October 17, 1969: Lloyd Eaton, head football coach at the University of Wyoming, kicks 14 black players off the team, for their plan to wear black armbands during tomorrow's game against Brigham Young University at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming.
The players, who became known as The Black 14, were Co-Captain Joe Williams, Earl Lee, John Griffin, Willie Hysaw, Don Meadows, Ivie Moore, Tony Gibson, Jerry Berry, Mel Hamilton, Jim Isaac, Tony McGee, Lionel Grimes, Ron Hill, and a man with a name that was already legend in sports, if not through his own efforts: Ted Williams. (No relation to the baseball legend, or to the aforementioned Joe.)
The year before, during the Cowboys' win over the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, the BYU players had used racial epithets. It got worse when the Black 14 were told by the head of UW's black student advocacy group that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, usually known as the Mormons and the operator of BYU, excluded black men from their priesthood. Like Epicsopalians but unlike Roman Catholics, they allow married men to serve as priests. But, at the time, they did not allow black men to do so.
This was the end of the 1960s, and men in positions of power were tired of being told that they had to loosen their standards. It's not clear that Eaton acted out of racial prejudice. But there can be no question that he did not like having his authority challenged, and he took it personally. He later testified under oath that he had listened to them for 10 minutes.
All 14 players testified that he had lied. According to Joe Williams, "He came in, sneered at us, and yelled that we were off the squad. He said our very presence defied him. He said he has had some 'good Neeegro boys. Just like that." (That's how it was spelled when it was published, with 3 E's.)
Tony McGee said that Eaton cited historically black schools, and "said we could go to Grambling State or Morgan State... We could go back to 'colored relief.' If anyone said anything, he told us to shut up. We were really protesting policies we thought were racist. Maybe we should've been protesting there."
At the time of the incident, Wyoming was undefeated, 4-0, ranked 12th in the nation, and 3-time defending WAC Champions. Even though the Cowboys beat BYU 40-7 and San Jose State (the next game) without the Black 14, it lost its last 4 games of 1969, and went 1-9 the next year.
Apparently, being definitely authoritarian, and possibly racist, was okay for white Wyomingans. It is, after all, the home State of later Vice President Dick Cheney. But losing wasn't: Eaton was fired after the 1970 season.
Black players began to stay away from Wyoming. Following the San Jose State win, the Cowboys lost 26 of their next 38 games. Fred Akers came in and rebuilt the program, getting them to the WAC title in 1976, leading to his being hired by one of the great college football programs, the University of Texas. The Wyoming football team has usually been respectable since -- coach Craig Bohl has them off to a 4-1 start this season -- and has had no further racial incidents.
Eaton died in 2007, and in the last 37 years of his life, he never got another coaching job, and gave only 1 interview -- and was unrepentant. On September 13, 2019, 7 of the surviving 11 were on hand at the Wildcatter Club inside War Memorial Stadium, and received a formal apology, read to them by athletic director Tom Burman, and signed by him and by former University President Laurie Nichols. A plaque honoring them was unveiled outside the stadium's southeast entrance. The next day, they were honored at halftime of their 21-16 win over the University of Idaho.
The players, who became known as The Black 14, were Co-Captain Joe Williams, Earl Lee, John Griffin, Willie Hysaw, Don Meadows, Ivie Moore, Tony Gibson, Jerry Berry, Mel Hamilton, Jim Isaac, Tony McGee, Lionel Grimes, Ron Hill, and a man with a name that was already legend in sports, if not through his own efforts: Ted Williams. (No relation to the baseball legend, or to the aforementioned Joe.)
The year before, during the Cowboys' win over the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, the BYU players had used racial epithets. It got worse when the Black 14 were told by the head of UW's black student advocacy group that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, usually known as the Mormons and the operator of BYU, excluded black men from their priesthood. Like Epicsopalians but unlike Roman Catholics, they allow married men to serve as priests. But, at the time, they did not allow black men to do so.
This was the end of the 1960s, and men in positions of power were tired of being told that they had to loosen their standards. It's not clear that Eaton acted out of racial prejudice. But there can be no question that he did not like having his authority challenged, and he took it personally. He later testified under oath that he had listened to them for 10 minutes.
All 14 players testified that he had lied. According to Joe Williams, "He came in, sneered at us, and yelled that we were off the squad. He said our very presence defied him. He said he has had some 'good Neeegro boys. Just like that." (That's how it was spelled when it was published, with 3 E's.)
Tony McGee said that Eaton cited historically black schools, and "said we could go to Grambling State or Morgan State... We could go back to 'colored relief.' If anyone said anything, he told us to shut up. We were really protesting policies we thought were racist. Maybe we should've been protesting there."
At the time of the incident, Wyoming was undefeated, 4-0, ranked 12th in the nation, and 3-time defending WAC Champions. Even though the Cowboys beat BYU 40-7 and San Jose State (the next game) without the Black 14, it lost its last 4 games of 1969, and went 1-9 the next year.
Apparently, being definitely authoritarian, and possibly racist, was okay for white Wyomingans. It is, after all, the home State of later Vice President Dick Cheney. But losing wasn't: Eaton was fired after the 1970 season.
Black players began to stay away from Wyoming. Following the San Jose State win, the Cowboys lost 26 of their next 38 games. Fred Akers came in and rebuilt the program, getting them to the WAC title in 1976, leading to his being hired by one of the great college football programs, the University of Texas. The Wyoming football team has usually been respectable since -- coach Craig Bohl has them off to a 4-1 start this season -- and has had no further racial incidents.
Eaton died in 2007, and in the last 37 years of his life, he never got another coaching job, and gave only 1 interview -- and was unrepentant. On September 13, 2019, 7 of the surviving 11 were on hand at the Wildcatter Club inside War Memorial Stadium, and received a formal apology, read to them by athletic director Tom Burman, and signed by him and by former University President Laurie Nichols. A plaque honoring them was unveiled outside the stadium's southeast entrance. The next day, they were honored at halftime of their 21-16 win over the University of Idaho.
*
October 17, 1969 was a Friday. Football was in midweek. The baseball had ended the day before, when the New York Mets completed their "Miracle" by winning the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games. There were 3 games played in the NBA:
* The New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls, 116-87 at the Chicago Stadium. The Knicks went on to win their 1st NBA Championship that season.
* The Cincinnati Royals beat the Boston Celtics, 110-108 at the Boston Garden.
* And the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-126 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. Hal Greer of the Sixers led all scorers with 40 points. Which was not easy, since Jerry West scored 39 for the Lakers, and ex-Sixer Wilt Chamberlain had 35 points and 24 rebounds.
There were also 3 games played in the American Basketball Association:
* The New York Nets lost to the Los Angeles Stars, 109-95 at the Island Garden in West Hempstead, Long Island, New York.
* The Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Floridians, 126-116 at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum (now the Corteva Coliseum) in Indianapolis.
* And the Dallas Chaparrals beat the New Orleans Buccaneers, 117-109 at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas.
And 1 game was played in the NHL: The Oakland Seals beat the Los Angeles Kings, 5-1 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
Wyclef Jean of The Fugees and South African golfer Ernie Els were born on this day.
