Tag: NDN All-Stars

NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat (Onondaga)

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Post date May 1, 2023
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NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat (Onondaga) was a long-distance runner from Canada. I selected him for the NDN All-Stars line up because of his unbelievable accomplishments, including winning the Boston Marathon in 1907 – shattering the record by a staggering 5 MINUTES (a whole mile’s worth of running time). He also won two Canadian championships, two US championships, and represented Canada in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

I will be honest… I didn’t know about Tom Longboat before I started doing research for this whole NDN All-Stars thing. I could barely believe what I was reading when I came across information about Tom Longboat. I am glad that I found out about him – and can now share his story and accomplishments with all of you!

At the beginning of the 20th Century, long distance running was an international phenomenon – with races being held all over North America and Europe. And these were not just ANY races… they were true feats of endurance. Longboat beat an Italian runner named Dorando Pietri of Italy for the “World Professional Running Championship”. The race was held in Madison Square Garden on December 15, 190. Longboat won when Dorando collapsed with half a mile to go. When Longboat crossed the finish line, he had been running for 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 5.2 seconds, and he won a prize of $3,750.

His success as a long-distance runner made him one of Canada’s first sports celebrities and earned him the nickname “The Iron Man”. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 as part of their inaugural class of inductees.

Tom Longboat remains one of Canada’s most celebrated athletes to this day. Here is a short animated story of NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat that is pretty entertaining…

During World War I, Tom Longboat was a messenger, running through heavy fire to deliver communications to Allied Forces. There is a story that once, when he made a fast journey and delivered the message he was tasked with, the commanding officer said something to the effect of “Wow! That was fast! Who do you think you are? Tom Longboat?” Tom replied simply, “Yes, as a matter of fact.”

A world famous long distance runner, Boston Marathon winner AND war hero! NDN All-Star #8 Tom Longboat – an NDN All-Star everyone should know about!

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Thank you for your support!

Tags Canada, Marathon, NDN All-Stars, Onondaga, runner, Tom Longboat

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NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills (Oglala Sioux)

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Post date May 1, 2023
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NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Sioux, was the winner of the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. It was an extraordinary achievement, given his humble beginnings on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. His amazing come-from-behind victory has since become a source of inspiration for Native Americans everywhere. Click the link to see him pour on the speed to win the Gold Medal! It gives me goose bumps every time I see it!

His story is one that shows that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and never give up – regardless of where you come from. It has been told numerous times, and was even made into a movie in 1983 called “Running Brave“.

Billy has used his celebrity to good effect. He is the national spokesperson for the “Running Strong for American Indian Youth” foundation, doing great work to provide better lives and opportunities for the next generations of Native youth. Click the link and see how you can help their efforts.

As the only American to win the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race, NDN All-Star #7 Billy Mills is a true NDN All-Star!

Tags 10000 Meters, Billy Mills, Gold Medal, NDN All-Stars, Oglala, Olympics, Sioux, track & field

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NDN All-Star #6 – Jack Dempsey (Cherokee)

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Post date February 16, 2023
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I selected Jack Dempsey (Cherokee) for the NDN All-Stars team because – he was the best and toughest boxer of the first half of the 20^th Century, and the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World for SEVEN YEARS!

There have been a lot of books written about NDN All-Star #6 Jack Dempsey (Cherokee) so there are tons of resources where you can find out more about his life and his boxing career. I will provide a short list of some of the books that I have read below. His story of growing up in poverty and having to fight in bars and back alleys to earn food money gives you an idea of the determination he had to make it to the top.

And on July 4, 1919 – in Toledo, OH, he did just that. Dempsey shocked the world when he savagely beat the reigning Heavyweight Champion Jess Willard into submission. The extent of the beating cannot be exaggerated. Willard’s face was a bloody pulp, he lost teeth, and had his jaw and facial bones broken. You can see the actual fight here.

After boxing, Jack Dempsey became a successful business man and restaurant owner. He also dabbled in acting, making a few movies in Hollywood.

NDN All-Star #6 Jack Dempsey’s legacy and impact on the sport of boxing lives on today. His fighting style is studied and emulated by current fighters of all weight classes. Former Heavyweight Champion “Iron” Mike Tyson has said many times that his ultimate boxing hero – and the fighter that he tried most to emulate – is Jack Dempsey.

What greater compliment can you get?

NDN All-Star #6 Jack Dempsey (Cherokee) is certainly deserving of a spot on the NDN All-Stars roster.

NDN All-Star #5 Albert “Chief” Bender (Ojibwe)

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Post date December 31, 2022
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I selected “Chief” Bender as NDN All-Star #5 for one simple reason. He was a brilliant baseball pitcher. If you need verification of that – here is a link to his lifetime stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bendech01.shtml

Albert, as he preferred to be called, was another athletic star that came from the Carlisle Indian School. (Imagine walking down those hallways and seeing athletes like Jim Thorpe, Albert Bender, Lewis Tewanima, Joe Guyon, etc. as part of the student body…)

Bender made his Major League debut on April 20, 1903 when he was just 19 years old. He would go on to pitch for 15 major league seasons and play in three World Series.

Bender was at his best in high pressure, big-game situations. In the 1911 World Series he pitched three complete games! His manager, Hall of Famer Connie Mack, once said “If I had all the men I’ve ever handled and they were in their prime and there was one big game I wanted to win above all others, Albert would be my man.” Definitely high words of praise and confidence, I would say.

“Chief” Bender was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1953

I just received a book about NDN All-star #5 Albert “Chief” Bender in the mail a few days ago. It is called “Chief Bender’s Burden” written by Tom Swift and published in 2008. I look forward to reading it soon and will post more about Bender in a later blog post.

If any of you have read “Chief Bender’s Burden” let me know what you thought of the book – and of NDN All-Star #5 Albert “Chief” Bender (Ojibwe) in the comments.

#ndnallstars #chiefbender #mlb #ojibwe #HOF #tomswift #chiefbendersburden

Tags baseball, Chief Bender, Hall of Fame, NDN All-Stars, Philadelphia A's, pitcher

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NDN All-Star #4 – Louis Sockalexis (Penobscot)

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Post date July 29, 2022
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There is a lot to be said about being FIRST.

Louis Sockalexis – he should have been as big of a deal as Jackie Robinson. “Sock” as he was called, broke the major league baseball color barrier in the 1890s, becoming the first Native American to play major league baseball. Yet – not many people have ever even heard of him!

Sockalexis took the baseball world by storm when he began playing for the then Cleveland Spiders in 1897. He was a media darling when he began his career and played stellar baseball on the field. He hit .338 and stole 16 bases in just 66 games his first season.

Sockalexis had to endure endless racial taunts and war whoops from heckling baseball fans. But he handled them well.

People who saw him play in person said he could hit like Babe Ruth, run like Ty Cobb and throw like Tris Speaker. Actually, they said “better than” – but I didn’t want to lay it on too thick…

Sadly, Sockalexis’ career was cut short by alcoholism. While it was said that he could do all of those baseball things better than anyone else, Hall of Fame baseball general manager Ed Barrow also said that he was “also the best drinker.” His play suffered greatly and after parts of just three major league seasons, his promising career ended.

Oh, what might have been…

He went home to the Penobscot reservation and became a minor league player until 1907, when he played his last game in organized baseball. After his playing days ended, he coached baseball for the youth on the reservation for a time and worked doing manual labor. He died in 1913 at the age of 42.

One of the many stories attached to Louis Sockalexis is that the Cleveland Spiders, the team that Sock played for, changed their name to the “Indians” in 1915. Legend has it that the name was an honor to the bright – although brief – stellar career of Louis Sockalexis. There are many people who debunk this story – but I have decided to believe it. ‘Nuff said.

#ndnallstars #louissockalexis #baseball #MLB #cleveland #Penobscot

Tags baseball, Cleveland Indians, Louis Sockalexis, NDN All-Stars, Penobscot

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