With the Donald Sterling incident from last week, race once again is dominating the sports pages, and that continued over the weekend after the Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman P.K. Subban, who is African-Canadian, scored two goals including the game winner in overtime in Game 1 of their Conference semi-final series against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. He was pelted with garbage after the goal and the Twitter-verse erupted with foul racist invective. There was so much of it that Bruins president Cam Neely, defenseman Zdeno Chara and others Tweeted that such racist comments did not reflect the attitude of the team and denounced fans that made the comments.
When that game was over, a friend of mine from Northwestern, Veronica Porter, a hockey fan now residing in Washington D.C. wondered how long it would take before the Boston faithful responded in the way they did? (Not long.) Acknowledging that the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry is one of the longest and most intense in the sport, and Subban is like to egg on the Boston crowd, still, I was not surprised, nor were most black people of my age group, I think.
I can’t forget the violence and protests when the Boston school system was forced to integrate in the 1970s. Violence between blacks and whites was prevalent, and by 1988, when the busing experiment ended, the population of students in the Boston public schools fell from over 100,000 in 1974 to 57,000, of which only 15% were white. When I was growing up, I thought of Boston as the most racist city in America, and a place I never wanted to visit under any circumstances. Now I do, and have had enjoyable times there, but a few years ago, the Indignant Family came out to visit me while I was working in Boston and I saw my first Tea Party rally. There were some strange looks at me – I generally ignored them.
For African-American sports fans, the Celtics were mostly hated because they appeared to always draft the best white player available. Bill Russell and the other black members of the 1950s and 1960s championship teams could not live in many areas of Boston despite their fame and income. Russell was quoted back then that he “played for the Celtics, not for Boston.” Larry Bird was reviled for being “the great white hope,” although he never wanted or cultivated that image. The Red Sox were the last team in Major League Baseball to integrate in the 1960s.
So, no, the reaction to Subban’s game 1 didn’t surprise me at all. As I mentioned above, I travel to Boston frequently for work, and have friends and co-workers there. I personally have not had any problems there, even when I went to Bruins or Red Sox games. (Of course, I have never gone to games against Chicago teams, especially last Spring’s Stanley Cup Championship series between the Blackhawks and Bruins.) Generally, I like going to Boston.
However, when I have gone to Bruins games, I sit in the upper level, and the fans up there are not the most progressive. I sit in the same level at the United Center, but the feeling is different. Now, there would be come muttered comments under some fans breaths if the same thing happened in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I don’t think there would be the same level of fervor or the number of such comments on social media.
So, while I like traveling to Boston and certainly felt for them last year with the Boston Marathon bombing and aftermath, I have to say that while I have forgiven the city for the past, I haven’t forgotten. This weekend’s events reminded me of that.

Back when I was following NBA basketball, the Los Angeles Clippers were a joke, and Donald Sterling was widely considered the worst owner in sports. Yes, worse than Harold Ballard who owned the Toronto Maple Leafs and “Dollar” Bill Wirtz who owned the Blackhawks. Originally the Buffalo Braves, the team was a consistent contender with superstar scoring forward Bob McAdoo. In 1978, the Braves moved to San Diego and became the Clippers. One year after moving, the Clippers signed center Bill Walton who had led Portland to an NBA Championship in 1976, but injuries that had plagued the Big Redhead since college at UCLA accumulated in San Diego and Walton barely played. The team was purchased by Donald Sterling in 1981 and he moved them to Los Angeles in 1984. Walton’s injury, bad management and bad luck plagued the franchise for years.
The Clippers were best known in those days as being constantly bad enough to be in the draft lottery, and a couple of times, the Clippers won the number one overall pick in the draft. It was always funny and sad to see Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor, the team’s GM for years try to put the best face on being on stage for the lottery. But Sterling’s mismanagement and bad teams made the Clippers a franchise to avoid. Players hoped and prayed not to be drafted by the Clippers. The most notable instance was Duke All American Danny Ferry who told the Clippers not to draft him because he would not play there, and they did pick him with the second overall first round pick anyway. Rather than play for the Clippers, Ferry accepted an offer to play for the Italian league’s Il Messaggero (now Virtus Roma) instead and never did play for the Clippers. The Clippers had an occasional playoff appearance here and there, but they were always in the shadow of the Lakers, that is until they drafted Blake Griffin in the 2009 Draft, Since then, they have been contenders, but not good enough to win a title.
By now, the entire world has heard owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments, and at 2:00 PM Eastern Time today, Commissioner Adam Silver, who just attained the job in February with the retirement of David Stern came down hard on Sterling, banning him for life from the NBA and levying a $2.5 million fine. I’ve been very busy with work and the Indignant Children to respond, so there’s so much happeningin this story: he was recorded for TMZ telling his half African-American half Mexican girlfriend V. Stiviano after posting a photo on Instagram in which she posed with former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, stating that he did not want her to “broadcast that [she is] associating with black people” and that he did not want Stiviano to bring them to the team’s games. Johnson immediately tweeted that he would not go to any Clippers games as long as Sterling was owner. Sponsors pulled out on the team; African-American Head Coach Doc Rivers cancelled a practice in the middle of the playoffs, and the players took off their pregame warmups and dumped them at center court while playing with their jerseys inside out in the pre-game.
There are so many angles to this story. First, this is far from Sterling’s first outburst. Racist and sexist comments have been spewing from Sterling’s mouth for years including a couple of sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him. Other than money, what was this young woman doing with Sterling? There are questions (and perhaps litigation) that the women secretly recorded the conversation, which of course leads to privacy issues. (Personally, if I were a celebrity in Southern California, I would be very cautious: it seems like TMZ is everywhere.) And with the widely known comments, why has the NAACP given him humanitarian awards (other than money, of course)? Quoting my old friend and Sportswriters’’ producer John Roach: Sterling needs to be reminded that he owns a basketball team, not a plantation. The players lost their playoff game after the incident, and now, with Sterling out of the picture, one has to wonder whether they can regroup in their series.
Not even pulling out the bugaboo of political correctness, one has to ask what was on this man’s mind? Unlike racist rancher Clive Bundy, Sterling’s product, NBA basketball is dominated in percentage of players and number of top players, by African-Americans. So, you are insulting your employees, Coach Rivers, but even more important, African-American fans. This is the one sport that African-Americans watch, both live and on television. Basketball is part of our culture and consciousness. And to insult Magic Johnson, Hall of Fame player who has parlayed his playing fortune into a greater fortune through the ownership of movie theaters, the L.A. Dodgers and other ventures. In other words, he insulted another rich person who happened to be black.
At this point, the league certainly wants the incident to go away, or at least fade into the background of the playoffs. But the future is murky. Major League Baseball has a clause that can force an owner to sell a team; last used when the league seized ownership of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt, who was mismanaging the team by pulling money out to support his divorce from his then wife. To my knowledge, there is no similar clause in the bylaws of the NBA. It is almost anti-capitalistic to force someone to sell something (unless there is bankrupcty involved). Sterling reportedly says that he has no plans to sell the team, although if the sponsors leave and people boycott the franchise and the players and coaches don’t want to be there, I can’t see that there is much to sell. It is entirely possible that the whole thing may get settled in court.
As I wrote at the start of this piece, Donald Sterling has long been considered one of the worst owners in sport. He just proved it again.

I have been busy at work and the site has suffered as a result. But, I have a little breathing room so let’s catch up on what has been happening in the world.
Facebook friends know that I was in Boston this past week and had the opportunity to go to last Tuesday’s Yankees/Red Sox game. It was fun since I don’t have a big rooting interest either way: I know, we should hate the Yankees or the Red Sox, but honestly, both of the big money-biggest spending franchises are annoying. As a White Sox fan, I did root for catcher A.J. Pierzinski, not with the Red Sox; and it was amusing to see former Cub Alfonso Soriano playing left field for the Yankees, so I booed him lustily. Since I was a visitor in a box, I kept most of my comments to myself, but I cheered along with the local fans for the retiring Derek Jeter, a touch of class in the sport, and even though he did get his share of boos later in the game, the team did a very nice tribute to Jacoby Ellsbury who played so well in Boston but took a monster contract to play in New York. That was classy. And, of course, the Yankee manager is fellow Northwestern alum Joe Girardi, which means that I want him to do well.
The next night, however, I was watching the two teams play in a restaurant having dinner. The sound was off but I looked at Yankee pitcher Michael Pineda and there was this black mark on his neck. I didn’t immediately remember that Pineda was the subject of controversy last week for having “dirt” on his fingers as he was pitching, but since the Red Sox didn’t ask about it or even protest, the subject appeared to have died. It was noticed this time – I looked up from my appetizer and saw the umpires coming to the mound, and the home plate umpire ejecting Pineda.
I am no believer in cheating, but it was a windy, cold, raw kind of night, so it does make sense for Pineda to use the sticky substance to help grip the ball. At first, I was going to write about how dumb Pineda was to put the substance in plain sight on his enormous neck especially since the cloud of doubt already hung over him; but later that night, I was watching ESPN baseball analyst and Hall of Famer Barry Larkin make a good point that has changed the tone of this post.
Larkin said that it was natural for pitchers to use pine tar in cold games to help them grip the ball. Larkin supposed that catchers from every team probably had a little stashed somewhere on their person to help their pitchers. On its own, the fact that everyone cheats doesn’t make it right, but then Larkin said that he would rather have pitchers use pine tar: it is more likely for the pitcher to throw strikes that he can hit rather than wild pitches that could hit the batter. In fact, Pineda said that he did it in fear of hitting batters. (It should be said that Girardi was full of it when interviewed after the game he said that he didn’t believe that Pineda was trying to cheat – right, Joe. There was also a story that Pineda didn’t know that having the pine tar was illegal – but that’s nonsense – why would he hide it if he didn’t know it was illegal?)
Now, I don’t believe that was the primary motivator in Pineda’s mind – getting Red Sox out was his main motivation, but I don’t doubt that hitting opponents was a minor concern. Major League Baseball handed out a 10-game suspension, which is the norm for this type of offense, but as a starting pitcher, it means he will actually miss three starts. It is a fitting punishment for cheating, but one does have to ask, if it really doesn’t change the game, should it really be illegal, especially on cold days?

While on the subject of baseball, last week was the official 100th anniversary of the first professional baseball game played at Wrigley Field. Then named Weeghman Park, the field was owned by Charles H. Weeghman, owner of Chicago’s team in the Federal League, known as both the Federals and the Whales. Commemorating the first major league game at the ballpark on April 23, 1914 (when the Federals defeated Kansas City 9-1), there was a ceremony before the game to mark the event. Numerous former Cubs were there including Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Glen Beckert, Gary Matthews, Milt Pappas, Andre Dawson, Lee Smith and Ryan Dempster. Two of Ron Santo’s grandchildren represented the Santo family. Even Commissioner Bug Selig was on hand.
To some, the loudest cheers were reserved for former Bears linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers, the first athletes to be introduced during pre-game ceremonies. Of course, Wrigley Field was also home to the Bears for decades before moving to Soldier Field in the 1970s.
Of course, if it involved the Cubs, there had to be a down side. First, the Cubs were leading 5-2 in the 9th inning, but in true Cub fashion, the bullpen failed, giving up five runs in the top of the frame and then the bats went silent in the bottom half of the inning, and it was over. At 7-14, the Cubs are off to another dismal start to the season, the 105th without a World Series championship (yes, the last Cub championship occurred before Wrigley Field was opened. In fact, the Ottoman Empire
The other point was stickier. Noticeably absent was former Cub slugger Sammy Sosa. Yes, Sosa left the last game of his last season early; he was released after that incident; since his retirement, his most notable attribute seems to be the “whitening” of his skin which may be due to disease Like Michael Jackson’s actually was) or unnatural (which most people believed was the cause of Jackson’s discoloration); and the stench of PEDs hangs over him and his legacy. Despite the issues with Sosa, all of this occurred when the Tribune Company owned the club, but the Ricketts family has still not made up with Sosa. I’m sure there is a story there, but I don’t know what it is, but it looks like the Cubs and Sammy Sosa will remain estranged for the foreseeable future. Still, Cub fans are notoriously loyal (some say stupid, but that’s not for me to opine on), and many would have liked to see Sosa in the celebration.
(It is funny – one of the reasons that I began to hate the Cubs was because of Sosa; and no, it wasn’t the corked bat, his selfishness on the field {despite his skills, he refused to do the little things to win like hitting the cut-off man, or occasionally stop swinging for the fences with the game on the line or runners on base}; or even the PED allegations {although that is a huge factor}. No, one day in 2000 I think it was, the Indignant Wife and I got work tickets to a Cub game. As is their wont, they lost the game 5-1, but the Cub fans were at least happy because the run came on a Sosa homer. I was disgusted by that – you want to win, and there are no moral victories. And, when the Tribune Company started scalping their own tickets; that was another black mark to me. So, I’ve pretty much disliked the Cubs and their fans ever since.)

Usually, for an NFL team, the offseason is fairly quiet. Free agents are signed and not signed, and there is a great deal of expectation about the upcoming NFL Draft. But not in San Francisco; after losing in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers have seen nothing but turmoil.
First there was the report that the team nearly traded Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to the Cleveland Browns because his relationship with GM Trent Baalke was so contentious. (This remains an ongoing issue since Harbaugh has one year left on his contract, and he and the team have been unable to agree to an extension.)
It can be argued that no team in the NFL has been more successful since Harbaugh took over the team. Three consecutive NFC title games: losing one, winning the second and being within an incomplete pass of winning the third. And in the year they did move to the Super Bowl, the 49ers were one goal line stand away from the championship.
However, winning has not cured the problems on the team. No other team seems to have more players having run ins with the law either. Cornerback Chris Culliver recently pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge and felony possession of brass knuckles from an incident in California late last month. Pro Bowl Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and wide receiver Quinton Patton were linked to an investigation into an alleged criminal sexual incident in Miami with a woman earlier this month. (Kaepernick has strongly denied any involvement in the incident via Twitter.)
The ultimate blow is yet another incident involving linebacker Aldon Smith. Smith has led a troubled life over the past few years: on January 28, 2012, he was arrested for DUI in Miami Beach, Florida. Later that year, Smith was believed to have suffered stab wounds when attempting to break up a fight at a party at his residence in San Jose, Calif. On September 20, 2013, Smith was involved in a single vehicle accident in San Jose. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of DUI and possession of marijuana. After the week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he voluntarily entered a rehab facility, to be put onto the non-football injury list with an indefinite leave of absence. On October 9, 2013, Smith was charged with three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon relating to the 2012 stabbing incident
This week, Smith was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and charged with making a false bomb report. He was booked for the violation, which is punishable by up to a year in jail, and then released on $20,000 bail. Apparently, Smith was randomly chosen for a secondary search by airport security and became belligerent and abusive to the officers. Now, as the Indignant Wife can tell you, I am the last person who should talk about the security officers at airports. I have quietly seethed, and sometimes not so quietly made comments due to TSA officers that I felt were better suited for the Keystone Kops. However, I should note that I think the quality and professionalism of the TSA has greatly improved over the past few years.
Regardless, like customs and immigration officials, the TSA people have NO sense of humor or irony or sarcasm, and knowing that, you don’t make offhanded comments about having a bomb. I understand that you think you are being targeted, especially the way young black men are targeted (former outfielder Doug Glanville was reportedly racially profiled by the police last week as he was shoveling his walkway). Looking back on it, I was stopped by a police officer from a nearby suburb for having a headlight out on my car, but once he say that I lived in the area “let me off with a warning.” Considering all of the cars I see in the area with one headlamp out, this officer should be plenty busy, but they don’t get stopped.
However, let me repeat myself, you don’t make a comment about having a bomb in an airport. It is the age old example that free speech rights do not allow you to falsely yell fire in a crowded movie theater.
Is Alton Smith a monster? No. Does he have serious issues? Of course he does. The question is, do the 49ers want him to remain on their team? And the biggest question for fans of the 49ers: will this team continue to contend for a championship with all of these distractions?

I feel for Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald. He and the university have had to walk a very thin line when former quarterback Kain Colter and the team filed a case with the National Labor Relations Board that athletes are employees and should have the right to unionize as such.
Of course, I don’t think anyone, especially me, thought that the players had a chance in hell of winning. As I’ve written here in the past, I thought that this was the opening salvo in years of litigation, but I always thought that it would be players and unions suing the NCAA, not the other way around.
As I said, Fitzgerald and the school have mixed feelings in certain ways. On the one hand, the coach and the school have expressed support in that the action shows the intelligence of the athletes, and a bit of selflessness since the lawsuits unleashed in the aftermath of that ruling will end long after the current football team have graduated. More important however, the university has to fight for the billions of dollars generated by the athletes under the current NCAA system. In this way, the university is fighting for the whole of the NCAA, so they have to toe the party line and protect their own profits.
Also in the middle of this scrum is Fitzgerald. As head coach, he is an employee of the university, and so, after being prepped by the university’s lawyers, Fitzgerald addressed the team this week in preparation for an April 25 team vote on whether to unionize. Fitzgerald reportedly said that while he appreciates the need for more involvement by the athletes in the decision process and better guarantees for health coverage from the university in case of injury, that he really can’t back the players to unionize.
He, of course, has no say in it – the players will be the ones to decide, but as I said at the top, I feel for Fitzgerald. He is the team leader and in many ways, he is the team’s role model and a good one. It’s a tough place to be for Pat Fitzgerald. I don’t envy him.

I never thought in all my life I would EVER type the words Jesus Christ, Andrew Lloyd Webber and John “Rotten” Lydon in the same sentence. That is, unless Lydon was arrested for pissing on Lloyd Webber, that is.
However, someone got the idea to put on a traveling rock concert version of Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” with lesser known rock artists, but playing King Herod, the former Sex Pistol, ongoing PiL lead singer. It is coming to Chicago some time in July. Part of me wants to see this for myself because it could be one of the great laughs of all time as he tells people to “f%^& off,” and worse, but I don’t have the time or money. But if there’s a video on You Tube or elsewhere, I have to take a look at this!