How Times Have Changed

[BlueSky]

While grazing old articles on the Saints in the new SI Vault, I ran across this interesting passage:

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One day last week, as they prepared for their game with Baltimore on the practice field Mecom (John Mecom, owner at the time) built for them, they were loose and confident and spending a good bit of time kidding Doug Atkins about his dog. This animal was tied at the edge of the field, where he was sleeping. In the dressing room after practice Atkins handled him gently, showing a friend a series of deep slashes on the dog's neck.

"His name's Rebel," said Atkins. "He's a pit bull and a hell of a fighter. Matched him with a Doberman last night and the Doberman gave him fits for four or five minutes, but ol' Rebel never quit. Why, he can fight at full speed for 35, 40 minutes and he finally wore that Doberman right down. Got him down and probably would have killed him, but ol' Rebel ain't got any teeth. Had to gum the Doberman until he quit."

Rebel walked into a corner, moving gingerly, as if he were aching, and then flopped down. He's a good-looking black-and-white creature, gentle and friendly with humans.

"His muscles are sore," Atkins said. "Just like me on Monday after a ball game. Takes a while to get rid of the aches and pains."

"He don't know quit," another player said. "Makes no difference how big the other dog is, ol' Rebel just keeps goin'. And Doug don't make no easy matches for him, either. You'd figure he'd match him with a cocker spaniel or something once in a while, just for a breather, but he never does. He don't get any more easy contests than we do."

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Yes, the times have changed.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

Good find here, and you're right, this would NEVER be published today. Well, at least not as dismissively as it was.

However, in fairness to the player here, there's no mention of drowning the Doberman that lost, nor shocking to death the other dogs that ol' Rebel has "fought."

But the whole idea of dogfighting is still disgusting, no matter who is doing it, or when. I'm glad that we as a society have decided that.

[BlueSky]

Good grief...the more I read these old articles, the more shocked I am about the way things were 'back in the day'. This is from 1970:

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Wheels (Saints RB Ernie Wheelwright) contends that off-season employment for black players in New Orleans is limited to manual labor. "One of my black teammates pumped gas," he said. "Imagine a man playing for the NFL and pumping gas! During the season you go to parties, and the respectable people slap you on the back and say look me up after the season and we'll talk about a job. When you do, they're out and don't return your call, or they tell you the time isn't right, the area isn't ready. Hell, they're going to the moon, they've been there two or three times, yet New Orleans isn't ready for a black man to wear a coat and tie and sit at a desk! Even a black man has to live 12 months a year."

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Maybe we should start a "Lost Treasures of SI" thread so everybody can post whatever fascinating tidbits they may discover in the SI Vault.

[NJTank]

Good grief...the more I read these old articles, the more shocked I am about the way things were 'back in the day'. This is from 1970:

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Wheels (Saints RB Ernie Wheelwright) contends that off-season employment for black players in New Orleans is limited to manual labor. "One of my black teammates pumped gas," he said. "Imagine a man playing for the NFL and pumping gas! During the season you go to parties, and the respectable people slap you on the back and say look me up after the season and we'll talk about a job. When you do, they're out and don't return your call, or they tell you the time isn't right, the area isn't ready. Hell, they're going to the moon, they've been there two or three times, yet New Orleans isn't ready for a black man to wear a coat and tie and sit at a desk! Even a black man has to live 12 months a year."

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Maybe we should start a "Lost Treasures of SI" thread so everybody can post whatever fascinating tidbits they may discover in the SI Vault.

Excellent idea

Only one rule. You must provide a link to the magazine it is in or listed the date its from so we can see it ourselves.

[BlueSky]

Done.

Please ignore this thread and go to the one titled Treasures From the SI Vault.