Dready got a job to do
No matter what they do
Natty keep on comin thru
Miami Dolphin running back Ricky Williams could be
Dready from Bob Marley’s song. Ricky loves Bob Marley, the Jamaican
reggae star and author of the above lyrics from the song Ride Natty
Ride. Ricky named his daughter Marley and he wears his dreadlocks to
honor Marley’s music and now, even though the NFL has ruled it is legal
to tackle a player by his hair if it sticks out of his helmet, he will
not cut them.
Why would he cut them now? He didn’t cut them when
he was the only member of the All-County team in San Diego with dreads
and everybody was taunting him. He didn’t cut them when both Darrell
Royal and Mack Brown ganged up on him at Texas to ditch the dreads. He
didn’t cut them when Earl Campbell offered to man the scissors.
And today, even after he’s been tackled by his hair
by both Jets linebacker Marvin Jones and Buffalo Bills safety Lawyer
Malloy, he’s going to let the dreads hang out.
Edgerrin James, another NFL running back known for
his locks, trimmed off a few inches after he was brought down by his
tresses during the year’s first game. What he should have done and what
Ricky and other football playing dread wearers may do is drop in a few
detachables among the real locks. Then they’d be like breakaway jerseys
and defenders grabbing hair would be left with a handful of wiglets
while Ricky’s running down the field.
When that happens, the Rastas, the reggae lovers and
Marley fans will wish Bob was still alive to view and celebrate the
dreadification of the NFL. And if he were alive, Bob would be a Dolphin
fan adding more lyrics to his Ride Natty Ride:
Natty Dread rides again
Have no fear, Have no sorrow, yeah.
He let his hair lead the way
A rub, rub, rubby-doo-day
And now you people on the beach
He let his feet make his speech
Ridin’ through the storm
He’s the glass masked man
With the wings a sailin
Cause Natty Dread keep on comin’ thru
And no matter what they say-ay-ay-ay
It’s a go Dready, go Dready, go deh
Go Dready, go deh,
Of course, that would never happen. If Bob Marley
were alive today he’d still be spreading his message, championing the
downtrodden and the impoverished and hoping there’d be a rise up
against the gladiators and the multi-millionaires. Ironically, a very
rich gladiator right there on the football field and ready to be
overtaken… could be wearing dreadlocks.
