Quote Originally Posted by Grace View Post
Results of the men's 200 meter dash:

Tommie Smith - Gold

Peter Norman - Silver

John Carlos - Bronze

Don't leave out Norman, from Australia. He was ostracized by his country for participating in the protest. Wasn't even invited to take part in the Sydney games. When he died, in 2006, the US Track and Field Federation proclaimed October 9, 2006, the date of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day. Both Smith and Carlos gave eulogies and were pallbearers at his funeral.
The 68 games were a huge deal in my house. That is where I got 'the fever'.

Ever since then? Any athlete who brings politics onto the playing fields takes his chance with his own future.

Off the top of my head I can think of three medal ceremonies where people didn't show up for a medal-only one was due to politics.

How did the BP/fist thing improve race relations?

Why didn't they invite Norman to raise his fist with them? Would not that have been a sign of solidarity and white folks getting with the movement?

Was that a good idea at the time? If you remember, the Black Panthers were running about and getting headlines-and not the complimentary type- which really hurt their cause.
And instead of coming around with solution to their plight, they turned up, guns a' blazing-not the best idea when you want to be taken seriously.

And the controversy still is a topic today.

Instead of a summer night in Mexico, you get a noon press conference with Al Sharptongue.

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The Olympics are games and hopefully 'politics' is a serious struggle.

If you have a beef? Make sandwiches with it and don't interfere with my viewing pleasure, I put up with the real life BS all year long.

I want 17 days of fun.