Play Meter

- JHE LASTWORD Honoring through not forgetting D on Barksdale died in March. Name not familiar to you? It wasn't to me either, not until I saw an interview done with him last year on ESPN's "Up Close" talk show with Roy Firestone. Barksdale, as it turns out, was a black star in the almost exclusively white NBA of the early 1950s. Boston's Bob Cousy, the "Houdini of the Hardwood," recalled that Barksdale was every bit as slick a ballhandler as he was. But because of his skin color, he never received the accolades due a man of his talents. What he did receive were taunts from ugly crowds, lukewarm acceptance from his teammates, and humiliating discrimination from hotel and restaurant owners. It was difficult, Barksdale told Firestone, but he drew inspiration by talking often with another black sports pioneer, the immortal Jackie Robinson. I have a trivia question for you. Who was the first black player ever to participate in an NBA AllStar Game? If you guessed Bill Russell, Sam Jones, or K. C. Jones, guess again; the answer is Barksdale. If you consider yourself a hoops fan and didn't know that, don't feel bad. Such current NBA superstars as Karl Malone, David Robinson, and Charles Barkley were all asked that question and didn't know the answer. In fact, they didn't know who Barksdale was, period. That's a travesty. To not recognize the sacrifices made by someone who prepared the way for you, be it a basketball player or a parent who juggled two jobs, is unconscionable. It's sad to think that Barksdale may have died feeling unappreciated for all he endured. I wonder how many of today's operators truly recognize the sacrifices made by Bill Beckham of Red Baron of Ohio, who was honored by Play Meter at ACME '93. It was Beckham who sued the manufacturers in 1988 to open the flow of parallel boards into the United States. But his long-term objective was to get the manufacturers to offer quality games in less-expensive kit form rather than shoving them down operators' throats as dedicateds. In scanning the video marketplace, it 's easy to see that Beckham's wish came true, but not without exacting a price. He made enemies along the way and ran up hefty legal bills, not to mention the attendant emotional strain. To a man with principle PLAY METER 174 MAY1993 and heart, though, such sacrifices come with the territory. In all my conversations with him I've never heard him utter a bitter word about that period of his life . Rather, a ·quick smile and infectious laugh rule the day. To all you operators who've made good money with Street Fighter II, I ask: do you think Capcom would have released it as kit if the Beckham litigation had never occurred? Or would your routes be lined with the game in dedicated form? I think it would be a sporting gesture for each of you guys to send him one percent of your net revenues from Street Fighter II. Bill didn't put me up to this, mind you. I just have a keen interest in fair play. OK, that may be a bit much. Instead, if you've never thanked Beckham personally for taking such a courageous stand, just walk up to him the next time you see him and shake his hand. Isn't that the least you can do? Christopher Caire Features Editor