Marlin Briscoe started a whole new era

I totally missed this story yesterday. It was the 40th anniversary of the first start by an African-American quarterback in the NFL during the modern era. ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes:

When Marlin Briscoe broke the Denver Broncos huddle and surveyed the Cincinnati Bengals defense as he walked to the line of scrimmage Oct. 6, 1968, he became the first black quarterback in the modern era to start a game.

"It's come a long way," Briscoe said from his home in Long Beach, Calif. "They thought a black man could not think, throw and lead at that level."

Now the United States could be on the verge of electing its first black president.

Willie Thrower was the first black quarterback to get into an NFL game in 1953, but stereotypes and small-mindedness prevented coaches from providing a real opportunity until Lou Saban, partially out of desperation, handed the job to Briscoe.

Here's a link to a site called marlinbriscoemovie.com