Patrick Loera
CONTRIBUTOR

Speed City is the nickname given to San Jose State University’s world-class sprinters coached by the late Bud Winter, and its legacy lives on through the San Jose City College men’s basketball team.

Two of those sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, attended SJSU in the 1960s and were young African-American college athletes stuck in the middle of a turning point in American history, the civil rights movement.

Smith and Carlos were able to overcome adversity and cultural boundaries for several semesters at SJSU before letting their speed do the talking to the world at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, and that talk was loud.

“I think as an African-American athlete in those days, it would be hard to deal with the problems from the other races on the track. They made history, and it makes me want to win even more because I am the only female running the 400 meter,” said Kristyl Blue, 18, administration of justice major.

After their wins, Smith and Carlos had the pleasure of a victory lap before standing on the podium to accept one of the greatest honors in an athlete’s career, Olympic medals.

Smith won the gold medal in the 200-meter dash breaking the twenty-second barrier for the first time in Olympic history, and Carlos won the bronze medal in the same event.

During the awards ceremony while the “Star-Spangled Banner” was played, the athletes lowered their heads and raised their fists in support of equality and the removal of all cultural boundaries.

Although disputed by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee expelled Smith and Carlos from the U.S. team.

Nevertheless, their records and legacy still remain; in fact, there is a 22-foot-high statue near the center of SJSU campus in honor of the former students’ protest.

“That is a very humbling situation, and I would be glad to have that opportunity, not only as an athlete, but as an African-American man, to make that change, said Moses Kinnah, 20, business management major and Point Guard for the SJCC men’s basketball team. “They ran but it was much bigger than that.”

Coach Percy Carr liked the sound of the nickname and applied it to the men’s basketball team.

“I thought about it and said, ‘Fast break? Speed City?’ That sounds like San Jose City College basketball,” Carr said.

Speed City continues to break records, only now it’s on the basketball court.

In fact, Carr said that SJCC men’s basketball team is on the brink of breaking a California Community College record with 800 wins. The team only needs three wins to tie the record and four wins to break it.

“I would like to be there next season to be part of the team that breaks the record, said Chris Turner, 20, social science major and Small Forward for the team. “I would prefer it to be at home. Breaking the record at home would be more special than winning it away.”

Carr said, “Speed City implies that we are going to fast break every opportunity we get, and we like running so it is about speed.”