Thoughts for the Day, July 2, 2021: Phil didn’t deserve how the Detroit News treated him.

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On Wednesday night I started to read the article in the Detroit News about Phil Mickelson being stiffed for $500,000 on a bet he placed with a Detroit mafia person.  After a few paragraphs I realized it was old news from many years ago.  I thought it was poor journalism especially since Mickelson was playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club this week.  I was not surprised when Mickelson spoke out strongly against the article and said he did not feel welcome and could not see any reason why he should return to Detroit and the Rocket Mortgage Classic in future years. The Detroit News continued their poor journalism this morning as Nolan Finley said about Mickelson, “Well, don’t let the door hit you in your saggy bottom on your way out of town, Phil.”  Today, Mickelson responded with class.  A former Detroit sports-talk radio producer Thursday created a petition to convince Mickelson to come back to Detroit. Mickelson said if that petition meets the 50,000-signature goal, and that each of the 50,000 signers agreed to do “one random act of kindness for another member of the community,” then he will tee it up again when the PGA Tour returns to Detroit next summer.

Per the NY Times and many other new outlets, yesterday, the Manhattan district attorney said that the company, known as the Trump Organization, had crossed the line into illegality on dozens of occasions and charged it with a fraud scheme stretching over 16 years. The charges focused instead on the company’s longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, who was also personally charged. History shows that once the feds sink their teeth into an organization, they start by pressuring someone lower in the organization who will provide information that will help take down people higher up in the organization.  A prime example is the recent multiple year prosecution of various UAW that eventually led to the conviction and prison time for the former president of the UAW. It is likely that Weisselberg will not be the only one to face charges in the Trump organization.  Trump himself should be concerned.

American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson could miss the Olympic games after testing positive for marijuana. Richardson, 21, won the women’s 100-meter race at the U.S. track and field trials in Oregon last month, but her positive test automatically invalidated her result in that marquee event. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced the positive test result Friday morning, and said Richardson had accepted a suspension of one month, starting on June 28. That could clear her in time to run in the 4×100 meter relay that takes place later in the Games — if she is named to the U.S. team. Although the suspension will end on the first day of time trials for the 100-meter race at the Olympics, she does not qualify for the 100-meter race because of her disqualification at the U.S. trials.  We need to remember that Richardson is only 21 years old and she used the marijuana in Oregon where it is legal. For whatever reason she made a bad decision and now she is paying a big price. She didn’t do anything illegal. Hopefully, she will learn from this, bounce back, have a great career and qualify for the 2024 Olympics.

Stay safe.  Wash your hands regularly. Social Distance.  Wear your mask properly.  Schedule your vaccine.  

Orchid of the Day: Phil Mickelson, for his agreeing to comeback to Detroit in 2022 after he was treated so warmly by the fans on Friday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Onion of the Day:  Nolan Finley for his classless comment about Phil Mickelson.  See above story.

Quote of the Day: “I can’t say (Trump’s) negative reaction was a surprise for me, but I don’t think he’s taken a second to read the report,” said Michigan State Senator Ed McBroom, who lives outside Vulcan, a town of about 1,500 residents along the Wisconsin border.  Last week he authored a senate report that confirmed the election results in Michigan. Since that time he has been vilified by Trump and his supporters.