The SEVEN
by Mack Williams
28 August 2017
I. Nazis 2017
Clearly my mother’s first husband – the main character (aside from her) in her book, “WWII Diary” and my award-winning screenplay of the same name – turned out to be…well, read the book and see the film when it comes out. That said, he’s probably turning over in his Alaskan grave – along with all of his deceased fellow soldiers – if he can see the 2017 America where neo- Nazis are excused by some and half-heartedly rebuked by the President.
Fifty-four years ago today a bigger man – not in height but definitely in stature – stood minutes away from the White House and spoke of his dream. That speech might be better morning informational material than FOX or Breitbart.
II. Colin
Perhaps Colin Kaepernick should link up with a CFL team to keep his skills fresh…maybe even win a Grey Cup…until some owner has the courage to buck the tide and sign him. He might even enjoy a back-end career like Warren Moon.
III. Stanton
Congrats to Giancarlo Stanton for joining the exclusive 50 home run club, and helping to catapult the Miami Marlins back into the pennant race. It’s crazy to see guys like Stanton and Aaron Judge hit Home Run Derby-distance homers in actual games where the pitcher is trying to get them out.
Of course, the rise of the Marlins sadly brings to mind the tragic boating death of Jose Fernandez. What if he were here…
IV. Conor and Floyd
So the future looks somewhat like $200,000,000 brighter for Floyd Mayweather, and a great deal brighter for Conor McGregor as well, who by all accounts acquitted himself very well in his first professional boxing match. Looking at it from the outside I can give props to Conor, but if I were twenty-nine years old like Conor, and a welterweight boxer who had literally given blood, sweat and tears to this sport from my teenage years in Golden Gloves to the present day, I might not be as quick to congratulate. I might very well think that the multi-million dollar payday and shot at boxing immortality should have gone to me as opposed to a man – UFC champion notwithstanding – that is now sporting a professional boxing record of 0-1.
That said, I think I was on point with the outcome a few weeks back. Here’s what I wrote:
“Anyone that thinks Conor McGregor has any more than the slimmest ever chance against Floyd Mayweather should revisit the professional minor league baseball career of Michael Jordan. No disrespect to MJ; I actually think hitting .202 with three homers and 51 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases is quite good for someone who had not played baseball in 13 years. My guess is that had he chosen to play baseball instead of basketball at UNC, he might have made the majors (and my Georgetown Hoyas might very well have won another NCAA title).
That said, his baseball career shows that being the best at what you do doesn’t mean you are anywhere near the best at what someone else does. Conor’s best shot is to body slam and suplex Floyd. He probably won’t get up from those.”
V. On Both Sides, On Both Sides
Were it not for the hurricane in Texas and the fight in Vegas, we might have had a week of All Kyrie, All The Time after the bombshell Thomas-Irving trade. Now that there are reports of Cleveland’s discomfort over the rehabilitation of Isaiah Thomas’ hip, we can see that there is front office discomfort on both sides, on both sides – and both need to get this deal done.
The Celtics don’t want to have to bring Jae Crowder and IT4 back into the fold, and be forced to explain why they thought Kyrie was worth so much more than they were. Meanwhile the Cavaliers do not want to begin training camp with Kyrie Irving on the roster, and training camp will begin earlier this year due to the earlier start – October 17th – of the season. That means that the Cavaliers are on the clock if this deal is rescinded, and other general managers will know it.
So I expect this deal to happen one way or another…and that that first game on 10/17 is going to be a monster.
VI. U.S. Open
With no playoffs for the Mets, the biggest September question in Queens is whether or not Venus (in her pregnant sister’s absence) will take the U.S. Open.
VII. Sheriff Joe
I wonder what would happen if I went to rob a bank today…other than my arrest, and possibly my death at the hands of law enforcement while attempting to escape after committing the crime. Were I to live to be convicted for the crime, would I then be fortunate enough to be pardoned for my law-breaking activity as was Sheriff Joe Arpaio? Probably not, given that I am a person of color and not a supporter of the President.
If I were killed in the midst of committing such a violent crime, many people would have no problem with the outcome, given the nature of what I was attempting to do. And that, in a nutshell, explains the validity of BLM. If you’re committing an heinous crime, you should expect that your activity might warrant a forceful response…but if you’re just standing in front of the hotel (like tennis star James Blake), or on the train platform (like Oscar Grant), or being twelve years old in the park (like Tamir Rice) or selling loosies (like Eric Garner), you should not expect to be maimed or killed. People of color should be treated fairly by those in law enforcement, which is why President Trump’s pardon of Arpaio is wrong. And it is why Black Lives Matter.
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