Coach Eric Taylor is a Racist

In January 2007 my family and I traveled to Atlanta, GA for a history conference. I was thrilled about visiting Atlanta, because I had only been to the Deep South once before, but never to Georgia. I was especially eager to visit Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center, specifically the resting place of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr and his wife, Coretta Scott King. While touring the King Center, I broke down in tears as I was overwhelmed by the significance of Dr. King and the history of this location. My son had never seen me cry before and my wife comforted him by explaining that I was not sad, but instead paying my respects.

This afternoon, I broke down crying while working out at the YMCA and listening to Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season by Jonathan Eig. I started after listening to the story of Myron Uhlberg's deaf father who upon being informed by his son that some of the fans at a Brooklyn Dodgers' ball game where yelling out "coon", immediately stood up screaming in support of Robinson. Even though his words were a jumble and came out "augie" as opposed to Jackie, it did not matter to Myron, who as the son of deaf parents was no longer embarrassed but very, very proud.

The point is that I understand, but am nonetheless frustrated by the continued dominance of race and bigotry discussions as Black and White affairs. For Mexicans, we are at best marginalized from this discussion and at worst ignored.

Now all who know me know that I love football and television. And without a doubt, Friday Night Lights is an outstanding television show. My family and I are currently watching the reruns from season one on the ABC Family channel. And damn it, if the show did not bite me in the ass. The show is supposedly set in West Texas, but there are very few Mexican characters on the show. But in season-one episode 6, "El Accidente," we finally find out that there are indeed Mexicans in Dillon, well at least one.

One of the shows early villains, Voodoo, attacks Bobby Reyes by saying "take your wetback ass across the river." WTF! Long story short, "Reyes" as he is referred to throughout this episode ends up a liar, a bully, and an all around nutcase without any redeeming value. In another season-one episode, there is a reference to Reyes, as someone who is just bad news and out of control.

At the end of episode 6, Reyes is cast out of the Dillon football family because he lied to Coach Taylor. The entire show is predicated on Coach Taylor and his very sexy wife, Tami Taylor, saving all of the misbehaved kids in Dillon: well only the White and Black ones. And they all lie to the Taylors including their daughter, Julie. Yet, when the only Mexican kid in town makes his mistakes, well that is just too much. And let me remind you of some of the notorious deeds of the White and Black kids: murder, steroids, perpetual drunkenness, sleeping with the Coach's daughter, and well you get the picture. 

So Coach Taylor take his stand at the Rio Grande and Reyes alone is the one that can't be saved.