Marshall plan: Show glove for racial progress

CLEVELAND • Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall tried to explain what he had planned for his touchdown celebration, but had to fight back tears several times.

Marshall scored an 11-yard touchdown with 1:14 remaining in Thursday's game against the Browns, a score that was the game-winner for the Broncos.

He reached inside the front of his pants but receiver Brandon Stokley and then tight end Tony Scheffler forced him to stop whatever he had planned, leaving the television audience to wonder what Marshall was going to do.

Marshall said he had a glove in his pants - half white and half black. Marshall, a big supporter of President-elect Barack Obama - said he drew inspiration from 1968 U.S. Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who raised a black glove on the medal stand.

Marshall said his message was one of unity under Obama.

"I wanted to create that symbol of unity because Obama inspires me, our multi-cultured society," said Marshall, who read from the message he had typed out on his phone earlier in the day.

"And I know at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised that black glove in that fist as a silent gesture of black power and liberation. Forty years later, I wanted to make my own statement. I wanted to make my own statement and gesture to represent the progress we made."

Marshall said Stokley stopped him because the game was close and the team would have been hurt had Marshall gotten penalized for a planned celebration. Planned celebrations are often fined by the NFL, but Marshall wasn't worried about that.

"I might get some criticism, but social landmarks are bigger than fines to me," Marshall said.

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