The Dark Side of Ian Johnson's Bright Story

When Boise State running back Ian Johnson scored the winning points against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl...then proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on the sideline...in front of a national television audience...even the most hardened "tough guy" football fans had to smile.

Like 99 percent of those watching at home, I was too caught up in a great game and a greater moment to even notice that Johnson was black and his girlfriend was white.

Unfortunately, there's always that one percent.

That knucklehead one percent.

The fact that even now—even in 2007—some people are still so hateful and backwards is a disgrace.

But once again intolerance rears its ugly head.

Johnson, for his part, has managed to keep a reasonable perspective on it all.

"You take it for what it is," he said recently. "The less educated, the less willing to change."

Too bad that one percent cannot—or will not—catch up to this young man in maturity and understanding.

Editor's Note: This article originally ran under the headline "Boise Bigotry: Ian Johnson's Dark Story." Any insinuation that Idaho residents were to blame for the threats made against Johnson was unintentional, and was the fault of the Editor, not the Writer.