tony Hinkle together." I believe he enrolled in Butler in the fall of 1959.


"“One of the main things I remember about that team is all the guys were really good to be around,” said Jeff Blue, a 6-6 sophomore for those Bulldogs and a close friend of Williams. Blue said Haslam and Williams compensated for lack of size with speed. When they trapped an opponent, Blue said, it was fun to watch.

The 5-9 Haslam, of Crawfordsville, led his team to second place in the 1958 state tournament. Known more for ballhandling, speed and defense than for scoring, he was Trester Award winner for mental attitude. Hinkle once called Haslam “the smartest player I ever coached.”

I could grab a rebound and turn in the air and throw it down the court, and either one of them could make a bad pass look good,” Blue said."

First, I love this historical context, pretty amazing to hear from someone who was around those players.

At the risk of being acerbic (I've probably already crossed that line), I'm not asking if you believe that racism was at play in general in that time, I'm specifically asking whether you believe that racism played a role in there being no black players at Purdue prior to Hall.

 

[tjreese]

First, I love this historical context, pretty amazing to hear from someone who was around those players.

At the risk of being acerbic (I've probably already crossed that line), I'm not asking if you believe that racism was at play in general in that time, I'm specifically asking whether you believe that racism played a role in there being no black players at Purdue prior to Hall.

Oh I think racism was in play not only at Purdue, but across the country sometime around the time before the first black players were allowed to play at Purdue. I can't tell you exactly the first black players ever and what school, but anecdotally I'm guessing the late 50s was when we started seeing black players in college basketball. We do know that in 1966 was the first all black starting five and so sometime in 5 or so years there appeared to be much more acceptance than five of so years earlier with respect to basketball. I have already told a bit about Red Auerbach encountering racism down south in the early 60s, but can also state that Sam and Casey Jones would go out after practice to some bars with Jeff and sing in the early 60s in Boston so it may not have been the same out east as in the midwest????

Baseball (Jackie Robinson) had already had black players over a decade before Hall started at Purdue. Why it took a decade later for Blacks to play college basketball (assuming it was in the late 50s) and unsure when in football...I have no idea?

We also know that "some" colleges used players for athletics with no concern if they were getting an education. Winning at all costs has shown its ugly face throughout history.