Captain’s Log — or whatever the hell title I take on ...
Gotta keep up on the wins. They’re like Billy Mack sang in Love Actually —- they’re all around us.
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1. Watched some tremendous soccer action as I did show prep, read and got a workout in. Villarreal took down Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League Championship. The 1-1 game was decided by penalty kicks ... by the goalies. That’s right. The game went to the 11th penalty kicks, thereby goalie-on-goalie strikes ended the game. Geronimo Rulli drilled a shot to give Villarreal their 11th PK score, and then defended a shot by Man U goalie David De Gea to secure the victory.
2. Made a nice chicken divan dish for dinner. Chicken with a broccoli sauce - cream of chicken soup and, yes, mayonnaise at its base.
3. NBA Playoff action. I’ll go deeper in video form on SwollenDome.com in the miserable activity of a couple fans that marred an otherwise fantastic night of NBA Playoffs action. The biggest event on Wednesday’s slate occurred at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks rallied from a 13-point deficit to upend the Hawks, and the crowd in the “Basketball Mecca” hit a level of raucousness not seen in quite some time. The Knicks last won a home playoff win in 2013. We’ve had big baseball and spring football crowds, a decent-sized crowd in Tampa for the Super Bowl. No, this registered differently.
The Dodgers are calling a June home date - “ A Grand Reopening.” I think the Knicks beat them to the punch.
The 2020 pandemic wrested control of our anxieties and created new, super-charged dividing lines. But, "stay at home" orders that moved to stages 2 or 3 in some cities and states created optimism and different dialogues. Here in southern California, that meant the opening of beaches and limited capacity operations inside restaurants. Wins. And big steps forward.
While that part of the picture is bright and cheery, I had multiple windows open on my computer Friday night during the show. I was monitoring the latest reports from cities all over America. The horrific scene of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis reignited latent conflict as protests overtook numerous communities. I watched the coverage from Minneapolis, New York, Atlanta, Seattle and finally, Los Angeles.
I was particularly moved by the speech from Mayor Bottoms in Atlanta. She called for everyone that cared about Atlanta to "Go home!" She cited the high percentage of minority-owned businesses in Atlanta, and talked of her phone call home to her son. Click the link. Watch the five minutes.
That's a win. Community.
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Our coverage on the show has been replete with numerous test balloons and theories about how sports can come back and the debates about the safety/efficacy of fans being part of the equation.
-- Football had the good fortune of not being in-season at the outbreak of the pandemic. They've proceeded with the normal offseason calendar.
-- Gary Bettman and the NHL are actually the big winner and leaders. The league and the NHLPA operated under cover of darkness and came forth with a plan of how to operate the playoffs. It's a blueprint!
-- The NBA revealed a plan to get back on the court by the final day of July. The details are still being worked out, but the latest theory includes all teams within six games of the playoffs (based on the regular season standings as of the league's suspension of play). Some theorize that the league is doing everything they can to get Zion Williamson and the Pelicans into the playoff mix. Good! Bright lights and brand-building and marketing and sales.
And then there's Baseball. For those unaware, the league and players came to a deal almost immediately after spring training was suspended and opening day delayed. They agreed to a prorated deal that assumed fans in the stands. With that still a longshot for 2020, there's an impasse as of the end of May.
Some insiders speculate that the season may be lost, and with changes to the MLB Draft and the minor leagues this year, the face of the game is at risk of looking much different. And that's a tough piece to the sporting landscape. Baseball's always been there to help further bigger discussions in society, and right now there's an argument that boils down to cash. Both sides are getting crushed in the court of public opinion.
We've had the much longer and nuanced conversation on the show. I'll throw that spider web of decision points out in a separate blog.
For now, I come back to a fun win. This is about positivity and finding the good. I got that on Thursday during the "Petros & Money" show here in Los Angeles. They pay tributes to the "Alive Guy" and "Dead Guy" of the day. Yesterday's "Alive Guy" was music legend John Fogerty.
From CCR to his solo career, Fogerty's lyrics and soul have been part of my jukebox. He was celebrating his 75th birthday. As part of the celebration, Fogerty he took the opportunity to crash the renovated Dodger Stadium for a mini-concert. And we all received a gift.
He played "Center Field" with his family in the iconic ballpark. I've highlighted a key part of the lyrics below. Fogerty revealed that the "brown-eyed handsome man" was none other than baseball legend and trailblazer Jackie Robinson. It all circles back together.
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I raised a glass of Tito's and soda as we signed off for the night.
Be safe. Hold tight. And sing along if you know the words. Cheers.
