The most admired man whoever lived
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
Nelson Mandela, the man I’m referring to, is a person who is admired by more people than any other single individual. Here’s a man who went to prison because he advocated equal rights for all human beings.
In 1994, at a speech celebrating his inauguration as the first Black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela glanced over to Coretta Scott King and echoed the word of her slain husband’s address at the March on Washington more then 30 years earlier: “Free at last, free at last.”
After his release from prison in 1990 and rise to the presidency, Mandela would often pay homage to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Civil Rights Movement, which he said were an inspiration to him and to other anti-apartheid activists in South Africa.
But the influence went both ways: Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle were also an inspiration to civil-rights activists in the South, especially African-American organizers who, in the course of the 1960s, sought to link their fight against Jim Crow with liberation movements unfolding in Africa and around the world.
One other thing Mandela did. Every time he visited the United States, for whatever reason, he made sure the Black newspapers were invited.
The greatest football game ever
Some time in the future, there may be another football game as great as the one Auburn/Alabama played for the Iron Bowl. But I must add, it is almost impossible that this will ever happen. The State of Alabama will receive a billion dollars worth of free advertising. The reason is because Auburn won. Had Alabama won, they would have received $500 million worth of advertising because everybody expected Alabama to win.
Everybody in Alabama, which includes The University of Alabama, all the faculty, football players and students, should pull for Auburn to win the National Championship. This would give the State of Alabama an additional $500 million of free advertising.
I’ve stated this before that I am an Alabama fan first. I wrote last week quoting Joel Osteen.I still contend and firmly believe if Alabama played Auburn nine times, they will in eight.
If Alabama can’t win, let Auburn win. In the event Auburn can’t win, let some team in the Southeastern Conference win.
Speaking of the Southeastern Conference, its going to be very difficult for any team in 2014 because there are so many great teams. Alabama is going to be great; Auburn is going to be great; LSU is going to be great; Georgia is going to be almost great; Missouri is going to be great, Texas A&M is going to be almost great; South Carolina is going to be great; Ole Miss is going to almost great; Mississippi is going to be almost great; Tennessee is going to be good; Vanderbilt is going to be decent. The two worst teams in the SEC are Arkansas and Kentucky.
The National Championship game will be won by Auburn; score Auburn 27, Florida State 14.
email: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com
