Breaking the Huddle: New HBO documentary on race and football is timely and effective

Lee Corso is the clown prince of college football.

Seeing him today on ESPN's "College GameDay," you would never suspect that he was one of the many foot soldiers who helped to racially integrate the sport.

HBO's new documentary, "Breaking the Huddle," examines this powerful issue in a game deeply ingrained in American culture -- especially in the South.

What sets the hour-long program apart is how it explores race in a way that's easy to relate to. Everybody's understanding of racial issues is deeply personal. I'm a white 20-something who grew up in a hippy-dippy enclave of Northern California. One of my childhood friends had a racial rainbow of adopted siblings. Another was raised by two moms. To me, the whole concept of discrimination was not only wrong, but a bit foreign -- if not absurd.

Like many of my peers, I take the gospel of Martin Luther King Jr. as, well, gospel. I'm always afraid of being self-righteous and terrified of being naive. I even wonder if I should feel guilty for "not getting it." Like all people in my generation, I read the history books. I celebrated King Jr. in the classroom and I saw pictures of the abuse. But it was remote, and sometimes desensitizing.

For me, "Breaking the Huddle" helps break through that wall. It shows the day-to-day wrongdoing that went well beyond the notorious lunch counter. Maybe it's seeing a black man hit in the face by a white police officer's rifle butt. Maybe it's learning that Corso, of all people, recruited the first African American to play in the South. Maybe it's watching the old game footage that makes you want to jump on your feet and cheer for the pioneers of integration. Forget the passion of rooting against your rival -- this is a chance to root against evil itself.

Covering this topic requires a delicate touch and I was honestly surprised by how effectively HBO was able to present this story in just 60 minutes. I'm sure a lot of important film hit the cutting-room floor, but what made it into the documentary will benefit all who watch. At times, your blood will boil. At others, you'll laugh out loud. Throughout, you'll be exposed to emotions varying from pride and joy to hate and fear.

The timing of this project, released weeks after the election of our first African American president and days after a racially charged hiring debate at the University of Auburn, couldn't be any better. Our society continues to grow and improve our understanding of race. This documentary can help my generation comprehend what it was like during some of our nation's most shameful days.

Showtimes are available on HBO's website.

-- Adam Rose

Comments

[BixBeiderbecke]

Wow! I don't even have HBO, BUT I'M GONNA WATCH THIS! Thank you Adam for the write up.

(sidenote:I grew up in a hippy-dippy enclave in NorCal too- Los Gatos. How dippy-dippy was yours?)