Breaking the Nationality Barrier in Sports

It is well documented that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Baseball as he helped transcend the Brooklyn Dodgers and Major League Baseball as a whole. As a result of his bravery, his number is now retired nation wide for all teams in the majors. 

But not only was Robinson the first, he was also a very good baseball player. It took a bit longer for Latinos to make a major impact in American sports but effect has been felt in many sports. 

Perhaps considered the Jackie Robinson for latinos, Roberto Clemente put latinos on the map in baseball forever. Clemente is Puerto Rican, which is one of the most represented state in the major leagues today. He is also considered one of the greatest baseball players to ever live as he finished with a .317 batting average, is a part of the 3000 hit club and the 1,000 RBI club as well. 

This is a tribute on Clemente below. 

Baseball is the most notable of sports where Latinos have made an impact but not the only. In basketball, it is difficult to find a player from south of the American border who has helped make an impact on the sport. However Eduardo Najera has been a staple in the league for a number of years now. 

The Mexican-American attended the University of Oklahoma for college and then was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2000. Najera is not a superstar, but he is well respected around the league for his hard work and defensive tenacity. 

Najera is only the second Mexican-born player to play in the NBA. 

In an even lesser known about sport, Hockey has only produced one latino player in it's history. Scott Gomez, now of the New York Rangers is the first Latino to ever play the game on ice and was the first to be drafted back in 1998. 

Gomez has already seen success. In 2000, Gomez and the New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup in only his rookie year. In the same year, Gomez won the award for Rookie of the Year. 

It is players like these that help those in the future who have a dream of doing anything they want. It always takes one, and then the rest will follow. 

Local Legend

Reality shows have been consistent as far as the cream of the crop on television the last decade or so and it does not seem like it is dying down anytime soon. Whether you are a fan or not of reality television, you have at one time or another have flipped through the channels and stopped to watch at least one show in your lifetime.

Every major station has tried it, even the sports fan's ticket to escape reality in ESPN. A few years back, the number one network in sports debuted "The Contender" which was about some up and coming boxers who wanted to get into the business, and famous at the same time.

The first season went very well as Sugar Ray Leonard was the host and the whole world watched week to week to see who the best boxer was. This show however was unlike any other reality show. The person who was kicked off each week left because they lost, not because they were unpopular.

The second season of "The Contender" hit closer to home for residence of Tucson, Arizona. One of the cities own was represented on the show.

Norberto Bravo (What a name!) was born and raised in Tucson and went on to have a formidable outing on the show. Bravo finished third in the show, losing in the semifinals but never the less, representing his city well.

Bravo is Mexican-American and is now 34. His all time record stands at 23-13-3 with 12 knockouts. His nickname is "El Gallito" or "The Fighting Rooster".

I personally saw him at Park Place Mall last year and immediately knew who he was even though I did not speak to him.

Viva Sanchez!

The University of Southern California has been a football mecca for many decades and this season, the men of Troy looked to just roll through the competition on their way to another national championship.

The leader on the field is red-shirt Junior quarterback, Mark Sanchez. He's more than just the next quarterback in line after Carson Palmer, Matt Leinhert and John David Booty. Sanchez is representing so much more.

Sanchez is Mexican-American, and the first Mexican-American starting quarterback that the illustrious school has ever had. This means that whether or not he wants it to be, Sanchez is representing much more than a USC jersey while he is on the field.

When he hits the field, chants of "Viva Sanchez!" ring out among the Mexican-American fans that love and adore him. And so far, Sanchez has not disappointed.

The Trojans are the number one team in the nation and are currently 2-0 after destroying No. 5 Ohio State at home, 35-3. Sanchez threw for 172 yards and four touchdowns and has 510 yards on the season and seven touchdowns. He has great weapons around him, a fantastic defense and the competition looks to be mediocre.

But with all great football teams comes hard work and Sanchez knows all about hard work. According to a recent ESPN The Magazine article on Sanchez, the quarterback is a fourth generation Sanchez from Zacatecas, Mexico. His great grandparents, Nicholas and Isabel moved from Zacatecas to Texas and then to California where Nicholas was a day laborer in California's Central Valley.

The family grew to be comfortable in California and Nick Sanchez would raise the future USC quarterback along with his two brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon to be leaders. And now, Mark Sanchez is the leader of the best football team in the nation.

His sudden fame as even erected Mark Sanchez fan sites and millions of followers on television. I personally love when the status quo has been changed. Being a great leader and quarterback has nothing to do with your nationality, but your character does and your character will lead to the football field. It's evident that Sanchez has the right upbringing to help make him successful.

I can't wait for the Trojans to come to Tucson.

Football Power in Tucson

It's not everyday you see a football team with the sudden pedigree that Sunnyside High School has been able to develop over the past few seasons. Especially since the majority of their roster is Hispanic. The odds are already stacked against them in other areas of life;

-As it pertains to football, they reside in Tucson. Not a lot of good teams are able to compete statewide from the southern town. It seems that every year, only Salpointe Christian gets any respect from the Phoenix team.

-Sunnyside is located in South Tucson, which means that there may be more things to worry about than football such as getting home safely.

With these elements and many more it's hard to believe that the Sunnyside Blue Devils were 5A-II semifinalist last season and has won two 4A State Championships since 2001. Not bad for a bunch of kids who don't look like football would even be their first sport.

The key to success? Good coaching and good personnel on the field. Head Coach Richard Sanchez has been able to show these kids how to win with class and efficiency. Last year, the Blue Devils were loaded with talent which happened to all graduate. This season, some players who were waiting in the wing will get their chance.

-RB Manny Aguilar will be the force on offense and will have to carry this team to success.

-QB Jesus Vega is a transfer from Cholla High School and is only 5-foot-8-inches,and 180-pounds.

In the first game of the season, Sunnyside went up against Glandale Mountain Ridge and lost in a heart breaker, 14-5. Aguilar had 122 yards rushing on 20 carries while Vega threw for 117 yards on 11-of-23 passing. While the loss is tough, look for this Blue Devil team to make a lot of noise this season. I know I'll be watching.

Something to Look Forward too...

This will be a challenge for me as I often say that if there is no ball or object that is not being competed over than I want nothing to do with it. But a part of being a mature person is taking on new challenges and overcoming them the best you can. In fact, that is what I plan on doing as the main focus for this blog. The issue of the border is a major focal point in America and especially in the southwest region of the country. Usually, people pick one side or the other when it comes to their opinions but do people actually stop to think about those who want to fulfill their own American Dream, why they want to come to this country along with what it takes to get here and be as comfortable as possible. All semester, I will take you on a journey through people's accounts of what their dreams consist of.