SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE WALLS THAT ARE BROKEN DOWN BY HOOP DREAMS
The movie Glory Road depicts the road traveled by the Texas Western basketball team in breaking down the wall of racial injustice in sports, particularly NCAA basketball. Bobby Jo Hill and the miners beat back racism and narrow-minded thinking throughout the season to end the year with a 24-1 record, including a NCAA Championship.
After watching the movie, answer the following questions:
1) In your opinion, was Coach Haskins driven more by social awareness or his desire for winning? Explain.
2) Look up some info on the Miners and their 1965-66 season. What one aspect of their season was most interesting? Explain.
3) What was more important to the success of the team, the players' ability or their desire to break down the racial prejudices of the time? Explain.
1) I think it is a combination of both and that either way could be argued.. He is a great coach who wants to win but he also wants to make a statement to the NCAA. Proven when he plays solely black in the championship.
ReplyDelete2) I find it interesting that they only lost one game and also the players who went to the NBA.
3) Again, I think it could be both. These players were very talented as seen in their NBA careers. Also, wanting to make this statement that blacks can play ball as well was probably a great motivator for Texas Western.
1. i think both, not only did he have a desire to win but he loved that team. i think he could careless what their skin color was, he wanted to win and he liked the players
ReplyDelete2. winning the national championship and overcoming racial prejudice
3. i think mostly it had to do with breaking down the racial prejudice of the time because it was outta pride and they wanted to prove anybody can play regardless of skin color
1) Coach Haskings just wanted to win a national championship and prove to the world you can do it no matter where you started.
ReplyDelete2) It was really cool that they got random players from different states got picked up by this team and ended up winning the championship
3) The players ability to play through all the hate they were getting
1) I think Coach Haskings was driven more on winning because he recruited players that he believed were the best and not judging people by their colors. It didn't seem like Coach Haskings was trying to make a statement to the NCAA because he treated everyone equally and just saw the black players as any other player.
ReplyDelete2) It was very interesting to see how the team only lost one game despite all of the racial insults they recieved from opposing fans. They learned to put up with it and they won lots of games despite on what the fans said to them.
3) I think winning was more imporatant for the team because they've been fighting racial prejudices their whole lives and I think they wanted to win because they wanted to be winners for once in their lives instead of being looked down upon.
1. I think Coach Haskins was driven more by his desire to win. Even though Coach Adolph Rupp was obviously prejudiced against black players, Haskins eagerly introduced himself to Rupp. It was after Haskins felt slighted that he decided to only play the black members of his team, so it seemed to me that making a social statement was an added benefit that would highlight Haskins’s accomplishment--not his original intent. Additionally, Haskins emphasized “fundamental, defensive basketball” as his successful coaching philosophy, and, although the black players’ style became a more accepted part of the game, it remained a relatively limited aspect of it. Haskins continued to believe in his basketball philosophy and imposed it on his players so that black players could dominate the white game instead of introducing a new form of it.
ReplyDelete2. Although the movie portrays moments of racial tension within the team, Dave Palacio (one of the players) told ESPN that “It was friendship, pure friendship. I don’t remember a single instance of race being an issue or a problem among us.” It surprised me that such a high-stress situation could initiate complete racial acceptance within the team. I also believe that the loss against Seattle University was the most important game for the team because it forced them to recognize their fallibility. Because of this loss, they knew they’d have to work for their victories, and this realization, in my opinion, brought the enormity of the situation back down to the fundamentals of the game.
3. The players’ abilities were more important to the success of the team because the confidence each player had in his own game were crucial to creating the mentality that outside opinions did not matter. Despite external doubts and prejudices, players were able to believe in their own abilities knowing that “the ball don’t lie.” Because they were each aware of their talents, the capacity to win became the desire to win. But, I believe this desire was fueled by anger more so than breaking down racial prejudices; I’m not so sure the players realized the implications of their victory at that time.
1.I think coach Haskins both wanted to win basketball games and prove a point to the NCAA that blacks can play basketball just like white people it does not matter what color your skin is you are humans just like you and me that's why he played all the blacks in the championship game too prove this point. 2. The most interesting thing that came out to me was their basketball record with 24-1 which is amazing to accoplish. 3. I think it was both they did have very talented players which made it to the NBA. I also think it was their team work and the ability to trust one another. The team also want to show the world that blacks can play basketball just like another other person.
ReplyDelete1. I think in the beginning he was driven by a will to win. He went out to recruit the best players he could with the budget he had. Later on in the season, however, he realized it was about much more than just winning. He then made decisions based on social awareness like his decision to play only black players in the final.
ReplyDelete2. I found it interesting that Bobby Joe Hill could consistently score ten plus points in each game. This is shown in his point per game average being at 15.
3. I think the players' abilities were a big part of their success but more so was their desire to prove that their team could succeed against all odds. The players themselves were motivated to succeed because of their experiences with racism. They wanted to prove that winning basketball didn't depend on your race but your will.
1.) Coach was really only looking for social awareness when he benched his white players. If he was driven to win so much, he would of allowed them to play. He wanted to break the barrier of blacks in basketball.
ReplyDelete2.) The most interesting thing about the team was that back in the day centers like David Latin were online about 6 foot 7. It was also amazing that they only lost one game and beat Kentucky for the National title.
3.) the players desire to break down racism in the game was more important. If they weren't looking to do this, they would of quit when they were threatened. They didn't quit and they broke the barrier for blacks in basketball.
1.Coach haskins was driven by both things. He always had the desire to win, but at the same time he was driven by his social awareness. He knew that back then racist people would be judging him for playing the people that he played, but he did it his way and in the end they both worked out for him very well.
ReplyDelete2.One aspect of the miners season that was interesting is pretty obvious. No College team had put black players on the floor like that and won a championship in the end with only one loss all season. The record is pretty interesting itself.
3. The desire to break down racial prejudices of the time was more important to the teams success. If they couldnt take the mean words and cruel treament form the racists their attitude wouldve taken alot from their basketball ability. We all know people that cant just shrug things off and stick together as a team when they hit a conflict never last, but the miners knew that they couldnt let the racists control them. The miners played their own game.
3.
1.)Coach Haskins was motivated by both aspects. He loved to win and wanted to be the top team. Coaching a Black team was also very tough because of all the racism but he respected his players and played them equally. 2.) it was really cool how they got a whole new team together and won the national championship their first year with a new coach. 3.) Their motivation to keep playing even when they would get stuff thrown at them and called racial slangs. They would shut up the crowd by scoring and winning
ReplyDelete1. Both. Everyone loves to win but in order to do that is to try to get closer to your players and becoming a better coach.
ReplyDelete2.Most of the team were African Americans and they were amazing that year. Only 1 loss. After that, a lot of teams started drafting African Americans into college basketball.
3. Getting along with each other at the end was defiantly a huge help to the players. They had put great effort and without teamwork, this would not have happened
1. I Believe that coach Haskins was motivated equally by the desire to win and the social aspect. Because while he was always always an athlete and the desire to win is engrained in him because of that, and the social consciousness that was thrust upon him was very powerful so it probably had a huge impact.
ReplyDelete2. I think it's very interesting they only lost one game in there entire season.
3. The desire to break down the racial barrier was most likely the biggest factor because even though they were all really talented the catalyst of a real reason to fight for is very influential.
1. I think that Coach Haskins was motivated by both the desire to win and the social aspect. He wanted to win so he found the players that he could win best with and he actually "played" them to try to unite the black and white community.
ReplyDelete2. The one aspect of their season that I find very interesting is that they only lost one game.
3. I think the most important factor for the team winning was getting over the racial prejudices because once they got over that they would be able to function just like any other team.
1. I believe that Coach Haskins was motivated by social barriers. He told his players that he did not see in color. Even though he was ridiculed for his ways, he did what many coaches wanted to do but didn't have the guts to do. He played the players who deserved to have playing time, despite the pigment of their skin.
ReplyDelete2. What I found most interesting about their season was that they only lost one game.
3. The most important part of the team winning the National Championship was overcoming racial prejudices. This game changed the game of basketball completely.
1. In the beginning I think that it was more about winning but when people started having a problem with all the black players I think that it turned into both.
ReplyDelete2. That they never lost a game and that they got players from all over the country.
3.The fact that they broke down the social prejudice.
1.) IMO, Coach Haskins wanted to win. He wasn't racist so he didn't care about skin color. He just cared for how the kids he picked played the game.
ReplyDelete2.) The most interesting aspect of their season in my mind was how they ended it by playing all black kids. I think he did this to make a point it doesn't matter about what color you are.
3.) I would say both just because the racism gave them the motivation they needed for their abilities to take full effect.
1. I believe that coach Haskins just wanted to win and didn't care who it was with. At the same time i think he wanted to do something that no other coach in the country was doing by playing all black players in the championship game.
ReplyDelete2. One of the most interesting things about that team was that they only lost one game when they never got a lot of support from the fans
3. I think they wanted to send a message and change history by doing something no other team had ever done before
1.I think that coach Haskins just wanted to win but when people started becoming very derogatory in the racial sense it became both.
ReplyDelete2. I found it interesting in their stats that they only lost one game.
3. The most important part of the team winning the National Championship was overcoming racism. This game specifically changed the game of basketball completely.
1)I believe that Haskins was after both, He wanted to break the social norm through basketball proving that black PEOPLE where in fact people too, i know crazy concept. One of the main reasons that he wanted to do this was to also help himself be know in the NCAA so that he could further his career in college basketball, no matter the cost.
ReplyDelete2)What was interesting is that they played a lot of home games in the beginning and that they just destroyed the competition with some games doubling the other teams score.Also that they not only played amazing basketball but in between they also kicked racism's ass!
3)I believe that the true success was a beautiful Harmony of both. They where all phenomenal players but they also broke down the disbelief that black people could also play basketball at the level if not better than most white people. For that I personally believe it was a situation such as what came the chicken or the egg. Success or overcoming the racial barrier.