I was bothered by Dave Granlund’s colorful cartoon amongst your opinion content on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7).

A lineman from the Buccaneers and Chiefs is each holding the trophy situated between them. Well done, except for two things: both players are depicted white, when the NFL is about three-quarters Black and February is Black History month.

Being aged I have watched the NFL since the late 1940s, when the league champions were the Philadelphia Eagles. Surprisingly, they occasionally played on Saturday night, using a white football with black stripes. The games were shown on the new medium, television. Fewer than 10 Black people were in the 10-team league at the time.

As the NFL prospered through the 1950s with television being a catalyst, we viewers were entertained by the talents of such Black runners as Joe Perry, Ollie Matson, Lennie Moore and the incomparable Jim Brown.

The American Football League began in 1960, giving Black people increased opportunities to compete. Now 40 years old, the established NFL realized the importance of having more Black people also.

By the 1970s the racial composition of the now-merged leagues was quite balanced. Fast forward to the present, and Black people dominate rosters in the previously mentioned three-to-one ratio.

It is puzzling, then, that Granlund did not contemporize his effort.

Norm Gellatly, Auburn


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.