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Sports & Politics Intersect: LeBron James keeps his promise to Ohio
LeBron James addresses the media following the grand opening of the I Promise school on July 30, 2018 in Akron, Ohio.  Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images

Sports & Politics Intersect: LeBron James keeps his promise to Ohio

"Know no matter if I’m playing in Los Angeles or not, Akron, Ohio, is always home for me. Always.” - LeBron James

When LeBron James first left Cleveland in 2010 to take his talents to South Beach, he was bashed for it. Lost in the hoopla over whether it was wise to publicly break up with the region that made him was the fact that "The Decision" actually ended up raising millions for the Boys & Girls Club. Eight years later, King James is once again leaving Cleveland for a sunnier destination, and he's giving the region a parting gift: a state-of-the-art public school for at-risk youth.

Dubbed the I Promise School, the educational facility will provide a certified STEM program, free meals and supplies — including a Chromebook and a bike, and all kinds of support to 240 third- and fourth-grade students behind on their reading levels randomly selected from the Akron Public School District (the I Promise School is not a charter school). Additionally, the school has a food bank onsite, will provide GED classes and job placement assistance to the students' parents, and even offers free tuition to the University of Akron to graduates starting in 2021. It's not an exaggeration to say that the school is the first of its kind, and James is justifiably being lauded for his altruism. So much so, in fact, CNN’s Don Lemon even asked him in an interview following the school's opening on Monday whether he had any intention of running for president in 2020. In that same interview, by the way, James noted that opening the school was one of the greatest moments in his life

It's worth drawing parallels between "The Decision" and the opening of the I Promise School if only because it highlights just how willing LeBron James has become to using his massive platform to advocate for social justice causes. 

By his own account, this shift in approach was motivated by Trayvon Martin's murder in 2012. Since then, not only has he been supportive of causes like the Black Lives Matter movement, but has even called out Donald Trump multiple times with little to no detrimental effectas FiveThirtyEight notes, that NBA fans tend to be more liberal and culturally and racially diverse surely helps quite a bit. 

Perhaps one of the biggest criticisms that stemmed from "The Decision" was James saying in the interview that his goal was to become a global icon. That certainly became true; James is one of the most recognized public figures on the planet. It just so happens that he's using his global reach to do a ton of good at the local level.

Need to know now: 

  • Nassar looking for cut in prison time - Larry Nassar’s new lawyers are looking for a reduction in his sentence in Michigan prison — he is currently serving his federal sentence — citing bias in the presiding judge. In the meantime, HBO acquired the rights to an upcoming documentary on the Nassar and USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal that will air in 2019.

  • Air Force football player publicly comes out - By publicly announcing that he’s gay, Bradley Kim, a defensive back for Air Force, becomes the first openly gay active athlete for any of the American service academies. In sharing his story, the Washington state native spoke of the support he received in and outside of the locker room.

  • Melo says government ‘completely turned their back’ on Puerto Rico - On CNN’s “The Van Jones Show,” soon-to-be Houston Rockets star Carmelo Anthony spoke of his frustration of the lack of support by the Trump administration for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island last October. Anthony, whose late father was born in Puerto Rico, regularly visits the U.S. commonwealth.

  • NFL concussion claims reach $500 million point within two years - Administrators of the NFL’s concussion settlement released a report stating that $502 million worth of claims have been made. Why is that a big deal? Because officials previously estimated that it should have taken about a decade longer.

  • Long-shot former major leaguer playing odds for CT senate seat - In 2005, Adam Greenberg’s first of just two at-bats in Major League Baseball ended with him getting beaned in the head with a fastball. Thirteen years later, he’s now running for State Senate in his native Connecticut as a Republican trying to capture a seat long held by Democrats.

  • Bucks arena sponsor already dipping in public till - Built with the assist of $250 million in taxpayer funds to keep their NBA team in town, the Milwaukee Bucks’ new arena sponsor, Fiserv, is drawing ire for also taking in $12.5 million of public dollars in a deal to remain in Wisconsin.

  • Dak Prescott criticized for anthem stance - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is taking heat for saying that the pregame ceremony is not the right time to protest, believing that those actions distract from the game of football. There are some African-Americans who are so upset with Prescott that they believe the third-year signal caller is betraying the black race, a highly loaded charge in and of itself.

  • Jerry Jones facing backlash from local media - Though the NFL told Jerry Jones to not talk about its or his team’s national anthem policy, it seems that there’s someone in Texas willing to take up the fight for him — Senator Ted Cruz. Yet noting some hypocrisy over Jones’ decree, renowned Dallas-area sports anchor Dale Hansen caught him slipping during Cowboys practice. Another local sports anchor, Mike Doocy, canceled his annual sit-down with the team owner when he was told anthem questions were off the table. Jones’ involvement in the league-wide anthem controversy prompted Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to pen an open letter to all NFL owners that further criticized efforts to deny an athlete’s right to protest. 

  • NBA/WNBA and MGM reach landmark agreement - In a deal with MGM Resorts International, the company will become the official gambling sponsor for the NBA and WNBA. The first deal of its kind in major North American sports, the NBA has found an additional revenue stream as legalized betting becomes widespread in the United States. Meanwhile, the NHL wants in on some sportsbook action as well.

  • MGM partners with U.K. bettor - GVC will also partner with MGM Resorts to enter the American market. GVC, which owns British gambling firm Ladbrokes, will join Paddy Power Betfair as established sports bettors coming stateside. However, perhaps the U.S. should look to their Irish cousins on the perils of gambling addiction as Ireland’s president, Michael D. Higgins, thinks gambling platforms should not be advertised in sports.

  • Bad teen tweets put spotlight on MLB - In light of several baseball players having offensive tweets during their teen years brought to light, there’s a question as to whether those players — now adults and professional athletes — should be held responsible for those moments today. Regardless of when they were sent and if players apologize for them, there’s a tangible impact on some LGBT sports fans right now, who may be disappointed in these players that they root for. One of the more thoughtful reactions came from Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle, who spoke on baseball’s need to fix the problem. 

  • WNBA players weary of debate over pay, skill - While the WNBA’s profile continues to grow, the dismissal of the talent pool and debate over player salaries have yet to subside. A pay bump to give these women the pay they deserve is more complicated than meets the eye. Meanwhile, two-time WNBA champion Devereaux Peters may be a little tired of some men thinking they can beat her in basketball. (They can’t.)

  • ‘Trump 2020’ sign at Yankee Stadium - A “Trump 2020” sign was unfurled by some fans in right field during a game at Yankee Stadium, with the president himself tweeting his appreciation of the rare sight of support in his hometown. While most stadium attendees live outside of The Bronx, President Trump garnered just 9.5 percent of the borough’s vote during the 2016 election.

  • Ohio State wrestlers saying #UsToo - Largely inspired by the victims of the Nassar ordeal, more than 100 men — mostly wrestlers — have come forward with abuse allegations against Richard Strauss and accusations of complicity against Ohio State. In confronting norms about how sexual abuse is discussed, they want to say that these crimes are not limited by gender.

  • Governor’s poor record as women’s soccer team owner - New Jersey governor Phil Murphy is a co-owner in Sky Blue FC, which he purchased over a decade ago while working at Goldman Sachs to inspire his daughter. Yet the National Women’s Soccer League franchise has been subjected to “deplorable” housing conditions, a poor training facility and substandard pay. 

  • Clemson balloon release tradition comes to an end - A school tradition since 1983, thousands of orange balloons would be released as the Clemson Tigers football team would run onto the field before kickoff. However, citing environmental concerns along the South Carolina coastline, the tradition will not continue for the upcoming season.

This week in sports and politics history: USFL vs. NFL reaches a verdict


(From left to right) New Jersey Generals Owner Donald Trump, Houston Gamblers Owner Steve Ross & Commissioner of the USFL Harry Usher in 1985.  Robert Kalfus/New York Post Archives/NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images

 "You can cut and paste the USFL and the GOP and it's the same damn story. It's all about [Trump] and the brand and moving on to the next thing if it doesn't work out." - Dodgers play-by-play man Charlie Steiner on Trump’s involvement in politics and the USFL 

The USFL began doing all of the right things. There was a market for spring football, television networks were on board and the league was quite literally stealing some of the most talented college football players in the nation. In three consecutive years, the Heisman Trophy winner choose the USFL over the NFL. Despite this relative success, the USFL was dismantled after a six-person jury awarded the league a single dollar in an antitrust suit against the NFL ($3.76 with interest). So what happened? 

In May 1982, David Dixon, the founder of the USFL, announced its formation. In June of that year, the USFL agreed upon a two-year, $18 million contract with ABC and a two-year, $11 million contract with ESPN to televise spring football games. The on-field product would be similar to the NFL but with rule changes to make the game a bit more exciting. 

The USFL allowed for longer and excessive touchdown celebrations, replay challenges, and two-point conversions. The games were inherently more fun and less predictable than the NFL product. Along with competitive player salaries, the USFL posed the biggest threat to the league after the AFL–NFL merger in the late 1960s. 

Donald Trump, the owner of the New Jersey Generals, was among several USFL owners who voted to move the league from the spring to a full schedule in the fall in 1985. The change would take place in the ’86 season. The move came despite breach of contract warnings from ABC, the counsel of the league’s management consulting firm, and the USFL’s directors of operations and marketing.

In the spring of 1986, before the start of the ’86 season, the USFL filed its lawsuit against the NFL in an attempt to both stay afloat and possibly force a merger with some of the more successful USFL franchises. The trial lasted 42 days, and the league “technically” won its antitrust suit, with the jury saying that the NFL was liable on the USFL’s claim of actual monopolization. For this, the league was awarded a grand total of $1, which was tripled to $3 under antitrust laws. Because the USFL wasn’t sufficient in proving the rest of its claims, this was all that it won from the trial and was only paid an extra $6 million in legal fees that the NFL was ordered to pay

Mike Tollin, the director of ESPN’s "30 for 30" documentary on the USFL, says the league folded largely because of Trump’s efforts to force his way into the NFL. Trump, of course, has disputed those claims

The failed lawsuit crippled the league, and the USFL collapsed after three seasons having never cashed the meager check awarded by the jury.

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