“That rhetoric is all based in some longstanding racism in terms of black men with a voice in power. Unfortunately, that’s being revealed more and more as the days go on.” - Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
Last week, LeBron James unveiled his I Promise School, a new, state-of-the-art public school for at-risk youth in his native Akron. In the process of publicizing his good deed, James criticized President Donald Trump, whom he accused of using sports to create discord and division. Last Friday night, Trump struck back in a tweet where he questioned the athlete's intelligence, as well as that of Don Lemon and Rep. Maxine Waters (notably, all three of them are black). The president of the United States then weighed in on the LeBron vs. Michael Jordan, saying that he "liked Mike."
The backlash to Trump was immediate. Fellow basketballers like Donovan Mitchell and Elena Delle Donne (speaking of which, no other league has been more vocal about using its platform than the WNBA, gaining fans in the process) were quick to come at King James' defense. Two-time league MVP Steph Curry took it even further, accusing Trump of racism. Also siding with James were Aaron Rodgers, his new employers, the league commissioner and even Jumpman himself, who issued a barebones statement. That Michael Jordan chimed in at all is noteworthy; there's a long-living apocryphal story about the iconic player reportedly saying that “Republicans bought sneakers too” to explain his apolitical nature.
Also praising the newest Laker was First Lady Melania Trump, who applauded him for empowering his community. Her camp would later clarify that her commendation shouldn't be interpreted as her taking sides.
By the looks of it, President Trump isn't done chiming in about sports and politics — earlier today, he tweeted about NFL players protesting during their preseason games. But then again, neither is LeBron James — he's producing a docu-series for Showtime called "Shut Up and Dribble" (the title was no doubt inspired by Laura Ingraham's dog-whistling segment) — or other prominent athletes for that matter.
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Moss honors black men and women killed in police custody - At his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, newest inductee Randy Moss wore a tie that featured the names of 12 black men and women who have died in police custody in the United States in recent years. While the homage drew widespread praise, the current ESPN analyst also revealed the expected vitriol for the tie, which he revealed in a rare interview.
Prescott’s protest decision remains divisive - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to his recent statements about not protesting during the national anthem. While team owner Jerry Jones is “so proud” of Prescott for his choice, a “Get Out” themed mural that depicted the quarterback in “the sunken place” reflected the backlash from many in the African-American community (it has since been covered up). As the criticism of Prescott’s stance grew louder, rap legend and BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube — whose league does not have any anthem policies — said “at a certain point it becomes everybody else’s problem . Not his.” Outside of Dallas, several members of the Philadelphia Eagles, including safety Malcolm Jenkins, continue to make their statements on the makeup of America’s prison population.
Kroenke takes control of Arsenal - Stan Kroenke, who was already the majority owner of Arsenal, bought the 30 percent share owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Kroenke, whose family already runs the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, among many other American sports teams, is far from a welcomed man by fans and politicians in North London.
Kushner had articles removed from Observer, including one on Adam Silver - Jared Kushner, the White House senior advisor and son-in-law of President Trump, was once the publisher of the New York Observer. While running the newspaper, he had articles regarding a few of his friends removed from the website, including an article on NBA commissioner Adam Silver about an apartment purchase.
Counseling fund payments for Nassar victims halted - Payments to counseling services for Larry Nassar’s victims have been frozen due to “ possible fraudulent claims.” Over $1 million of the $10 million allocated has already been distributed.
Dolan’s new song says he should have stopped Harvey Weinstein - As if New York Knicks fans don’t hate him enough, James Dolan — who also owns the NHL’s Rangers and the WNBA’s Liberty — continues to make new music. This time, he released a song in which he expresses regret over not stopping his friend, the disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.
Transgender athletes can compete in CrossFit Games - For the first time, CrossFit will allow transgender athletes to compete in its signature event, the CrossFit Games. It’s another step in the inclusion of LGBTQ athletes. In Paris this week, the 10th annual Gay Games continue to show their own inclusion of all athletes while promoting LGBTQ rights.
Quicken Loans Arena getting upgrade - On the day LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home, Quicken Loans Arena, began receiving installments of $140 million in public funds for future renovations. The former Gund Arena opened its doors in 1994.
Seattle needs to move on from Sonics, focus on NHL - The shockingly strong numbers of season-ticket deposits for a future NHL franchise should be enough for the Lewinke brothers to refocus their efforts from bringing the NBA back to Seattle to nurturing the city’s hockey passion.
Nationals Park a home run in bond market - The Washington Nationals may fall short of expectations (again), and Bryce Harper could leave as a free agent after this season. However, there’s good news in Washington, D.C., as the team’s overall success in recent years helped raise the rating of the stadium bonds issued by the city that financed the construction of Nationals Park.
Serena Williams opens up about postpartum emotions - Tennis’ most famous mom, Serena Williams, spoke about the emotional struggles she faces as she tries to balance being an active mom and being an active athlete.
Dale Hansen on being liberal in deeply conservative Texas - Dallas sportscaster Dale Hansen has long been celebrated (and criticized) for taking progressive stances in sports and beyond, even for his recent calling out of Jerry Jones for his stances on protests during the national anthem.
Bring your dog to a Jaguars game - The Jacksonville Jaguars’ home, the recently rebranded TIAA Bank Field, is now the first in the NFL to feature a pet-friendly section of the stadium called Pet Paradise Park. Here’s to hoping they bark like mad when Blake Bortles does… anything.
Austin stadium vote delayed - In a rather contentious process to relocate the Columbus Crew to Austin, the Austin City Council postponed its vote on allowing Crew owner Anthony Precourt build a privately funded stadium on public grounds. If it votes “yes,” the inevitable vote will effectively start the team’s move to Texas.
This week in sports and politics history: Lizzie “Spike” Murphy takes the field at Fenway
"But most important, she produces the goods and, all in all, she's a real player.” - Eddie Carr, manager of the All-Stars of Boston on Lizzie Murphy
Spike Murphy was one of the biggest draws on the diamond during the summers of the 1920s and early 1930s. This barnstorming ballplayer digging out throws at first base would regularly head into the stands to sell autographs between innings and would become one of the most important players in the game’s history. Murphy went by Lizzie off the field, and on it, she became the first woman to play in an exhibition baseball game against major league competition.
Lizzie Murphy began playing amateur baseball on men’s teams when she was 15, and three years later she began her professional career playing for the Providence Independents. Murphy became a huge draw in the games that she played in, and recognizing what she brought to the very first team she played for, she threatened to sit out a game unless she was paid as an equal to her male counterparts.
At age 24, Murphy connected with Eddie Carr, the manager of the Traveling All-Stars, a barnstorming baseball team that played games from New England to Canada. After negotiating a $5 per game fee plus a percentage at the gate, Murphy stayed with Carr’s team for almost 20 years.
Just before she signed with Carr, Murphy took first base at Fenway Park with the American League All-Stars against the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game on Aug. 14, 1922. As the story goes, Harvey McClellan was determined to embarrass Murphy in front of such a huge crowd. After taking a grounder at third base, McClellan put all the mustard he had on his throw to first. Murphy didn’t just bring in the throw, but she had to stretch out for the ball because Murphy threw it a little outside thinking it would sail out of her reach.
Murphy was an all-around athlete who was an accomplished runner and skater and chopped wood in the offseason to stay in shape. She was a career .300 hitter and excellent in the field. And despite everything she accomplished, Murphy would go on to say, “It’s hard to explain why I liked baseball so much. And the more I think about it, the less I understand the reason.” To be fair, what baseball fan hasn’t felt this exact sentiment at some point in his or her life?
Regardless of how she felt about the game later in life, Murphy became the first woman to play at Fenway against an MLB team in August 1922 and should be celebrated as a pioneer.
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