Osaka Sadness and Etc

 As an athlete who's played at the highest level of his sport, I found Naomi Osaka's interview heartbreaking, particularly the part about not being happy with winning, only relieved. Winning tennis no longer makes her happy, she said. Osaka has recently opted out of the last two tour tournaments and chose not to compete in the Olympic games for her country, citing mental health issues. It was very brave of her to share what her problem was. Could she have some back too early for the US Open? I believe her body language on the court proved it even more than the mistakes she would have never made had she been mentally ready and engaged in the game. 

Serena Williams, when asked how she deals with the pressures of professional tennis (the constant attention of media, the demands on one's personal life) she said she had "thick skin." Clearly, Naomi could use a thicker skin. Naomi Osaka's depression and anxiety could have had more to do with her empathy for the suffering in the COVID world around her and her horror over the greedy and power MAD politicians that endanger humanity. Need I mention the environment, the racial divisions, the violence, and the rapidly growing separation between the rich and the poor? Osaka's skin is  not thick enough to withstand such inhumanity. For that, she has lost heart. It will take her time, meditation, love, and support to find her way back to tennis so that she can once again feel the joy of victory. 

Etc:

If Daryl Morey doesn't become more realistic about Ben Simmon's value, he'll wind up out thinking himself. He better ask himself if the 76ers can start the season with this problem still unresolved. Simmons has already said, he's a no show for training camp. 

The Sacramento Kings should take a flyer with Simmons, but only if it requires giving up Heild and Bagley and maybe a first round draft choice down the line. No more. Simmons defense and athletic skills would help to change the defensive culture of the Kings who sorely need to get tons tougher in that category. Not to mention that Simmons at close to 7 feet can run like a deer and finish at the basket. The speed of a Fox Simmons, Davion Mitchell, Terese Haliburton would be impressive and effective. They'd have virtually no consistent 3 pts scoring without Buddy, but at this point in Kings history they need Big D before Big 3

To the PGA, adjust your split screen policy and give a larger screen to the match and a lesser screen to the commercials. Ask yourselves, are you selling products or providing sporting entertainment? 

A lovely little poem for you fly fishermen   by Philip Raisor from his book of poems, Headhunting.  

from Four Legal Weapons.

Before the art comes the hook,
disguise, let's say, as a Wooly Bugger.
I attach a sliver of marabou to the shank
and wrap the hackle feather tighter
than most. Beautiful, yes, but remember:
downstream is the hunger waiting to fry.    

Tony Finau and Other Stuff

 A big HooWah for Tony Finau, a man of color, who won the Northern Trust tourny. He's advanced to the Fed Ex Finals. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Finau is of Tongan and Samoan descent and the first of Pacific Island heritage to play golf at the highest level on the PGA tour. 

It's not news that are few men of color playing professional golf on the PGA Tour. That goes for the Women's tour as well. But let's stay with men for the time being. Before Tiger Woods took the game to a  new level, there were a few African American men who distinguished themselves: Lee Elder and Calvin Peete, for example. Today on tour there are two noteworthy black players on tour: Cameron Champ and Harold Varner III. It is understandable in a country that is so divided between the rich and poor. Golf is expensive to play and to learn. Similarly, so is tennis. Yesterday I saw two African Americans playing against each other in the first round of the U..S. Open. "Wow!" I said. However, when the camera panned into the stands I also noted there was very little racial diversity sitting watching. Ditto the fans watching golf at the National and the BMW. A sport has to be accessible to youngsters for them to catch the fever. Golf and tennis are not even in the same city let alone the same neighborhood. 

STUFF:

What are the bookies saying about the odds that the 49ers two QB system will work? 

Since defensive linemen in football in a punting situation by rule can release as soon as the ball is snapped, why the heck don't they sprint back to become blockers for the receiver rather than try to block the punt, an act of futility as far as I'm concerned.

There should be a  rule in soccer that says once the ball crosses mid field, it can not come back, which it does so often I'm half asleep before there looks like a reasonable attack unfolding. 

Another NFL question. Why do coaches keep their stars (the ones not coming off of injuries) from getting any real game time during exhibition season? Are they so certain that the vet will be game ready to play from the get-go? I guess we'll find out this season. 

Lots of talk in our sports page about high school athletes leaving their district schools and enrolling in schools with more elite programs. This is a  trend that has been going on now for at least the last 15 years. In basketball, for example, there are basketball academies for the extremely gifted that have their own schedules and play against each other and are scouted by the pros. If this trend continues and there doesn't seem any reason to believe it won't, it is time to consider the European model of school boy and girl sports. No sports in school. Sports clubs for athletics. I love the democracy of high school sports and would hate to see this happen, but it looks to me that sports in our country is fast becoming more of an oligarchy than a democracy. 

Here's a fabulous poem about baseball written by Robert Hamlin from his neat poetry book, Keeping Score

A HERO FOR ALL SEASONS

I remember Eddie Yost:

Who raised the base on balls 
to the level of art.

Who took batting practice
to practice not to hit.

Who once fouled off nineteen
third strikes to earn a walk.

Who persuaded kids too small
for football and too short
for basketball
that litt'uns could also be big'uns.