A Good Story in case you have not heard it:

[clydepepper]

Tom - you are so right!

Jackie's sacrifice made it possible for Roberto, among thousands of others, to pursue the dream of playing baseball as an equal.

I guess what I meant was that Roberto's single act of heroism is singular among great athletes.

I don't know if that further clouds the waters (my intentions) or not.

Both men should be viewed as heroes who sacrificed all for others and BOTH of their lives are measured by that impact.

[refz]

+1

[travrosty]

he didnt go into the plane knowing it was going to go down.

[1963Topps Set]

But Robinson knew what he was getting into..and what he was going to have to deal with... And what the ramifications would be, both positive and negative.

[clydepepper]

While I believe both of the previous posters have valid points, I do not think that either of these Men would have backed away even had they been fully informed of the dangers that lay ahead.

[1963Topps Set]

I find it hard to believe Clemente would of taken that flight if he had been told there was a great chance the plane was going to crash. Three previous flights had gotten through successfully, so there was no thought this one wasn't going to get through as well. Clemente only went on this flight to ensure the food supplies would get to the people and not the currupt government. Had the plane not crashed, and Clemente had lived, I doubt we would be talking about this mission at all, unlike Robinson who will be spoken about forever.

[clydepepper]

Tom - you make a good point.

I will not bash either man.

Other than the fact that they were both great Baseball players, their situations were not very comparable except that their efforts, regardless of their intent, were heroic and stand out among their predecessors, their contemporaries, and, thus far, any of their successors.

They have left a high bar for the rest of us.

[howard38]

I agree with Tom. Clemente was a great enough player and humanitarian that there is no need to exaggerate his actions. For an athlete that really did sacrifice everything to save others Joe Delaney is a better example:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...1-years-later/