The new movie Glory Road — the story about the 1966 National Championship Texas Western University basketball team — opens this weekend, and the story of that great team reminded me of my late father‘s use of basketball to teach me one of my life’s most valuable lessons.
In 1966, I was a 13 year-old basketball-consumed youngster in the somewhat sheltered existence of Iowa City, Iowa, a lovely midwestern college town where the University of Iowa is located. That season, the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Mideast Regional was in Iowa City and my father graciously decided to let me tag along with him to the tournament games. Little did I know that part of my father’s purpose in doing so was to expose me to one of the most intimidating examples of racism that I would experience during my youth.
The four teams playing in the Mideast regional that year were Michigan (the Big 10 champ and one of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ arch-rivals), Kentucky, Dayton and Western Kentucky. My father was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, so he had always followed UK basketball, although he was partial to his alma mater Louisville and to Iowa after watching Big 10 sporting events for many years while teaching medicine at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. As a big basketball fan, I knew all about Kentucky basketball and its legendary coach Adolph Rupp, but that did little to prepare me for the sociological experience that was about to take place in the old Iowa Fieldhouse over that weekend in 1966.
You see, each of the teams in that regional except Kentucky was integrated, and it became clear from the moment I set foot in the hot, dusty arena that the antipathy of racism was about ready to boil over at almost any point. As Kentucky defeated Dayton and Michigan beat Western Kentucky in the semi-final games, many of the numerous Kentucky fans openly hurled insults at the black players for the other teams. Moreover, most of the Kentucky fans refused to cheer for the neighboring Western Kentucky team in its semi-final game against Michigan because of the presence of black players on the Western Kentucky squad. Rupp — who was a daunting and imposing figure on the sideline — didn’t even attempt to hide his contempt for the black players of opposing teams. Inasmuch as the Iowa baskeball teams that I had followed had already been integrated with black players, I had never experienced anything close to the seething impulses of racism that were palpable in the Iowa Fieldhouse that Friday evening.
Throughout that entire evening and the following Saturday, my father never mentioned anything to me about the acrimonious atmosphere in the Fieldhouse. However, as Michigan — with its star black players Cazzie Russell and Oliver Darden — took on the all-white Kentucky team in the Mideast Regional final game on Saturday night, there was no doubt that my father and I were pulling for Michigan to pull the upset over Kentucky. Alas, Michigan lost a close game to UK in that regional final, which set up Kentucky’s journey to the Final Four that season and its eventual loss to that special Texas Western team in the National Championship game. My father and I took great pleasure the night of that championship game in seeing the mighty Rupp and his UK team brought to their knees by an unknown underdog from far West Texas, and I have felt an affinity for that Texas Western team ever since.
While golfing together many years later, I asked my father why he had said nothing to me about the open expressions of racism that we saw and heard during that weekend of basketball in 1966. He looked at me and — fully cognizant of my youthful disdain for Michigan — replied with a wry smile:
“There was nothing to say. When I saw that you were pulling for Michigan, I knew you had figured it out.”
Great story, Tom. Thanks for the post.
I thought the movie was quite poignant, and a film that people need to see. It reinforces the impact that Coach Haskins and his players had on not only the culture of sports, but on American culture in general.
It’s interesting to read about personal memories from that time, because it makes the story come to life for those who weren’t born yet.
I had the pleasure of interviewing David Lattin after a special screening at last week’s NCAA Convention, and we discussed some of his experiences and how that game changed his life. You can find the interview, as well as some other discussion on Glory Road at the NCAA’s Blog – the Double-A Zone (www.doubleazone.com).
Oh great, you spoiled the movie!!
Great post, Tom. Growing up in the Chicago area, I also never had first-hand experience with overt racism until I went to college in Texas in 1973. It was bewildering and disgusting to witness intense racism for the first time, and on subsequent ocassions. I’m glad to say that I believe it’s greatly diminished (in Texas) since then.
Great story. I’m thankful I’ve never had to root against one of my favorite teams for reasons like that.
thanks for sharing that.
Since I was only 6 years old in 1966, I never knew the Texas Western story, except that they were the footnote that interrupted UCLA’s incredible string of NCAA titles.
I also never knew what an important part they played in the most joyous moment of my youth, watching my beloved NC State Wolfpack interrupt UCLA’s streak again in 1974. My father took me to the Greensboro Coliseum to watch State, with David Thompson, possibly the best collegian ever, beat Bill Walton and UCLA in double overtime.
If not for Coach Haskins and his courageous crew, David Thompson may never have graced the hardwood at NC State, and the Wolfpack faithful may never have experienced the unadulterated love of a quiet, unassuming young man from Shelby, NC who just happened to be African-American.
Thanks for the story.
Banjo, as fellow Wolfpacker the exact same age as you I share your sentiments in large part. I was at State in 1983 and graduated a year later so I got a great view of that run as well!
I actaully have a vague remberance of the game itself and in December of ’66 went to my first college game here in Charlotte to see Princeton paste a pretty good Davidson team 91-68.
My problems with the movie (and I have not seen it yet) begin with the way the game itself is portrayed. Texas Western pretty much dominated the whole game as opposed to coming from behind. David Lattain dunked on Pat Riley about the 3rd basket of the game to set the tone on Haskins’ orders. About halfway through the 1st half Bobby Jo Hill stole the ball from Louie Dampier on consecutive possesions and got two easy snowbirds that pretty much dictated the terms that the guards would play by. Not what UK signed up for! It was a little bit of an ugly game as these championship affairs tend to be.
Haskins did not start 5 black players to make a statement. He started those guys because they were the guys who he thought gave him the best chance to win. It might be noted that the Miners had an important white player in forward Jerry Armstrong. He did not play against UK but the previous night was able to limit Utah’s Jerry Chambers (another black player) who was tournament MOP.
I also think Rupp gets bad rap and that is largely because he is not around to defend himself.We have to remember that Rupp was an old man then and he was of a very different world than the one we live in. Rupp like Bear Bryant at Alabama wanted to recruit black players, especially when in the mid 50s he saw this kid named Oscar Robertson play in high school. He also took note of the success in the 50s of teams with black players like La Salle and USF with K.C. Jones and Bill Russell. In fact the 1961 and ’62 Cinnati Bearcats were champs and they started four black players as did the ’63 champs Loyola of Chicago. In his last championship team in 1958 the Wildcats defeated Portland with Elgin Baylor. He knew these kids could play and he could coach them. UK’s folks knew it too but they did not dare risk getting thrown out of the SEC. It was not until 1970 when Bear brought USC to Legion Field with Sam Cunningham and Clarence Davis that things really started rolling. Coach McKay, one of Bear’s best friends and his Trojans plastered Alabama in the 1st integrated football game in Alabama that things really changed.
But it is hard to fit all of that in a movie. The times are different and it is a bit fashionable to make a bit more of things than they may be. Still, I think the Miners title was important and racial overtones were part of that.
Everybody might note that the Miners stayed pretty much near the top of the college basketball heap for a long time under Don Haskins. They almost made it back to the final four in the 1990s as Haskins career wound down. Nate Archibald, one of the best gurds in the histroy of the NBA played there in the early 70s. The 1985 NC State team beat them in the second round of the NCAA tournament and it was not easy.
My hats off to the Miners and their coach. Not because of their color but because of what they are. Champions. Champions with lots of guts and class. Can’t beat that!