Watching yesterday’s Euro 2008 semifinal between Germany and Turkey, it struck me when, before the match, one player from each side was handed a microphone and spoke out against racism in the world.

I don’t speak German or Turkish, so I don’t know exactly what was said — ESPN could have done a better job with an interpretation or, at least, a summary of the statements — but I applaud the action. Here in the “great melting pot,” it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in our own race-relations issues (Don Imus, for one, doesn’t need a reminder about that after this week), but racism knows no boundaries, and it has been around a lot longer than the U-S-of-A.

The whole moment got me thinking. What if, say, a similar scene was played out at the Super Bowl before the pregame coin toss? Imagine a matchup between the Ravens and Packers. Imagine Brett Favre, a universally respected athlete and person, is still playing quarterback for Green Bay. First, Ray Lewis takes the microphone and urges tolerance. Then, it’s Favre’s turn. A black man and white man speaking to thousands in person and millions watching on TV about the importance of having respect for everyday people, every man, woman and child (albeit right before they go after each other in our most violent of sports).

Would such a message delivered by professional athletes make a greater impact on our society than hearing it from someone such as Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson? You have to wonder. Some chants and rumblings could be heard from the crowd while the statements were delivered yesterday. I’m sure some were mocking the thoughts.

Technology is constantly shrinking the world, and now more than ever, we’re all neighbors on this planet. So even if only one person hears and heeds the message, I’d say it’d be a worthwhile action.

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