The Dream is Still Alive

After this weekend in the NFL Playoffs, my dream of a Colts/Bears Super Bowl is still intact.  Growing up, I learned from my parents to always root for the black quarterback, no matter who he is playing against. Back then there were no black coaches to cheer for.

But black head football coaches have found a high level of success since Art Shell earned (I almost said was given) the opportunity to be the NFL's first black head coach.  Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy have a chance to make history next week when their teams play for the NFC and AFC Championships respectively.

On the weekend that we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King's birth, seeing these great coaches lead their teams one step closer to the Super Bowl had even more meaning. And as is the case in most areas in life, the fate of other black coaching prospects are directly tied to the success of Dungy and Smith

So next week black men and women who have never had an interest in the Bears or Colts, will find themselves directing positive energy towards Chicago and Indianapolis.  I'll be on my couch doing the same thing, waiting for my dream to come true.