From Lynn
Loved your piece this week on the 30-for-30s. The 30-for-30s are easily my favorite show on ESPN and I enjoyed your list.
What 30-for-30s are out there that have not been done that you would most like to see?
Lynn –
Great question, and one we have discussed at times on Press Row.
First and foremost, Tiger Woods. Please, Tiger Woods. We all know Tiger, but we don’t know that much about Tiger, and how he was able to hide dozens of mistresses. Add to that his start at such a young age, and the clairvoyant call by his dad Earl when he said the only thing that could stop Tiger was women, well, sign us up.
From there, we’ll go The Tim Donaghy Story on the NBA official who fixed games. (And while we’re at it, has there ever been an Arnold Rothstein 30-for-30 about fixing the World Series?) Then we’ll go with Manti Teo and that crazy catfish girlfriend story. There’s also the soon-to-be legendary Johnny Manziel 30-for-30.
Great question and thanks for playing along.
Now, the one we’d love to see that will never get made is the inner-workings of the ESPN campus, with all the allegations of sexual harassment and who knows what else. That would be fascinating.
FILE- In this April 23, 2017, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James looks on during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. James took a hard swipe at President Trump on Tuesday, Aug. 15, while calling for unity in light of the Charlottesville tragedy. Speaking on stage to students, parents and families connected his to foundation at the end of a day-long event at Cedar Point Amusement Park, James said he wanted to spend a moment addressing the weekend’s violent protests in Virginia, where a woman was killed. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) From Stewwie
For the bag, did you see where LeBron referred to Trump as the “so-called President” and said that Trump made hate fashionable? What are your thoughts on these comments and should he tone down his political messages overall? At what point does it become “too much”–for him, the NBA, and the fans?
Stewwie –
I did see LeBron’s comments. And he’s just part of a growing team picture of celebrities who do not like the President.
I’m OK with it, for a lot of reasons.
First, LeBron’s an American and as one – as all – he has the right to be a fan of or be critical of our leaders.
Second, athletes are more and more being put – either through their direct actions or through interviews and questions – into position in which their opinions outside their realm carry more and more weight. Fair or unfair. (In LeBron’s case, where would you rank him among the most famous Americans, regardless of job or genre. He’s top 10 overall, right? That’s a platform that often calls for commentary.)
In years past, the most famous athletes shied away from this talk and these controversies. Ali was the exception, of course. But Jordan, and Tiger and Magic and almost all the other one-named superstars kept their political views to themselves. The famous Jordan quote still rings, “Republicans buy shoes too.”
Well, there’s the rub. The money has changed in such scope and the power is now with the players more than the endorsement companies and even the team, especially in the NBA. (Seriously, LeBron is on track to be a billionaire, and who needs whom more, LeBron or Nike and LeBron or the Cavs?)
As for what LeBron said, I’m fine with the “so-called President” line. Heck, Sen. Corker has been more critical than that, and Bob’s a Republican. The other end – Trump made hate fashionable – we’d be willing to discuss that.
Hate’s been around a long time. As for making it fashionable, we’d ask James, “In which direction?” Because it seems way more fashionable to hate Trump right now than to hate anything else, you know?
Look, there’s only so many ways we can all say the jackwagons in Charlottesville are vile human beings and are the worst among us, be them red, white, black, blue or as Purple as Barney. But if we’re going to talk about the hate Trump has made ‘fashionable’ it’s been toward the White House in waves, ways and amounts that we have not seen since Nixon.
As for the “Too Much,” that’s a very interesting and meaningful question.
For James, there is no point or line. He’s that powerful in his game, his fortune and his place in sports and pop culture. For the NBA, well, that’s harder to know. The NBA wisely has a clear rule that players must stand for the anthem. They have been able to avoid the NFL chatter because of that. Yes, Durant and several others will not go to the White House. But hey, who’s saying this White House will invite any of them anyway. The bigger question for the NBA and the other leagues is dependent on the third part to the question.
The fans are getting closer and closer to having had their fill of this. At least that’s my view.
Make no mistake, LeBron, Durant, and every other American athlete has the same rights to protest and speak out as any other American.
A lot of folks – and a lot of folks around these parts – turn to sports to forget about the troubles and ills of our daily world. When the topics and headlines of ESPN.com are completely mirroring the real world and in some times driving the real world headlines, then it’s not an escape. It’s a reminder.
Again, this is not in support of the “Stick to sports.” That toothpaste is out of the tube, and in truth, has been for a long while.
But we saw a dip in NFL ratings last year for the first time ever. There were just as many stories, fantasy players and interest. TV numbers were down. It’s impossible to say that’s anything more than a random coincidence that it happened for the first time in two decades because of the Kaepernick protests.
That said, when fans feel the issues of the real world have intercepted and superseded the issues of the real sports, well, they will find other ways to occupy their time. And then the platform is gone because the real people who built the stage of sports stardom no longer care what they do or say or think.
When is that day? Who knows? I don’t. I’m not that smart. But it certainly feels closer than ever before, and sports more than ever feel like work.
From Brad
Hey, thanks for your A2 columns. Love them and appreciate you not going down the lib-media path.
Just started reading your online stuff and listening to you on ESPN. Did you cover the guy that got hit in the junk on the first pitch in Boston this week?
Using your term, what would be the ‘Rushmore’ of shots to the junk?
Keep up the good work.
Brad –
Thanks for the kind words and for playing along.
We have not discussed the Red Sox first pitch. Here’s the video.
In the real life world, we’ll just say that considering America’s Funniest Home Videos has been on TV for a quarter of a century is exhibit A on the entertainment value of other people getting hit in the crotch. And there were roughly 12 million of those videos, most of them focusing on a dad, a kid, a whiffle ball and a line drive. (The next subculture of course is the bicycle/skateboard trick category.) Good times.
As for your Rushmore, we’ll do most famous ones in movies: The kick to the crotch in Butch and Sundance, the kick in Dumb and Dumber, the torture scene in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig (which is not as funny, come to think of it), and Jackass. All of them. (In real sports, we’ll direct you to the Draymond Green highlight video.)
It also puts that Red Sox fan on the Rushmore of the most comedic first pitches with 50 Cent, Carl Lewis and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Rushmores
Rushmore of famous people known for their hats – Richard Petty, Davy Crockett, Abe Lincoln, Charlie Chaplin and his bowler. (In the movie world, we’d start with Indiana Jones, who could be the Babe Ruth of the category.)
Rushmore of people nicknamed “The King” – Richard Petty (who knew that he’d make two Rushmores in the same week),
Rushmore of classic Hollywood movies – It’s a Wonderful Life, Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kain, Casablanca. (Yes, I’m shocked GWTW did not make it too.)
Rushmore of Steve Martin movies – The Jerk, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Father of the Bride, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. (That’s without great spins in a variety of roles from the undervalued Three Amigos to a great effort in an underwhelming “Leap of Faith” and a sneaky excellent movie called “The Spanish Prisoner.” He also was great in off-beat supporting roles in “Baby Mama” and the voice work “Home.” Dude has had a great career.)
On this day – Aug. 18 – here are some of the key things that have happened:
Roberto Clemente would have been 83 today. Marge Schott would have been 89. Patrick Swayze would have been 65. Virginia Dare would have been 430 today; she was the first English child born in the New World in 1587.
Robert Redford is 81. Actor Edward Norton is 48 today. Malcolm Jamal Warner (Theo Huxtable) is 47 today. Andy Samburg is 39.
On this day in 1896, Chattanooga Times founder Adolph Ochs bought the New York Times.
Thirty years ago, Earl Campbell retired from the NFL. He was a bad dude.