A Ray Of Hope

There probably aren't that many people in this country who will be sad to see this week finally end.

TigerBlog has been in contact with people across every area of the political, social and racial spectrum this week, and he's heard the same words from all of them. Scared. Tired. Drained. Uncertain.

Who can blame any of them?

Where has there been to turn of late for anything resembling escape?

When TB first started out in the newspaper business, he got into a bit of a disagreement with his mother and brother over something small. That was nearly 40 years ago (and he was right the whole time, by the way).

Anyway, it turned into something bigger than it should have, and he felt like they were being unreasonable. Or at least weren't listening to him.

This was before email, before cell phones, before any other way for him to communicate with them other than on the phone, and so he was able to end the conversation by saying he had to go because he had a game together.

And then he went out to cover a high school football game. This was between two really bad teams, one that would finish the season winless and the other whose lone win would be in that game that day. These were also teams who would be ranked in the top five in the state in tennis, but TB isn't quite sure those things are connected.

Anyway, one bad team beat the other bad team 7-6. What TB remembers most about that day was the way the game gave him an escape for a few hours.

He's never forgotten that feeling, and he's relived it several times since. Many times, actually.

Where has the escape been lately?

Netflx? Amazon Prime?

Old games on TV?

So much of society has just stopped on a dime for so many months now. Into that already unsettled and unprecedented situation exploded the national conversation about race.

It's not wonder people are feeling the way they are.

TB has always thought that sports have done more to bridge racial and political divides than pretty much any other societal endeavor. Fans of a team come together to root for that team, and during the course of their mutual support, differences are forgotten.

Does it solve any problem long term? No. But does it help in its way? Yes.

And that help also hasn't been there the last few months.

Maybe, though, that's a good thing this time. If things are really going to change, if there really is going to be progress made on racial issues after all these years, then having an escape is a bad thing. Having the ability to step away, to hope that things get back to comfortable, won't make any of those changes happen.

That's if the country is truly committed to change and making things different.

It's been an uncomfortable week, to be sure. And into that discomfort walked Elijah Barnes, a Princeton men's basketball player, as a ray of hope and light.

Barnes, a Jersey Shore native, has been very involved in the protest movement that has sprung up. His approach has been a peaceful one, and his message is a clear one.

There was a story in the Asbury Park Press about Barnes and his efforts. It's a tremendous piece, definitely worth your time.

You can read it HERE.

Here are two quotes from Barnes that really stand out:

“If you’re posting on social media, posting a black square on your account, I respect what you’re trying to do, I respect that you want to be a part of it, but if you’re going to be a part of it I would like to see you sign a petition for George Floyd, donate money, walk around arm in arm with me. If you’re not going to stand up outside of posting something on your social media, are you really making a difference?”

And this one:

“College coaches and these major sports franchises have an obligation to speak up and stand up for black men. You have the lives of young black men in your hands. You have an opportunity to give them an education, a good job, change their lives, get their families out of certain situations. My coaches have been adamant about reaching out to me and asking me what they can do to help. I really appreciate it. College coaches have to do more than just a press release.”

The whole story is like that, and it's very much worth reading.

And that's where TB will leave it for this week.

Next week he'll be back to Princeton Athletics in this space. This week wasn't really the time for that.

Sports have always been a great diversion for him.

This week, though, wasn't about diversions. It was about a lot of things - none of which can be hidden from any longer.