Steve Van Buren - why isn't he a "pioneer"?

[foreverfree]

The discussion on CF's main NFL forum about NFLN's top 100 players series degenerated into a "debate" on the amount of whiteness in Steve Van Buren, who is on the list.

Van Buren was becoming a star just as Kenny Washington was joining the Rams (just relocated from Cleveland to Washington's backyard of Los Angeles) and Marion Motley and Bill Willis were joining the Cleveland Browns in the new AAFC. As a 12 year old in 1973 I read in an "official" NFL encyclopedia where Washington was the NFL's first black player since maybe 1933 (the year the NFL split into divisions for the first time btw).

If Van Buren is part black, why hasn't he been embraced as a black "pioneer" like Washington and Motley have?

John

 

[sport historian]

The discussion on CF's main NFL forum about NFLN's top 100 players series degenerated into a "debate" on the amount of whiteness in Steve Van Buren, who is on the list.

Van Buren was becoming a star just as Kenny Washington was joining the Rams (just relocated from Cleveland to Washington's backyard of Los Angeles) and Marion Motley and Bill Willis were joining the Cleveland Browns in the new AAFC. As a 12 year old in 1973 I read in an "official" NFL encyclopedia where Washington was the NFL's first black player since maybe 1933 (the year the NFL split into divisions for the first time btw).

If Van Buren is part black, why hasn't he been embraced as a black "pioneer" like Washington and Motley have?

John

Because he is not.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

The discussion on CF's main NFL forum about NFLN's top 100 players series degenerated into a "debate" on the amount of whiteness in Steve Van Buren, who is on the list.



Van Buren was becoming a star just as Kenny Washington was joining the Rams (just relocated from Cleveland to Washington's backyard of Los Angeles) and Marion Motley and Bill Willis were joining the Cleveland Browns in the new AAFC. As a 12 year old in 1973 I read in an "official" NFL encyclopedia where Washington was the NFL's first black player since maybe 1933 (the year the NFL split into divisions for the first time btw).



If Van Buren is part black, why hasn't he been embraced as a black "pioneer" like Washington and Motley have?



John

Because he is not.

Agreed.

 

[white is right]

I always thought he was something like a Melungeon. But you would have to think since he is alive and there isn't any stigma for being biracial like there was in the 40's, he or his family would come out say it. By the way he has a brother named Ebert who also was running back who played at LSU in the times when the SEC was segregated. Ebert also played for a short stint in the NFL.

 

[Don Wassall]

Sport Historian settled it with this post: "Van Buren could NOT have played at LSU (or anywhere in the SEC) in the 1940's without being considered white."

I've never heard Van Buren referred to as any kind of minority, much less as black. Given that he was born in Honduras, he may have some native Indian in him on his mother's side, but he'd hardly be unique in that respect among white U.S. athletes.

The black population of Honduras is only 2 percent: http://countrystudies.us/honduras/54.htmEdited by: Don Wassall

 

[sport historian]

I am an old-line SEC fan for 50 years and NO blacks, and I mean NO, were allowed to play in the SEC before 1967. I don't know how many times I have to say it. The younger posters apparently find this hard to believe. It helps to live through an era to really know how it was.

LSU, by the way, was one of the most resistant programs (by the boosters) to integration. LSU, Georgia, and Ole Miss didn't have a black player until 1972.

 

[white is right]

Well the old warhorse is still kicking or at least has an attorney representing his best interests. Here is story about his image and name associated with memorabilia.....
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Alleged stolen canceled check on Steve Van Buren trading card.
Alleged stolen canceled check on Steve Van Buren trading card.

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Posted on Thu, May. 6, 2010


Eagles great Van Buren sues trading-card company

By GLORIA CAMPISI
Philadelphia Daily News

campisg@phillynews.com

Fabled Eagles running back Steve Van Buren has taken plenty of hits in his time but this one was lowdown and really dirty, he said in a lawsuit that came to light yesterday.

In the suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Van Buren, 89, accuses Panini America Inc., successor to Donruss Playoff LP, of putting out unauthorized trading cards using not only his name but his signature, on strips of "stolen canceled checks."

Officials of Panini America, a division of an Italian-based publisher of sports and entertainment collectibles, could not immediately be reached for comment. Panini America took over from Donruss last year, according to the suit.

The suit didn't accuse anyone of stealing the canceled checks. It simply says that the defendant "manufactured and sold trading cards in 2007 and 2009 containing Van Buren's name, likeness and signature." Further, it states that the 2009 Van Buren "Classic Cuts'' card, "embossed with'' the Donruss Classics logo, "contains swatches of stolen canceled checks signed by Van Buren."

"The swatch of the stolen canceled check displays Van Buren's blue ink signature," according to the suit.

"Van Buren's bank routing numbers are clearly visible on the cards," it said.

The card was released in 2009, "without Van Buren's authorization or knowledge," according to the suit.

An attorney representing Van Buren, who lives in Lancaster County, said it isn't currently known how many of the cards were sold.

"Unfortunately, this is only one of the types of issues that retired NFL players face," said the attorney, Hara K. Jacobs.

Van Buren a Pro Football Hall of Famer who played for the Eagles from 1944 to 1951 and led them to two championships, has been called the "greatest Eagles running back ever" by Pro Football Hall of Fame sports writer Ray Didinger.

Donruss also had legal problems with Major League Baseball, according to the Van Buren suit.

And just last month, it said, the estate of film legend Gene Kelly filed suit saying Donruss had issued trading cards which "purport to contain a swatch of material worn by Gene Kelly."

Donruss had published unlicensed Van Buren cards in 2006 but, at the request of National Football League Players Inc., Van Buren agreed to allow the company to use three pictures of himself. However, 12 were used and, according to the suit, Donruss put out more unauthorized Van Buren cards in 2007 as well.

No amount of damages was specified.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I am an old-line SEC fan for 50 years and NO blacks, and I mean NO, were allowed to play in the SEC before 1967. I don't know how many times I have to say it. The younger posters apparently find this hard to believe. It helps to live through an era to really know how it was.



LSU, by the way, was one of the most resistant programs (by the boosters) to integration. LSU, Georgia, and Ole Miss didn't have a black player until 1972.

You tell em, sport historian! And there was only a black in the SEC for the first 4 games of 1967. Northington quit Kentucky's team after 4 games, probably because of Greg Page's death. Tennessee brought in Lester McClain in 1968, who re-integrated the SEC.

 

[white is right]

Well he made it! Happy 90th to the old warhorse....

 

[azdwendy]

The discussion on CF's main NFL forum about NFLN's top 100 players series degenerated into a "debate" on the amount of whiteness in Steve Van Buren, who is on the list.

Van Buren was becoming a star just as Kenny Washington was joining the Rams (just relocated from Cleveland to Washington's backyard of Los Angeles) and Marion Motley and Bill Willis were joining the Cleveland Browns in the new AAFC. As a 12 year old in 1973 I read in an "official" NFL encyclopedia where Washington was the NFL's first black player since maybe 1933 (the year the NFL split into divisions for the first time btw).

If Van Buren is part black, why hasn't he been embraced as a black "pioneer" like Washington and Motley have?

John

Dude where did you get your info from? Stephen Van Buren is my great uncle. He is not in any way, shape, or form black. My family is from Europe, then moved to Honduras where Stephen, my grandmother, and their other brothers and sisters were born, then when their mother died they were sent to the united stated to live with their mother's family. Their dark skin color comes from growing up in Honduras. Not only are they not half black, but my grandmother use to get pissed at me for even calling her Hispanic. She would roll over in her grave if she knew you thought they were part black. LMAO

 

[azdwendy]

Sport Historian settled it with this post: "Van Buren could NOT have played at LSU (or anywhere in the SEC) in the 1940's without being considered white."

I've never heard Van Buren referred to as any kind of minority, much less as black. Given that he was born in Honduras, he may have some native Indian in him on his mother's side, but he'd hardly be unique in that respect among white U.S. athletes.

The black population of Honduras is only 2 percent: http://countrystudies.us/honduras/54.htmEdited by: Don Wassall

LOL no we aren't Native American. To have Native American in us, we would have to be from America. My family is from Europe, moved to Honduras where Stephen, my grandmother, and their siblings were born, then finally moved to the US when their mother died. They are dark skined from being born and raised in Honduras. My grandmother wouldn't even let me call her hispanic.

 

[Zeus]

I am not a specialist when it comes to American Football, but my answer would be that our modern (last 50 years) highly anti-white, anti-European society, especially in the US and UK, won't give credit to whites and will worship minorities, especially Negroes non stop for whatever little thing they might achieve.

We have won over 80% of Olympic medals, over 95% of Nobel Prizes, over 95% of Oscars, our guys make 9 from the 10 biggest selling artists of all time, we went on the moon, invented and discovered pretty much everything blah blah blah and the media will teach our kids how we should be "ashamed" for what our "violent" ancestors did to poor Negroes, Jews and rest weaklings.

Man, we live in a world and nature that the rules of nature teach us that the stronger and bigger fish eats the weak one............yet we have allowed in the last few decades (post ww2) to all the losers (Jews, Communists, Marxists, Negroes, Muslims, women etc) to lead this world, especially in popular fields, such as sports, media, Hollywood etc.

My answer to this question is simple, he doesn't get his credit because he's white, simple as that. We live in the darkest era of our history, this must be the most anti-white era ever.

I hope my brothers wake up one day, I pray to this every night before I go to sleep.

 

[dwid]

LOL no we aren't Native American. To have Native American in us, we would have to be from America. My family is from Europe, moved to Honduras where Stephen, my grandmother, and their siblings were born, then finally moved to the US when their mother died. They are dark skined from being born and raised in Honduras. My grandmother wouldn't even let me call her hispanic.

what part of Europe?

 

[white is right]

what part of Europe?

My condolences to AZDWendy if she is really the relative of Van Buren. After many years of suffering possibly the greatest Eagle passed on today.....http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8298333/philadelphia-eagles-hall-famer-steve-van-buren-dies-91