Black and Blue

It was one of the most disgraceful incidents in University of Michigan football history, and ultimately, one of the most inspiring. This film tells the long-forgotten story of the 1934 game between The University of Michigan and Georgia Tech. When the Yellow Jackets agreed that season to come to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a game, they insisted on one condition - Michigan had to sit out the lone African-American player on the team, a talented end from Detroit named Willis Ward. Many of Ward s teammates were outraged when athletic officials at The University of Michigan agreed to the demand. The most outraged Wolverine was Ward s roommate, a lineman from Grand Rapids named Gerald Ford. 

 
I just finished watching this. Wow. What a blemish on the history of Michigan football. To let a southern football dictate that we sit a player down in our own stadium. Definitely lost some respect for Fielding Yost after watching this.

Philc

It was one of the most disgraceful incidents in University of Michigan football history, and ultimately, one of the most inspiring. This film tells the long-forgotten story of the 1934 game between The University of Michigan and Georgia Tech. When the Yellow Jackets agreed that season to come to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a game, they insisted on one condition - Michigan had to sit out the lone African-American player on the team, a talented end from Detroit named Willis Ward. Many of Ward s teammates were outraged when athletic officials at The University of Michigan agreed to the demand. The most outraged Wolverine was Ward s roommate, a lineman from Grand Rapids named Gerald Ford. 

I just finished watching this. Wow. What a blemish on the history of Michigan football. To let a southern football dictate that we sit a player down in our own stadium. Definitely lost some respect for Fielding Yost after watching this.

Definitely a blemish on the history of Michigan football, and Yost doesn't come out looking good here.  Yost was actually known for being racist for most of his time in Ann Arbor (as I recollect in Bacon's class, his teams were almost always exclusively white which wasn't consistent with other schools in the area). However, later in his career he grew and actually threatened a hotel in Chicago to never have any Big Ten teams stay at it again unless they allowed the black members of the team to stay there with the rest of the team.  So at least he learned over time.

Well.... I am glad to hear Ford was against this (and his roommate). 

Definitely a blemish on the history of Michigan football, and Yost doesn't come out looking good here.  Yost was actually known for being racist for most of his time in Ann Arbor (as I recollect in Bacon's class, his teams were almost always exclusively white which wasn't consistent with other schools in the area). However, later in his career he grew and actually threatened a hotel in Chicago to never have any Big Ten teams stay at it again unless they allowed the black members of the team to stay there with the rest of the team.  So at least he learned over time. 

 
This documentary mentions much of this. Besides caving into to Georgia Tech he also hired private investigators to spy on student groups. While there was a great outcry over the incident at the time it was quickly forgotten. 
 
Ward, who was an Olympic hopeful in track (who beat Jesse Owens), soured on athletics but went on to a very distinguished career in law and local government. 
 
 
 
 

Welcome to the party pal.

MgoBrett


Welcome to the party pal.

 
?

Just giving you some crap. Lol. Story is kind of an old one.

Philc

MgoBrett


Welcome to the party pal.

?

Ok Phil, get out your black book and write this down.  That would be M-G-O-B-R-E-T-T.  And please, never confuse it with TK23Blue. ;)

Why would he? Glad you can spell.

MgoBrett


Why would he? Glad you can spell.

It was a joke champ.  I'll try and dumb it down in the future.

one of my rules about history, is never look back at those in the past, and completely judge them by YOUR standards, and Societies Standards in the present. 

Remember who you are talking to TK! He just can't help himself.

umgoblue14


Remember who you are talking to TK! He just can't help himself.

Testy little cuss, ain't he?  I love when they expose the big Staples-style EASY button though.  ;) 

Please do dumb it down next time please. And please pick up a little around you mom's basement. She would appreciate it.

MgoBrett


Please do dumb it down next time please. And please pick up a little around you mom's basement. She would appreciate it.

 
Let me interject my 2 cents here...first, that's a lame and predictable response so next time come up with something a little more original.
 
Secondly, if you have been around here as long as you say you have been (with multiple names) then you know TK has been given a citation or 2 (and that's being generous ) from the Godfather Phil. His comment was an joke to Phil (and for all of us to laugh at) and not an attack on you.
 
Go Blue!!
 

MgoBrett

Please do dumb it down next time please. And please pick up a little around you mom's basement. She would appreciate it.

Get real--every poster here worth a squirt knows TK lives in Pete Carroll's basement.

Fair enough. Go Blue!

zjgm02

MgoBrett

Please do dumb it down next time please. And please pick up a little around you mom's basement. She would appreciate it.

Get real--every poster here worth a squirt knows TK lives in Pete Carroll's basement.

Oh yeah?  Well I went to the jerk store and they were out of YOU!  ;)~

ScottsdaleBlue

MgoBrett


Please do dumb it down next time please. And please pick up a little around you mom's basement. She would appreciate it.

Let me interject my 2 cents here...first, that's a lame and predictable response so next time come up with something a little more original.

Secondly, if you have been around here as long as you say you have been (with multiple names) then you know TK has been given a citation or 2 (and that's being generous ) from the Godfather Phil. His comment was an joke to Phil (and for all of us to laugh at) and not an attack on you.

Go Blue!!

FenderBender was just about to bring the sledge but it appears there's nothing to see here and he moved along. 

Nice.