Hail To The Victor

From Renee: I added the link to Gerald Levert, as I had no idear who he was before reading Oscar's post. And a curious side-note...today was "spirit day" at Son in Ohio's school, and they were able to come dressed in OSU or Michigan swag. Guess which he chose? Marches to his own drummer, that boy does. Happy to report that he didn't get beaten up or anything. ;)

Bo Schembechler
April 1, 1929 - November 17, 2006

I was prepared to come home from work and post a scathing (if sanctimonious) screed about how everyone in Black America was catching the vapors about the passing of Gerald Levert, even while nobody seemed too terribly moved by Ed Bradley's passing last week and next to nobody noticed Ralph Wiley's passing a couple years ago. Bradley and Wiley were two Black men that I looked up to, Black men that I admired, Black men who pursued the truth and exposed it to the light of day. Ralph Wiley's medium was the written word while Ed Bradley's realm was the world of television, but both of them inspired me to be more than I am, and it really galled me that people would be so moved by the passing of an entertainer, albeit a good one and from what I hear an all-around great guy.

My mindset changed as I was shutting down my system at work and preparing to leave the building when someone mentioned to me that Coach Schembechler had passed. I thought that they were joking, here on the eve of the biggest Michigan-Ohio State game in my lifetime, but they pulled up the article for me on their PC. After the initial shock I found myself even more shocked at just how much that upset me - here I am getting caught up about a football coach that I have never met.

Mr. Kettle, meet Mr. Pot.

The truth of the matter is that I can't rationalize it as losing a great personal motivator - I've never heard a Schembechler speech. I can't rationalize it as mourning the loss of a personal inspiration - I never thought that deeply about Coach Schembechler. I can't even rationalize it as a loss for the University of Michigan - Coach has been off of the sidelines for more than a decade now. The truth is that the greatest coach of the team that I love - the University of Michigan Wolverines - has passed and I am moved by his loss.

Just like millions of Black folk are moved by the sudden loss of Gerald Lavert.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to prune the forest that I have just discovered growing in my eye...

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