EL BARRIO, EL BRONX – July is probably the worst month of the Sports Calendar. There is literally nothing going on regarding the four major sports, especially since baseball takes a week off for the All-Star Game. Lots of trade talk but very few mega-buster trades. It is now that a guy like me that enjoys non-mainstream sports like soccer and rugby, can actually get people’s attention. I won’t bore you with that talk though because I have been called to pinch hit not pinch bore. Time to make it do what it do, so here’s my usual formula meets an alternate edition: a Song of the Week before we get to the Sports Stuff. The alternate edition places a bit of Political Stuff or current events – then the sports. Here we go re Cop Memorial, OJ is paroled, NBDL & Football season is coming.
Song of the Week: Yes, Kanye West is a jackass. He probably is bi-polar as the rumors say. He is married to a media whore and we all miss the old Kanye. However, occasionally his musical ability can’t be repressed and breaks through the dark cloud he is wrapped around. His track The Morning featuring a couple of hip-hop heavy hitters is a great track. It entered my daily morning mix and it is a very good track. Take a listen and share your thoughts.
Cop Funeral: It has been a tough year on the old neighborhood. An EMT from my neighborhood and now a cop was killed and in my neighborhood. Not to mention a couple of stick-up boys tried to rob the wrong card game. The funeral service for slain NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia happened on my street. Now I have my issues with regards to community policing and punishment of police for killing citizens, but this isn’t the time nor place for that. The randomness of her death bothers me because I have 4 friends that are cops. I bumped into one, who I used to coach in rugby, on the day of the funeral that I didn’t even know was a cop. Unless you are cold blooded human being, it is hard not to be moved by the funeral for an officer killed in the line of duty. I read my local Daily News and saw they started a fund, so I want to link it, in case anyone wants to donate to help her children.
To donate with a credit card or PayPal, go to nydn.us/FamiliaFund, or send payments electronically to Daily News Charities, account number 9387-575-837, routing number 021-000-322, or make checks payable to Daily News Charities, Inc. and mail to
POLICE OFFICER MIOSOTIS FAMILIA FUND
New York Daily News
4 New York Plaza
New York, NY 10004
Attn: Daily News Charities
The Juice is Loose: I had to squeeze this in here when I heard the news. OJ Simpson has been paroled. What can you actually say about this? All I can say is I recommend everyone watch the 30 for 30 documentary by Ezra Freeman called OJ Simpson: Made in America. It explains how the murder case was lost and how all the things related to the support of OJ was not really about OJ. Lets hope now that he is free he learns to follow the law and not be an absolute fool again.
National Basketball Development League: With all this time to kill, you must forgive me for starting to pay attention to the NBA Summer League and wondering about the NBDL. The NBDL is a good idea, but it is being executed wrongly. That is because it is not following the blueprint laid out by Major Leagure Baseball. Baseball uses its minor leagues to prepare players to go pro. Our DJ Eberle is very happy to say he knew Aaron Judge was gonna be a big deal in the majors after watching him play in the minors. The NBA uses its developmental league as some process for free-agent rookies, has-beens and load of never will-bes to show they can still play. What is the fun in watching that? I am not gonna pay 15 bucks to watch the Westchester Knicks suck! At the very least give me a couple kids that are gonna be big. They need to make a loophole in the one year of college rule (which is absurd to begin with but that is another story for another day) and let it be either 1 year of college or 1 year in the NBDL after being drafted. Let the drafted player choose college or minor league ball like their baseball counterparts and let me see a guy who could be the next big thing for only 15 bucks a head on a Wednesday night in White Plains. That would get people more into watching the D league.
Football Season is coming: Appareantly Football season is coming. I really couldn’t care less. I know my NY Jets will suck and I have no college team so beyond my fantasy football league, I could care less. I am not one of those taking a morale stand against the sport and its corporation at the college and pro level. It is just, I find myself caring about it less and less. I will probably still write about because they are always good for a scandal or two, like how the head coach of Mississippi is stepping down amid rumors of calling escort girls. They never disappoint when it comes to scandal.
That is it for now, you can also find us on Twitter – @JunoirBlaber, @MeetTheMatts & @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram – @MeetTheMatts – and Facebook – Meet The Matts. And come back tomorrow!!
