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Page 8
SPORTS
The Black Experience in Munich
by John T„ Fisher, Sports Editor
The 1972 Summer
Olympics in Munich, ,
Germany was an interna
tional example of racism,
toward Black Athletes and 1 *
the racism that exists in
Africa, particularly in the
segregated nation of Rho
desia.
In response the unity
among Black people of the
world was shown when
American Black athletes
and African athletes join
ed together in a truly
brotherly example of
Black unity and protest
against the participation
of Rhodesia in the Olym
pic Games.
The theme of the Olym
pics is “Freedom and
Sportsmanship.” Yet, be
cause of the segregatio-
nal laws of Rhodesia,
Black are not allowed to
participate in anything
with Whites, contrary to
the ideals of the games
which are supposed to be
set up for free compe
tition.
The Olympic officials
also demonstrated their
racist ideals when they
banned two Black Ame
rican athletes for being
late to the trials for the
100 meters spring be
cause they had the wrong
schedule. Yet, the Olym
pic scheduling committee
only writes up one time
table for each event.
It seems to have been
a move by Whites to stop
Blacks from winning all
of the Olympic gold me
dals in sprints. The Rus
sian who win the 100 me
ters did not have the
fastest qualifying time
in this event. The Ame
ricans, Eddie Hart and
Roy Robinson had clock
ed an unofficials world
record in the 100 meters,
yet it seems that t he
whites did not like the
Blacks articipation in
the boycott regarding
Rhodesia.
The whites also seem
ed to be getting back at
the Blacks for the actions
in 1968 in Mexico City,
as well as this year’s ac
tions in Munich. Still the
Black man excelled in the
Olympics and continued
to dominate the track and
field events.lt is evident
that the white man will not
tolerate unfavorable ac
tions by Black athletes
but contrary to this, many
Black Americans whole-
heartily accepted the ac
tions of the runners be
cause they expressed
their feeling toward
white oppression.
The world seems to be
afraid of Russia; because
when the Black runners
were banned, the Rus
sians were the ones who
received the medals and
this is a result of the
Nixon-Russian Relation
ship and the yielding
of the world to Russia
in order to cool things
down.
In all, the Olympics
Games were a failure as
far as world relationships
are concerned; and it sho
wed the world that racism
exists internationally as
well as locally.
Chico Renfro Becomes
MBC’s Sports-lnformationist
Chico Renfros, WJGO
radio sportscaster, has
assumed the duties as
Sports Information Di
rector at Morris Brown
College, He succeeds
; f*
Jackie Heath, who is now
employed with the At
lanta Daily World.
Renfroe’s main duty is
to publicize the' MBC ath
letic activities through
news releases sent to the
local media along with
player profiles.
Renfroe’s name is not
only known in the Atlanta
area, but through out the
nation as well.
■y&.
Photo by Killian
Jerry Davis defensive halfback from Morris Brown College
became a member of the New Orleans Saints, when he was
signed to a contract with the New Orleans Saints of the
National Football League by Personnel Scout Charles Shep
herd. Shepherd played his high school football at David
T. Howard High School. Arthur Green, who was signed by
Shepherd last season, made the team as a free agent.
His sports career be
gan in Honolulu, Hawaii,
where he became an All-
Star high school player
and the first black play
er for the school’s team.
Later, here at Clark Col
lege, he became an All-
American center.
He also played short
stop behind Satchel Paige
on the world-famous Kan
sas City Monarchs.
Among Renfroe’s team
mates were all four of the
only black members of
baseball’s Hall of Fame.
During the off-season
in American baseball,
Renfroe starred with the
winter league teams in
Mexico, the Dominican
Republic, Venezuela, and
Cuba.
Renfroe is also a mem
ber of the Atlanta Com
munity Relations Com
mission and a scout for
the Montreal Expos.
Cagars lad Season
With 10-10 Record
(Special to the Observer)
With an impressive 10-10
record, Coach Charles Is
bell has put together the
nucleus for what could be
come the next basketball
dynasty in the SI AC. His
young Wolverines will lose
only one member to gradua
tion, leaving a unit com
posed of eighty percent so
phomores, one junior and
one senior for next year’s
season.
i
The Wolverines missed
an opportunity to fair bet
ter than 500 in a 75-71
loss to Fisk on the home
court. However, they re
grouped to defeat Clark with
a comfortable 71-54, thus
assuring a .500 season and
co-hosting the city-cham
pionship with Morehouse.
This is the first respec
table season for the Wol
verines since 1969.
Coach Isbell, in his first
year at Morris Brown, saw
a partial-fulfillment of his
dreams for the Wolverines.
He saw a complete turna
bout In the win-loss co
lumn; and he saw his young
Wolverines better the com
bined wins of the past three
years.
Probably a more grati
fying feeling came when the
team (primarily freshmen)
defied the speculators with
impressive games against
the best in the Conference.
His only disappointment
came in missing the tour
nament by one game.
When asked what contri
buted # to this year’s suc
cess. Coach Isbell praised
the Wolverines’ spirit of
team-play. He also point
ed out the service of out
standing performers like:
Bernard Pope, one of the
Conference’s leading scor
ers and rebounders; guards,
Harry Davis’ and Ronald
Moore’s ball handling and
scoring. According to Is
bell, all of the members
of the team have made their
contribution at one time or
another.
Coach Isbell anticipates
an even stronger team next
year, experiencing the
loss of only one member,
coupled with the maturity
of 6’10” freshmen. Otis
Thrasher, and the addition
of a 6’9” transfer stu
dents who will be eligible
to play next year.
Ross Receives Sports Award
(Special to the Observer)
Coach Raymond Ross,
while appearing last month
as featured speaker to an
audience of seven hundred
at the Birmingham (Ala
bama) Grid Forecasters”
Banquet, was presented a
large trophy honoring him
as a ‘‘Sports Celebrity.”
Ross received a standing
ovation after speaking on
‘‘The Focus of the Black
Athlete,” He also expound
ed on the importance of the
family in keeping mankind
strong and sustained in
today’s society.
The audience was com
prised of a statewide cross-
section of sports enthusi
asts, business and educa
tional leaders, high school
prep stars, and parents.
In the meantime, Coach
Ross has announced some
ambitious plans for the Wol
verines next year and to help
the cause, he signed, eight
potential gridaers imme
diately after his Bir
mingham speech.
Coach Ross is now en
tering his third season with
the Wolverine gridiron
corps. Perhaps, he is best
remembered for his “‘roo
kie;; year as a collegiate
head coach when he had an
impressive 6-3-0 record.
Ironically, this record was
made with the same team
that had a losing season the
previous year. There were
no recruits and he met the
team for the first time
just four weeks before the
first game.
Support
the
Observer
Continued from Page 1
‘Even though Ford made
a few changes in the origi
nal plan, none of the chan
ges are satisfactory to me,”
Middleton said. I am a lo
yal member of the A. M.E.
Church. There comes a
time when one has to ac
cept things he does not like.
Thus, if our Trustees adopt
the Ford plan, I will go on
and work with it, even though
I don’t like it.”
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