[lbo-talk] Sports journos show true "colors"

[/ dave /]

Carl Eller Enters the Hall of Fame with Purpose

By Dave Zirin

Most football fans wouldn't recognize Carl Eller if he walked the 
streets in his old Minnesota Vikings helmet tackling surly teenagers.

Eller last played 25 years ago, before ESPN, satellite cable, and the 
World Wide Web turned players into brand names, always available like 
potato chips in a 24-hour mini-mart.

Yet on Saturday the anonymous Eller, the cornerstone of Minnesota's 
Disco era 'Purple People Eater' Defense entered the pro-football Hall of 
Fame in Canton Ohio, and he did it with style, substance, and a whole 
lot of soul.

Eller was supposed to recede into the shadows, with the day belonging to 
two recently retired commercial icons; quarterback John Elway and half 
back Barry Sanders. Elway retired in storybook fashion after winning 
consecutive Super Bowls. Sanders left the game a whirling dervish of an 
enigma, walking away at age 31 his health intact and within spitting 
distance of the most hallowed rushing records in the game. This was 
billed as their moment and they dressed for the part.

Elway and Sanders stood erect and trim, beaming from their signature 
gold Hall of Fame blazers. Next to these golden boys, Eller looked like 
he had wandered over from a nearby golf course in a yellow sports coat, 
only lacking the plaid pants.

Yet when it was his turn to make a speech, Eller the afterthought, 
shocked the Canton crowd by having something to say.

"What can I do with this honor?" he said. "I want to use this platform 
to help young African-American males to participate fully in this 
society and to set a new direction in their lives...I want that 
direction be toward the great colleges and universities of our society, 
not to the prisons and the jail cells...It breaks my heart, and it 
breaks all of our hearts... This is not the future we fought for in the 
'50s, '60s and '70s."

He then earned cheers from a crowd of John Elway and Barry Sanders fans 
by saying. "Our country has turned its back on African-American males. 
Some have even given up hope. But I haven't given up on you."

Eller has earned the right to voice his frustrations about a nation that 
has more African-American men in prison than in college. Since 
retirement he has been the Executive Director of Triumph Services, a 
chain of chemical dependency rehabilitation facilities located in 
Minneapolis/St. Paul. Eller is a certified chemical dependency counselor 
and was the National Football League consultant on alcohol and drug 
abuse matters. As a consultant to the NFL, Eller helped develop the 
league's first Employee Assistance Program.

Bluntly, he has spent many more years working on this issue than he ever 
did head slapping offensive linemen. Yet still criticism was rained upon 
his head for stealing Elway and Sanders thunder and being "political." 
Denver Post columnist Jim Armstrong wrote, "Memo to John Elway: Thanks 
for making the speech fun and not going all political on us. For a 
minute there, I thought Carl Eller was going to do a Michael Moore and 
call for Dubya's hide."

Some at ESPN radio wanted to nominate Eller for their "just shut up 
award" and even debated if Eller was "racist" for speaking about racism. 
(These are the same folks who think Bush is a "peace president" or John 
Kerry is an icon of charisma and elect-ability.)

Others called in to say that those who think Eller should just shut up, 
should in fact "just shut up". (Ahh, debate).

But arguing whether or not Eller has the right to speak misses the point.

Eller took a ceremony about as exciting as Shriners Award night and had 
the temerity to say something that wouldn't be immediately disposable.

It's called having a backbone, principles, and being a human being 
instead of a brand.

http://www.edgeofsports.com/2004-08-12-92/index.html

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/  dave  /