One of the great benefits of sports is that, for a few hours, one gets away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life and watches cars go around an oval, a pass being thrown, a homerun being hit and, … well, you get the picture.
And one of the focal points of everyday living certainly has become politics. There has not been anything more polarizing in our society since this last election. Everyone not only has an opinion, they have very strong opinions and they do not particularly want to hear yours!
So it is probably best if the sports worlds and the political worlds are kept separate. It certainly didn’t help Chris Christie’s popularity in New Jersey when he attended the Dallas Cowboys game against Detroit as the guest of the Cowboys’ owner. Seems Christie does not root for the Jets, the Giants, or the Eagles – the three closest NFL teams to New Jersey – he roots for the Cowboys. He would have been better off politically if he had just stayed home.
The sports and politics worlds collided again this past weekend. The LPGA held the U. S. Women’s Open at Trump National in Bedminster, NJ. This did not sit well with a large number of protesters, both at the course and around the country, who felt the women should not be playing at a course owned by the President whom they feel has sexually harassed women. To make matters a bit worse (if that’s at all possible), there was video of Trump driving across a Trump National green a few weeks ago. Driving across a green – this violates all rules of golf etiquette (unless you own the course, I guess).
And the players got caught in the middle. This is the most important championship in women’s golf. It has the largest purse and is the most prestigious. To ask them to skip the tournament in protest against the host seems unfair. During the week, the players went out of their way to stay out of the controversy because they are well aware that any answer would be seen as the wrong answer by so many.
So they played. And the President showed up. To the President’s credit, he did not get too involved other than watching from his temporary bungalow.
There were some peaceful political demonstrations, but the tournament took center stage and it was a great one. An amateur almost won and the three-day leader couldn’t hang on until the end.
Politics and sports came together, but much like oil and water, they did not mix and that’s the way it should be.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- At the MLB All-Star break, two rookies are making the most impressive news. In the National League, the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger has 22 home runs in 52 games and hit 10 homers in 10 games, a record. On Sunday, he hit for the cycle. In the American League, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge has set the Yankees record for home runs by a rookie (30) and leads the majors in six categories. And, he was the first rookie to win the Home Run Derby.
- Speaking of the MLB, the games so far this year are taking longer than ever – three hours and nine minutes. This is five minutes longer than last year. ESPN’s 18-inning game lasted six hours and five minutes. Rule changes to speed up the game are on the horizon.
- What has happened to the Cubs? As I write this, they lag five-plus games behind the Brewers. They are in the bottom third in the league in runs scored and hitting. Their pitching is giving up almost five runs per game. Joe Maddon will need some second-half magic.
- Jeongeun Lee played in the US Women’s Open but was listed on the board as Lee Je6. On the Korean LPGA tour, she is the sixth player with the exact same name. There was another Jeongeun Lee in the Open and she was, as you might expect, Lee Je5.
- We finish up our Blue Mountain League game of the week next Tuesday, July 25. It has been a great year in the BML with very competitive teams and games. The playoffs should be terrific. If you’re a baseball fan, get out to a game or a series. Thanks to the League officers and the managers for all their help.
