1Recognizing participating in sports and cheering for sports as a
2unifying force among the citizens of this Commonwealth and
3the United States.

4WHEREAS, In 1936, at the Games of the XI Olympiad in Berlin,
5Jesse Owens received four gold medals in track and field, broke
6various Olympic and world records and upset Adolf Hitler due to
7his representation of the United States and his African-American
8descent; and

9WHEREAS, In 1938, Joe Louis, also known as the "Brown Bomber"
10because of his African-American descent, knocked out Germany's
11Max Schmeling in a boxing match between the United States and
12Nazi Germany, giving a divided America a common hero to stand
13behind; and

14WHEREAS, In 1947, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson, shattered
15racial barriers through his stoicism and exceptional play for
16the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African-American player
17in modern Major League Baseball; and

1WHEREAS, In 1948, at the Cotton Bowl, Southern Methodist
2University attempted to ask its competitor Penn State University
3to leave behind African-American player and Cheltenham native
4Wallace "Wally" Triplett, causing Team Captain Steve Suhey to
5reply: "We are Penn State. There will be no meetings," which
6united the team and university in a cheer that continues to this
7day; and

8WHEREAS, In 1968, at the Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico
9City, gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos
10raised their black-gloved fists during the national anthem to
11display their opposition to racial discrimination, resulting in
12unity of ethnic groups all around the world trying to end racial
13discrimination; and

14WHEREAS, In 1973, during the exhibition tennis match dubbed
15the "Battle of the Sexes," Billie Jean King defeated then-
16returning Wimbledon Champion Bobby Riggs at the Houston
17Astrodome, giving women a boost in gender equality and sports
18recognition; and

19WHEREAS, In 1976, the Philadelphia Flyers overpowered the
20Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in a 4-1 win, proving that
21the United States could compete on the international stage in
22hockey and bringing American citizens closer together; and

23WHEREAS, In 2003, professional golfer and Lancaster native
24Jim Furyk shot a 272 in the U.S. Open and tied the record for
25the then-lowest score in U.S. Open history, putting him in the
26company of golfing royalty such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen and
27Tiger Woods, and he became the U.S. Open Champion at Olympia
28Fields, uniting all of Pennsylvania in celebration; and

29WHEREAS, In 2013, Jason Collins became the first openly gay
30player in the National Basketball Association when he joined the

1Brooklyn Nets for ten scoreless minutes in a game against the
2Los Angeles Lakers and also became the first openly gay player
3in any professional sports league; and

4WHEREAS, In the 2014 National Football League Draft, the St.
5Louis Rams drafted defensive end Michael Sam from the University
6of Missouri, providing further inspiration to the LGBT
7community, the country and the world; therefore be it

8RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize that
9competition and participation in sports at the local, state,
10national and international levels enriches athletes and fans
11alike and brings people of all ages, genders, races, languages,
12political affiliations and sexual orientations together; and be
13it further

14RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
15role that sports has played in bringing us together as Americans
16and as citizens of this Commonwealth; and be it further

17RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage the
18citizens of this Commonwealth to recognize the power of sports
19to unify their communities; and be it further

20RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
21participating in sports and cheering for sports as a unifying
22force among the citizens of this Commonwealth and the United
23States.