Two Months...Two Legends Gone

Within the last two months we have lost two great figures in American history. While most would assume that since both of these men were legends in the world of sports, they would belie the impact that these two men had on our world, both in and out of the sports world. First off, baseball legend Buck O'Neil. While he is far from being a household name Buck O'Neil was a ground breaking individual who did more to preserve the history of African American involvement in sports than most other historians. A star Negro League player for the Kansas City Monarchs (the team Jackie Robinson played for) during the 40's and early 50's, in 1962 he was hired by the Chicago Cubs and became the first black coach in professional sports staying with the club into the late 80's, when he became a scout for the Kansas City Royals. Over the last several years there had been significant debate over O'Neil's entry into the Hall of Fame, unfortunately he was not admitted before his death. O'Neil served as the executive chairman of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City from 2001 until the time of his death and was influential in the admittance of many Negro League players and owners entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame. O'Neil worked tirelessly throughout his life to bring the importance of Negro League baseball to the forefront of sports history, a legacy that will certainly not be forgotten. Red Auerbach, the legendary, iconic, coach of the Boston Celtics from 1950-1966. In that time he won 9 championships, a feat accomplished by only one other coach (Phil Jackson, currently of the Los Angeles Lakers) in the history of the game. While best known for his accomplishments on the court, Auerbach was also responsible for many firsts in the integration of professional basketball. He was responsible for drafting the first black player into the NBA (Chuck Cooper, 1950), the first all black starting lineup (Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, Willie Naulls) in 1963, and made Bill Russell the first black head coach in professional sports when he named him as his successor in 1966. While his actions were made in the name of victory in sports, their undercurrents had long lives. His selection of Chuck Cooper broke the color barrier in the NBA, making it the last of the major sports leagues to integrate (NFL-Kenny Washington, 1946; MLB- Jackie Robinson, 1947). While both Auerbach and O'Neil were known best for their accomplishments in the field of sports, both men had an impact that will not be forgotten and that forever changed the way sports in our country are played. I think that it is important that these men be remembered inside and outside of the sports world, not only for their accomplishments, but for the impact that they had on our society. We must remember that sports are a reflection of our society in many ways, and the impact these two great men had on the sporting world carried over into our society in immeasurable ways.