My parents lived in Dallas that year and did not remember racism being so prevalent. Did all of this BS really occur?
shareI was wondering the same thing, that seemed very extremeWhen there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
[deleted]
Unfortunately at that time there was segregation in the South as well known. In fact it was in the north as well. A joke in the South after forced integration in the South was when two southerners were talking one of them told the other "If you want to go to segregated schools you have to move north now."
There was some going on at that time as shown in the movie. But I read an article by Pat Culpepper who was on the freshman team in 1959. It was in the November 2008 issue of the magazine Inside Texas Football. He says there was some racism but that the movie (for dramatic purposes probably) made more of it than there was especially as far as the teams were concerned. He said that UT Coach Royal prepared his team as they would for any other team and that there were no racial slurs spoken. In fact Pat said he worked out with the team so he would know. Plus he was in the stands and that the fans didn't even use racial slurs. It was just two great football teams playing each other. The fight that broke out may have had some racial comments but Pat says it was just a fight in the heat of a football battle that sometimes occurs today. I think that was the first, only and last time a (Texas) Coach Royal team evern got into a fight on the field. Pat said there was trash talking by both sides. The Syracuse players were frustrated because Texas was playing them closer than they thought they would. It was a well played game and the teams were complementary of each other. Pat also noted that Ernie Davis was a classy and great player.
The Syracuse coaches accused Texas of unnessary roughness during the game. Coach Royal suggested that they get together and review the films to see where they occurred but the Syracuse coaches did not accept the invitation.
I would say thats a fair assessment but there was only one great team on the field that day.
Syracuse dominated
The irony is that racists, or people who make racist comments, never feel that they are racist. For instance, my parents feel that they aren't racist, even though the have no problem dropping the "N word" when they're fired up over something, then I'm explained that there's a difference between "N's" and "black people." Oh, okay. (Yikes)
To their credit, at least they let me grow up and hid that from me, now as an adult, they do what they wanna do, isolating themselves from the world, saying what they wanna say in the safety of their house vs. out in public... but at least they let me form my own opinions. I grew up in a hick farm town and made it a point to go to other cities to meet other types of people, some of which became great friends. Hell, during my dating years, I dated all shades... and I'm so glad I didn't let silent restaurants or obvious stares exclude anyone along the way or I wouldn't have met my wife.
And, I'm not just talking about white people, I've seen racism come from every shade and it sickens me. The good news is that that mentality is dying out with each generation and we were able to vote for a President based on character, not letting his skin color get in the way of their votes.
Racism is a side-effect of lack of exposure. Most racists I've met are the least exposed or least educated, yet, they feel they "know" all about everyone out there. The world's not the 'scary' when you go out and meet/understand those that you do not yet know.
To answer the original question, there really was a bench-clearing brawl at this game. It was reported in the New York Times and in Life magazine, complete with pictures. And the Rose Bowl dinner really was scheduled at a country club that did not allow African-Americans as guests, so the team decided to celebrate at a roadhouse instead.
shareI'm sure with a simple Google we could get a more accurate description of what took place during the game. Considering the fact that lynching of blacks were still taking places in Texas during this time it wouldn't be a leap of logic to think that racist taunts happened.
shareI'd love to see footage of that game. We do know for fact that the area was racist -- segregated = racism. Hearing racial slurs during trash talks now a days makes me think that the slurs during a match in a segregated state would be abundant.
shareI watched this movie last night with my father. He grew up in the segregated south/mid-west. I remarked how the initial poster said his parents grew up in Dallas then and don't remember the racism. My father pointed out that as you grew up with racism, it was the norm, so you wouldn't have noticed it. "Darkies enjoyed their place" (said with sarcasm).
As I grew up without segregation, I was aghast that even the hotel treated the players like this. I remember my mother saying that she was outraged when POW's were being served meals in a white-only restaurant as the black US Servicemen were not allowed in, and were served curb-side.
Even though I am sure Hollywood took its artistic license, I bet there were plenty of slurs from players, coaches, and especially from fans.
if u guys would pay attention in the beginning of the movie the directors will say BASED ON A TRUE STORY and that should tell u that half of the events in the movie are true and half of it is no true.
shareNo it shouldn't. So if I say there were 11 men on the field, I can create the rest as I see fit with real people's names as if I just rewrote history, accusing honorable coaches of being racist bigots? Hey, there were 11 men, so it's based on a true story.
shareDont know if said already, but there was a fight but it was not caused like the movie said? Syracuse scored a TD and refs said the player fumbled (did not involve Davis at all) right before he entered endzone, creating a touch back for Texas, also a holding call was called on Syracuse (refs were terrible!) Thats how the fight broke out players, pissed about both calls and cheap shots threw out the game on Davis, but did not start like movie made it out to be. Also Davis did not pick that ball off late in 4th quarter, was in 3rd quarter, movie made the game look much closer. Ernie Davis is a story that should have been a movie made 20 yrs ago! Considerin all the good and stupid sports movies made involving race and overcoming, how his story is finally being told is joke! But about time, but movie was stupid to change the events to make them look more dramatic, i know they always do. But no reason too, could have used that made up stuff and used more time on his illness, sad story of great player and person.
share[deleted]