It was 73 years ago today that Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking major league baseball's unwritten color barrier. It took a special person to deal with the withering racism that came with the job. Robinson had several run-ins with the police in his school days, usually defending friends against the racist actions of the cops. This continued during his stint in the military where he refused to sit in the back of the bus and was brought up on bogus charges for court-martial. He was aquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge in 1944. When Branch Rickey chose Robinson to break the color line he asked him if he would be able to stand the racial abuse and not react. Robinson asked why he was looking for someone who wouldnt fight back. Rickey responded saying he was looking for someone with the “guts not to fight back. “Robinson became that guy. And the abuse was legendary. He only played 10 seasons in the majors, having started at the advanced age of 28…but without Robinson withstanding the abuse with calm and dignity, would the major leagues have seen the likes of Mays, Aaron and Banks as soon as they did? He worked for racial equality throughout his life. But it was his competitive fire on the field, while ignoring the raging abuse around him that major league baseball celebrates in this day. Robinson once said “Im not concerned with your liking or disliking me….all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” It was Branch Rickey's choice…but without Jackie Robinson's choice to withstand the abuse, the experiment would not have worked…and justice would have been delayed, again.
There are two films that are must-see if you want to understand the story. In 1990 Andre Braugher portrayed Jackie in a made for TV movie called “The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson. And, the excellent film “42” from 2013 starring Chadwick Boseman.
The Badger football team receives another commitment for 2021…running back Antwan Edwards from Tennesse. It's the 10th commitment for the 2021 class and 3rd running back.
It's a tough day in history….Lincoln died hours after being shot in 1865…the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic in 1912…two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon in 2013…and the Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire last year.
Here's something to make some of you feel old……Emma Watson turns 30 today.
Covers Of The Day (on this date in 1971 Grand Funk Railroad released the Lp “Survival” which included a couple of interesting covers…)
Former right-wing radio host Charlie Sykes on last weeks Wisconsin election. Read it
here
Quotes Of The Day
“I’m sure we’ll soon hear all of the self-described “constitutional conservatives” in the Senate condemn Trump and Pence’s claims to “total” and “plenary” power. Right?”-Evan McMullin
“Wow. Chief Justice Roberts lit his credibility on fire and with it the credibility of his Court. And the Republican STILL lost. If I were him, I'd sure feel embarrassed right now.”-Ian Millhiser
“Trump cannot come up with an alibi for the month of Feb.”-Jennifer Rubin
“In my absolutely darkest moments right after the 2016 election I could not imagine this moment: thousands of Americans dying a day, an economic contraction to rival the Great Depression and Trump just listing off the names of CEOs while congratulating himself for a job well done”-Chris Hayes
“In an unprecedented move, the Treasury Department has ordered Trump's name be printed on stimulus checks the IRS is rushing to send to tens of millions of Americans — a process that is expected to slow their delivery by several days.”-Kyle Griffin
https://washingtonpost.com/politics/coming-to-your…
