After watching the New Zealand All Blacks defeat France to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup, I just had to do one more drawing of my imaginary Oakland rugby team, the All Black Men. The guys in this drawing are actually three EBMUD workers I saw on my way to work last week. I swapped their reflective vests for lavender jerseys and I colored their skin green because green and purple is one of my favorite combinations. I used a fade effect for the green and purple background to both highlight and complement the colors of the players in the foreground.
This guy is one of two men who were talking outside of the Books Inc. store on Van Ness. I passed by them on my way to have dinner at Max’s at the Opera House, and I think I noticed this man in particular because he seemed a bit under dressed for the chilly evening weather. I think I remembered him because, although I couldn’t make out most of what he was saying–and I wasn’t really trying to listen in–I did overhear the name Kobena Mercer, which does not often make its way into conversation. I have to admit that I was curious about the context.
Today’s drawing is a tribute to that rare sort (though somewhat less rare than when I was in school), the African American who rows on the college crew. Today I came across an article about Aquil Abdullah, the history-making Black rower who became the first African American to win at Britain’s Henley Regatta and the first African American on the U.S. Olympic crew. Reading about him made be think back to my undergraduate years. No, I didn’t row. I was too short to even try out for the women’s team, and I was too tall and too heavy to be a coxswain for the men’s team. I quickly discovered another sport, rugby, and I remain an avid fan of men’s and women’s rugby at all levels, both collegiate and professional. Still, I’ve always felt a significant degree of admiration for the men and women who row. Back in college, the strict training rules and intense workouts, even during the coldest months of the year, demanded a level of dedication that was hard not to admire. Here’s hoping that in the next Olympics, there are a least a couple more Black men and women competing in this sport. If it doesn’t conflict with any important rugby matches, I’ll be watching.
This drawing depicts one of two men who were having an animated conversation with each other outside Zocalo cafe in San Leandro. I was sitting too far away to hear what they were talking about, but it must have been fairly serious stuff. Both men were gesticulating passionately. Perhaps they were discussing the current economy or the gridlock in congress…
A few days ago we had our first rain of the season. I had the good fortune of being at Zocalo cafe on that day and during the few minutes that rain was actually falling from the sky, nearly everyone in the cafe was turned toward the window to watch something we hadn’t seen in months. If the wistful looks on people’s faces were any indication, the rain was a welcome sight. I think the man in this drawing was thinking about the rain for the rest of the afternoon.
This drawing marks the end of sports week at 8-Rock.com and the end of my celebration of Rugby World Cup 2011. If you look closely at the background of this drawing, you’ll notice that the pattern consists of tiny rugby uniforms. Cool, right?
Sports week continues at 8-Rock.com. In this drawing, there’s a little bit of a fun reference for the rugby insider. Barbarian is a popular brand of rugby gear, including the iconic Barbarian brand rugby ball. Because this drawing depicts three players of African descent, I have replaced the word Barbarian with Zande, the name of the central African tribe that is legendary for its prowess on the battlefield. This drawing is a composite of three of the many Black rugby players I was excited to see at the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament at UNLV, summer of 2010.
