The Most Interesting People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes

This is a quick, easy read. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a memorable political protest against USAmerican racism. After finishing first and third in the 200-meter race, they stood on the winners podium, received their medals, and then each man raised a black-gloved fist in the air. Later, at a news conference, Mr. Carlos stated, "We want to make it clear that white people seem to think black people are animals doing a job. We want people to understand that we are not animals or rats." They paid a heavy price for their protest. They were expelled from the rest of the Olympics, and some people even sent cow manure and dead animals to Mr. Smith's mother. Mr. Smith thinks the stress contributed to her death two years after the Olympics. He also notes that following the protest people treated him as if he had committed murder. Today, both men are respected. A young, green umpire told minor-league umpire Harry "Steamboat" Johnson, "I'm a plate umpire," and Steamboat said, "OK." He let the young umpire work behind home plate, wearing the bulky chest protector in the hot summer sun, until the young umpire asked him, "Mr. Johnson, aren't I ever going to work the bases?" Steamboat, who had been enjoying not wearing all the bulky home umpire gear, replied, "I thought you said you were a plate umpire."