I am not going to go into the machinations of those eager to start MLB, the NBA, NFL, NASCAR, WWE, UFC and the NHL. I cite some data. Two out of three surveyed don’t want a relaxation of the protective standards in place until there is at least some universal testing. Given the fact that the testing has reached 1% of the population, the outcry for loosening the reins and starting up sports or for that matter any group activities, is ludicrous.
Once more I restate that this is a pandemic and a quick cure is not in the offing. This is not the invasion of Grenada where we faced no resistance. It is a World War, and last time I looked, it took a lot of time and bloodshed before those wars concluded. Ditto the Civil War.
COVID-19 is a humbling beast, the full measure of its capabilities are still unknown. The strategies are piecemeal attempts that can only work so much. And the true impact of how sick the population is remains uncertain.
With non-alarmists warning that extremely infectious second and third waves are likely, offset by a segment that just does not care about anything but themselves, great problems loom ahead. Prudent thought, not knee-jerk reactions, must prevail.
This killer has not affected the wide swath of people who rail against restrictions and disregard our discerning thoughts to the contrary. When New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says that things might not relax until July, intelligent and concerned people must heed that message.
When star linebacker Von Miller of the Broncos was one of two NFL players who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, these results should not be sealed in a vacuum and isolated like an infected player. This is real and we are dealing with lives—every one of which matters, unlike the stupidity emanating from the lips of celebrity doctors like psychologist Dr. Phil and medical doctor, Dr. Oz who see acceptable losses of life. I doubt that those on the front lines in the ER and ICU units share those opinions. And I doubt that they care that sports may not come back right now or in the near future.
As I said, my position is unchanged. I do not want to rant weekly about this. It isn’t healthy and it doesn’t prove too much. Plus I avoid getting too political or laying blame on those individuals others see as the villains no matter how upset I feel—unless it is in a sports context. For that is the nature of this blog—sports.
Fan X poked his head into my world again this week, citing the lack of sports news. He opined that I ought to go fishing instead.
First, I don’t fish, although I have a friend who fishes in the reservoirs of Jersey City and enjoys it immensely. It offers him solitude and satisfaction. And I do miss the fishing section in the Star-Ledger, where I could monitor the activity of fluke, blues and a whole lot of fish in the seas off of New Jersey. That industry must be hurting just like many others—social distancing isn’t possible on a fishing charter.
So what then, Fan X, should I talk about? Maybe my days, which have a sameness to them with my staying home, reviewing my emails, Facebook posts and texts. Or that my wife and I have cleaned the majority of this house, leaving some projects for later.
I can recount movies that we watched. Twisted ,and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood were our most recent ones. Our Netflix list is about 40 movies long; B movies galore. That should get me into football season and then some. We just concluded the 8 episodes of Modern Love on Amazon. I am on a Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston binge right now. But you don’t read this blog for my film and TV acumen.
If you like, I can detail my baseball exploits and recall basketball games I played in and watched. That could keep you riveted for a while. Just not today.
Look, I know that I should be watching a Yankees game right now, bemoaning the lack of pitching and hitting this early in unseasonably cold weather. Gary Sanchez would probably have have joined Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the IR, no doubt with another pitcher or two. And I would be sad, as I am now, when the Yankees would have held a pre-game program to honor Hank Steinbrenner, George’s oldest son, who passed away this week. One more year with a black arm band on a uniform sleeve.
With the absolute dearth of new sports programming except for the blathering of talking heads who make mountains out of mole hills to enhance their inflated stature, I anxiously await the ESPN documentary series on Michael Jordan, debuting this Sunday night. While the producers said Jordan was forthright and answered all of the questions posed to him, the fact that his people are Executive Producers casts a shadow over how truthful this documentary will be.
Jordan still remains an enigma. He was greater than life when he played. He still is. But Michael Jordan was human, with many flaws that paralleled his incredible way which he treated players, fans,Chicago Bulls management and anyone who got in his path.
Those who know his checkered life recognize that his quest for perfection was overshadowed by his lust for too many vices and a wanton lack of self-control that was not present in his basketball world. It was that way for Tiger Woods, and no wonder the two of them were fast friends.
Maybe your opinion of Michael Jeffrey Jordan will change after watching the series. Perhaps viewing the series will make your feelings about him even stronger. Whatever you decide, there will be much discussion and disagreement about him from others. This is what we do to our greatest sports heroes, who we place on a pedestal because of their superior athletic prowess, even when they have moral weaknesses.
We did it to Derek Jeter. A-Rod, too—even more so now that he is engaged to J-Lo. Babe Ruth endured the same kind of scrutiny, but he loved the adulation. Tom Brady is always under a microscope. It happened to Muhammad Ali, too. LeBron is going through it now. We learned far more about Kobe Bryant after he stopped playing basketball and then after his unfortunate death.
Stardom is the greatest reward and it is the biggest curse. Athletes are not alone. John Lennon sought privacy, so bothered by the media. Only to fall prey to a deranged gunman taking him away too soon. Princess Di went through much of the same.
Leaders of nations and captains of industry are measured on success and failure just like our athletes, all by the ever watchful eyes of the populace and reported by the highly-opinionated media. There never is universal agreement on how they performed under pressure, or how they reacted in their public and private actions.
The insane money these stars earn becomes an attempt to insulate from the constant pressure. Escape is hard to come by. Success, apart from the competition and the displays of talent during their careers, is so fleeting and problematic beyond it.
I am not trying to remove Michael Jordan from scrutiny. I am not trying to give him excuses. What I challenge you to do is see him in the light that you wish to see him, examine the information presented in the documentary, travel back in time to your memories and reach your own conclusions. Do some more research on your own if you like. Or choose not to watch at all. There is no right answer here.
After all, there are plenty of movies to select from Netflix, HBO, Showtime, plus streaming services which have plenty more available. There are books to read. Magazines. Facebook. Zoom. Possibly polish two sets of silverware. Cleaning a shed is bountiful fun, etc. They all are diversions from the horrible current events broadcast everywhere.
Kinda like going fishing for a big fish, Fan X…Sometimes you hook them, and sometimes you don’t. Those rules always applied to Michael Jordan, the player, and Michael Jordan, the man.. Like they do in a pandemic. Like they do when writing a blog when there is no sports to report on.
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