Post by Okwes on May 9, 2007 14:15:52 GMT -5
Kentucky's authority on Thorpe
Lexington Herald-Leader
<http://www.topix.net/redir/loc=off-hosted-page/http=3A=2F=2Fwww.kentuck\
y.com>
February 03, 2007
I'm willing to speak to any group, primarily to celebrate and honor and
keep Thorpe in front of people. A great debt is owed him. He's a great
story.
It was in the initial afterglow after the first all-African-American
<http://www.topix.net/afam> head coaching matchup in Super Bowl history
had been set.
A phone call from a professor at the University of the Cumberlands came
into the Herald-Leader office containing a question.
You all were aware that the first president of what is now the National
Football League <http://www.topix.net/nfl> was an ethnic minority?
Uh, well, no.
'Nobody remembers it,' said R.W. 'Bob' Reising, a professor of education
at the school formerly known as Cumberland College, 'but Jim Thorpe was
the first president of what is now the NFL.'
Jim Thorpe, the Native American athletic icon of the early 20th century
-- football star, major-league baseball player and hero of the 1912
Summer Olympics was essentially the first commissioner of the NFL?
'You can look it up,' Reising said.
According to the pro football history section on NFL.com, it was on
Sept. 17 of 1920, that the American Professional Football Association
elected Thorpe as its president.
On April 30 of the following year, Thorpe stepped down and was replaced
by Joe Carr. On June 24, 1922, the APFA changed its name.
To the National Football League.
One of the perks of my job is you get to meet people with interesting
stories you weren't even aware were in Kentucky
<http://www.topix.net/state/ky> .
Reising is the author of two books on Thorpe, Jim Thorpe: The Story Of
An American Indian and Jim Thorpe: Tarheel (both out of print). He's
working on a third, Jim Thorpe: The Rest of the Story.
On the day when ethnic diversity in football is front and center, I
thought you might enjoy hearing more about football's first great
minority star.
Question: So was Thorpe really running what is now the NFL, or was he
more a figurehead brought in for his celebrity?
Reising: 'He didn't want the job and he was not administratively
oriented or gifted. He just did it as a favor. They needed him.
'He'd been a star with the Canton <http://www.topix.net/city/canton-ma>
Bulldogs (a premier pro football team early in the 20th century) in
their three (informal) world championships.
'The people who met in 1920 (to form the new league) said we have to
have somebody up front on the letter head who really attracts
(attention). Thorpe, of course, was an international icon by that time.
His name was magic.
'After a year, people said we've got to get somebody who can do more
than be a figurehead. And Thorpe didn't want it.'
Q: As a football player, Thorpe made his name playing for coaching icon
'Pop' Warner for the Carlisle (Pa.) Indians (Carlisle was what would
today likely be classified a vocational school for Native Americans).
What was Warner like as a coach?
Reising: 'Warner was running such a lousy show at Carlisle. Warner was a
scoundrel, he was a scoundrel.'Q: Pop Warner?
Reising: 'Yeah. He was paying his ballplayers. He was in violation of
every rule. Thorpe may have been the first athlete to take a cut when he
signed as a pro. He was making more money at Carlisle.'
Q: Thorpe died in 1953. Would he be a great athlete if he were alive
today?
Reising: 'Definitely. Great ability to adjust. Great ability to envision
what had to be done. He was very much a psychologist. That's why lying
on the hammock (on the ship) on the way to the Olympics -- people said
he was lazy -- he did a lot of envisioning.
'His kicking alone compares very favorably with the kicking you see
today. At over 50 years of age, he gave those exhibitions. He'd stand at
the 50-yard line and drop kick, make maybe eight out of 11 one way, then
six out of 10 the other way. He kicked 83 yards once on a punt. That's
not bad.
'As a running back, he was a scoring machine.
'The defensive back award (presented annually to the top DB in college
football) is named for him. Jim threw the ball well, too.
'Yes, he could play in any era. He had skills that would be invaluable
in any era. Including 2007.'
Q: Would Thorpe be gratified or feel some kinship at seeing two
African-American coaches in the Super Bowl?
Reising: 'Oh, I think so. In 1917 when he was (playing) with Canton,
they had an incident. You've heard of Greasy Neale?
(I hadn't, but I looked it up. Earle 'Greasy' Neale was, like Thorpe, an
early star of pro football. Later, he went on to fame as a head coach in
the NFL. The incident you will read about below occurred in 1917,
according to the Pro Football Researchers Association).
'Greasy Neale was a good football player. Excellent football player. But
he was a bigot.
'One of the clubs came out of the North to play Canton. And (the
visitors) had a running back by the name of (Henry) McDonald, a black
player.
'Neale made it quite clear when he hit the black player during the game
that blacks should be playing with blacks and whites should be playing
with whites. He started to rough (McDonald) up.
'Thorpe stepped in. He said, 'Fellas, we're here to play football. Leave
him alone, Neale.'
'The game went on without incident. In telling about what happened,
McDonald later said, 'Thorpe's word was law. On that field, Thorpe's
word was law.''
Professor keeping Thorpe 'in front of the people'
R.W. 'Bob' Reising is available to speak on Jim Thorpe for colleges,
high school and middle school classes and civic clubs.
'I'll speak about Thorpe, show my visuals, my memorabilia, show them
stuff that nobody else has if they will donate to a scholarship,'
Reising says. 'I'm willing to speak to any group, primarily to celebrate
and honor and keep Thorpe in front of people. A great debt is owed him.
He's a great story.'
Contact Reising at his office at the University of the Cumberlands at
(606) 539-4518.
Lexington Herald-Leader
<http://www.topix.net/redir/loc=off-hosted-page/http=3A=2F=2Fwww.kentuck\
y.com>
February 03, 2007
I'm willing to speak to any group, primarily to celebrate and honor and
keep Thorpe in front of people. A great debt is owed him. He's a great
story.
It was in the initial afterglow after the first all-African-American
<http://www.topix.net/afam> head coaching matchup in Super Bowl history
had been set.
A phone call from a professor at the University of the Cumberlands came
into the Herald-Leader office containing a question.
You all were aware that the first president of what is now the National
Football League <http://www.topix.net/nfl> was an ethnic minority?
Uh, well, no.
'Nobody remembers it,' said R.W. 'Bob' Reising, a professor of education
at the school formerly known as Cumberland College, 'but Jim Thorpe was
the first president of what is now the NFL.'
Jim Thorpe, the Native American athletic icon of the early 20th century
-- football star, major-league baseball player and hero of the 1912
Summer Olympics was essentially the first commissioner of the NFL?
'You can look it up,' Reising said.
According to the pro football history section on NFL.com, it was on
Sept. 17 of 1920, that the American Professional Football Association
elected Thorpe as its president.
On April 30 of the following year, Thorpe stepped down and was replaced
by Joe Carr. On June 24, 1922, the APFA changed its name.
To the National Football League.
One of the perks of my job is you get to meet people with interesting
stories you weren't even aware were in Kentucky
<http://www.topix.net/state/ky> .
Reising is the author of two books on Thorpe, Jim Thorpe: The Story Of
An American Indian and Jim Thorpe: Tarheel (both out of print). He's
working on a third, Jim Thorpe: The Rest of the Story.
On the day when ethnic diversity in football is front and center, I
thought you might enjoy hearing more about football's first great
minority star.
Question: So was Thorpe really running what is now the NFL, or was he
more a figurehead brought in for his celebrity?
Reising: 'He didn't want the job and he was not administratively
oriented or gifted. He just did it as a favor. They needed him.
'He'd been a star with the Canton <http://www.topix.net/city/canton-ma>
Bulldogs (a premier pro football team early in the 20th century) in
their three (informal) world championships.
'The people who met in 1920 (to form the new league) said we have to
have somebody up front on the letter head who really attracts
(attention). Thorpe, of course, was an international icon by that time.
His name was magic.
'After a year, people said we've got to get somebody who can do more
than be a figurehead. And Thorpe didn't want it.'
Q: As a football player, Thorpe made his name playing for coaching icon
'Pop' Warner for the Carlisle (Pa.) Indians (Carlisle was what would
today likely be classified a vocational school for Native Americans).
What was Warner like as a coach?
Reising: 'Warner was running such a lousy show at Carlisle. Warner was a
scoundrel, he was a scoundrel.'Q: Pop Warner?
Reising: 'Yeah. He was paying his ballplayers. He was in violation of
every rule. Thorpe may have been the first athlete to take a cut when he
signed as a pro. He was making more money at Carlisle.'
Q: Thorpe died in 1953. Would he be a great athlete if he were alive
today?
Reising: 'Definitely. Great ability to adjust. Great ability to envision
what had to be done. He was very much a psychologist. That's why lying
on the hammock (on the ship) on the way to the Olympics -- people said
he was lazy -- he did a lot of envisioning.
'His kicking alone compares very favorably with the kicking you see
today. At over 50 years of age, he gave those exhibitions. He'd stand at
the 50-yard line and drop kick, make maybe eight out of 11 one way, then
six out of 10 the other way. He kicked 83 yards once on a punt. That's
not bad.
'As a running back, he was a scoring machine.
'The defensive back award (presented annually to the top DB in college
football) is named for him. Jim threw the ball well, too.
'Yes, he could play in any era. He had skills that would be invaluable
in any era. Including 2007.'
Q: Would Thorpe be gratified or feel some kinship at seeing two
African-American coaches in the Super Bowl?
Reising: 'Oh, I think so. In 1917 when he was (playing) with Canton,
they had an incident. You've heard of Greasy Neale?
(I hadn't, but I looked it up. Earle 'Greasy' Neale was, like Thorpe, an
early star of pro football. Later, he went on to fame as a head coach in
the NFL. The incident you will read about below occurred in 1917,
according to the Pro Football Researchers Association).
'Greasy Neale was a good football player. Excellent football player. But
he was a bigot.
'One of the clubs came out of the North to play Canton. And (the
visitors) had a running back by the name of (Henry) McDonald, a black
player.
'Neale made it quite clear when he hit the black player during the game
that blacks should be playing with blacks and whites should be playing
with whites. He started to rough (McDonald) up.
'Thorpe stepped in. He said, 'Fellas, we're here to play football. Leave
him alone, Neale.'
'The game went on without incident. In telling about what happened,
McDonald later said, 'Thorpe's word was law. On that field, Thorpe's
word was law.''
Professor keeping Thorpe 'in front of the people'
R.W. 'Bob' Reising is available to speak on Jim Thorpe for colleges,
high school and middle school classes and civic clubs.
'I'll speak about Thorpe, show my visuals, my memorabilia, show them
stuff that nobody else has if they will donate to a scholarship,'
Reising says. 'I'm willing to speak to any group, primarily to celebrate
and honor and keep Thorpe in front of people. A great debt is owed him.
He's a great story.'
Contact Reising at his office at the University of the Cumberlands at
(606) 539-4518.