It’s NCAA tournament time again and my beloved Jayhawks are two steps closer to Houston.
As I age, I am able to leave many of my old tournament superstitions behind, such as not bathing until the team has been eliminated, not watching basketball games in a place of public accommodation, only listening to the radio play-by-play, etc.
And for that, those who live in close proximity to me can be grateful.
I’ve just returned from the home of my in-laws in Lexington, Ky., where people have more than a passing interest in college basketball. Not only that, but my father-in-law, sister-in-law and wife all are graduates of Duke.
I’ve learned to be quite the diplomat this time of year.
In any event, my family arrived in Kentucky the day after Grant Hill responded to statements made by Jalen Rose in the ESPN film, “The Fab Five,” in which he referred to Duke’s black players at “Uncle Toms.”
Mr. Hill, a fantastic player and (in my opinion) a true gentleman, issued a response that was reported in sound bite form by media across the country.
Today, I stumbled across the text of his complete response.
If you have a few minutes to spare, please check it out. I wish all of our conversations on race could be so eloquent.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch is written by Bill Patterson, president of Kansas City, Mo.-based Nation Ranch, a strategic consulting firm specializing in brand management, public relations and crisis communications.
