Word: philadelphia
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Once upon a time, a dark time in a mean place, a child was born, a black child, born to be a running back, born to be a metaphor. His name was Marcus Dupree. The place was Philadelphia, Miss., and the year was 1964, less than a month before three civil rights workers were murdered there and then buried 15 feet under...
When Marcus Dupree was five, his mother enrolled him in the first grade on the opening day of total integration for the Philadelphia public schools. His father, a man named Connors, was gone. "Dupree" is the surname of his maternal grandfather, a truck driver and occasional preacher. "Marcus" came from Shakespeare, Marc Antony...
Before long, he was the leading citizen of Philadelphia, a 6-ft. 3-in., 220-lb., 17-year-old legend who, under his helmet, wore a red net knitted by his mother, and horn-rimmed spectacles. Shreds from his tearaway jerseys became religiously kept relics. The townspeople said things like "Remember, he was born in 1964, the same year as the murders. I think he's a gift." And "He's gonna shine for us. He won't never let us down...
Everything starts earlier these days. It's not even November yet and the postal service has already started those "Mail your Christmas cards early" ads, U.S. Air is booked solid for Thanksgiving break return flights (Philadelphia to Boston) and the hockey season's already underway...
Chicago 7, Philadelphia...