September, 1972
BLACK INK
Page 5
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FIRST SELECTION OF BLACK ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
SPECIAL REPORT; Lennox Stewart’s return from Munich
UNC’s BLACK SOCCER PLAYERS
CROSS COUNTRY REPORT
PREVIEW: UNC BASKETBALL
RECRUITING REPORT; PROSPECTIVE BLACK CAROLINA
FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Soph Ronnie Robinson:
On his way
by Dennis Pittman
Staff Writer
The crowd waited anxiously
for the opening kick-off of the
new 1972 Carolina football
season. Each fan waited to
“check out” the performance of
his individual stars. But after the
first series of downs, either
offensively or defensively,
bewilderment flooded the faces
of many Blacks who attended
the game. There were NO Blacks
on either of the starting units.
But how long can an
oncoming star be held in
reserve? Probably as long as he is
not given the opportunity to
show the fans and the coaches
what he can do.
On the second series of
downs, the bewilderment on
Black faces brought on by no
representation was alleviated.
Ronnie Robinson, 6’2” and 247
pounds, was injected into the
game. A sophomore from
Burlington, N.C., “Big Ron,” as
he is called by most of his
friends, was a high school
All-American. In the Tar Heels
opening game, his performance
was astounding. He made
numerous tackles and assists.
When he hit, he hit with brutal
authority.
When asked to comment on
his performance, “Big Ron”
said, “I really can’t tell yet how
good my performance is because
this is my first game, and I’m
almost sure that the competition
will be stronger in the future.”
An expert on the subject,
Robinson speaks with truth, yet
leaves an air of modesty.
Regardless of his modesty, there
is but one way to describe his
initial performance — BAD!!!
Ronnie Robinson is a Black
competitive athlete. He knows
that because of the stiff
competition in athletics today,
an athlete only gets one chance
to get into the action, or he sits
back and watches indefinitely.
Ron’s performance indicates
that he is on the upsurge. He has
used his chance to prove that he
deserves to be in the action.
m k . j
•>»«
Cookie Bell first
Black majorette
by Pamela Williamson
Staff Writer
The first Black Majorette in
the Carolina Marching Band’s
over 40-year history will make
her debut on September 22 at
the Carolina-State game.
Janine “Cookie” Bell,
daughter of Mr. J.Y. Bell, band
director at Andrews High School
in High Point, N.C., and Mrs.
R.P. Bell, will don the uniform
of the Marching Tar Heels
majorette squad. Cookie is a
freshman and prospective
clinical psychology major from
Page High School in Cireensboro,
No Black QB:
Baggett ‘red-shirted’
N.C., where she played clarinet
and performed with the
Marching Band as a majorette
for 3 years, one of which she
served as co-Head Majorette.
Twirling since the age of 12, she
auditioned before Major
Yesulatis in April, after making
final plans to attend the
University of North Carolina.
Bell’s seasoned skill as a
majorette and her amiable
personality will be a definite
asset to the Carolina Marching
Band and a great step toward the
recognition of Black talent on
the UN(' campus.
by Emma Pullen
Staff Writer
Quarterback is a highly
skilled position which is almost
never held by Black players on
predominantly white football
teams. UNC has had only one
Black quarterback in its entire
history, Ricky Lanier, and he
did not finish his career at that
position.
Charles Baggett, a high school
All-American player from
FayettevOle could have been
Carolina’s second Black
quarterback, but he has been
“red-shirted” for the year. This
means that although he has to
attend every practice, he does
not even dress at any of the
games!
When asked his reaction to
the news, Baggett replied, “I was
disappointed.”
His fellow Black students
were more emphatic in their
comments.
Earnest Adams: “Its a damn
shame! Dooley could have given
Baggett a chance, considering
the fact that he could have gone
to another school and been
playing. He must have had an
idea that Baggett had a good
Baggett
splits
Mitzi Bond
Associate Editor
Charles Baggett, the Black
quarterback red-shirted by
UNC’s coaching staff, has
transferred to Michigan State
University. With him went all
hopes that Carolina’s athletic
program would ever give full
credit and recognition to a Black
athlete, other than the
exploitation of his abilities and
the publicity value of having a
few Blacks on the team of a
predominantly white southern
school.
Much has been talked about
but little has been written about
why Baggett was red-shirted.
There’s been no truthful
comment from the coaching
staff, only speculation from
outsiders. There’s been no
pressure put on them to explain
their actions. They can recite
statistics and accounts of
performances of the four
contenders for quarterback but
all this is merely a farce.
A quarterback is supposedly
the smartest man on the field;
and surely Carolina’s football
staff doesn’t adhere to Arthur
Jensen’s theory of race as a
determinant of intelligence. As
far as football is concerned.
Tommy Brown of Notre Dame.
D.C. Nobles of Houston,
sophomore Dennis Franklin of
Michigan, and senior Eddie
McAshan of Georgia Tech
disprove that theory.
As one black player pul it.
“To start for whitey. you can’t
be JUST AS ('lOOD, you have to
be TWICE AS GOOD.”
But is that really good
enough?
chance to be quarterback, but
since he has two upperclassmen
and two high school
All-Americans, one of them had
to go. I hope Bill Dooley knows
what he is doing — for his sake
and Baggett’s.”
Janice Mills; “I am angered
by Charles Baggett’s situation,
but not surprised! This type of
racism (and no one can deny the
fact that this is what it is) is as
much a part of Carolina’s
tradition as its colors — blue and
white!”
Margaret Brewington; “That
is really bad!”
Warren Carson, BSM
Chairman: “Baggett, red-shirted?
Or just arbitrarily set aside by
Dooley because he is Black? I
think that this act is one in a
number of very racist acts put
off by this university, of course
in a very sly manner. They won’t
get away with it - I’ll personally
see to that!”
Walter “Tank” Smith: “I get
upset every time I think about
it! He really got a dirty deal.”
Calvin Hamrick: “1 was
thoroughly unimpressed with
the move made by Bill Dooley in
red-shirting Baggett. 1 think the
only reason that he is recruiting
Black players is to say that he
has them on the team, because
they aren’t playing.”
David Belton: “I am not
surprised at this indecent act.
Dooley’s record, as far as Blrcks
are concerned, is disgracef j1! I
hope we Blacks will unite to get
a Black coach to speak up fo our
supreme Black athletes.”
Ruby Fuller: “I can’t find
any logic behind Dooley’s
reasoning to red-shirt Bagj. ti. It
seems that he isn’t rea iy to
accept the fact that a ^ ack
quarterback has the abil.ty to
call the plays under pn.sfure.
Baggett was an All-American
player in high schoo' so
obviously he is one of the 1 -:A in
the nation. I wonder why
Dooley waited until the week,
before the first game to decide
this. Was it to insure t(>af
Baggett would not transfer anf5
play for another university .My
first reaction was one cf
disbelief, but then I remembered
that Dooley is a white man''
Angela Page: “That’s :ne
SHIT!”
Racism - answei
by Ethel Johnson
Staff Writer
The Tar Heels came to life in
their first game with a victory
over Coach Frank Jones’
Spiders. Students and Alumni
alike were enthusiastic about
this game, but not as much as
they would have been had
Carolina not made so many
careless mistakes.
Over in the end zone, sat a
certain black man who was not
very enthusiastic either. This
man was Charles Baggett of
Fayetteville, a former contender
for the position of starting
quarterback. Baggett had every
right to expect to get this
position. He played quarterback
for two years in junior high
school and three years at E.E.
Smith High, wrapping up his
high school years as an
All-American.
When he arrived at Carolina
last year, he shared the coveted
position of starting quarterback
with Chris Kupec. and helped to
lead the Tar Babies to a .‘'-0
season. This year compared to
the other three contenders. Nick
Vidnovic, Chris Kupec. and John
Klise. Baggett was the best ball
carrier, ('onsidering this record,
surely there could be no doubt
of Baggett's ability to perform
the job; however Bill Dooley
did.
On Sept. 4, he disclosed the
crushing news that Charles
Baggett had been “red-shirted”
for this year. This blow to
Baggett is a blow as well to other
Black people on this campus;
because what he suffers, the rest
of us will suffer too. All the
talent this man possesses has
been thrown out for a whole
year and possibly longer.
Although Baggett has been told
that he will play next year, are
we to believe that Dooley will
replace Vidnovic with Baggett?
(On Sept. 9, Dooley disclosed
that Nick Vidnovic would be the
starting quarterback.) Carolina
has never made such a move
before. .
Why did Bill Dooley make
this decision? Was he afraid to
have a black quarterback
because he felt the alumni
wouldn’t support the team?
Dooley, himself, has the
answers, but could not be
reached for comment. We are
now left to formulate our own
opinions, and we cannot discard
racism as a possible answer. At
any rate, the sentiments toward
Bill Dooley are very cool among
Black people. As one coed from
James stated, “Dooley ain’t
shit.”