Will we ever overcome?

Yesterday was a good day. Both the NFL teams I rooted for won their respective championship games.

I've never been much for football and still am not, but living in Chicagoland I can't help but get caught up in Bears fever. I've always been a Colts fan; Indiana is my husband's home state, and I've been listening to him and his son cheer for them for the last 15 years. My hopes for the Super Bowl victor? The Colts. (Said softly, lest any Bears fans be lurking around.)

To my surprise, the final story featured on the network newscast this evening was the fact that both teams are going to the Super Bowl guided by African-American lead coaches. This was compared to the sports firsts by heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and major league baseball player Jackie Robinson (in 1910 and 1947, respectively.)

I heard this fact mentioned on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, but I would expect that. After all, Tom and the gang often present issues of interest to the black community. But it seemed out of place given such emphasis on the network news, a broadcast which, unlike the aforementioned syndicated radio show, does not have a predominantly African-American audience.

Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl game, was interviewed for the piece and said the media is making too much of it. At least one of the coaches said that while he is proud, in this day and age it really shouldn't be a huge deal. I agree.

I guess race will always be with us, just like death and taxes.