One of the major stories in sports this past week was NASCAR banning confederate flags at their racetrack as fans start to slowly be allowed back in (up to 5,000 fans will be allowed to attend the June 21 race at Talladega SuperSpeedway in Alabama). It is a strong subject that all three hours of the ESPN Radio show, Marty & McGee with Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, were devoted to this subject.
As McGee opened the show, he said that the subject that he didn’t think would ever happen, but the change became a reality.
“It’s been a week I was thankful to see. This week, you and I have covered something I didn’t believe we will ever see,” said McGee.
Smith added that it is a change in NASCAR to bring racial equality inside the garage that they hadn’t seen in a long time.
“It’s impossible to overstate what an historic moment it is. If you really want to be honest, NASCAR did more for racial equality in their own garage in a week than they did in 70 years,” said Smith.
Throughout the three-hour broadcast on Saturday Morning, Smith and McGee talked with numerous guests, including co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, Brad Daugherty. Warrick Scott (grandson of Wendell Scott – first full-time African-American driver in NASCAR), and ESPN personality Clinton Yates. You will find the link to all three hours here:
In the final hour of the show, Smith shared a conversation with Rayfield Milton, one of his best friends in high school, that he had earlier in the week. Smith brought up the point that every word has to be the right word. Milton gave him a call after Smith’s segment on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt and was crying.
“Because you just said the perfect sentence. You just said something that I can’t say. It took you to say that sentence. You have seen what I had to deal with our own lives and for you to say that on that platform is amazing,” said Milton to Smith about what Milton had to go through in high school.
Smith later mentioned one more story about Milton, who he played football with in high school. He talked about writing a chapter in his book Never Settle called Forever Friday where he talks about all the lines in the world being erased on a football field. But, as Smith was driving to the grocery store one day, he thought about the words and he wondered if he was seeing things only from his perspective. So, he called Milton.
“Have I ever made you feel lesser than a human being. Have I ever made you feel anything but my friend and equal,” said an emotional Smith to Milton.
“You know what I have seen, but you have never treated me like anything but a man, an equal, and your friend,” Milton answered according to Smith.
Smith and McGee were able to get candid insight from their guests and shared their own personal experiences and conversations in what was a monumental moment for the sport of NASCAR.
