Okoko uninzi lwethu lukhumbula, iiDallas Cowboys kunye neeDetroit Lions bezidlala imidlalo ngeThanksgiving Day. Kodwa kutheni?
Masiqale ngeeLions. Bezidlala yonke imidlalo yokubonga ukusukela ngo-1934, ngaphandle ko-1939-44, nangona uninzi lwaloo minyaka bebengengabo iqela elihle. IiLions zidlale isizini yazo yokuqala eDetroit ngo-1934 (ngaphambi koko, zaziziiPortsmouth Spartans). Zazisokola kunyaka wazo wokuqala eDetroit, njengoko uninzi lwabalandeli bezemidlalo apho babeyithanda iDetroit Tigers yebaseball kwaye bengazange baphume ngobuninzi ukuza kubukela iiLions. Ngoko ke umnini weLions uGeorge A. Richards wayenecebo: Kutheni ungadlali kwiThanksgiving?
URichards wayenaye nesikhululo sikanomathotholo iWJR, esasisesinye sezikhululo ezinkulu kweli lizwe ngelo xesha. URichards wayenempembelelo enkulu kwihlabathi losasazo, waza weyisela iNBC ukuba ibonise umdlalo kulo lonke ilizwe. Intshatsheli yeNFL iChicago Bears yeza edolophini, kwaye iiLions zathengisa intsimi yeYunivesithi yaseDetroit eyayinabantu abangama-26,000 okokuqala. URichards waqhubeka nesiko kwiminyaka emibini elandelayo, kwaye iNFL yaqhubeka nokubacwangcisa kwiThanksgiving xa baqala ukudlala ngaloo mhla emva kokuphela kweMfazwe Yehlabathi yesiBini. URichards wathengisa iqela ngo-1940 waza wafa ngo-1951, kodwa isiko awaliqalayo liyaqhubeka nanamhlanje xa iiLions zidlala … iiChicago Bears.
AmaCowboys aqala ukudlala kwiThanksgiving ngo-1966. Angena kwiligi ngo-1960 kwaye, nangona kunzima ukukholelwa ngoku, ayesokola ukutsala abalandeli kuba babeneengxaki kakhulu kwiminyaka embalwa yokuqala. Umphathi jikelele uTex Schramm wacela iNFL ukuba ibalungiselele umdlalo weThanksgiving ngo-1966, ecinga ukuba oku kungenza bathandwe kakhulu eDallas nakwilizwe lonke kuba umdlalo wawuza kuboniswa kumabonakude.
Isebenze kakuhle. Amatikiti angama-80,259 arekhodi laseDallas athengisiwe njengoko iiCowboys zoyise iCleveland Browns, ngo 26-14. Abanye abalandeli beCowboys bathi loo mdlalo uqala iDallas yaba “liqela laseMelika.” Baphoswe kukudlala kwiThanksgiving ngo-1975 nango-1977, xa uKomishinala weNFL uPete Rozelle wakhetha iSt. Louis Cardinals endaweni yoko.
Imidlalo neCardinals ibonakalise ukuba ayiphumelelanga kwiireyithingi, ngoko ke uRozelle wabuza amaCowboys ukuba angadlala kwakhona na ngo-1978.
“Bekuyinto engaqhelekanga eSt. Louis,” utshilo uSchramm kwiChicago Tribune ngo-1998. “UPete ubuze ukuba singayibuyisela na. Ndathi kuphela ukuba siyayifumana ngokusisigxina. Yinto ekufuneka uyakhe njengesithethe. Wathi, ‘Yeyakho ngonaphakade.’ ”
UNate Bain ugijimele ebaleni ixesha liphela waza wafumana amanqaku kwi-layup ngoLwesibini ebusuku ukuze uStephen F. Austin aphumelele umdlalo ongaphezulu ngo-85-83 phezu kukaDuke, nto leyo ephelisa uthotho lwemidlalo eli-150 yeBlue Devils yokuphumelela ekhaya ngokuchasene nabachasi abangekho kwinkomfa.
UBain, umfundi ophumeleleyo waseBahamas, wenze udliwanondlebe enkundleni waza wazibamba iinyembezi xa wayekhankanya unyaka onzima. Ikhaya losapho lwakhe elalihlala kulo latshatyalaliswa yiNkanyamba uDorian kulo nyaka.
“Usapho lwam lulahlekelwe kakhulu kulo nyaka,” utshilo uBain ekhathazekile. “Andizukulila kumabonwakude.”
Amagosa aseStephen F. Austin ayeseke iphepha leGoFundMe elivunyiweyo yi-NCAA leBain ngoSeptemba. Abafundi baseStephen F. Austin baqala ukwabelana ngephepha elo kwimidiya yoluntu emva koloyiso, kwaye ukusukela ngoLwesithathu emva kwemini, lalisele liqokelele imali engaphezulu kancinci kwi-$69,000, lidlula lula igoli le-$50,000. Ukujonga ezinye zezimvo, abanye babaxhasi babengabalandeli bakaDuke.
Ixesha leposi: Novemba-28-2019