Drake names refurbished Drake stadium field for Bright

[Bub]

Drake has decided to name the field at refurbished Drake Stadium for football alumni Johnny Bright!



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DRAKE NAMES FIELD AFTER ALUMNUS JOHNNY BRIGHT

The Drake University Board of Trustees has approved a proposal from the University administration to name the new playing field in the revitalized Drake Stadium Johnny Bright Field in memory of one of the finest all-around athletes to play not only at Drake but also in the country.

Drake plans to formally dedicate Johnny Bright Field during the Homecoming game against Morehead State on Sept. 30. Members of the Bright family are expected to attend the dedication. The new Drake scoreboard, which is part of the $15 million renovation of Drake Stadium, will feature the name Johnny Bright Field at this year's Drake Relays.

[*****]

link?

[Bub]

Here's a link to the Johnny Bright story.

http://www.lib.drake.edu/heritage/bright/story/index.php

And here is a link to the release article.


http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060223/SPORTS020402/602230404/1001/NEWS

[Fordham]

clink?

http://www.lightningsquad.co.uk/Images/members/colclink.jpg

[Cap'n Cat]

http://www.lightningsquad.co.uk/Images/members/colclink.jpg


Dink?

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:I1FqR1Xv-n_lhM:www.machelpmaui.com/blogart/dubya.jpg

[Cap'n Cat]

Bubba,
There any pics out there of the new stadium????

[DUPFLFan]

Here is a link to the Drake web cam - shows some of the field.

Drake Web Cam (http://www.drake.edu/athletics/DrakeCam.html)

[nmatsen]

Cap'n, greatest signature ever! Bub, why is the Register just saying that they are naming the field after him because of "one of the most memorable college football plays ever" referring to when he got slugged. Is this true? I wish that some dude from Illinois State would have slugged me when I was playing so they would re-name it "The UNI-Dome and Matsen Field". He looks (reading about him) like a he!! of a player, it sounds really bad to say but if you look at the Register Link it shows the paper from the day after that game and the Drake headline says "Drake's win streak snapped". Guess that guy that threw the punch accomplished what he wanted. I wonder how often this used to happen in College Football before things were so well documented by technology?

[Bub]

Cap'n, greatest signature ever! Bub, why is the Register just saying that they are naming the field after him because of "one of the most memorable college football plays ever" referring to when he got slugged. Is this true? I wish that some dude from Illinois State would have slugged me when I was playing so they would re-name it "The UNI-Dome and Matsen Field". He looks (reading about him) like a he!! of a player, it sounds really bad to say but if you look at the Register Link it shows the paper from the day after that game and the Drake headline says "Drake's win streak snapped". Guess that guy that threw the punch accomplished what he wanted. I wonder how often this used to happen in College Football before things were so well documented by technology?


I understood the field was being named for Bright because he was the greatest football player/athlete Drake ever had, and because of the stand Drake university took in response to the Okl St. situation by withdrawing from the MVC when neither the NCAA or Okl. St. took any punitive action after the incident, when such action was not generally taken. Despite what the article says, I think Bright was targeted, in part, due to his race. He was on track to win the Heisman, which would have made him the first black to do so. Drake's position, the one, they stood up for, was if you target our black players this way, and do so with impunity we are not playing in your league. It's to commemorate a great player and the university taking the high ground on an important issue. Just my take.

[nmatsen]

I guess I am just ignorant to the situation. I have never heard of this guy before reading the Register article and the Register article basically just said "he got punched" "he broke his jaw" "Drake is naming the field after him for that". I would be really P.O. ed at the Rag for making it sound like that. Totally not cool by them. They should have done a better job of talking up his accomplishments as apposed to only talking about the "punch". Kudo's to the Rag for not making it a race issue. I get so tired of "black" "white", I wish everyone would just drop it. I think it is ridiculous that we still have "black" colleges. Dude, i've dropped it, they should too!

[Bub]

If I got mad at the Rag every time I should I'd explode!:D

[Bub]

Another article on Johnny Bright, from the perspective Dolph Pulliam, a black basketball player from Drake who lead them to the Final Four in 1969.



http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/OPINION01/603070363/1035/OPINION