Speedy's Big Mistake

Back in the early 1960s, there was a black kid named Joe in Temple Texas in ninth grade. His mom was having a tough time of it with four children after the father abandoned the family. A local kid named Speedy figured it was a good idea to tease the kid from the broken home and began tormenting little Joe every day. Dear little Joe’s mom told him what moms have said for time immemorial: don’t go down to his level.

One day, Speedy did something I consider a violation of the Geneva Convention of Schoolyard Bullying. He took five dollars from Joe’s mom’s purse and told Joe about it. Joe went totally ballistic, cleaning up the floor with the guy. Of all the people on God’s green earth that you would not want to provoke, Speedy picked about the worst guy I can think of. Want to guess what Joe’s last name was? Green.

For the benefit of non-football fans, Joe had not yet reached his adult playing weight or height, but Mean Joe Green had a formidable physique. During his thirteen years in the NFL, he was a perennial All-Pro and is a current Hall of Famer.

I seriously doubt that Speedy will ever ask for a rematch.