Sam Darnold- A Rosa Parks Opportunity

I was driving to work this morning when this song from the late 80’s came on, "Waiting for a Star to Fall"......and for some reason, apropos of nothing, I started to imagine a red haired, white, quiet, shy, USC star QB and 3rd pick of the NFL draft coming onto the field, helmet in hand, with volcanic anticipation and expectation for game one of the NFL season 2018 and quietly, shyly, and with blinding dignity........ “taking a knee”....right out of the box. Shazam!

It would be an amazing act of humanity and compassion, a victory of unity over divisiveness. An act of Love. It would bring tears to millions watching. Leadership!!! Greatness!!! It’s the right thing to do! It's what's for breakfast!

I started crying in the car. I couldn’t stop.....Imagining that a 22 year old rookie, white kid who is well liked but yet unproven in the NFL would risk his golden future and all of the goodwill that he has received in order to support the black community in its centuries old effort to receive equal justice under the law.

It would be a Rosa Parks type of moment. It would definitely send shock waves and be a highly provocative move that could change our society. As incredibly brilliant as it was for Colin Kaepernick to pull that heartfelt gesture of social resistance out of thin air, white America has historically paid very little attention to the protests of young black men with tattoos, sporting 1970's afros. They are scoffed at---dismissed, muzzled. But, an "All American" freckle faced second generation Joe Montana? A white kid?, a rookie? Well, that is going to hit'em in the teeth. White America will be forced to deal with that one....it's going to bring about some soul searching. And, there is nothing this "white" country needs more than soul searching. Nothing!

How many 9, or 10 or 11, year old white kids would look at that and think, wow...how many young black kids would look at that and have hope? “He did that for me? Daddy, are you saying that he did that for me?”

It won’t happen because it would require thoughtfulness and courage and a willingness to risk it all under great pressure. It would require self sacrifice. Dream on!

It won’t happen but I can imagine it ... and I can cry thinking about it. It would be the most significant moment in sports since Jackie Robinson took the field in 1947. It would be one of the most beautiful moments in human history. It would give even me, Hope, and I’ve all but lost all of mine. We just aren’t there yet and I don’t see it coming any time soon. We haven’t harnessed our billion year old carbon molecules to think, and feel, and act...like enlightened beings, like the Gods that we all could be, the ones we were meant to be. Its not for lack of aging.

Instead, it will just be another sporting event.

The song (not the lyrics) gave it a triumph...it was overwhelming.

Food for Thought....

my opinions.