As far as I can remember, in 1967 no executive of the fledgling American Basketball Association ever had a member of the NBA assassinated and chopped into little pieces the way the leader of Saudia Arabia that sponsers the fledgling LIV golf tour did to fellow Arab, reporter Jamal Khashoggi. Nor did the ABA or people associated with the new ABA ever mistreat women, or financially support Islamist terrorists. Not there were any Islamist back then in the "70's to support. But you get my meaning. This is not about a competitive league. The ABA had every right under our country's laws to compete with the NBA. We are, for better or worse, a capitalist country. That means competition is encouraged, even while it often seems in 2022 that competion is dwindling and mega companies dominating the market. However, that is not my point. Competition is fair under the law in our country and most civilized countries. But if a start-up company is owned by criminaels it should NEVER be supported. The LIV is owned by Saudi Arabians living in Saudi Arabia (Read Saudi Government, a criminal organization, make no mistake about it.) The Arab government is a lawless state with great buckets of blood on its hands. Yet many of our top, even iconic, golfers like Phil Michelson and Dustin Johnston, have decided to play for them - the LIV. Now they too, by association, have blood on their hands. They and all the golfers signed up to play for the LIV should remember what happened to Lady McBeth. Blood can not be washed away. No amount of money will wash the stains away.
On to a happier subjects. Word is out that the NBA is seriously discussing expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas in the near future. I've heard for the 2024/25 season The talking heads are saying Las Vegas will be owned by LeBron James. Good for LeBron. And, Seattle cerainainly deseerves their Sonics back they way the city was bamboozled by the owner of the Oklahoma Thunder who bought the Sonics and vowed he would not move the franchise. Two more real western teams in the West will allow the TWolves and the Memphis Griz both teams on the east side of the Mississippi to join the Eastern Conference.
And, by the way, Go Seattle Storm. Win the WNBA!
The Sacramento Bee might be the worst newspaper in America. Let's have a contest. This mornings paper Monday the 29 of August read: Scheffler Takes 6-shot lead at Championship. Really, and what about Rory Mcllroy winning it, for a victory in a major he had not won since 2014, albeit he's one of the best golfers in the biz. Is a newspaper really a newspaper when it contains no up to date news? Why do my wife and I keep our subscription? Sentimental reasons, I guess. We both love to read real print. I like to feel the crackle of paper in my hands. My wife likes the funnies and Dearr Abby. But this is getting ridiculous. This city purports itself to be Big League. Not with a bush league newspaper.
Got to get this gripe out of my system. How many people watching the PGA hate it on the split screen that the ads get the larger portion of the screen????Cameron Smith made a fabulous 45 foot putt, putt of the day on the smaller screen, while on the bigger screen I was treated to a Rolex ad for a watch I'll never be able to afford. Big screen for the sport, don't you think?
Back to the LIV. Sayonara LIV golfers. The young up-and-coming golfers along with some still youn stalworths, like Mcllroy, Speith, Thomas, Scotty, Rham, Om, Morikawa, Cantlay, Camernon Smith Young, Xander Shauffele, etc, are going to eclipse your memory in no time. You made t a pact with the devil, now you LIV guys must LIV with the devil.
From my new collection of poetry, just out, from Random Lane Press, a poem called
CHAIN
dead center. Someone yelled, "Chain!"
"Chain," someone yelled, his shot in mid flight.
We called him, Chain. He never missed.
Chain link net, two links missing.
Charlie was a poet
He said she had a hole in her skirt
