I relish the history of the game and accept a lot of the conflict that has been seen over the generations. I love that I learn and even contemplate life when I look back upon some people that clearly have or had values that were different than mine. I would rather discuss some of the stains that our (fallen) heroes have had than to completely erase them. I can separate my childhood admiration for a phenomenal football player like OJ Simpson and the decisions that he made later in life which appear horrific. I look at Cap Anson and I appreciate the baseball player but am saddened and contemplate what might cause someone to hate others for no reason other than the color of their skin.
Baseball is a microcosm of life itself. Many of these players were put into the spotlight at a very young age because of their athleticism. Hopefully many of them learned things over the course of life like the rest of us have tried to do.
With all this being said I have no interest in collecting new cards of any athlete that thinks he or she can preach to society because they are a phenomenal athlete. Being the greatest basketball player of a given generation, does not make that players political, societal, religious etc. views important to me. I would rather listen to a group of men and women in a nursing home share their wisdom than to hear it from an entitled athlete, movie star, politician etc.
Rick Johnson
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