Facebook Friends: My essay below explains why black college football programs are at the cross roads, like Robert Johnson, the blues singer/guitarist, and need to make a very pivotal decision with the devil as to whether or not they need to continue participating in the NCAA FCS national championship playoff competition. The SWAC has already made that decision. They no longer compete in the NCAA playoffs. The SWAC has never won a game in the NCAA playoffs. They were getting blown out even when they had their best teams in the playoffs (Mississippi Valley State University/Jerry Rice). The SWAC has developed their own championship game. Yesterday, Alcorn University defeated Southern University, on national television, 38 - 24 for the 2014 SWAC Football Championship. I think it would be a great idea for black colleges to create and develop their own national football championship playoffs. No black college football team has reached the NCAA national championship game since Florida A&M University won the inaugural championship game in 1978 against the University of Massachusetts. The racial trends were significantly different during that era. Also, the format and the playing field was more conducive for black colleges to compete in the playoffs. The playing field is not balanced because of present-day racial trends in football. Black colleges can no longer recruit football players who are too small to be a horse, but too big to be a man. Black colleges can no longer recruit athletes that are so tall, they can see the curvature of the earth. Black colleges can no longer recruit athletes with such great peripheral vision, they can see their ears. Black colleges are not able to recruit athletes with such great eye/hand coordination, they can catch a BB in the dark. They can no longer recruit football players that are faster than a speeding bullet! Folks, those days are history... Perhaps it would behoove the MEAC/SWAC and other FCS black college football programs to develop their own national championship playoffs, until racial trends and the playing field becomes more level. MY REASON WHY COPIOUS NUMBERS OF BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS PERFORM SO POORLY IN THE PLAYOFFS EACH YEAR: IT IS MOSTLY CAUSED BY TRANSFORMATIONAL RACIAL TRENDS RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT TALENT; NOT RACIST BEHAVIOR. Morgan State University represented the MEAC in the playoffs this year. They, like most black colleges, were blown out in the very first round by the University of Richmond in the NCAA FCS playoffs. Yesterday, the University of Richmond was defeated convincingly by Coastal Carolina University in the second round, 36-15. Most years, MEAC football teams would not be invited to the NCAA FCS playoffs if they did not have an automatic berth to the championship competition. What is the problem? The problem is not enough quality talent on black college football teams. The racial landscape of football in America has changed dramatically over the last 56 years. Black college football programs are not capable of successfully recruiting the best black or white football players. Now, major historically white football institutions are recruiting five star, blue-chip black athletes in gargantuan numbers. For a variety of obvious reasons, black college football programs are not able to compete with the historically white institutions for the talents of those blue chip black athletes. Also, black college football programs have not been successful in recruiting talented white football players because of the stereo typical racial climate in the country. For that reason, white athletes are not receptive, at this time, to enrolling into black colleges in mass numbers. Therefore, the reciprocity paradigm is very unbalanced against black college football programs; black college football programs are losing their traditional black talent pool but are not receiving white players, or other ethnic groups to replace the loss of black talent. Undoubtedly, there are a plethora of initiatives that black colleges can incorporate into their mission statement to alleviate this problem; but many have been very tepid at this point. HBCUs can invest more capital to boost the recruiting budget and not impose austerity on their football coaches. They can upgrade facilities. They need to have a vision and a strategic athletic plan in their mission statement. Also, have a collective epiphany and embrace diversity by becoming more egalitarian. They need to upgrade facilities and their football infrastructure. These are just a few proposals that HBCUs can incorporate to further enhance their football programs (athletics) marketability. Although this essay is specifically about making an assessment of this very perplexing and paradoxical racial recruiting issue. Back to my main point, the white FCS and lower divisional football programs are the recipient and beneficiary of this new racial transformational trend, not black college football programs. Since the recent proliferation of the recruitment of talented black high school football players by historically white major college football programs, those black football players have supplanted the overwhelming majority of white football players. Those talented white football players, who dominated historically white major college football program rosters before racial integration (1957) in the country, are now playing for FCS and other lower divisional teams. These displaced talented white football players are also gravitating to soccer and many Olympic sports. Black football players do not dominate the rosters of white FCS, Division II and Division III NCAA teams. Although black football players dominate the top major college football programs in the country. And as you move further down the divisional levels, there are fewer and fewer black athletes on those respective white rosters because there are too many talented white football players on those levels. There simply are not enough African-American football players to accommodate everybody. After the major colleges finish recruiting and consuming most of the pick of the litter 5 star, black football athletes, the carcass is picked clean and there are only scraps left for black college football programs. African-Americans are still a minority in this country. African-Americans are not even the fastest-growing minority in the country, anymore. Nevertheless, now, many of those talented white football players of the 1957 era, no longer have the ability to play for todays major white college football programs. Black football players have taken white football players spots on those rosters. In spite of the displacement, those outstanding white football players have not disappeared from the college football scene. They have migrated to lower divisions and are making a serious impact on those diminutive levels. I am not being facetious; this is a very serious trend that will take time to play itself out. A similar racial transformation is currently taking place in professional baseball (MLB) and professional basketball (NBA). The recent onslaught of outstanding Hispanic baseball players from the Caribbean and other parts of South America have displaced a bevy of black and white American baseball players. Baseball (Negro Baseball League) and track and field used to be the most popular sports in the African-American community before integration (1957). Now, partly because of the Hispanic supplantation of African-Americans in baseball, those great black athletes have gravitated to football and basketball. Those two sports are currently the most popular athletic endeavors in the African-American community. Thus, the percentage of African-American participation in professional baseball has dropped off precipitously in recent years. The percentage of African-Americans participating in college baseball is embarrassingly and frighteningly low. Conversely, major college basketball is overwhelmingly African American. It is definitely not because of racism against Whites; its the change in trends, traditions and other extenuating circumstances. Although, my assessment and perusal of this black college football problem is specifically about the displacement of the talented white athlete and the loss of talented black athletes from black colleges. In the early days of the National Basketball League (Pre-1950), it was, for all practical purpose, an all-white league. Today, it is for all practical purpose an all black league. These athletic trends are all cyclical in nature. The next race/ethnic group to displace another race/ethnic group may be the Asian-Americans or Native Americans, when this elusive racial trends takes a circuitous route back to the original ethnic group. There are endless permutations to this very cyclical racial trend. I watched all three of the best lower division teams during their postseason playoffs on television. The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater beat the University of Mount Union 52–14 for the NCAA Division III national championship with just a few black football players. I saw Northwest Missouri State University defeat Lenoir–Rhyne University 43–28, and they were not inundated with black athletes. I saw North Dakota State University dismantled the University of New Hampshire 52–14 and they were not deluged with black football players. All three of those national champions had a minuscule number of African-American football players on their teams. The 2013 NCAA non-major college champions had a whole host of talented white football players who, probably, wouldve been playing for a major college football power in their vicinity during the 1957 season. The racial composition was just the opposite when I saw Florida State University play Auburn University for the BCS National Championship on January 6, 2014. By the way, when Florida State University played Auburn University for the national championship, it looked like two historically black universities playing a game. Approximately 90% of the starters on both teams, especially on defense, was Black. That was not the case in 1957 when Auburn University won the national championship; they were a 100% White football team. FCS, Division II and Division III historically white football programs are enjoying a windfall of talented white football players gravitating to lower divisions. Those talented white football players are not migrating to historically black college football programs. To further exacerbate the problem, unlike white football players reticence, good black football players demonstrate a lot of alacrity concerning their enrollment into historically white divisional football programs. So the historically white football programs have the best of both worlds. They are in an enviable position of being able to recruit the talented white and talented black football players who are not quite ready for major college football programs. Those great white football players who played for Ohio State University in 1957 are now playing for a phenomenal football program at the perennial national Division III champion, Mount Union. The great white football players of the University of Nebraska and University of Iowa teams of 1957 are currently playing for North Dakota State University and Montana State University. The great white football players of the 1957 University of Georgia team are now playing for Georgia Southern University and Valdosta State University football programs. The racial makeup of historically black and historically white football teams of 1957 are gone forever; and thats progress for the country, but regression for black college football. Understandably, without question, black college football programs of the 1957 era would have dominated and FCS NCAA historically white football programs during that segregated and bigoted time period. Because those same black football players who started for Auburn University and Florida State University on January 6, 2014 would be playing for (Florida A&M University, Tennessee State University, Bethune Cookman University, Grambling State University, etc.) small black college football programs in 1957. Additionally, black college football was so prominent during the Jim Crow era that a group of college Negro All-Stars were proficient enough to play the Chicago Bears in 1938. The Chicago Bears had just won the National Football League championship in 1937. The efficacy of black college football players playing the Chicago Bears, presently, would be unfathomable! What is the solution to the problem for black college football programs? First, black college football programs can wait for this national racial trend to change, deviate or disappear. This country is becoming more racially colorblind, and talented white football players will eventually become more receptive to playing for historically black college football programs. Presently, there are a small number of white football players playing for historically black football college programs. But, for the most part, they are not talented five-star, blue-chip white football players. I have never seen or heard of a white football player playing professional football (NFL) after having played and graduated from a black college. Secondly, there are 106 historically black colleges and universities in the country. If many of those colleges would drop football, the way they did in the late 1950s and early 1960s, those few remaining black colleges and universities would have a better opportunity to load up and stockpile the exiguous number of talented black players who are still willing and committed to playing football for black colleges. Thirdly, black college football programs can divorce themselves from the NCAA-FCS playoff tournament, and wait for the national trend to change; thus, returning when it is more feasible, favorable or fair for competitive competition. Some black colleges and black conferences have already decided to take that route of isolation from the playoffs. The won and loss record for black colleges participating in FCS playoffs is a dismal, 10 wins to 52 losses. Florida A&M University has five of those 10 wins. The SWAC, a strong, legendary and prestigious black football conference, has NEVER won a game in the FCS NCAA playoffs! So, the SWAC, has decided not to participate in the playoffs. Their best teams were losing miserably in the playoffs when they were participating in the tournament. In 1984 Louisiana Tech University beat the great Jerry Rices Mississippi Valley State University team 66 to 19. In 1989 Montana beat Jackson State University 48 to 7. In 1992 Louisiana–Monroe beat Alcorn State University 78 to 27. In 1994 Youngstown State University beat Alcorn State University 63-20. In 1996 William and Mary University beat Jackson State University 45-6. This disastrous trend continued until the SWAC withdrew from tournament play. Initially, I was aghast at their decision, but I believe they decided to not continue to placate their fans in the stands or mollify their players on the field, so they mercifully withdrew from the playoffs. The disparity in the quality of talent was obvious to the entire football world. In my opinion, the SWAC made the right decision by pulling out of the NCAA-FCS playoff tournament. Moreover, only two black colleges have played for the NCAA national championship in Division II football in 30 years: They are my Central State University team in 1983 versus North Dakota State University and Winston-Salem State University versus Valdosta State University in 2012. The last black college to win a FCS semi final round football game was my 1999 Florida A&M University football team. We beat Appalachian State, Troy State and lost a close one to Youngstown State University in the semifinal round. No black college has ever beaten two historically white universities in the playoffs, in the same year, except my 1999 Florida A&M University football team. Perhaps the best way to level the playing field, at this time, is for some HBCU football teams to elevate their programs up to the Division 1/Major College Football level. Florida A&M University tried to move up to the major college football level in 2004, but failed; it was a disaster! Various racial, cultural, financial, social, political, war, economic, religious, academic and many other transformational events have had a very profound impact on the football landscape in the country. The Ivy League schools (Harvard, Princeton, etc.) dominated the major college football scene before and around the turn of the 20th century. They have now descended to the FCS level, and choose not to participate in the playoff tournament. Our military schools (Army, Navy) were very powerful during and immediately after World War II. They benefited from the G.I Bill. They also benefited from having older and more talented football players returning from the war. Now, they have atrophied and are considered mid-major FBS football programs; thus, it is not viable for us to think those colleges can win the Division I Championship Game. Catholic universities (Notre Dame University, etc.) had their run in the football sun for a period of time. Many catholic high school football players around the country felt a religious commitment to attend the University of Notre Dame. These aforementioned national champions all had advantages because of a litany of trends. Moreover, all of these universities and many more met their Waterloo because of a variety of transformational football trends. Many of them dropped football or moved their football program to a more suitable lower division because of fiduciary issues in order to survive. From a personal standpoint, I attended and graduated from a catholic university in the early 1960s, Villanova University. We played a major college football schedule (we played Oregon State University in the 1962 Liberty Bowl. We also played in the 1961 Sun Bowl. Many catholic universities on our schedule have since dropped football, or have moved down to a lower division: They are Xavier University, Marquette University, University of Dayton, University of Detroit, Holy Cross University, etc. Their demise or descend to a lower level was hastened by budgetary problems, and when blue chip catholic high school football players ceased to have a religious allegiance to attend catholic universities. Even my alma mater, that made a living recruiting talented catholic high school football players from the state of New Jersey and the city/suburb of Philadelphia, dropped football for several years before bringing it back on a lower division, the FCS level. Then, Villanova University won the 2009 NCAA-FCS National Championship. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult for a university to win football games in the 21st century with primarily one ethnic/racial group. Imagine these conundrums: Could Montana State University win games primarily with Hispanic football players; could North Dakota State University win games primarily with Jewish football players; could Eastern Illinois University win games primarily with Asian football players; could Bloomsburg State University win football games primarily with Polish football players; could Towson State University win games primarily with Italian football players. Of course, flippantly speaking, it would be virtually impossible to sustain a successful football program with those kinds of racial dynamics. If you believe that scenario is possible, you will believe that I have a large nose because I snort Viagra. Finally, and in conclusion, I was a head football coach for 34 years at four different black colleges. The altruistic side of me made it imperative to make a pensive assessments of black colleges performances in the playoffs, because this present trend is an anomaly that will not last forever. I have come to realize that there is no mystery, mystique, magic or riddle wrapped up in an enigma as to why some teams are a success while others are an abject failure. In most cases, the team with the best football players will win the games most of the times. I have yet to see an outstanding football coach win consistently with untalented football players. With that being said, black college football programs have a dilemma with many favorable options confronting them with this football abyss. No option is full-proof because these protracted trends are forever changing and metamorphosing themselves into something different year in and year out. But above all, black college football programs cant be moored to the past, and they cant be marooned in the present about this watershed event. All the same, they must maintain their steady moral and ethical football compass while on the cusp of searching for solutions to this complicated and problematic trend. Written by Billy Joe 2007: Inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. 2008: Inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame 1995: Elected President of the American Football Coaches Association.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 06:38:57 +0000
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