EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – Happy Monday.. No, I am not back on the regular beat. I was asked to pinch hit in my normal spot, today. 
Feels a bit Twilight Zone-ish but here I am. I agreed to do it then decided to keep with tradition and get the copy to Matt so late, I would have to edit it myself. Here’s what I have for you: Vin Scully, NBA Protests, Silver vs. Goodell.
Vin Scully
I read a Vin Scully interview the other day and he had a lot to say, but so do I. If you get the chance to read it, it is well worth the time. The man is an American living legend and a great orator. In another time, I can see him being a tribal elder who was responsible for telling stories and teaching the children the ways of the tribe. A man of his age has lived through so much. That leaves much for him to talk about when it comes to baseball and society. I’m not even the biggest baseball fan and was a little disappointed he didn’t really get to the next level about the issues –
he just said that we are great country and as a great country it requires us digging deeper into all the little things that make us great to solve these issues – which is a lot of doublespeak. However, considering he’s is a 92-yearold white man, it might be asking a bit much for him to pull out a Power Point presentation on solving centuries-old issues. He did a good job of not putting his foot in his mouth, though, and acknowledged that there are real issues. He described the challenges that Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella faced just being in a hotel with the rest of the team, or having whiskey bottles thrown at them from the stands. He also talks about which World Series ring he wears and why. It is a fantastic interview and well worth tracking down. (Management tracked it down. CLICK THIS).
NBA Protests
One of the things that was bothers me about people who complain that the players need to just play and not be involved in politics, etc is this: When a player gets caught at the house party with a bunch of “coke and hoes” for a lack of better words, everybody gets all upset – calling them role models. Another classic response is that these players don’t respect the fact that our kids look up to them. and so on and so forth. Right now, you have players actually recognizing that kids look up to them; that they have the power to make a difference and they feel the need to lead the way and send a message. Yet,what do many still say? Just shut up and play. You can’t have it both ways. Either they are role models or they are not.
Silver vs. Goodell
When you look at the two Commissioners and how they’ve handled this situation with the employees, it is really impressive the job Adam Silver is doing. I think the player protest in the NBA was done well because the NBA is such a smaller league in terms of the number of players – but it’s incredibly player-driven, so Silver has had to really be aware what’s going on with his players. I feel like he’s working much more with his owners, as NBA owners are more open to realizing the gravity of the situation. That’s helped Silver push forward and make the NBA a more powerful, socially-conscious organization. It is not just the players are socially conscious. The league embraces and accepts it. The execs are not trying to shut down the players’ voices. Meanwhile. Rodger Goodell is just the worst! You know he’s now saying we should all listen to Colin Kaepernick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, dude. You tried to ruin the guy, then you meet with a group of black players in 2017. At the meeting with the players some changes were made but still Roger Dodger didn’t even apologize to Kaepernick. I believe part of the reason Goodell is so poor at it is because e football is not as player-driven as the NBA. There are superstars but players’ heads are covered. There’s not a big a connection. Sure, the great players get noticed and people can name Tom Brady, but I don’t know how can name the offensive line or receivers. Since one player can’t change a team like in basketball, it’s really a much more owner-focused. Even more so because NFL players can get cut and traded with much more frequency. Further, with an owner being accused of being a birther, it seems the ownership in the NFL is just lacking, leading to an even weaker GM.
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for our newest club-house oddball, Ben Whitney.
