Posted on 01/26/2007 6:56:31 AM PST by Military family member
THE DUNGY WAY
Winning with Class More Important than Race, Dungy Says
INDIANAPOLIS – Tony Dungy knew what the topic would be this week.
The Colts’ head coach said he knows, too, that his status as one of the first African-American head coaches to coach in the Super Bowl likely will be a constant theme from now until kickoff in Miami on February 4.
But Dungy said this week something else is true:
That while he is proud that he and Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith have become the first two African-American head coaches to coach in the Super Bowl, he is equally proud of how they reached the game.
With dignity. With class.
Without putting football ahead of all else.
“I know the type of person Lovie is,” Dungy said as the AFC Champion Colts (15-4) began preparations to play the NFC Champion Chicago Bears (15-3) in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on February 4 at 6:25 p.m.
“Lovie’s got the same Christian convention that I have. He runs his team the same way. I know how those guys are treated in Chicago, and how they play tough, disciplined football even though there’s not a lot of profanity from the coaches.
“There’s none of the win-at-all-cost atmosphere. For two guys to show you can win that way, I think that’s just as important for the country to see.”
Dungy, who gave Smith his first NFL job when he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, said he hired Smith not because of his race, but because he wanted a quality teacher.
(Excerpt) Read more at colts.com ...
Go Colts!
Political headline for sports story - race vs. class?
Go Horse! Dungy and the Colts are A1 Class.
"Lord, help our Colts!" - Duke Tomato
I can see why Manning thinks the world of him.
GO BEARSSS!
Wouldn't it be nice if we could get to the place where we didn't first look at the color of someone's skin....
Smith has agreed in his on-camera interviews with the hyper-ventilating writers that make race the big deal in this Super Bowl, while Dungy has consistently emphasized his team. That makes Dungy the better coach. Smith could still learn some things from him.
I have seen him speak a couple of times and came away very impressed. The people that know him best say he is the "real deal".
Anybody who calls Tony Dungy "black" is looking at something other than the colour of his skin. I've seen darker Italians.
Glad to see this coming from the NFL even though I really, really dislike Peyton Manning and would like nothing else than to see him get spanked on SBS. Now if only the NBA had a head coach that had class like this...
Dungy exudes class.
I think Lovie is just glad to finally be answering questions that don't include the words "Rex Grossman". They've been hounding him about when he's going to bench Rex for months, any other question that comes up must be a breath of fresh air. Also because of the order the games were played he is technically the first black coach in the Superbowl (by about 3 1/2 hours), which give Dungy an easier dodge.
I love Tony Dungy. Truly a great man and a great American.
Both coaches are class acts.
GO BEARSSS!
Ditto.
Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks
Uh oh..... where are the ACLU people? Off having a cow in the corner, I imagine.
Shouldn't "convention" be "conviction?"
I believe this was a reference to the classless way the Patriots acted when they beat my beloved Chargers.
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