BRIAN’S SONG
When Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo, both running backs for the Chicago Bears, began rooming together in 1967, it was a first for race relations in professional football. It was also a first for both of them. Sayers had never had a close relationship with a white person before, with the possible exception of George Halas, and Piccolo had never really known a black person. One secret of their growing friendship lay in their similar tastes in humor. Before the 1969 exhibition game in Washington, for instance, an earnest young reporter entered their hotel room for an interview. “How do you two get along?” the writer asked. “We’re okay as long as he doesn’t use the bathroom,” said Piccolo. “What do you fellows talk about?” asked the businesslike reporter, ignoring the guffaws. “Mostly race relations,” Gale said. “Nothing but the normal racist stuff,” Piccolo added. “If you had your choice,” the writer went on, “who would you want as your roommate?” Sayers…
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