Monday, January 15, 2007

In honor of the Reverend King

I understand that an entire section of the country has been covered in a sheet of ice, sleet & snow which has led to numerous closings, widespread power outages and at least 39 deaths.

All I have to say to that is it was an unbelievably gorgeous 75 degrees & perfect today here in the F-L-A, and if you're tired of that shitty winter weather then do what I did and hightail it South, fools.

Despite the horrendous weather today is still a national holiday, a day to remember the life, words and philosophies of the great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. On this day celebrating his life I thought I would use part of his most famous & inspirational speech and apply it to the NFL playoffs, because that's all I know how to do.
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I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow victories. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for a 4th championship left you barraged by the words of persecution and staggered by the accusations of the MVP. You have been the veterans of playoff suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unrewarded suffering is not a good thing at all.

Go back to Seattle, go back to San Diego, go back to Dallas, go back to the slums and ghettos of New Jersey knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed as soon as you field a better team. Do not wallow in the valley of postseason failure despair.

I say to you today, my fellow football fans, that in spite of all the difficulties in coping with the fact that your team lost I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day the Chargers will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self evident: that all tasteless celebrations are created equal."

I have a dream that Sunday on a field in Indianapolis the son of a former Saints great and the son of a bitch who kicked 5 field goals last week for his new team will be able to sit down together at the post game podium and explain their loss.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Louisiana, a devastated state, suffering from the pain of loss and destruction, will be transformed into a place of Super Bowl partying and merriment (wait a minute...)

I have a dream that my child one day will live in a nation where he is not judged by the color of his jersey but by the number of championships his team has won.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of California, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with their inability to speak the English language, will be transformed into a state where players who act like little boys (Shawne Merriman) and players who whine like little girls (LT) will be able to pound fists with players from the Patriots and admit that they had every right to celebrate on the field last week.

I have a dream today.
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In all seriousness the real version of this very powerful & moving speech made by Dr. King in 1968 is more amazing when you consider the fact that the message is still relevant to this very day. As racism (Kramer), anti-Semitism (Mel) and senseless violence (Darrent Williams' death) grips our country and comes from all walks of life it is the message that we need to put our prejudices aside and come together as a nation.

After all we already have a war we are fighting overseas; why are we still fighting one at home?

To read the true verses of the "I have a dream" speech click here.

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