Sports & Politics Intersect: Cuban forced to face culture of misogyny in Mavs front office

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• Sports world reflects on horrific school shooting - Teams throughout Major League Baseball will pay homage to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by wearing caps with the school’s logo. The Oakland A’s will bring pitching prospect and school alum Jesus Luzardo to their spring training opener for pre-game ceremonies that will honor the school. Meanwhile, NBA legend Steve Nash penned an op-ed for The Players’ Tribune about gun violence, and the Florida Panthers honored the victims on the ice before their first home game since the shooting.

• Spotlight on sexual abuse and USA Swimming - Swimmers under the guidance of USA Swimming have also suffered sexual abuse for years, with the national governing body seemingly having turned a blind eye. USA Swimming’s directors resigned earlier today. 

• No jail time for Nassar’s enablers? - Larry Nassar will spend several lifetimes in prison for sexually abusing scores of young women, but the question remains: why hasn’t anyone else paid the price yet for his crimes?

• Ivanka Trump going to PyeongChang - The president’s eldest daughter and senior adviser will head to the Winter Olympics for the closing ceremony. Though she states that she’ll focus on the American athletes and not discuss the U.S.’s relationship with North Korea, she will dine with South Korean president Moon Jae-in. Meanwhile, North Korea’s delegation for the closing ceremony will be led by one of the country’s former spymasters.

• NASCAR’s ‘Drive for Diversity’ puts spotlight on Bubba Wallace, crews - Even with a close second-place finish at the Daytona 500, racer Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. knows he needs to win to make a mark on the sport beyond his race, while off the track, NASCAR’s push to recruit minority candidates is helping building stronger pit crews and teams.

• Silver proud of James, Durant’s outspokenness; Warriors’ D.C. trip - NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he is proud of how LeBron James and Kevin Durant are choosing to speak on social concerns. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors outlined their plans in place of the traditional visit to the White House by a defending NBA champion.

• Jemele Hill stands by Trump remarks - Recently on ABC’s “The View,” the ESPN personality has not changed her tune on her critical remarks about President Donald Trump.

• Fans ejected for racist chants towards Capitals player - Four fans were kicked out of the United Center after hurling racial taunts towards Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly. Smith-Pelly, who is black, was “disgusted” by the act.

• NCAA refers to 13th Amendment in not paying student-athletes - In response to a lawsuit over financial compensation for student athletes, the NCAA referred to a specific callout in the 13th Amendment of the Constitution as its reason for not paying its student athletes.

• Bill to limit public financing of stadiums dies - In Arizona, the proposed SB 1453, which would limit the amount of public monies for stadium development or rehabilitation, will not make it past the state senate.

• Miami-Dade County sues Loria, Marlins - Former Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and the team’s new ownership group are being sued by Miami-Dade County for reneging on a 2009 agreement that promised a share of profits from the sale of the team.

• NBA will return to Seattle… for a preseason game - The “bring back the Sonics” cries will begin anew with the announcement that the Warriors will play the Sacramento Kings for a preseason game in Seattle this coming fall.

• Strict rules about Obama’s appearance at Sloan - There won’t be any media present when the former president speaks at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, nor will there be any social media or video leaks to come from his appearance. 

This week in sports and politics history: Ted Williams’ lucky wartime fighter plane crash

"I had holes all over the plane and I was riding on all the prayers people say for me 'cause I was awfully lucky. My plane was burning like hell when I crash landed. Everybody around here now is calling me lucky. Anyway, I'm missing you." - Ted Williams in a letter to his mistress, Evelyn Turner 

This week marks the 65th anniversary of baseball legend Ted Williams crash-landing his plane during a combat mission while serving in the Korean War. 

On Feb. 16, 1953, Williams, a Marine Reserve pilot called up to active duty, was flying with the 33rd Marine Air Group as part of a 200-plus plane mission in Kyomipo, about 15 miles south of Pyongyang, North Korea. Williams' plane, a Grumman F9F Panther, was hit with shrapnel, and because he was at too low of an altitude to eject, "The Kid" was forced to attempt an emergency crash-landing at the nearby Suwon K-13 Airbase. 

"The midnight-blue F9F 'Panther' jet was coming in 'heavy' and very fast," the Marine Corps Association & Foundation website notes of the incident. "Its sluggish movements, trailing smoke and streaming 30-foot ribbon of fire all indicated serious danger."

Williams survived the crash thanks in large part to his expert piloting skills honed during his service in World War II, and would later recount the incident in a letter to Evelyn Turner, an airline attendant – and Williams’ mistress. Those letters were recently auctioned off, reportedly fetching $850. Williams divorced his wife, Doris Soule, but did not marry Turner, who would eventually end things after the Hall of Fame ballplayer told her she'd be third in his life behind baseball and fishing. 

One more fun tidbit about this incident: John Glenn was also a piloting a plane during that fateful mission. In his book, Glenn, who would go on to become an astronaut and the first American to orbit the Earth, recalled his time with Williams. 

"Ted and I flew together a lot," he wrote. "Ted flew about half his missions as my wingman. He was a fine pilot, and I liked to fly with him."