(Associated Press)
(Getty Images)
(Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)
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Yesterday we lost one of the greatest players in NBA history, but more important a person whose contributions off the court exceeded his contributions on the court. Bill Russell, passed away at the age of 88. I could copy and paste all of what has been written in the last 24 hours, but that is not what this blog is about.
Bill Russell changed the game. He was the first big athletic center who used his tremendous skills to out work, out smart, and out skill his opponents. He was the first player who I remember who won because he made the players around him, his teammates, much better. He studied the art of rebounding like no other before him. He knew where to be to be on the court to get a rebound. He changed the concept of shot blocking. He didn’t just block shots, he blocked shots with control so that either he could block it to himself or a teammate. I remember him saying as a TV commentator that anyone can block a shot and knock it out of bounds, but what good does that do if the other team gets to take the ball out of bounds.? He said the key to shot blocking was being able to block the shot with a soft hand to control the ball.
Russell was not a great offensive player, but he could score if he needed. All he did was win. He won two NCAA championships, an Olympic gold medal, eleven NBA championships as a player with the last two being as a player/head coach. Eight of them were won in a row, a feat that is unheard of in the annals of professional sports in the U.S. He is the only player in history who has won an NCAA championship, an Olympic gold medal, an NBA championship and coached an NBA championship team. He was also the first black coach for a major U.S. sports team. I loved him as an analyst for NBA games. His insight was second to none, and his laugh was infectious.
Most importantly, he was a man who understood the political issues of his time and was not afraid to speak out on racism at a time, when hardly anyone was listening. He used his voice and actions to make a point and continued to do so right up until the end. He did not tolerate fools and would not be part of anything that was contrary to his beliefs. He would not allow other to bask in the glory of his achievements. He lived what he believed regardless of the consequences.
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Per the Detroit News it was not a good weekend in Detroit. The city is reeling from a bloody weekend of seven homicides and 24 nonfatal shootings, including a mass shooting over a parking space early Sunday that left two dead and six wounded, police officials said Monday. Sunday’s shooting, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m., started when a homeowner became angry because people attending a birthday party across the street in the 11600 block of Coyle reportedly blocked his driveway. One of the partygoers reportedly parked in front of the homeowner’s driveway. The man allegedly went into his house, fired into the air once before shooting up the home. Police arrived at the scene and entered the alleged shooter’s house where they recovered 11 weapons from the home that were strategically placed throughout the house, so that as the shooter moved throughout the house he’d have access to the guns.
All of this over a parking space in front of a home at 2:30 in the morning. We are living in crazy times.
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When I read the following from Heather Cox Richardson July 29, 2022, Letters from an American, it was like a gut punch. I have always held the Secret Service in the highest of regard because they are willing to take a bullet to protect those they are assigned to protect. Here is an excerpt from Heather’s newsletter.
Tonight, Maria Sacchetti and Carol D. Leonnig of the Washington Post reported that the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, Joseph V. Cuffari, who was appointed by Trump, knew last December that the texts between Secret Service agents had been deleted. Not only did he neglect to tell Congress that those messages were missing, but also when his investigative team set out to recover the messages, he told them not to. Moreover, he neglected to tell Congress that the text messages from the acting homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, and acting deputy secretary, Ken Cuccinelli, from that same period were also missing.
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, today said in a statement: “The destruction of evidence that could be relevant to the investigation of the deadly attack on our Capitol is an extremely serious matter. Inspector General Cuffari’s failure to take immediate action upon learning that these text messages had been deleted makes clear that he should no longer be entrusted with this investigation.” Durbin says he has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to get to the bottom of what happened to the missing messages and hold those responsible accountable.
Up until reading this article, I have been giving the Secret Service the benefit of the doubt on the missing text issue. I don’t know what to think anymore.
Tomorrow is primary election day. Get out and vote. In many cases because one party dominates the area the primary election is more important than the general election because the primary winner from the majority party easily wins the general election This is especially true in state and local offices. Please vote on Tuesday August 2, 2022.
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Elections Matter. Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence and mass killings?
Orchid of the Day: Bill Russel, for your many contributions on and off the court. I loved the laugh.
Onion of the Day: The gunman in Detroit who decided to shoot 8 people over a dispute involving a parking space at 2:30 in the morning.
Quote of the Day: “A smart person knows what to say. A wise person knows when to say it. “ A very wise person
Question of the Day: Are you voting on Tuesday?
Video/Image of the Day: Bill Russell through the years.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2022-07-31/photos-bill-russell-through-the-years