Claude Johnson Interview On 1450 WOL-AM (DC)


I was on the air a couple of weeks ago with Mark Gray, host of The SportsGroove Radio Program on Newstalk 1450 WOL-AM in Washington, D.C.

Mark Gray, 1450 WOL-AM

Mark is an award-winning sports journalist and as you probably know, WOL is one of the hottest stations around.

His show comes on weekdays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

So I felt honored when Mark asked me to chat with him about the connection between the history of African Americans in basketball, the evolution of black culture, and the role of historically black colleges and universities.

Our discussion served as a backdrop to the C.I.A.A. Tournament, as well as the lead up to the Conference Championships and the N.C.A.A. Basketball Tournament.

We chatted so intently that Mark decided we ought to do two segments.

[sc_embed_player_template1 fileurl=”https://www.blackfives.org/audio/Claude_Johnson_Interview_1450_WOL-AM_Part1.mp3″]
Part 1 (about 10 minutes)
 
[sc_embed_player_template1 fileurl=”https://www.blackfives.org/audio/Claude_Johnson_Interview_1450_WOL-AM_Part2.mp3″]
Part 2 (about 10 minutes)
 

Please feel free to let me know what you think of the segments, and in particular, how you feel about Mark’s insightful questions so he gets his well-deserved props.

Thank you.

 
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Keith Ellis
14 years ago

Point well taken, Claude. Babe Ruth was big, in more ways than one. Detroit’s Joe Louis became as celebrated as the Babe, probably replaced his ink in the mid-Thirties, if we can judge by the old newspapers even in the East. But Joe succeeded in an individual sport; no teammates could protest his presence. And if opponents protested, the champ knew an easy way to shut them up!

When we grew up, boxing was still hugely popular thanks to Muhammad Ali et al. Wilt Chamberlain even thought of challenging Ali, but Muhammad wouldn’t have dreamed of joining the Boston Celtics. Nowadays it’s hard to imagine boxing or baseball returning to the stature they once enjoyed.

Keith Ellis
14 years ago

I loved every minute of Mark’s interview w/ you, Claude, right up to the last question about BaseBall being the “national pastime.” It may’ve been the national pastime in some sections of the country, but from our vantage point hoops has always been the state religion in Indiana. That’s why the Black Fives thrived along with other clubs in the MidWest, where high-school gyms promoted bigger gates than back East. By the time Jackie was justifiably big news in Brooklyn (Branch Rickey brought Joe Louis in to counsel him), integrated ball was old hat in Indiana. Six separate state champions, not to mention Mr BasketBall Big George Crowe’s runnerup Franklin, had been led by black players before April 1947.

Why don’t we see serious students of sports like Mark Gray more often on great programs like SportsGroove? Here’s hoping he — and others like you, Claude — are setting a whole new trend.

Kent
14 years ago

Definitely will listen to in a few minutes, yesssssss!!! Let’s Goooooo!

Kent Boone
14 years ago

yes, the music, the dancing, the basketball, the dancing well past 12:00 am, wow, I can only imagine because when I come home from Georgetown games I’m totally hype and I do feel like dancing, and just think it’s March Madness and outta 64 teams that were “dancing” there are only 4 teams “dancing” now, thank you Rens, and I thank Claude Johnson for the blackfives.com because as a father and coach I was able and still able to tell, teach and pass on the “real” and “forgotten” story of our past of those great eras of black basketball…Let’s Goooooo!