During a pre-game ceremony at Comerica Park, twenty five people including two Detroit Tigers took their oath of citizenship.
Leonys Martin Tapanes, a 30 year old Center Fielder, played on the 2009 Cuban National team before defecting while paying in Taiwan. Martin then signed with Texas Rangers in 2011 and later played for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs. This is the first year that Martin is playing for the Detroit Tigers. After the ceremony, Martin mused:
"I will never forget about my country but it's amazing to be part of the United States. Being able to do this here at the ballpark, in front of fans, that was really emotional."
Jose Antonio Inglesias Aleman is a 28 year old shortstop, who was in the Cuban National Series in 2008 but defected when the Cuban National team visited Canada in 2009. He came to America with a pair of shorts, a tee shirt and a dream. Iglesias played for the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2013. Iglesias admitted that adjusting to America has been daunting as he observed:
"It's hard man, you came. You face a new culture, face a new language, facing new food, new everything. Still learning. I've been here ten years and I'm still learning."
One thing Iglesias learned well was to not alienate fans. He was happy to be a newly naturalized citizen and be able to vote, but he deflected from questions about commenting on President Trump's immigration policies. Now that they are naturalized citizens, Martin and Iglesias will be able to join the rest of the Tigers on a road trip to Toronto for a series with the Blue Jays. It is inspiring to see two immigrants who sought freedom to live their dreams in America who worked within the system and and embrace their new country rather than treat it like a meal ticket.
Olympic Athletes from Russia for 2018 Winter Olympics
Due the doping ban on Russian Federation, the 169 clean Russian athletes marched as neutrals in red and grey uniforms as neutrals. Any gold medal winning "Olympic Athletes of Russia" will be feted with the raising of the Olympic flag and anthem. While the 2,952 athletes participating in the Pyeongchang games are the best winter sport athletes in the world, but only a few make it up to the medal stand to receive their glory. For most, marching in the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is the highlight of their careers.
This makes Eric Liddell's admonition about glory all the more poignant. What is particularly noteworthy of Eric Liddell is not that he was the the Flying Scotsman was the first British Gold Medal winner in track from 1924, or that he was the basis of the film Chariots of Fire (1981), or his steadfast Sabbath keeping, but for dying as a missionary in a Japanese internment camp in China in 1945. We should all be inspired to run a good race in life and doing our best.
The 450,000 condom figure is a marked increase from the 100,000 to 150,000 prophylactics handed out in prior Olympiads since the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia. The IOC and Rio Olympic organizers deny this increase in condoms is due to the threat of the Zika virus, which can be transmitted sexually as well as by mosquito bites. The Zika virus can cause microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls. Several prominent athletes are skipping the Summer Games in Rio prompted by the Zika outbreak, such as Fiji's Vijay Singh and Australia's Marc Leishman and Adam Scott. As the Australians have lost two prominent athletes, they are not taking any chances for those who are not opting out. They are issuing the Aussie team with Ansell's Dual Protection condom lubricated with Starpharma's VivaGel lubricant, which is an antiviral agent touted with protecting against bad vaginal bacterial, some STDs and supposedly Zika. The Olympics are scheduled to be held in Rio from August 5th to the 21st. Good luck.
Controversy has long surrounded what to call the Denver Bronco's home. Many fans wanted to continue to call the new stadium "Mile High" since it was immediately adjacent to the old complex. But the facility was mostly paid for by local taxpayers and officials wanted to re-cooperate some monies from the big business of sports so naming rights were sold.
When the Bronco's new home was inaugurated in 2001, it was officially known as Invesco Field at Mile High. The Denver Post did not want to include corporate advertising in their sports coverage, so they would just call it "Mile High Field". After several years, the local newspaper relented and included the Invesco name. Nevertheless, Investco transferred the naming rights to the stadium to the Sports Authority in 2011, with the Sports Authority paying the Metropolitan Stadium District $6 million a year. Things may change with the Sports Authority in the process of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. If the Sports Authority is unable to pony up their payment, naming rights may be up for grabs. On April 1st, the news broke that one of the earnest aspirants to buy naming rights is a Colorado cannabis dispensary, Native Roots.
As apropos as it may seem to have a marijuana dispensary label slapped on the "Mile High" complex, it may be mooted by federal law. The federal government considers marijuana a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance under the Controlled Substances Act (84 Stat. 1236), thus advertising would be prohibited. Even though states such as Colorado and Washington (and the District of Calamity) have loosened laws prohibiting recreational use of cannabis, federal laws are still on the books. State laws also put limits on the outdoor advertising of medical marijuana. Additionally, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell has reaffirmed a League policy which bans marijuana . Considering how the NFL has a reputation problem with so many athletes getting into trouble that it has been facetiously called "The National Felons League" that it is dubious if the league wants to further agitate straight laced fans by having a stadium named the Native Roots Field at Mile High.
The NFC divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals was marred by a botched overtime coin toss.
After the referee first tossed the coin, it appeared that the Packers won it as they had called heads. The ref then voided the first toss as the coin had not flipped. On the second attempt, the coin landed tails and the Cardinals took the ball.
Arizona won the game 26-20 in overtime. The Cardinals will be traveling the Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers.
Yogi Berra, renowned major league baseball player and master of malapropisms, died on September 22, 2015 the age of 90. Notwithstanding his waggish wisdom about funerals, assuredly Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra was not forgotten as his kith and kin marked his departure from the mortal coil.
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.
Last week, the Chinese Central government began a crackdown on golf by shutting down 66 "illegal" golf courses, which is 10% of the nation's fairways. While Beijing has be officially forbidden the construction of new golf courses since 1984, they have proliferated in the PRC. Between 2004 and 2009, 400 new golf courses were created despite the ban (tripling the number of links). But as the Chinese maxim goes, the mountain is high and the emperor is far away.
Aside from being good for generating yuan for their communities by catering to elites, foreign tourism and sparking ancillary business opportunities, golf courses were a great way to gain graft.
The local officials would line their pockets from the construction (as they expropriate peasants' land and profit from the sale to the golf industry) and they are can be surreptitiously sanctioned as being "ecological restorations". How conveniently corrupt.
The day after the golf course crackdown occurred, a Commerce Ministry official was investigated (effectively being found guilty) for participating in a golf event, which violated one of Chinese President Xi Jinping's eight rules against extravagance by government officials. From a political perspective, it makes sense for a fledgling government to embrace the game.
Despite the burgeoning number of golf courses in China, it is considered "the millionaires game". Mao Zedong banned golf in 1949 as bourgeois "green opium". Today, a round of golf can cost $150, in a nation where the average daily salary is $5. So it still remains "the rich man's game".
From a political perspective, it makes sense for a fledgling government not to be seen embracing the game of golf. Gordon Chang has been warning for years that the Chinese economy is on a precipice and a severe world financial downturn which results in a weak demand for cheap Chinese labor could spark a downfall in the current polity in Beijing. So a public crackdown from the Beijing government on golf appeals to the have nots to quell any clamoring for revolution while President Xi Jinping re-establishes central control over wayward provincial politicos engaged in crony capitalism.
Yet it is unlikely that China's War on Golf will actually forbid the game. Beijing has been spending serious capital on grooming a team to qualify for the Rio de Jainero Olympics in 2016. It's a tension between domestic tranquility and international glory.
Dan Washburn, the author of "The Forbidden Game" (2014) considers Chinese Golf to be apt allegory for the corruption, land grabs,
environmental issues and escalating economic disparity that have become
hallmarks of New China.
Washburn is ambivalent as to what will result from the war on golf. Washburn's metric is how the seized fairways are used in five years. Considering China's dismal track record on environmental issues, it is dubious if the seized courses will end up as actual "ecological restorations".
Will they be re-appropriated like the Shanghai Golf and Country Club in Hongqoai Park, which was converted into the Shanghai Zoo in 1954? Or will the seized courses go the way of Wonderland, a Chinese rip off of Disneyland, which is rotting away due to lack of business and uncertain legalities. China has a series of ghost cities, which are colossal waste of investment that temporarily pump up the GDP and esteem of a local official while saddling the area with a white elephant and a mountain of debt.
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.
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.
At age 62, Mickey Rourke revived his boxing career by taking to the ring against an American boxer in Moscow.
This is not a new, one-time stunt to draw attention to a flagging acting career. Prior to becoming an actor, Rourke had accrued a record of 27 wins (17 by knockout) and three defeats between 1964-1973.
In 1991, when Rourke felt as if he was self-destructing and had no respect for himself as an actor, he went back to boxing. In eight fights, Rourke went undefeated with six wins (four by knockout) and two draws.
These victories did not come without physical and mental costs to Rourke, as he suffered from a broken nose, toe, ribs, a split tongue and compressed cheekbones. Some deem Rourke's reconstructive facial surgery to have left him "appallingly disfigured". Rourke himself admitted that he had gone to the "wrong guy" for the reconstructive surgery and that his his plastic surgeon left his features "a mess". Moreover, Rourke has suffered some short term memory loss.
The Texas Motor Speedway aggressively rebranded itself as "No Limits, Texas" for the AAA Texas 500. But along with showdowns in the wicked fast Wild West, it seems that there was some vigilante justice. Jeff Gordon was leading for the Sprint Cup Series and also was vying for the lead during the AAA Texas 500. As the race restarted, Keselowski slammed into Gordon, which cut his left rear tire and caused him to spin. As Jeff Gordon told ESPN:
"We were sitting there on older tires. I spun the tires a little but I got a pretty decent restart. We went down into (turn) one and I just wanted to get to the outside of the 48 (Johnson) and and out of nowhere I just got slammed by the 2 and it cut my left-rear tire. He's just a dip---. The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired of it."
After the race, Gordon yelled at Keselowski in the pits and then lunged at him. This set off a wild melee between the two crews. A Gordon crew member threw Keselowski to the ground. In the end, both Gordon and Keselowski with blood on their lips and faces.
Rodney Dangerfield famously joked about confusing boxing and hockey games. With yet another instance of vigilante justice off the track, is NASCAR taking ice hockey's place for pugilism?
After the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals to clinch their right to represent the National League in the 2014 Major League Baseball World Series, two Bay area radio stations made waves. Both KFOG-FM and KOIT-FM announced bans on playing the minimal art pop song "Royals" by New Zealand chanteuse Lorde. This ersatz outrage is a silly attempt to generate civic pride for the a World Championship Series with two wildcard teams.
The song is about aspirationalism and uses pop artists' luxurious lifestyles as a counterpoint.
One would think that there would be more tolerance in the City by the Bay. Then again, the message might be challenging to those actually listening to the lyrics of the Lorde's song. The radio silence on "Royals" seems like a cheap publicity stunt which jumps on the civic bandwagon while getting earned publicity. But this may be a desperate ploy to generate enthusiasm in San Francisco for the World Series. This is the third time in five years in which the San Francisco Giants have made it to the World Series, whereas it has been a 29 year drought for the Royals. This is reflected in World Series ticket prices on the secondary market. It would not be cheap to see the San Francisco Giants play their World Series home games, averaging around $700 a seat. But in Kansas City, expect to pay between $1,000 to $1250 a ticket to see "Royals" in the World Series up close and personally.
During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Jules Bianchi, the 25 year old Marussia driver from Nice, France, was critically injured in a crash on the 43th lap on the Suzuka Circuit. The race was subsequently red flagged and declared over at 44 laps with Mercedes driver Lee Hamilton placing in first.
Weather conditions had wrecked havoc, as the race was red flagged after two laps because of the rain. When racing resumed twenty minutes later, it was under a safety care for eight laps before conditions were suitable for regular racing.
The chronology of fateful events had driver Adrian Sutil following Bianchi on the 43rd lap. Sutil started to aquaplane and spun out into the tire barrier on turn eight as the rain intensified. As recovery vehicles were in process of removing Sutil's vehicle from the track, Bianchi's car struck a tractor and careened into a barrier.
Bianchi was unconscious when he was removed from the wreckage. He was suffering from severe head injuries and then underwent an operation to reduce swelling on the brain. This was the first serious crash on the F1 circuit since Felipe Massa's crash at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Those closely associated with Formula One racing expressed profuse concern over Jules Bianchi's condition. Many noted how the race results were secondary to how their racing comrade was doing. This humane attitude was a marked contrast to New York Giant co-owners Steve Tisch's crass comments about the chances of ebola effecting the Dallas Cowboys.
David Wilson is a 23 year old running back who was a first round draft choice by the New York Giants in 2012. Wilson's dream from the age of eight was to play in the NFL. Wilson lived that dream for 21 games over two seasons, but had been plagued with a neck injury . During the first week of the NFL preseason, as Wilson was attempting a comeback from neck surgery, he ran into the back of one of his teammates during scrimmage. Afterwards, his spinal doctor diagnosed Wilson with diffuse cervical stenosis. Since Wilson had a disc removed from his spine after his October 2013 injury, the running back was advised not to play football anymore, as doing so would put himself at risk for serious spinal injuries.
After his player received such bad news from the doctors, New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin was surprised that Wilson still had a smile on his face, but Wilson refused to be pulled down into a state of melancholy. Coughlin marveled that: "There’s a lot to be said about his inner strength right now." As David Wilson processed his situation, he remarked:
“I’m thankful that I can literally walk away from the game and that I am healthy and capable of doing the same things I have done all my life, except play football. I always try to find the positive in everything. I prayed this morning before I went to see [the doctors] that they would tell me what God would tell me. He put His answer in them to relay to me.”
David Wilson's poise of facing such devastating vocational news with good cheer and hope is admirable. Wilson's faith puts his trust in God, which is a lesson worth remembering and emulating. h/t: New York Post
[L] Natalia Godunko performing Rhythmic Gymnastics [R] Gold Medal being auctioned for Ukrainian Army
Natalia Godunka, a 29 year old world class Rhythmic Gymnast from Ukraine, decided to auction her team Gold Medal from the 2001 World Championships in Madrid to support the Ukrainian army in the War of the Donbass (Eastern Ukraine).
To get an idea of the caliber of athlete Godonko is, witness her frenetic but flawless ribbon performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Godunka boyfriend, musician SashaPolozhynsky, announced the auction of the medal on Facebook. Plozhynsky regrets that Godunka put the medal up for auction but since it has been bid upon, he hopes that it will raise more money and inspire others to also help fund the cause.
Godunko sacrificing her gold medal to support her country's army to inspire shared sacrifice to forestall Finlandization of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin's expansionistic incursions using non-linear warfare. Many celebrities will spout off about causes about which they know little or that lending their support comes at no cost. It is admirable that Ukrainian athletes like Natalia Godunko as well as Olg and Bohdana Matsohski are willing to personally sacrifice for their country and their freedom. h/t: Ukrainian Pravda
The National Football League is taking a hiatus on its classical finish to a season in 2016. Since 1971, the NFL championship game known the world over as the Super Bowl has been marked by Roman Numerals. However, when the Super Bowl is played at the San Francisco Giant's new stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 7, 2016, the game will be marketed as Super Bowl 50.
The reason for the change is neither Common Core compliance nor a concession to fans struggling with concussions. The reason is purely aesthetic. Keith Bruce, the president of the San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee, lobbied for a change from the "L" as it was time. However, there is also speculation that contemporary audiences may equate the "L" with Loser. For it's part, Jaime Weston, the NFL Vice President of Brand and Creative, noted that her team had tried 73 different versions of the Super Bowl 50 logo but could not find a design which was pleasing to the eye. The NFL will market two types of logos for Super Bowl 50. Both will feature the Arabic Numerals "50" in gold, as a nod to Northern California's history when James Wilson Marshall striking gold at Sutter's Mill in 1849 and sparked a gold rush of prospectors to the Golden State. Both the national and the regional logos will feature the Lombardi Trophy. The regional logo will also include Bay area landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the TransAmerica tower as well as Levi's Stadium. While Latin teachers and classic scholars may be dismayed at migrating away from Roman numerals, it should be noted that traditions associated with the Big Game have evolved over time. The championship game was not even called "The Super Bowl" until its third iteration. In fact, the NFL did not even trademark "The Super Bowl" for a few months afterwards. The touch of the Roman Numerals followed in 1971. The NFL insists that this will be a one year hiatus, and that it will return in 2017 for Super Bowl LI. If it is true that NFL branding was worried about unfortunate associations with the big "L", what will they do in 2025, which it is Super Bowl LIX?
The ceremonial first pitch is a longtime baseball tradition in baseball when a celebrity throws a ball to mark the end of the pregame festivities and the start of the game. This guest of honor can be a politician, a sponsor of a giveaway or a celebrity. Hence, Presidents, Wookies, and Rappers have taken to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch.
It used to be that the guest of honor would throw a ball from the grandstand. However the ceremonial first pitch changed after Ronald Reagan took to the field for a Baltimore Oriole game. Now it is sine qua non for the honoree to take to the mound to perform the ceremony. Taking to the center of the diamond draws more attention and more pressure for the guest of honor to perform. It was important for the national morale after the terror attacks on America that the Commander in Chief threw well for at the World Series at Yankee Stadium --fortunately, President George W. Bush delivered.
It was a struggle for the Mets announcer to put a positive spin on this ceremony. Jackson may find confidence attractive but giving my two cents, 50 Cents should not give up his day job.
The Washington Post developed a tongue-in-cheek infographic charting the best and worst ceremonial first pitches.
The chart was informative and entertaining, but there was no need to include T-Rex, Santa Claus or the Cookie Monster, when Chewbacca has actually made ceremonial first pitches.
Jose Antonio Inglesias Aleman is a 28 year old shortstop, who was in the Cuban National Series in 2008 but defected when the Cuban National team visited Canada in 2009. He came to America with a pair of shorts, a tee shirt and a dream. Iglesias played for the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2013. 
