Phill Smith
01-24-05, - 11:07 AM
Rewarding Our national Sports Heroes
By: Phill Smith
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In a developing country like the Bahamas different aspects of the society helps with the country's overall development. For years sports has played a pivotal role in this country by projecting us on the international scene with the achievements of our athletes abroad in international completions. It began from as far back as the 1950s where names like Sir Durward Knowles, Slaone Farrington and Cecile Cooke won medals in sailing at the Olympic games. Tommy Robinson made the finals at the Olympic games in track and field along with Andre Rodgers and Tony Curry who reached the major league baseball level.
Sports continued to be the area in our country that projected us and kept us in the international arena as the country which: small in size produced athletes that were competing and winning against the best in the world from countries with millions of people. Elisha Obed won the world boxing Jr middleweight title in 1975 and for a longtime was the only Caribbean boxer that held a world title. What has been done for this pacesetter? The answer is nothing and it's almost 30 years later since he achieved it. Yes! Obed should be knighted a facility named in his honor, he should be placed on the wall of fame at the Nassau International Airport and a bronze bust placed in a pivotal spot where everyone can see. Forget what may have occurred with Obed outside the squared circle in his later years but focus instead on his achievements. Remember what the country obtained when he won the title and the name “Bahamas” was blasted to millions of ears around the world.
Again there is Ed Armbrister who is the only Bahamian with two world championship rings from major league baseball while playing for the Cincinnati Reds back in 1974-75. When names like Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Pete Rose were known as the "Big Red Machine"...Yes! The little boys from Mcquay street off Nassau Street was on that team. His controversial bunt in the 1975 world series against the Boston Red Sox that involved Boston's catcher, Carlton Fisk is still played to this date on classic sports on ESPN. Could you imagine the exposure and attention that gave the Bahamas and still continues to do the same to this very day? Yes! Place Ed Arbrister on the wall of fame. Not tomorrow but today he should have been there a long time ago. Name the Nassau Street stretch of road from the Holiday Inn to the College of the Bahamas roundabout "Ed Armbrister Drive". Place a bronze bust in the round about and also his achievements below so that kids from all over can come and get to know this Bahamian sports hero. Nassau Street renaming would fall right in line, after all this is where he grew up and started his career in baseball. How about the late Wenty Ford? Gone but not forgotten he was also another one of our major leaguers. What has been done for Wenty? The answer nothing! The question is why should he be on the wall of fame at the airport? He played with the Atlanta braves on the same team as the great Hank Aaron, Dusty Baker and many others. Maybe its not a bad idea to name Windsor Park “Wenty Fords Park”? This is where the ford's reside currently and where Wenty developed his game.
Wilfred 'Sudgsy' Culmer - a Bain Town product who played major league baseball with the Cleveland Indians is not on the wall of fame and he should be placed there now in some in a prominent area, his bronze bust and information below, the same should be done for tony curry another one of our major leaguers who played with the Philadelphia Phillies.
From tennis: Roger Smith who being the first Bahamian touring pro should be on the wall of fame. Grand Bahama is where he improved his skills and something should be done there to insure that his legacy lives on. From bodybuilding the great Kingsley Potier (Mr. World) and Glen Wells (Mr. Universe). Nothing has been done for Frank Rutherford who at this point is the first Bahamian to win a world medal. In 1987 at the world championships he got a bronze in the triple jump, and then broke the barrier in track and field at the Olympics in 1992 winning the first ever track and field medal.
Do we ever sit and realize the magnitude of these achievements and really understand what they mean for the Bahamians? Nothing has been done for Mychal Thompson who was the first Bahamian to reach the NBA and was the number one pick in the 1978 NBA draft. It is simply mind boggling when you think about all the basketball players in the united states and elsewhere and little boy from a small town became number one. His name should have been on a gym in this country, his photo on the wall of fame and a bronze bust place somewhere. The same should be done for Orsborne Lockhart who was our first Globetrotter, Sterling Quant who was our first professional basketball player, Dexter Cambridge who played with the Mavericks, Ian Lockhart who played with the Phoenix Suns, and Rick Fox who played with the Celtics and Lakers.
Even though some of them did not remain in the league for a long time a few of them made it to the big leagues and Bahamians should know this. I just listed a few but there are names like Richard Johnson, Leo Rolle, Glen 'the master' Griffin, Ed Smith who was the only Bahamian to play in the NFL until last year when Devard Darling joined. They should be placed on the wall of fame now and not later. Their memories and their achievements should be monumented for all to see and know. Sports helped to lead the way in the development of this country over the years and continue to do just that. Let's utilize our sports heroes in tourism to promote this country and let's utilize the skills of these athletes to build more like them. Please don't let them die and their achievements die with them which would be an absolute travesty.
Phill Smith
By: Phill Smith
--------------------------------------------------
In a developing country like the Bahamas different aspects of the society helps with the country's overall development. For years sports has played a pivotal role in this country by projecting us on the international scene with the achievements of our athletes abroad in international completions. It began from as far back as the 1950s where names like Sir Durward Knowles, Slaone Farrington and Cecile Cooke won medals in sailing at the Olympic games. Tommy Robinson made the finals at the Olympic games in track and field along with Andre Rodgers and Tony Curry who reached the major league baseball level.
Sports continued to be the area in our country that projected us and kept us in the international arena as the country which: small in size produced athletes that were competing and winning against the best in the world from countries with millions of people. Elisha Obed won the world boxing Jr middleweight title in 1975 and for a longtime was the only Caribbean boxer that held a world title. What has been done for this pacesetter? The answer is nothing and it's almost 30 years later since he achieved it. Yes! Obed should be knighted a facility named in his honor, he should be placed on the wall of fame at the Nassau International Airport and a bronze bust placed in a pivotal spot where everyone can see. Forget what may have occurred with Obed outside the squared circle in his later years but focus instead on his achievements. Remember what the country obtained when he won the title and the name “Bahamas” was blasted to millions of ears around the world.
Again there is Ed Armbrister who is the only Bahamian with two world championship rings from major league baseball while playing for the Cincinnati Reds back in 1974-75. When names like Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Pete Rose were known as the "Big Red Machine"...Yes! The little boys from Mcquay street off Nassau Street was on that team. His controversial bunt in the 1975 world series against the Boston Red Sox that involved Boston's catcher, Carlton Fisk is still played to this date on classic sports on ESPN. Could you imagine the exposure and attention that gave the Bahamas and still continues to do the same to this very day? Yes! Place Ed Arbrister on the wall of fame. Not tomorrow but today he should have been there a long time ago. Name the Nassau Street stretch of road from the Holiday Inn to the College of the Bahamas roundabout "Ed Armbrister Drive". Place a bronze bust in the round about and also his achievements below so that kids from all over can come and get to know this Bahamian sports hero. Nassau Street renaming would fall right in line, after all this is where he grew up and started his career in baseball. How about the late Wenty Ford? Gone but not forgotten he was also another one of our major leaguers. What has been done for Wenty? The answer nothing! The question is why should he be on the wall of fame at the airport? He played with the Atlanta braves on the same team as the great Hank Aaron, Dusty Baker and many others. Maybe its not a bad idea to name Windsor Park “Wenty Fords Park”? This is where the ford's reside currently and where Wenty developed his game.
Wilfred 'Sudgsy' Culmer - a Bain Town product who played major league baseball with the Cleveland Indians is not on the wall of fame and he should be placed there now in some in a prominent area, his bronze bust and information below, the same should be done for tony curry another one of our major leaguers who played with the Philadelphia Phillies.
From tennis: Roger Smith who being the first Bahamian touring pro should be on the wall of fame. Grand Bahama is where he improved his skills and something should be done there to insure that his legacy lives on. From bodybuilding the great Kingsley Potier (Mr. World) and Glen Wells (Mr. Universe). Nothing has been done for Frank Rutherford who at this point is the first Bahamian to win a world medal. In 1987 at the world championships he got a bronze in the triple jump, and then broke the barrier in track and field at the Olympics in 1992 winning the first ever track and field medal.
Do we ever sit and realize the magnitude of these achievements and really understand what they mean for the Bahamians? Nothing has been done for Mychal Thompson who was the first Bahamian to reach the NBA and was the number one pick in the 1978 NBA draft. It is simply mind boggling when you think about all the basketball players in the united states and elsewhere and little boy from a small town became number one. His name should have been on a gym in this country, his photo on the wall of fame and a bronze bust place somewhere. The same should be done for Orsborne Lockhart who was our first Globetrotter, Sterling Quant who was our first professional basketball player, Dexter Cambridge who played with the Mavericks, Ian Lockhart who played with the Phoenix Suns, and Rick Fox who played with the Celtics and Lakers.
Even though some of them did not remain in the league for a long time a few of them made it to the big leagues and Bahamians should know this. I just listed a few but there are names like Richard Johnson, Leo Rolle, Glen 'the master' Griffin, Ed Smith who was the only Bahamian to play in the NFL until last year when Devard Darling joined. They should be placed on the wall of fame now and not later. Their memories and their achievements should be monumented for all to see and know. Sports helped to lead the way in the development of this country over the years and continue to do just that. Let's utilize our sports heroes in tourism to promote this country and let's utilize the skills of these athletes to build more like them. Please don't let them die and their achievements die with them which would be an absolute travesty.
Phill Smith