Edition #1139

Thursday. And a fine Thursday it is going to be. Hot across the country, but not to worry. Just a message from Mother Nature to those who want to believe that it is mere hubris to believe that humans can affect systems as large and complex as climate. But the real message is that it is hubris to believe that we humans can do whatever we want to the natural environment without consequence. Just don’t fuck with Mother Nature…lesson not learned.

“Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to.” — Mark Twain.

For someone who is really not into sports all that much, I seem to write about it a lot. Yes, I did notice that about myself. Thou dost protest too much? Maybe. Or maybe it is just that I somehow absorbed an expectation long ago about the beauty of sport, about the virtue of clean competition, and about the value of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and appreciation for sporting accomplishments even if performed by a competitor. And so it is in that light that I look at the showmanship, showboating, displays of poor sportsmanship by both winners and losers, with disdain, even as many seem to encourage and reward such behavior. I guess what I am saying is that the purity of “sport” is what I like to applaud, and I see that less and less in the real world. Ok, that said, I was reading this article about the impact that paying college athletes has had on what is known as college sports, now that that is happening. The article is a discussion between two opposing views, both of whom are invested in the issue. One a college president, and the other a lawyer who represents the athletes. I will let you make your own determination as to where this should lead, but there is no doubt that paying athletes in the way they are is distorting college sports. The basic argument in favor of paying is that the athletes who are bringing the money into the colleges deserve some share, rather than being treated as indentured servants. The other side, however, is that it takes money away from the college’s ability to fund less popular sports and is unfair to schools that cannot afford the best talent. The fact that athletes are able to change schools every year makes the whole system nothing more than an auction house with no loyalty to a school or team.

……………….But My Old Argument –

Long ago it became clear to me that college sports is not a display of talent by “student” athletes. Too many examples of how these people are just athletes and not so much students. Even back in the days of the covered wagons when I was in college, the athlete who lived across the hall from me (football and basketball) was afforded tutors in all subjects, even though the classes he took were, shall we say, less than academic. And why all of his tutors were really attractive females, I can only guess. But the reality for a long time, specifically for sports like football, baseball, and basketball, is that these are really semi-pro sports. The colleges may be the venue, but only for convenience. And now, with the athletes being paid, making more from their NIL (name, image, and likeness), and college coaches being the highest-paid public employees in the country…by far, and the athletes showing no allegiance to the school, isn’t it time to consider divorcing these sports from any college and just set up what they really are? Just a thought.

And while on the subject of sports, let’s try to project how we will be experiencing sports in the future. This article attempts to give some insight into what is coming as state-of-the-art technology is being incorporated into sports coverage. Some seems interesting if not cool, while some not so much, at least to me. Sports stadiums currently host a dozen or two cameras that cover many views of the action. Some now envision hundreds or thousands of cameras scattered throughout that would allow a viewer to call up almost any angle, follow any preferred athlete, and drill down to the point of feeling like they are part of the action. One step away from entering that holodeck (for we Star Trek fans) and participating in the action. Ok, a few more than one step away, but at least one step in that direction.

………………But the Stats –

It is here where the path loses me. One of the biggest things that they seem to be touting in this future sports coverage world is the ability to inundate you with every stat that you could possibly conceive. If this is really the trend, then the simple act of just sitting back and watching a game for the enjoyment of watching the game will be lost. I am sure that there are those who love the stats, and to some extent, some are interesting. But the pressure to continually come up with new, random, esoteric stats that are really meaningless seems to be growing. I suspect that this is due to the monetization of it all, of the infiltration of the sports betting world, the FanDuels and DraftKings of the world, who are frothing at the bit to further their corruption of the industry. But this is the world that is being dreamed up for us to enter in the very near future. Get ready.

So we have covered extensively in past editions how China has been aggressively asserting its claims over the entirety of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory. This in spite of the fact that international agencies have rejected that claim, and plenty of other nations that border on that body of water assert their own rights under international law. And I have been frustrated by the very meek response of the United States as China continues to act on its claims slowly and methodically. But now, perhaps a response is beginning. The Trump administration has deployed US Coast Guard cutters to the Subic Bay base in the Philippines and to Singapore to help patrol those waters. As you may have heard, our more capable naval ships have been a bit busy elsewhere in the world, so the Coast Guard was called. And probably a prudent move that will still assert our freedom of navigation interests through the region while presenting as a bit less belligerent. Of note are the current efforts to enlarge the US Coast Guard with additional recruits and ships (although the ships part of this is way behind schedule). And while missing some of the offensive capabilities of a naval vessel, the expertise of the Coast Guard in search and rescue and other non-military missions should allow them to engage more readily with our allies in the region without looking like an aggressive posture. A good move, if you want my opinion. And if you did not want my opinion, why are you still reading?

Will the Senate act on this? Or will this attempt to rid ourselves of the “Spring Forward, Fall Back” crap fall flat once again? The House recently voted to do away with the shift to “Standard Time” by an overwhelming margin. Funnily enough, Republicans voted for it overwhelmingly, with about forty-four percent of Democrats voting against it. Apparently, daylight is now a political issue? And while it seems like a no-brainer for a number of reasons, I do understand the reluctance in some areas. The reality is that the further south you are, the less meaningful this would be. But the further north, the impact can be dramatic. Without reverting to standard time in the winter, many jurisdictions in the north would encounter a very dark morning until eight or nine. So the efforts to pass this in the Senate will, or at least should, involve a more sober and thoughtful discussion. It is, after all, the more deliberative body.

So pasta with shrimp and tomatoes and garlic and whatever else I could think of, all in a butter & olive oil base. Kind of making this one up as I go along, so as I write this I am not sure what will end up in this creation. Hopefully it will taste good. And if you are paying attention, I forgot the tomatoes…oops.

Yeah, trying to stay away from some obvious topics right now. Lots to write but not a lot of things changing. Just more of the same with no apparent plan other than “please, someone, fucking get me out of this!” But far from over, and while in every direction it looks like the wrong direction, there are always opportunities to be exploited. See, a bit of optimism…and now I am exhausted. Stay healthy and be good to each other.

Me.