Quote:
Originally posted by Vectorfisher
I was a bit young when Rice played I do remember seeing him play but don't understand his media problem What exactly was the problem?
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I really hate to say it---but I think a lot of it was racial. Rice came along when Boston was in the throes of the busing thing, and he was depicted by the media as one of those surly "uppity" African Americans. I don't even like writing stuff like that, but I think a lot of the locals and writers saw him in those terms. Tiant was the loveable, cigar-chomping whirling dervish (and being Cuban he really wasn't "black" in the eyes of a lot of the locals), the Boomer was an affable boob, Cecil Cooper was a quiet, unassuming guy. Rice had attitude. Boston back then couldn't stomach an African American with such a strong personality. I think Rice fully realized why he wasn't as beloved as some of the rest of the Sox and it affected the way he interacted with the writers and fans.
Bill Russell, to this day, doesn't command a quarter of the affection Boston fans have for Larry Bird, even tho he has almost 4 times the rings Bird has. I think Russell only came back for various Celtic functions as a favor to Red.
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