Ian Johnson, racism, and “social baggage” :: updated w/wedding!

Huh. I totally remember this proposal. At the end of some big and victorious game over Oklahoma, Boise State football player Ian Johnson, who is black, got down on his knee and proposed to Chrissy Popadics, who is white.I remember that I was sitting in the living room at my father’s house; we all had something to say:

Dad:”How’d he get such a big ring?” (NCAA’s gonna get him.)

Me:“Ohh, don’t just up and marry the cheerleader; you’re like 15!” (Momma’s gonna get him.)

husband:“I can’t believe Boise won!” (he’s from Boise, so he was actually watching the game.)

all of us: don’t do this on TV! (bad is gonna get him.)

Common sense says, “feel dread.” After that, I try to move on to other feelings, like ickiness from the goo factor (I guess he wouldn’t have proposed if they had lost?), or maybe snarkiness at how many black pro-athletes have white wives. Most likely, I would try to return to my general disinterest in football, since my attention was only caught by the proposal.

But once the dread is there, it will be there until something proves it wrong, because it is old and big, a mountain of “social baggage” (see article below), raining down bags of other people’s shit.

According to one site:

The pair is to be married Saturday in Boise but Johnson told the Idaho Statesman this week he and Popadics have received threats, which led to an increase of security personnel for the occasion.

According to Brian Grummell at Fanhouse, Johnson has stated that, ahead of his nuptials tomorrow,

“You take it for what it is — the less educated, the less willing to change,” Johnson told the Statesman. “But we’re not acting like we’re naive to all the stuff that’s going on. We know what’s been said. We’re going to make sure we’re safe at all times. It’s an amazing day for us, and we’d hate to have it ruined by someone.”

You see, that’s what I get. First I was all irritated with him (for his own good!) for being so naïve, and now I am sad that the naïveté is gone.

Hey, an update!I’ve added a news item on their wedding, below.

Also, CNN-SI had this story, which is pretty damn cute.

Apparently the wedding began with a prayer to end prejudice and ended with a broom-jumping.How new millennium young love is that?