What makes a hero?

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I just watched the story of Ernie Davis, the first Black athlete to win the Heisman Trophy, the highest award a college football player can win. He won it in 1961 while playing for Syracuse University in New York State. 1961... A time of social unrest, discrimination, racism and being America.............FOOTBALL! The movie touched on all of these things. Scenes on the field during practice and games were brutal in their subtle portrayal of the rampant racism of the day. By the end of the movie I was practically in tears. Not because of the early and untimely death of a great athlete and thorough gentleman (Ernie died at 23 of leukemia), but I was angry, because in spite of how socially accepting we have become, the sense of entitlement white male athletes (especially in high school and college) have, is no 'nicer' today than it was 60 years ago. Today's sense of entitlement by these athletes is not totally color driven. But it is there, it is arrogant and it is often cruel and it could learn a lot of humility from the Black athletes of yesteryear. I can understand back in the sixties, a Black athlete's politeness, work ethic, and good manners. He couldn't afford to give 'the man' any reason whatsoever to dislike him or to provoke latent racism. Every Black person in America at the time, of every age, was aware that humiliation and more than likely a beating awaited them simply for having dark skin. Yet in spite of that athletes like Ernie Davis stayed humble, polite, giving, and just plain NICE. They played for the love of the game, belief in themselves and to make their Momma's proud. And to my mind today's athletes should be forced to watch movies like the Ernie Davis story over and over until they get the message that it's talent, good manners and a sense of fair play in all things on and off the field that counts. Not glory, not getting the girl, not being the 'big man on campus' not the endorsements, and definitely not the belief that being an athlete is all about superiority and being above the law. There is a lot good about the football culture in America. But there is more that is not so good, and the sense of entitlement engendered in young athletes today, be they Black or White is the worst of the bad. Have a happy Super Bowl day. Cheer your heroes. But be aware that a heroes behavior OFF the field is just as important, as that on the field.