Before the season started, I wrote here that I was having a problem getting geared up for the NFL in part because no team has signed quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a result of his national anthem protest last season. Every available quarterback from every league has gotten an opportunity before Kaepernick.
As usual, the old, conservative NFL owners tried to end the controversy by simply not signing Kaepernick, a man who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, even though Kaepernick promised that he was done with his anthem protest. Instead of quelling the small fire, many more players have taken a knee, which led to Tweets from the Bigot-In-Chief, and even more protests. At first, the owners stood with the players, in part to try and end the controversy, but more owners are now requiring players stand for the anthem.
I knew that this point was coming. Kaepernick filed suit against the league for colluding to not employ him this season. I’ve seen pundits talk about how hard it will be to prove, but it is very simple to me. If one just looks at the players who were signed instead of Kaepernick; if one looks at many of the starters who are playing, it is obvious that Kaepernick, in the right system, could be quite a find. I’ve already seen memes with Kaepernick in a Packers jersey after the season ending injury to Aaron Rodgers.
My first reaction was that I hope Kaepernick wins and gets a billion dollars from the league, but Kaepernick has bigger plans. Apparently, his action could nullify the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the Players’ Association. In the current CBA, even one case of proven collusion can end the CBA. Already, with passions high between players and owners, a breached CBA could cause chaos this season and in future seasons.
An sportswriter already opined that with this filing, Kaepernick will probably never play another down in the NFL, much like the punishment doled out to Curt Flood in baseball, and for 3 ½ years, Muhammad Ali in boxing. Ali’s actions forced many people to take a look at the Vietnam War; Flood paved the way for baseball players to get paid closer to their worth.
It is far too early to tell whether Kaepernick will suffer the same fate as Flood., but more and more, baseball players have become aware of the stance that Flood took, and even though he lost his lawsuit against the reserve clause, it was utilized in the battle Marvin Miller waged against baseball that ended the clause, ushered in the era of free agency and, while there were contentious arguments between the sides including strikes and lockouts, Flood’s action helped form today’s labor management agreement.
Perhaps Kaepernick will continue to be an advocate? Perhaps this will be just another nail in the coffin of football as we know it with the spectre of CTE impacting today’s players and limited the number of kids playing organized football? Whatever the outcome, I have a feeling the owners won’t come out of this unscathed.

Mike Ditka is revered in Chicago, first as the tough pass catching tight end and then the coach of the Super Bowl Champion 1985 Chicago Bears. Here, he is an icon, a marketing star, at least in this area. He had been an NFL analyst, okay as a personality, but increasingly out of step with the game and today’s players, so ESPN fired him.
Rich enough to easily live out the rest of his life in comfort, Ditka still loves being in the spotlight, and as a staunch Republican, he was a supporter of Donald Trump, although he did not campaign for him, probably because he didn’t think Trump would win, but more important, to keep his sponsors happy. So, with the Bears playing last night against the Minnesota Vikings and marking the first NFL start for second pick in the NFL Draft Mitch Trubisky, it was natural for Westwood One’s pregame show with Jim Gray, it makes sense to tab Ditka to discuss the game. Unfortunately, with the national anthem protests, the NFL is at its most political, and Ditka had to weigh in.
Ditka said that the protests didn’t make any sense. He said, “There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of.” He continued “you have to be colorblind in this country,” and Ditka noted that “the opportunity is there for everybody.” He added that the place to protest was at “a ballot box,” and that people should “respect” the winners of elections.
There are too many people in this country who cannot empathize with anyone other than themselves and people that they know, and cannot appreciate anything that they do not personally experience or that contradicts their world view. It is a bit surprising that Ditka, who played with African-Americans, who coached African-Americans, and who I’m sure saw incidents of racism targeting African-Americans. Like too many of these people, mostly old, mostly white, their world is changing and they don’t like it. White privilege, which was slowly eroding, has correctly been highlighted by the murder of people of color by the police with no repercussions. The Black Lives Matter movement highlights the fact that blacks are killed and still abused with impunity and old white people like Ditka see nothing wrong with that. It is perfectly OK but if it happened to them, they would be appalled. The opioid drug problem is a disease because white people are suffering from it and doctors and the legal drug companies are the pushers. Heroin, cocaine, crack, these are “inner city” problem. Despite the fact that more white people are addicts than minorities, Nixon unleashed a “War on Drugs” that has done nothing more than oppress and arrest people of color. It is Jim Crow passed on.
Of course, this is beyond Mike Ditka. It would be easy to make a joke about CTE, but that would be wrong and an insult to the players who have and have died as a result of the brain damage suffered from football. I would call for broadcasters to avoid Ditka like the plague (but that would be too close to what is currently happening to Jemele Hill at ESPN – more on that later). Ditka is a dinosaur: out of touch, out of step, bigoted and ignorant.
Fox’s FS1 station is reportedly uncomfortable with the political comments of Shannon Sharpe, former all pro, future Hall of Famer and African-American. Maybe they can replace Sharpe with Ditka. Maybe then, Ditka and the other show host, Skip Bayless can pass on the sports news that concurs with Trump and his followers. They can even let Ditka wear his white robe.

We all knew that it was just a matter of time before ESPN “punished” sports anchor Jemele Hill for her tweet that Donald Trump is a white supremacist. Never mind the fact that the tweet is true, the White House has put pressure on the network to fire Hill. Of course, a much classier President, number 44 never called on anyone being fired for comments much worse and personally abhorrent.
ESPN announced yesterday that Ms. Hill would be suspended for two weeks for “violating the company’s social media policy.” Is there a social media policy? Was there one before this? Certainly, ESPN came down hard on former pitcher Curt Schilling for incendiary comments on social media, so, perhaps the company is trying not to be sued?
Still, this is more than just a punishment. This is another message for people of color, especially women to “get back in their place.” This is part of the attempt to quiet the football players who are taking a knee during the national anthem. This past weekend, Jerry Jones, who kneeled with his team one week ago, announced that he would bench any players who did not stand for the anthem. According to The Sporting News, at least seven teams have been told to stand for the anthem, with some even telling them how to stand and how to hold their hands. Commentators I’ve seen have gone along with the attitude that as bosses, owners have a right to tell employees how to act. Perhaps, and other media say that they are just reacting to people burning their season tickets and reportedly boycotting the NFL because of the anthem protests. However, for a league that counts on African-Americans as their “product” – the players of the game, the battle against the protests have done nothing but bring more attention to it and the people who are upset are the right wing “snowflakes” like Mike Ditka.
When the suspension was announced, Hill’s on air partner Michael Smith refused to go on the air yesterday. I’m not a big fan of their show, but I don’t watch much SportsCenter any more anyway. What I have seen is an intelligent pair on television, definitely African-American, perhaps too “hip-hop” for my taste, but not morally repugnant like Stephen A. Smith.
Like a kid who tries to stop a garden hose with his hands, the more repressive the league, teams and networks become, the more the reason why so many are protesting will slip between their fingers.

Yesterday sucked. There’s no other way of putting it. We had the massacre in Las Vegas – 59 people killed (as of now) and over 500 wounded. The powers that be are issuing their “thoughts and prayers” empty comments with no meaningful gun control in sight (in fact gun stocks went up yesterday after the shooting). There was a suspected gunman on campus at USC, but that turned out to be nothing. Much nearer to me, one of the two high schools in my area was on lockdown because two students decided to bring a BB gun to school. In this instance, fortunately, no one was shot, hurt or killed.
Then Tom Petty died.
It was just a cherry on the shit sundae of a day. Midday, we heard that the leader of the Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, and youngest Traveling Wilbury had suffered a heart attack and had been rushed to a Los Angeles hospital. Just a while later, it was erroneously reported that Petty had died, but actually, he lived until the early evening. He was 66.
It’s the morning after, and yes, I’m listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ music. It’s not one of the hits or big albums; one of the later CDs is on – Echo. I will be listening to more, but I will avoid the hits, basically because, while I liked and admired Tom Petty, he is not one of my all-time favorites. I have most of his music, but I didn’t listen to it much unless it came up in shuffle on my iPod. That said, he wrote two of my favorite songs: “The Waiting,” which I’ve always loved; and a song called “Swingin’” from Echo. I can’t explain why I love that song so much, but I just do. I have always found solace in one big hit “Even The Losers,” but when I hear “American Girl” I think of the film “Silence of the Lambs.” The other big hits usually get me to turn to another station. The “hits” were just played too often, especially on WXRT back in the 1990s. It seemed like every other song was Petty or the Pretenders back then (now it’s the Talking Heads who are played ad nauseum).
I saw them live twice and both times were excellent, especially once when they were the “backup” band for Bob Dylan. I had seen Dylan once before and it was boring; he didn’t appear to want to be there, and as is his want, played very few of his signature songs, or did so in very different arrangements. I appreciate that, but to me it was just being difficult. The Heartbreakers were just too good and pushed Dylan, and it was a terrific concert. As headliners, they gave the people what they wanted, the big songs, some good old fashioned rock and roll showmanship, and the occasional surprise deep song or cover.
I appreciated Petty’s stand against price gauging – he fought against high ticket prices and also against a price increase on his albums and CDs. He revered his heroes, especially the other Wilburys. He had a no BS demeanor which was refreshing in this day of posers and pretenders. He was a rocker – no question. The Heartbreakers were the second hottest band in rock and roll (behind Springsteen’s E-Street Band in my opinion) and guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench are a couple of the best musicians in the business.
So, I am sad at Petty’s passing. I’m sad for his family and friends, his band, and his biggest fans. I’m sure that they are nearly inconsolable. I’m sad for the music he will never get to make. Sure, I’m sure we will get lots of posthumous releases – some will be very good, some won’t. With all of the money I’ve spent on Tom Petty solo/Heartbreakers/Mudcrutch albums and CDs over the years, one would think that I was a bigger fan but I’m not and I don’t know why. Why am I a supporter of Tom Petty but not a real lover? Was his music too “southern?” What’s wrong with me? I guess just personal choice.
Still, I do mourn a great musician and songwriter. I just wonder why I didn’t love him more?

Yesterday, the media reported that coaching assistants of three schools along with numerous representatives of shoe companies and others were indicted for bribery involving payments to players and their family members in return for the player agreeing the play for a certain university.
In addition, it was rumored that another school located in Kentucky was also involved. The allegations against the unnamed school, which was later identified as Louisville, include payments of $100,000 from Adidas to the family of an unnamed player, identified as “Player-10,” to ensure he signs with the school. I wondered yesterday what would happen to Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. Pitino is as revered as any coach in America. From Providence, to the NBA, to Kentucky and then Louisville, Pitino has been successful – 2 NCAA Championships, 7 Final Four appearances, and his good looks and sharp suits made his as much a sex symbol as the NBA’s Pat Riley.
Would anyone stand up to Pitino, I wondered yesterday? Well, interim school president, Greg Postel announced that the school placed Pitino has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, along with Athletic director Tom Jurich. Postel said the school will work quickly to name an interim coach and athletic director, possibly within 48 hours. The status of the coaching staff will be made by the interim coach, Postel said. The school’s board of trustees was unanimous in supporting the moves according to chairman J. David Grissom who also attended the news conference. A final decision on Jurich and Pitino will be made by the trustees no later than their next scheduled meeting on Oct. 18.
Steve Pence, Pitino’s attorney, told the Louisville Courier-Journal on Wednesday that the coach has been “effectively fired” but apparently, his contract states that the school must give him 10 days before he can be fired. The legal action apparently is the final straw for Pitino. This is not the first instance involving Pitino and his program. In the past, Pitino was like Teflon – lots of allegations but nothing could stick.
In 2010, the coach testified in a federal extortion trial involving Karen Sypher, who went to prison after trying to get money and gifts from him in exchange for silence. The married Pitino admitted to having sex with the woman in a closed Louisville restaurant in 2003. Then, in 2015, the NCAA launched an investigation into a sex-for-pay scandal organized by former Louisville assistant coach Andre McGee that could force the Cardinals to vacate their 2013 national title and dozens of victories. For that, Pitino would have been suspended for Louisville’s first five ACC games this season. That all came after the school, hoping to soothe the NCAA and temper the sanctions, self-imposed a 2016 NCAA tournament ban.
Yet again, I have to wonder what will happen to Rick Pitino? He will leave Louisville a very rich man, but more than likely, his days of college basketball coaching are over. Will an NBA team give him an opportunity? Will Pitino, who is used to having absolute power in his program, especially over the young men that play, want to go to the pros where the players are better paid than the coaches and have a greater say in everything from coaching and personnel decisions to which hotels to stay in?
Or will Rick Pitino disappear into the shadows? Will he be remembered for the wins and titles or the allegations and improprieties? Will any of the evidence directly implicate Pitino? One thing is certain, Rick Pitino will not be pacing the sidelines at Louisville men’s basketball games.

All over the nation, schools and non-for-profit organizations are having problems fielding football teams. One northern suburb of Chicago very close to where I live, Highland Park, has cancelled their young football league, much due to the fear of CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, brain damage which apparently comes from sports injury, especially football.
This week, Chicago Public High School Magnet high school Whitney Young on the near west side cancelled its football season this week with three games remaining because they could not field a team. The school system requires that a school have at least 22 players for each game, enough to field a complete offense and defense. Principal Joyce Kenner announced to the school that the season was cancelled. Apparently, injury and academic ineligibility does not permit the school to play. The school will play a soccer match instead. (It should be mentioned that there are concerns about CTE to soccer players, especially women, due to heading the ball.)
All over the country, parents are seriously considering whether they will allow their boys to play football. I have been not-so-secretly glad that I have two daughters; not that I wouldn’t love kids if they were boys. It’s just that I am glad that I don’t have to make that decision. I played football as a kid; I have seen the positives of teamwork and other attributes that come through sports. However, the risk of brain damage is real and the lifespan of a football player is 10 years or so; after the playing is over, men still have decades to live and should they suffer dementia, depression, suicidal thoughts? Not my kid is what many parents are saying.
However, Highland Park and Whitney Young are schools of middle to upper class kids. Whitney Young kids have to take a test and get selected among thousands of candidates. These kids have a future filled with college and unbridled opportunity. They have a chance to succeed, but what about the young, poor kids? Like most of the country, there is a huge gulf in inequity, and the other schools in poor areas have fewer books and supplies. The call of the streets – crime, drugs, gangbanging is strong. Also, the threat of death as an innocent bystander is just as great a threat as being involved in the gangs.
Still, to many, sports is the way out of poverty. There is basketball and baseball, which seems to have fewer instances of CTE than football (to our knowledge now, anyway). Big kids, talented kids who are great athletes but perhaps not as good in the other sports. His life is football; his chance for a better life is football as far as he knows. That is his option out of the ghetto.
If he is successful, he goes to college, and perhaps gets an education, but just as likely not. Some will make the NFL; many will not, but either way, they play games and suffer concussions. Those that play will get to have their heads bashed regularly. Yes, they will make a lot of money, and will become famous, and they will have their years of glory. However, the life after football is much more likely to be short, and more likely to return to being poor (it is said that 70% of NFL players declare bankruptcy within 7 years after leaving the league). They will get a little money from the settlement with the league, but is it enough? And college players who played just as hard and suffered head injuries just like their professional colleagues. They will get nothing.
In a time when inequality is becoming more of a public issue, it is possible that football, certainly at the Pop Warner and high school levels, may become obsolete at middle and upper class schools, but remain a fixture at underprivileged schools. These young men will become the cannon fodder for the college and NFL machines. These young men, less well educated, are already behind the 8-ball in the game of life.

This morning, ESPN and CNN blared with breaking news that four assistant basketball coaches from Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and the University of Southern California were among those arrested on federal corruption charges after they were caught taking thousands of dollars in bribes to steer NBA-destined college stars toward certain sports agents and financial advisers. The coaches named in court documents are Auburn’s Chuck Person, Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans, Arizona’s Emanuel “Book” Richardson and USC’s Tony Bland. Also charged in Manhattan federal court were managers, financial advisers and representatives of a major international sportswear company.
This is not news; payments to college athletes have been detailed since the 1880s. Gambling scandals pop up regularly; paying players is now built into the scholarship at many of the major universities and conferences. Still, where there are billions of dollars, corners are cut, cash, which is of course fungible, flows in every direction and there are lots of people happy to fill their pockets. The shoe companies want to have the potential superstars of the future signed up so that they can sell the Air Jordans of the next decade.
As a result, it wasn’t just the assistant coaches, others named in the documents include: James Gatto, director of global sports marketing at Adidas; Merl Code, who recently left Nike for Adidas; Christian Dawkins, an NBA agent who was fired in May from ASM Sports for charging approximately $42,000 in Uber charges on a player’s credit card; Jonathan Brad Augustine, president of The League Initiative and program director of the Adidas-sponsored 1 Family AAU program; Munish Sood, a financial adviser; and Rashan Michel, a former NBA official who founded Thompson Bespoke Clothing, a custom clothier for athletes.
Further allegations are being reported at another institution in Kentucky, rumored to be Louisville, where allegations that coaches throwing parties for players and recruits with strippers and hookers. Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Pitino has been able to stay above the fray for the most part – his teams’ success on the court making him a legend at the school, as more famous, richer, more popular than the school president or any other professor or administrator.
This is far from being the first time that prosecutors have followed the money and indicted people involved in college sports and the shoe companies and the young men who are the stars, the grist for the mill that drives so much. Will this be the end of Pitino at Louisville? What will be his legacy? Will he be remembered as a great basketball coach, or as a great cheater?
I wish that this would be the final instance, but as long as we are willing to spend so much money, invest so much time and effort and interest, this will be just another scandal. I doubt anything will change.