The right track...After viewing all the fabulous foot races in Atlanta the fourth week of July, we were willing to forgive and forget most of the atrocities committed in the name of merchandising, spectacle, exploitation, and Carl Lewis. Most, but not all. Particularly the distortions of the network theologians who kept raising the name of the lord (Jesse Owens) at every opportunity. We got a rash every time we heard one of them claim that it was Jesse's fantastic performance in the Berlin Olympics that turned America's black athletes on to track and immediate domination of the sprints. Nobody of course ever wrote a more glorious chapter in the history of track than Jesse Owens. But... that did not really make him the pioneering force behind the ethnic revolution in sprinting. For that, you have to turn to the Olympic Class of 1932. You will find two names - Eddie Tolan Thomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan (September 29, 1908 – January 30/31, 1967)[1][2] was an American athlete and sprinter and winner of two gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics. and Ralph Metcalfe Ralph Harold Metcalfe (May 30 1910 – October 10 1978) was an American athlete who jointly held the world record for the 100 metre sprint. Metcalfe was known as the world’s fastest human from 1932 through 1934. . They were huge in the formative formative /for·ma·tive/ (for´mah-tiv) concerned in the origination and development of an organism, part, or tissue. years before Jesse. Ralph, tall and muscular, had the edge in his head-to-head collegiate col·le·giate adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. confrontations with Eddie; and he even won the (1932) Olympic trials in both the 100 and 200. Eddie, built like a fire-plug, saved his best for the gold. He beat Ralph by a hair in the 100 and by a couple of noses in the 200. The two of them were invincible in the early '30s. They beat everyone, broke all the records, and inspired a lot of young people to take up track. By the 1936 Olympics, America had three fabulous black runners (Jesse Owens, Archie Williams Archibald ("Archie") Franklin Williams (May 1, 1915 – June 24, 1993) was an African-American athlete and teacher, winner of 400 meter run at the 1936 Summer Olympics. , and John Woodruff John Youie Woodruff (born July 5, 1915) is a former American athlete, winner of 800 m at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Born in Connellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, U.S. ) in place to sweep both sprints and both middle-distances runs. (Note: The 400m race was a run, not a dash, in those years.) It is obvious, we believe, that 1932 was the seeding year and 1936 the break-out year for black athletes. Ralph became a special kind of idol after the 1932 Olympics. Though an internationally acclaimed athlete, he wasn't too proud to become the waterboy for the Marquette football team! He'd sit on the bench and wait for the timeouts to dash out with the water tray. Just like Gunga Din Gunga Din (1892) is one of Rudyard Kipling's most famous poems, perhaps best known for its often-quoted last line, "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"[1] - only Ralph provided faster service. Note: Upon our arrival at Scholastic Coach, we found the accompanying picture of Ralph in our files. We carried it with us on all eight of our office moves since 1939 - waiting to serve justice in his behalf! (Our ratings of favorite Ralphs: (1) Metcalfe, (2) Kiner, (3) Kramden.) |
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