ESPN Sports Cuban Propaganda

One of the reasons why sports is a popular pastime among Americans is because it has tended to be non-partisan. It is news which mentally reconnects aged athletes back to their glory days, while stoking local loyalties and friendly rivalries and forgetting the tumult of news from the "real world".

Unfortunately, the trend in the media has been to politicize everything, including sports news.  More than seeing sports through a lens of political correctness, the sports media has segued into political propaganda. 

A case in point was a ESPN Sportscenter social media sharing in regards to President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba after 55 years of bilateral hostility.

ESPN authorized a Tweet which whitewashed the brutality of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's communist regime by promoting propaganda that Fidel was a sports fan. 

After a couple of hours of consternation, ESPN withdrew the post, but the damage was done by humanizing the despot. One of the reasons that Cubans believe that they won their long standoff with the United States is because of Fidel's romancing the American press. 

It may be true that Fidel is a big sports fan.  Fidel even yearned to play for the Yanquis in his youth. But ESPN featuring such factoids during a controversial trip to Cuba by President Barack Obama amounts to propaganda. 

To give a truer picture of the sporting Castro, it is important to understand how Fidel Castro used sports as a weapon to enforce his communist ideology.



A more accurate picture of Fidel Castro's sporting sense is captured by hitting the links with the bloody revolutionary Che Guevara. 

[L] Che Guevara [R] Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro

It is dubious that Che's favorite sport was golf.  More likely it was coaching firing squads.

Huge Hype Miscue for Fox Soccer?

In order to promote the US versus Mexico men's soccer match, Fox Soccer superimposed images of prior international games between the teams with selected speeches by 2016 Republican Presidential Donald Trump.




There was adverse reaction on social media to this Trump pump up video.

Reliably liberal sources like the Huffington Post vexed that Donald Trump is not a proper representation of American Patriotism and worry that it might inspire xenophobic fan chants worse than "dos a cero" (referring to Mexican losses in international matches against the US).

But such knee jerk liberalism ignores the inspiration of the Fox Soccer ad.  In September TV Azteca produced a pump up Mexican Soccer video which exploited more sharped edged Trump-isms on Mexicans.




 It would seem that some trolls on social media and the Lamestream Media can not take tongue in cheek hype and worry about how America is perceived in the world.

Perhaps a more soothing  and politically correct portrayal of American patriotism today is conveyed by President Barack Obama bicycling.

Wounded Warriors Ride to the White House

For the seventh year, the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride started from the South Lawn of the White House.  

The Wounded Warrior Soldier's ride is an annual, nationwide event which allows veterans and wounded servicemen to bond by cycling.  It was conceived in 2004 by Chris Carney, a Long Island bartender, in order to raise money and support our wounded warriors through a coast-to-coast bike ride.  Today the Wounded Warrior Project can claim 68,000 alumni who have found some solace from their injuries by cycling with their Warrior comrades.

For the White House stop, over 50 riders from all branches of the armed forces took the three day, 60 mile cycling challenge. Many of the participants rode adapted bicycles.  

h/t: White House

      USA Today

Hillary Can't Heisman?

Typically, the Heisman refers to an award given to the outstanding college football player in the United States since 1935.  The Heisman Memorial Award trophy is distinct as it is a  lost wax process bronze casting design by well known sculptor Frank Eliscu that depicts a skilled and powerful football player, sidestepping and straight-arming his way to a touchdown.

Sculptor Frank Eliscu and the Heisman Trophy

Recently, when former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL) was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt, the undeclared Republican Presidential hopeful invoked the Heisman when surveying the 2016 political playing field. Jeb Bush was asked about all of  chaos in the Middle East which the Obama Administration's foreign policy precipitated (namely Libya, ISIS and an inchoate Arab nuclear arms race).  Governor Bush responded that:

 "I think she can’t do the Heisman on the first four years of the Obama foreign policy. She’ll try. I mean, she’s going to, look, this is very Clintonian, I think, to figure out a way to get out of a mess."

Bush invoked the image of the Heisman stiff arming opposition before striding into the end zone for a score. Certainly, the big bench of talented GOP Presidential candidates will seek to stop Hillary from side stepping opposition blocking her way to the South Lawn of the White House despite screens from the Lamestream Media.

It should be remembered, however,  that the Heisman Award is an honor given by sportwriters (journalists) through a beauty contest vote.  There is concern about the Heisman curse that designated winners often do not perform well the big game or during their careers  in pro football despite the honor and the hype of the Heisman. Certainly, parallels can be made to Hillary's proto Presidential campaign and presumed coronation at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Obama Unsteady After Golf Junket

It was near record cold and windy day  for the end of March in the District of Calamity.  But this did not deter the Celebrity in Chief President Barack Obama from hitting the links. He hopped on Air Force One to Palm City, Florida with Houston Astros owner Jim Crane and partial owner of the Boston Celtics Glenn Hutchins to play the private Florida National Golf Club. Coincidentally, half of the foursome had close connections to the energy industry (including one from the much maligned Halliburton Corp.).

The Press Pool assessed that this was not a working trip as one wag reported: "You can tell this is a non work trip ... someone forward of the press cabin ordered 3 beers at 9:26 a.m.".   Hmm.  There were no reports on how Mr. Obama golfed on his 222nd round since assuming the Oval Office, as the Press Pool was relegated to maintenance shed at the Florida National Golf Club.

However, as President Obama returned to DC at Joint Base Andrews, in Landover, Maryland, President Obama was unsteady as he walked the ramp deplaning from Air Force One.

So what difference does it make how he handled his handicap if he had a good good time?  Well, for taxpayers, the junket was estimated to cost $850,000 just for flight (which will be reimbursed for a fraction of the cost).  But at least there was not a beheading in close proximity to the golf excursion as with ISIS execution of James Foley.

First Fan Pays Tribute at Stuart Scott's Passing

Stuart Scott, the longtime ESPN personality, succumbed to cancer at age 49.  Scott was part of the ESPN2 launch in 1993 in order to bring in younger audiences.  Scott incorporated pop-culture and hip hop catchphrases into his reportage. Scott popularized the utterance: "Booyah".  He also coined some colorful metaphors like: "He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin' him to school" and "As cool as the other side of the pillow".

President Barack Obama interrupted his 17 day vacation in order to pay tribute to Stuart Scott's passing. The First Fan's expression of condolences seem sincere, especially since Mr. Obama gets his morning news from watching ESPN. 

Barack Obama on the Morning News

Well, it seems that for Barack Obama, politics is not his favorite sport in the District of Calamity. Here's hoping that that the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) does not get the short shrift to Mike & Mike in the Morning.

Mike Krzyzewski on Strategy

Longtime Duke University and Team USA Olympics basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was awarded the George Marshall Medal by the Association of the United States Army for his selfless work to support troops and their families.  

During his acceptance speech at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Coach K offered some cogent yet incisive criticisms on current events.  Without mentioning any names, Krzyzewski intimated how strategic thought from the parquet courts could assist formulation of policy at Foggy Bottom or even "in the Oval". 

If only President Obama would spend less time on Barack-etology (sic) during March Madness, and more time on executing his primary duties as Commander-in-Chief, we might be able to achieve results, even without actually putting boots on the ground.  But a leader who insists on  transparently telegraphing strategic taboos  about the red line which he won't cross gives advantage to opponents.

The White House on Sports

President Obama Sizing Up Competition

When President Obama dismissed all-Qaeda linked militants (i.e. ISIS) as "jayvee", his Administration could not imagine that eight months later POTUS would be ordering limited airstrikes against the jihadist terror group in Iraq.  White House spokesman Josh Ernest tried some fancy moves to distract from an uneasy question about this foreign policy flip-flop.

Perhaps President Obama would now choose another favorite sports analogy that the terror group is "punching above their weight". 

Harry Reid on the Redskins

In the wake of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's swift and severe punishment of L.A. Clippers' owner Donald Sterling's racist rant made in private, politicians rushed to jump in on the Politically Correct civic circus. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) used some of his floor time on the US Senate to rail against Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder's intransigence about changing the team name.  

‪

When Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson (D-Sacramento) crowed about "what sports can do", he gloated that President Obama and Vice President Biden expressed support for doing something to rectify the situation.

What form of polity is a government which nudges businesses to order society to their desired goals?  With the myriad of problems which face the Federal government and the Senate's inability to act, the Majority Leader ought to concentrate on legislating rather than dictating sports team nicknames. 

Hank Aaron Strikes Out at GOP As Political Commentator

As Hank Aaron reflected upon America in the forty years since he surpassed  Babe Ruth's then record of  714 Home Runs, the former Braves slugger offered a provocative political answer.  The 80 year old slugger claimed that not much has changed in race relations since his 22 years in the Major Leagues, where he received some cruel correspondences as he chased the legendary mark of the Sultan of Swat.                                                                                                                           To underline his assertions, Aaron essentially asserted that Republicans have treated President Barack Obama like the KKK, except that they wear neckties and starched shirts rather than hoods.  USA Today summarized theses reflections with the headline: "40 Years Later, Hank Aaron's grace a beauty to behold."  It is dubious that those in the GOP smeared by this biased broadside of bigotry would agree with that assessment. 

Although Barry Bonds now holds the MLB  record of 769 Homers surpassing Aaron's mark of 755 in 2007, even Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig still consider Aaron the Home Run King.  Aaron's strength, skill, longevity and perseverance without steroids to pass Babe Ruth was commendable. It is a pity that he tarnishes his legacy with a polemic political philippic.

While public policy partisans may quibble about priorities or programs, no one is entitled to their own facts. It is rich irony that Hank Aaron compares the GOP to the KKK.  Perhaps he has forgotten that Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King supported Republicans, because of what the Grand Old Party did to ensure Blacks freedom in the 1860s as well as their key role in enacting civil rights protections in the 1950s and 1960s and rejecting the Klan.

Of course, there is also the legacy of Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), who had had actually been a Grand Kleagle in the KKK. Some dismiss this charge noting that Byrd was not in the KKK long enough to get his sheets broken in.  Yet Byrd was an ardent opponent of civil rights legislation in the Senate during the 1960s. 

Yet Hank Aaron has the audacity to imply that the GOP are doing the high tech lynching, to borrow a phrase from Democrats excoriating  President George H.W. Bush's nominee  Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. 

In his time, Aaron was an outstanding slugger behind the plate.  But as contemporary political commentator, Hank "the Hammer"  strikes out badly.  May Aaron not continue to follow the lead of his fellow Georgian octogenarian, President Jimmy Carter, who makes outrageous opinionated outbursts which sully his legacy.

Charles Barkley on Obama

In conjunction with the NBA All Star Game, President Barack Obama is offering a media availability with a reporter.  TNT is putting up Charles Barkley to interview the Celebrity-in-Chief.  Perhaps having an adversarial interview with FNC's Bill O'Reilly prior to the Super Bowl or even an obsequious interview with Bob "Red Eye" Costas for the Sochi Winter Olympics opening  was too draining.   Instead, Mr. Obama granted an exclusive interview to a former NBA star now turned hoops color commentator. 

A political junkie should expect little from the interview which was prerecorded on Thursday as Barkley is an  an unabashed Obama supporter.  But the two questions that undoubtedly will be avoid are about the Benghazi bungle and POTUS' questionable hoop skills as demonstrated at the White House 2013 Easter Egg Roll. 

Barack Obama on Football

President Barack Obama gave an extended interview to David Remnick of the New Yorker.  Commenting on the Miami Dolphins-Carolina Panthers game in the background on Air Force One, The President responded to a question concerning the controversy over concussions and football by conceding that he would not let his son play pro football. Mr. Obama  is a big sports fan thus he  begrudgingly blessed other playing pro football as he chewed on some Nicorette gum. 

Two curiosities about Mr. Obama's throwaway football comments.  Firstly, Barack Obama does not have a son, despite demogoging that his son would look like Travon Martin during the George Zimmerman trial.  Secondly, Mr. Obama tried to cast aspersions about individuals accepting risk, like smokers and football players.  

Obama's risk acceptance analogy is tenuous .   Daniel Flynn's recent book "The War on Football: Saving America's Sport" debunks the supposedly unique cranial dangers of football.  Statistically, cheerleaders are more prone to concussions than football players.  Moreover, science can not make a causal connection between football and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).  This factual discrepancy could be cured if one were both intellectually curious as well as being intellectually honest.

But if President Obama honestly felt that people should be free to do what they choose, as long as they understand the risks--then why are almost all Americans being forced into Obamacare approved health plans? Perhaps the Little Sisters of the Poor do not need and feel morally compelled to not pay for contraception, sterilization and abortifacients?   They must comply or they risk ruinous fines unless they comply.  

The other odd phenomenon is Mr. Obama's persistent allusions to a hypothetical scion.  Having an imaginary friend is a trait which most people grow out of in  adolescence . However, Harry Reid has justified Obamacare and the Senate Majority Leader smeared GOP Presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) based on the word of an unseen friend. 

Dennis Miller had a more charitable tongue-in-cheek  take on Barack Obama's football prohibition for his "son".

President Obama on Championships

President Obama welcomes 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Black Hawks, 11/04/2013

"To the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, White Sox — I am term-limited, so you guys have got to get moving. I need to see you here soon. Championships belong in Chicago."  

                                  ~President Barack Obama

It should be noted that the Chicago Black Hawks have been the only professional sports team from Chicago who have won championships during Mr. Obama's time in the White House. 

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/11/04/4439695/obama-salutes-hockeys-blackhawks.html#.Ung5wPtO_7d#storylink=cpy

Dodger-ing McCain's Verbal Flak on Poolgate

In anticipation of the Los Angeles Dodgers clinching the NL West Division title, the Arizona Diamondbacks requested that the division champions not celebrate on Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.    The visiting team did technically comply but they expressed their elation  at winning the division title by jumping in the Dodge swimming pool in right field.

This celebration provoked the ire of the senior Senator from Arizona John McCain as was publicized through  his Twitter postings.

While McCain may echo other Arizona Diamondback fan sentiments, his social media sharing should be beneath his office.  This message was not the cute hometown bets between politicians during the playoffs.  Nor was this admiration for a sports team which he has been a long-time fan, like Yankees fans former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NYC) or former First Lady/Senator/Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) (sic).  

Maybe McCain was just pandering to his constituents (the voters, not the media but that can be confusing for the Maverick Senator).  But that's not his job.  Maybe for a Phoenix sportscaster, but not for a US Senator, particularly when the world is going to hell in a handbasket (and McCain makes friends with al Qaeda terrorists in the Free Syrian Army).

Then again, McCain has had difficulty doing his job of late.  McCain was so bored with a high level public hearing on the Syria Crisis, when President Obama was still threatening to strike the Levant, yet the senior Senator was caught playing video poker on the Senate floor.

If John McCain wants to engross himself in the minutia of baseball, it seems that Arizona is a fine place to RETIRE, and watch Cactus League baseball. 

The Pre-Game Plan for DC-Jockularity

Some might wonder why a denizen of the District of Calamity (sic) whose favorite contact sport is politics would create a Sports quote site.

The title of the site is a tongue in cheek portmanteu of the District of Calamity and a neologism of “Jock” and “ularity”, which should bring to mind a facetious feeling spelled differently.  The mast features a cheerleader surrounded by a variety of sports paraphernalia.  The cheerleader is the 43rd President in prep school rally mode.

While I enjoy watching some sports matches live or on a large screen high definition television, I’ll admit to being a sports agnostic aside from rooting for the alma mater during March Madness or paying attention during the Stanley Cup playoffs.  My interest tends to be in the business of sports, like sports stadia construction, rights for broadcasting, conference reconfiguration etc.  However, unlike the antipathy of a Manhattan intellectual in Annie Hall (1977) who put down basketball players as “a group of pituitary cases trying to stuff a ball through a hoop”, I appreciate the virtues of sport even if I do not always share in the fanaticism.



But I also see sports as a means to draw more wisdom from the world.

I have collected pithy pearls of wisdom for years and found that a decent number of them came from sports personages. Much to the chagrin of Charles Barkley, people do look up to sports stars and take note of what they say.  John Harbaugh, the coach of the Baltimore Ravens, used the example of Mohammad Ali winning ugly to inspire his football team to win Superbowl XLVII.

Sometimes their aphorisms have applicability off the field of play. But many articles containing sports quotes simply bundle them in a top ten list.  That is like reading a quote boxscore, which gives you the outcome but seemingly does not captivate  fans.  DC-Jockularity hopes to have posts which convey a narrative cognitively and visually which resonates long after the final score.

Anyone who has outlasted one Administration living between the beltways should well appreciate how sports can unite disparate groups in Washingon, DC.  The District of Calamity may be mired by partisan bickering and the townies not socializing with the governmental "gownies".  But the area unites around the Redskins, to some extent the Nationals and in some degree the Capitals.

Another reason for DC-Jockularity is recognizing the synergy between sports, entertainment and public policy. Richard Nixon used “Ping Pong diplomacy” to engage with the Peoples’ Republic of China during the Cold War.  Dennis Rodman was the unlikely unofficial American Ambassador to North Korea’s hereditary Dictator Kim Yung Un.

Politicians use sports as a means to humanize themselves and relate to the common man.  Barack Obama poses as a big basketball player. George W. Bush was a maven on a mountain bike. Bill Clinton liked to wear short shorts and jog.  John F. Kerry was wont to windsurf, yacht and ride expensive racing bikes.

 OK, not all pols are that savvy, despite the smart haircuts.

Nowadays, politics is creeping into sports.  Congress holds hearings on sports figures using steroids. Sports announcers like Keith Olbermann and Bob Costas interject progressive politics into their sports commentary. Politically Correct special interest groups try to change team names so as not to offend.   Superbowl ads from Obama Auto Bailout companies looked like gauzy campaign ads. Then the  NFL was being enlisted to promote Obamacare and the Baltimore Ravens bit at that bitter fruit.

So the pre-game plan for DC-Jocularity is to offer an unconventional collection of sports quotes which score big in the District of Calamity.  These aphorisms may be inspirational, philosophical or whimsical.  But pre-game plans almost always change.  So don't be surprised if some commentary on the intersection of sports, politics and history is also included at DC-Jockularlity.