College football integration lore, in the form of traffic, has been steered to a fairytale exit

PHOTO: Pro-southern historians in the 1920s captured the narrative of the Civil War, and Robert E. Lee's statue stood over Richmond, Virginia, streets until it finally came down in 2021. A comparison can be made to Bear Bryant apologists and USC fiction writers capturing the college football integration narrative. Visit my website homepage, TomShanahan.Report “History writes people out of the story. It’s our job to write them back in.” — David Maraniss, Pulitzer prize-winning biographer By TOM SHANAHAN I’d…

Continue ReadingCollege football integration lore, in the form of traffic, has been steered to a fairytale exit

The ‘Time’ magazine face that launched a thousand Bear Bryant myths

Visit my homepage website, TomShanahan.Report — Part I: Did Bear Bryant protest facing Michigan State’s Horace Smith? — Part II: Bryant’s second deception and something missing from 1980 “Time” story — Part III: Scripted in Hollywood, unaware of South’s timeline — Part IV: Black Historiography --- More on Bear Bryant mythology: One year before USC arrived at Legion Field in 1970, integrated Tennessee, led by All-American linebacker Jackie Walker, embarrassed the all-white Crimson Tide 41-14 at Legion Field. Walker sparked the rout…

Continue ReadingThe ‘Time’ magazine face that launched a thousand Bear Bryant myths

Another authoritative voice praises Duffy Daugherty’s leadership integrating college football

PHOTO: MEAC commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas. Visit my website homepage, Tom Shanahan.Report By TOM SHANAHAN My phone call was placed to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas. I wanted to ask him about the significance of Duke football’s decade-plus willingness to share the wealth, scheduling games with HBCU opponents. Thomas got on the phone. First, though, he said he wanted to discuss another subject. Uh, oh. Writers don’t like to hear that. My mind began racing. I…

Continue ReadingAnother authoritative voice praises Duffy Daugherty’s leadership integrating college football