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

John F. Kennedy on Age

Kevin Durant on MVPs

Kevin Durant, a 26 year old 6'9" forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, won the 2013-2014 NBA Most Valuable Player award.  What was striking about Durant's 25 minute speech is what he chose to highlight.  Durant has been top scorer in four of the last five seasons.  But Durant  highlighted how he was molded by his upbringing coming from modest background in PG county (Prince Georges county outside of the District of Calamity) and how Durant appreciated all of the support that he received.

[L] Kevin Durant embraces his Mama at NBA MVP  (photo: AP/Susan Ogroki)

Durant personally recognized all of his teammates in his MVP speech, which recognizes that he could not achieve without the help of others.  But Durant reserved the highest praise for his mother, who he called the "real MVP". Wanda Pratt, a.k.a. @MamaDurant , expected to be mentioned in her son's speech but had no idea about the magnitude of the recognition.




This tribute has struck a chord with the public at large a demonstration of humility, an example that single-mothers can make a difference.  The NBA even made a commercial with selected snippets of Durant's speech

 However, on the second Sunday in May, it is an especially appropriate tribute to mothers.

Adham Talaat on Being a Deaf Football Player

Adham Talaat,  a 23 year old six foot six inch 275 pound Senior Defensive Lineman from Springfield, Virginia, may be the first Gallaudet University player chosen in the NFL draft.  Gallaudet is a unique institution of higher learning, founded in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln, as it is the only university which serves the deaf and hard of hearing.

Although Talaant is considered severely to profoundly deaf, he can hear when he has his hearing aids on.  However, Talaat usually plays without the hearing aids.  If Talaat is drafted, he will  be one of the few deaf players play in the NFL. 

The road for Talaat being an NFL draft prospect was long and winding. Talaat had been playing youth sports since age six, but he did not start playing football until high school as that is when Riddell released the Revolution helmet which gave space for hearing aids. 

Due to Talaat's secondary school playing prowess, Talaat was encouraged to go to the University of Massachusetts in 2008, as it had a Division I football program, but he was "gray-shirted"(delayed enrollment) awaiting a scholarship.  Talaat withdrew before completing his spring semester as the coaching changed and Talaat felt isolated on campus.  

Talaat was warned that his withdrawal might have been the end of his football career.  Talaat worked at a Warehouse Club yet he continued with his football oriented conditioning.  Janitors at West Springfield High let Talaat in their gym to continue his training.  What inspired Talaat during this tough time was an internet poem--"I can, I will, I did".

In deep sleep, I'm dreaming

I know exactly where to go.

I see the quarterback stumble,

I deal that crushing blow.

I wake myself at daybreak.

My rival's still asleep.

It gives me the advantage

when both of us compete

My hands are shaking crazy.

I long to get it done.

My mind's already focused.

The fight has now begun.

Six months after leaving Amherst, Talaat was encouraged to talk to Gallaudet Bison head coach Chuck Goldstein.  Talaat felt that Gallaudet was comfortable but the Division III school had less resources and football culture, but Gallaudet was also the first school which introduced the huddle in the 1890s (using hand signals).  But after prayerful consideration, Talaat enrolled in Gallaudett in 2010. By his Junior year, Talaat was a national standout defenseman, while also being an outstanding student athlete.  Talaat graduated in December 2013 with a 3.93 GPA and was a first team academic All American.

Since the start of the year, Talaat has been enrolled in the TEST Parsi Football Academy to prepare for the NFL combine and the draft. Scouts considered Talaat to be a raw talent, as there were many drills for which Talaat had not previously trained. 

While it remains to be where Talaat will be drafted, his drive and attitude ought to be commended.  Talaat does not let his handicap define him. And Talaat's positive attitude is inspiring. 

h/t: Washington Post
     CBS Sports

UPDATE 5/10/2014   Talaat was not among the players chosen in the seven rounds of the 2014 NFL draft.  Then again, controversial standout Michael Sam was chosen 248th.  

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. 

US Mint Strikes Curved Coin Celebrating Cooperstown

The US Mint will be striking its first curved coin in order to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Following the mandate of PL 112-152 passed by Congress in 2012, this limited edition legal tender is supposed to be produced like the French Mint's 2009 coins commemorating the Year of Astronomy.

David Everhart

The shape of the coin has the convex side depicting a raised Major League baseball which was designed by US Mint Engraver David Everhart and the concave obverse side will display the winner of a design competition judged by Baseball Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Brooks Robinson, Ozzie Smith, Don Sutton and Dave Winfield.

Cassie McFarland

Cassie McFarland, a 28 year old artist from San Luis Obispo, California, entered the baseball coin design competition because: "she was fascinated by the notion that America's coins could reflect the personality and history of its people".  McFarland's  "Hand Full of Gold" design beat 177 other contestants by depicting a stylized baseball glove.  McFarland's glove design complimented the concave shape of the cupped glove.  Two shafts of wheat on the side of the glove unite with the glove stitching to form a circle, depicting national unity and perhaps the importance of our national pastime to American culture.

The San Francisco Mint will produce up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins and 750,000 half-dollar coins. These commemorative coins will be sold at a premium of $35, $10 and $5 respectively, with the proceeds going to benefit the Cooperstown based National Baseball Hall of Fame's non-profit operations.  

Numismatics can catch their curve-ball coins starting March 27th. However, due to the baseball theme and the convex curvature of the commemorative coin, it still would have been a bad bet for Broadway Joe to use for the Super Bowl XLVIII ceremonial coin toss. 

Glenn Beck on Political Football

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. 

RGIII is not PC in DC

Since the City Council in the District of Calamity has nothing better to do, Councilman David Grosso (I-At Large DC) has proposed a non-binding resolution to prompt the Washington NFL franchise to change its name from the “Redskins” because Grosso finds it racist and offensive.  The councilman claims that a majority of DC City Council  will support the resolution.

The politically correct clamor from the DC City Council is meant to bolster efforts by aboriginal American groups who are suing to deny the football franchise from keeping trademark protection for their famous Redskins moniker. 

Grosso proffered his solution to change the name of the team to the Redtails.   Grosso observes that : “You can still sing the song and everything...you can still keep the feather.”  How generous! This solicitous solution sounds as weak as changing the Washington Bullets to the Wizards.  


While the Clash sang about Washington Bullets referring to weapons, the Washington Bullets name derived from a shoe manufacturer.  The American Basketball League Baltimore Bullets were named after Bata Bullets athletic shoes named near Baltimore.  Washington kept the name Bullets of the NBA franchise from 1973 when the team moved to DC until 1995 when owner Abe Pollin wanted to change the name after the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzah Rabin.  While there was a contest to narrow the name list and the Wizards moniker was chosen.   But that was the free market working by a capitalist choosing to rebrand to suit himself.

Now it seems that politically correct politicians and attention seeking pressure groups want to dictate how private companies can market themselves.  No wonder why DC can be considered the District of Calamity (sic). 

What is remarkable about this politically correct pogrom is that a prominent community leader took a stand against social tyranny.  Robert Griffin, Jr (a.k.a. RGIII), the first year Washington starting quarterback who lead his team from the wilderness into the NFL playoffs dared to speak his mind and buck the PC powers that be.  RGIII tweeted “In the land of political freedom, we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness.”  

It did not take long for RGIII’s Twitter statement of independence to draw fire from those who would otherwise champion diversity (as long it conforms to their mores).

It seems that the ‘Skin’s star quarterback is not only agile and inspirational but also courageous.  But now the ire of liberal sports writers will be waiting to heckle him.  RGIII may be treated slightly better than dog killer Michael Vick before he was convicted.  However, if RGIII stumbles in his comeback from season ending knee surgery, he might be considered like a PC sports pariah ala Tim Tebow.   


h/t: The Blaze
      WAMU . 

[The article originally appeared on DistrictofCalamity.com]