Say It Ain't So, Lynn Swann

By Amir Said

I had my share of fights when I was I kid. Most of them weren't over anything major. In fact, when I think about it, pretty much all of them were worthless. That is, all of them except for three. There are three fights in particular that resonate from my knuckle-game days. Two of which are not suitable for this topic, but one is: my fight over Lynn Swann.

In the late '70s, there was no other NFL wide receiver that football-lovin' kids like me wanted to be more than the Pittsburgh Steeler's Lynn Swann. "Double-8", (a name I had used for Lynn Swann, in homage to his jersey number, 88), was one of the first bona-fide NFL superstars to capitalize on the NFL's new found popularity, beginning in the late '70s/early '80s. Every kid in my neighborhood wanted to be Lynn Swann. More specifically, during our impromptu tackle football games (on grass, dirt, and/or concrete), some kids (like me) believed that they actually were Lynn Swann. If you were going long for the bomb, and the ball was high and off target, you needed only say aloud, "LYNN SWANN," and you would some how make an amazing acrobatic catch, just like Double-8 on Sundays.

Well, during one of those otherwise barbaric football scrimmages, I got into it with one of the other kids from around the block. As I think about it now, I guess he and I were heading towards a fight that year, anyway. However, at the time, I couldn't see the conflict bubbling. Sparing all the details of the fight itself, (although I should put out that it was unanimously considered that I won), I just wanna describe what the fight was about.

This cat and I came to the game, both with sweatshirts that were emblazoned with the #88. Anyway, the game's moving along, his team is scoring, we're scoring, it's a tight, hard fought game--as they usually were. Towards the end of the game, I'm streaking down the field, well, O.K., not exactly streaking, but I'm movin' pretty fast, (mind you, this was five years before I would be blessed with great speed)... So, down the side of the field I'm going. The other number #88 is running with me almost stride for stride. I look up and I see the ball in the air above us, then we both jump up for the ball at the highest point that each of us could, and both of us yell out, "LYNN SWANN." Don't know if I just plain dropped the ball, or if he interfered with me, or if he got his hands on the ball. But neither one of us caught it. And immediately upon this realization, I asked him the obvious, "How the fuck are you Lynn Swann, on defense?" Therein the fight ensued.

That's how I had a fight over Lynn Swann, the NFL star that I respected like no other, (that is until Walter Payton). To truly understand why I was willing to fight about Lynn Swann, you have to get a glimpse of my mind-state at the time. At that time, to me, Lynn Swann wasn't just a football star. He was one of the first black men that I was able to really look up to. By the time I was 11 years old, my father was gone. And Lynn Swann was there for me to look up to. Aside from his incredible football talents, Lynn Swann was an intelligent speaker. In fact, after he retired from the NFL, he soon landed a gig as a broadcaster for ABC Sports. Seeing Lynn Swann on ABC Sports-- then the "ESPN" of the '70s and '80s--made me feel happy and proud. I thought if anyone deserved that position, it was "Double-8."

But as I grew older and improved both athletically and scholastically, I started noticing something about Lynn Swann that disturbed me. Specifically, it was the way he talked and the way his voice sounded. Unlike Dr. J, my ultimate all-time sports hero, Lynn Swann sounded foreign to me. Let me make it plain, he didn't sound "black." Now, some "educated" and "informed" people might say that that's ignorant, or in the least not "politically correct." However, any "educated" and "informed" person who would say that knows damn well what I'm talkin' about and exactly what I mean...Needless to say my childhood allegiance to Lynn Swann quickly faded.

Fast forward to 2005, when Lynn Swann announced his candidacy for Governor of Pennsylvania, as a Republican. When I first heard this news, I was stunned. Listen, I don't align myself with one major political party or the other. But hey, the facts remain, the Republican mantra doesn't exactly seek to include blacks! And considering the turbulent era that Swann grew up in--an era of discrimination, volatile racial attitudes towards black Americans, and dramatic wealth disproportion--I was puzzled by his affiliation with the Republican party. However, I reasoned, for some people, money and class must trump all. Then I didn't have a single thought about Lynn Swann until now.

It's October 22, 2008, and I see Lynn Swann on the Rachel Maddow Show expressing his unflinching support for John McCain and the woefully unqualified Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. After Lynn Swann was finished speaking, there were three thoughts that immediately entered my mind. First, I thought about the fight that I had over Lynn Swann when I was a kid. Second, I thought how incredibly out of touch Lynn Swann is with the true class and racial conditions that exist in America. But the third thing that I thought about, the thing that struck me the most, was the fact that Dr. J, my ultimate childhood sports hero, still sounds "black," and Lynn Swann still doesn't.

Lynn Swann, college days at USC. How soon we forget... From this, to...

This...

Lynn Swann, NFL days with the Pittsburgh Steelers. From this, to...

This...

Lynn Swann, Republican days with Mitt Romney.

And just for a little perspective...

Still think "Black Republicans" was just a song?

How soon we forget...

Another Stimulus Package?

By Amir Ali Said

Federal Reserve Chairman (Fed Chairman), Ben Bernanke, testified today that Congress should consider another stimulus plan to help boost the economy. Last time I checked, wasn't there a stimulus package that was suppose to boost the economy? Yes there was. And did that really work? No it didn't. Well, the last stimulus package helped a little bit, but only for a limited amount of time. Look at Oil, its at about $75. Apple, a stock that soared to $200 last year, is at about $100 today. In fact, most of the stocks have had sharp declines in the last couple of months. I don't think that another stimulus package should be approved. Unless of course, it helps boost the economy, and not only for a limited time, but at least for a year. The economy is struggling and our economy is effecting other countries. Which at the same time effects us even more.

Who is the Real John McCain?

By Amir Said

John McCain points to his military service, particularly his time as a POW, as evidence to his unquestionable character. Moreover, he uses his military record as a major reason for why he should be elected President of the United States. Fair enough. But since McCain, his campaign, and his supporters are so eager to draw a connection to William Ayers and a 8 year old Barack Obama, I wonder why NO one is drawing a connection between John McCain and his fellow POW Phillip Butler?

Phillip Butler lived across the hall from John McCain at the U.S. Naval Academy. But more importantly, Phillip Butler was a POW in Vietnam, along with John McCain. Yes, that is correct. In fact, Phillip Butler was a POW 2 years before John McCain. Now contrast the John McCain/Phillip Butler connection with the Barak Obama/William Ayers connection. Hmmm...

And why has the media not reported this storyline? Ponder on that for a moment. But know this, on at least one occasion, March 28th, Phillip Butler made an attempt at revealing his relationship to and opinion of John McCain. Yet there was NO widespread media coverage on ANY of the major three cable news networks! Furthermore, a taped interview of Phillip Butler detailing his relationship with John McCain first appeared online in August (perhaps even earlier than that). Yet again, NO widespread, NO short-spread, NO coverage at all. Yet clips of Rev. Wright were looped endlessly for weeks. Hmmm...

O.K. so I get the media's claim to "fair and balanced" journalism. But are you kidding me? Where is the serious coverage they so affectionately purport to achieve? John McCain and his supporters repeatedly conjure up his military service, in specific, his time as a POW in Vietnam. John McCain even closed his RNC speech with his most detailed account of his POW experience. Fair enough! But what about Phillip Butler? Here's someone who served along with John McCain, someone who knew McCain then (in his most challenging time) and now...someone who believes that John McCain should not be President of the United States, primarily because of his military record and POW experience. What's up with that? Oh, I forgot, the news media outlets are just doing their jobs, the same way they did when George Bush said that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction...

Take a look at the Phillip Butler interview.

Phillip Butler, fellow POW of John McCain

Tim & Tom: American Comedy in Black and White

Tim and Tom (Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen) was not your average comedy team. Yes, they told jokes. Yes they dealt with hecklers and anxious crowds. But the duo wasn't only a stand out for the comic zingers that they threw out. No. They also stood out for another reason. During the late 60s and early 70s, Tim and Tom became America's first 'black and white" comedy team.

Off the fading edges of desegregation and polarizing racial attitudes, Tim and Tom faced the turbulent race issues of the day, head on. Their brand of comedy was intelligent, in your face, and always grounded in a racial context. And as you would imagine, this scheme did not always go over well. In fact, after just their fourth time on stage, the pair was beaten by a group racially charged hecklers.

At the least, Tim and Tom's comedy was challenging, at best it was compelling. But unfortunately, it wasn't profitable. Because they weren't making any money, Tim Reid decided to go solo; a decision that was adamantly opposed by Tom Dreesen.

Shortly after the duo's split, Tom Dreesen landed a plush gig on The Tonight Show, and his career took off. However, at that time, Tim Reid was less fortunate. While his former partner's career was rising, Tim was struggling to find any work, (let alone feed his family). In fact, as Tim Reid recalls in a recent NPR interview, he "was on the bed with his wife watching Tom on the Tonight Show... He killed it... at the time I had no job and no money..." But little did Tim know that his big break was around the corner.

In 1978, Tim Reid landed the role of "Venus Flytrap" on the new hit show, WKRP in Cincinnati. WKRP, which aired between 1978-1981, eventually went on to syndication prosperity, making Tim Reid a household name. In 1987, Reid went on to create and headline the critically acclaimed show, Frank's Place. After the improbable cancellation of Frank's Place, in 1993, Reid scored the role of "Ray" on the popular show, Sister, Sister.

Tom Dressen individual success turned out rather well, too. After his initial performance on The Tonight Show, Dreesen became a regular. And he also went on to tour with Frank Sinatra as his opening act.

For a more detailed and riveting account of Tim and Tom, check out their new book, Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White.

'Tim and Tom' - Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen

Tom Dreesen

DJ Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid)

Cast of WKRP in Cincinnati

Tim Reid with Sister, Sister co-stars, Tamera and Tia Mowry

Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White

'Miracle at St. Anna': Masterpiece Filmmaking and New Look at Old War

By Amir Said

The most telling thing about war is its ability to pluck out the realities of a normal everyday life and replace them with the travesties and ironic opportunities of war-time normality. But American war movies, which tend to be very formulaic in narrative structure and cinematography, never accurately demonstrate this juxtaposition of the parallel normality that war creates. However, Miracle at St. Anna, Spike Lee's most ambitious film to date, does just that.

The movie centers around the mission of four soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Divison--the Buffalo Soldiers Divison, a segregated unit of all blacks who were the only black American infantry division to see combat in Europe during WWII. After their improbable cross of a German fortified river in Tuscany (Italy), "Stamps" (Derek Luke), "Bishop" (Michael Ealy), "Train" (Omar Benson Miller), and "Hector" (Laz Alonzo), are ordered by "Captain Nokes" (Walton Goggins) to locate and capture a German soldier. That "Nokes" (their commanding officer) is a white man, who's bent more on maintaining the segregation status quo of 1940s America than he is on effectively leading his men successfully at war, is not lost on the quartet. Thus the men must go on and conduct their mission, while dealing with the surreal understanding that segregation reigns even outside of America.

The story picks up, when one of the four Buffalo Soldiers discovers a young Italian boy. Having received their orders, the quartet makes their way into an Italian village with the young boy in tow. It is in the village where Spike Lee diliberetly and masterfully takes his time in unraveling each piece and morsel of the story. In fact, this is one of Spike Lee's greatest talents. His ability to suspend the time of a story and hold it up so that its most subtle nuances share frames with its most illuminating ones. But for Lee, the things that illuminate are not always the most obvious. And it is here, where Lee takes his biggest risk.

At the backdrop of 'Miracle' is the chilling, non-fictional event that occurred at Sant'Anna di Stazzema in 1944. It is unclear to me how close Spike Lee stayed to the original James Mcbride script, but there is no doubt that it was Lee's decision when and how a bevvy of pivotal Italian and German characters were introduced. With such an injection of new story data, Lee could have easily pushed the four Buffalo Soldiers and their story straight to the margins of the picture. However, the gamble pays off for Lee. Through several ingenious story blends and overlaps, he seamessly infuses the Italian and German perspectives and side-stories into harmony with the four black heroes and their plight, thereby keeping the Buffalo Soldiers penned down at the center of the plot. Pure genius!

There's the lovely and unapologetic "Renatta", the english-speaking daughter of one of the elders of the Italian village where the Buffalo Soldiers entrench themselves. There's "Peppi 'The Great Butterfly'," the hero Partisan soldier and apparent leader of the Italian resistance. And there's "Rodolfo" (Sergio Albelli), "Peppi's" shady-looking comrade. Lee savors the complexities of each of these characters, and in doing so, draws us even deeper into the uncertainty that each character is trying to cope with. For it is not the battles that make war movies interesting. It is the challenges of humanity within the conditions and parameters of war that makes war worth documenting on film. Spike Lee gets this, and that is how he's able to repeatedly sketch in strokes of brilliance.

One such stroke of Spike Lee-brilliance comes via the way he chooses to unload the dialogue. Throughout the movie, major verbal passages are given the acute awareness of a foreign indy rather than the sweeping English brush over that is common among big war movie send-ups. In 'Miracle', Lee opts to deliver the three main points of view--American, Italian, and German--in their native languages, with sub-titles applied accordingly. By deliberately presenting substantial dialogue (not one-liners or short transitional passages) in Italian and German, Spike Lee loosens up the narrative, instead of sticking to the typical (restrictive) Hollywood-style narration.

Hence, in Miracle at St. Anna, Spike Lee bucks many of the American war movie formulai and traditions; no tradition being foregone more notably than that of the plight of white hero-protagonists. Frankly, most American war movies have been a "white affair". Though some have indeed included black soldiers, their inclusion was nothing more than prop placement in the least and stereotypical marginalization at best. A marginalization, I must add, that seeks to portray black characters simply as caricatures (often exaggerated) rather than multidimensional human beings. But Lee doesn't dwell on the racial component, (as many film critics will undoubtedly purport that he does). Instead, he uses characters like "Captain Nokes" on several occasions throughout the movie not to raise attention to American segregation, but to drive home the fact that America's special brand of Jim Crow-style segregation (and racism) was so perverse, so deeply embedded that it didn't even subside during a time of war. A fact that the black soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Divison had to come to grips with in their own way. But alas, the "miracles" that occur in Miracle of at St. Anna have nothing to do with race; and the film itself is certainly not a "race movie." Though again, I suspect that many American film critics and movie-goers will trip over their words, while exclaiming that it is...

Though Mircale at St. Anna is a welcomed break from the sort of black tokenism that has permeated practically all other American war movies of the last half century, it is more than just a fresh look at the combat contributions of black American soldiers in Europe during WWII. It is a magnificent documentation of humanity at its most vulnerable, wicked, and honorable points. It is also a wonderful example of top-form storytelling. Through stunningly pleasing color, lighting, and photography strategies, and a unique supernatural slant, Spike Lee delivers a masterpiece. But I suspect many critics and some regular moviegoers will neither get, nor appreciate the supernatural component of the movie. Which reminds me. There's a scene at the end of Spike Lee's He Got Game, where Jake, the imprisoned father of high school basketball star Jesus, throws a basketball over a high prison wall. Jesus, who's on the basketball court of the college he's chosen to attend in an effort to help his father, looks up and spots a tattered prison basketball falling seemingly out of nowhere. The ball floats in slow motion, before resuming normal speed when Jesus retrieves it. Holding the ball, Jesus looks up at the raptors, signaling that he knows where the ball has come from. Just as I'm sure this supernatural moment went over the heads of some critics and moviegoers alike, I am certain that many of the incredibly beautiful moments and nuances of Miracle at St. Ana will do the same. But for devoted fans of superb storytelling and epic cinematography, Miracle at St. Ana is a very rewarding treat.

Miracle at St. Anna